Have you ever wondered who gets paid to think up names for cars, or any new product?  You know, great names like Charger, Road Runner, Chevelle, Mustang, Cougar, and Corvette. Those names had some meaning behind them, and hopefully it translated quickly, when you heard someone mention them. 

We in the feed industry like to think we are pretty handy at naming products as well.  I may be a little biased, but I think names like CRYSTALYX^® and SWEETLIX^® do a pretty good job of explaining a little of what the product is, for someone that may not be totally familiar with them.  I would also like to think names like Buffer-lyx^®, BioBarrel^®, Breed-Up^®, Crystal-Phos^®, ROLYX^® and WeatherAll^® also help to explain just what it is you are investing in, without any smoke and mirrors. When it is all said and done (and, if we get it done correctly), we want the product name to immediately translate into a visual representation of the product in your mind.

And then we have product, or more likely, additive names from some of our competitors.  I will not name any here, but suffice it to say they are catchy, they often break rules of English spelling (we even did that once with Crystal Clear Economyx^®) and they promote a perception of something ground breaking, a little mysterious and news worthy.  Now, I’m not talking about every brand or trademarked name that our competitors have, but rather just the few that appear to be mostly hype, and have little, if any, research behind them.  The scenario often plays out like this: We get a call or an e-mail asking, “What competitor Y’s new additive ‘Serpent-Lube’ is?”  After some digging and even calls to the competitor, we often still do not know what the additive really is, or what it really can do.  And then in some cases, it is just a new name for an old additive that is really nothing new, but it sure sounds new.  There seems to be a belief that a flashy name will give the perception of ground-breaking innovation, when there really isn’t much.

I would like to think that there are many of us who can answer your questions about any of the products we make, and especially the products to which we have given trademarks and brand names.  To quote from Teri Walsh’s blog just last week:

"CRYSTALYX^® has 6 trained nutritionists on staff, ready to help. We each have areas of specialty (not just beef cattle). This depth of knowledge (practical and formal) means we are able to find solutions for every production scenario. We know our products. We know that there’s no ‘one-size-fits all answer’ when it comes to supplementing your cattle. By asking you a few questions about your operation, we can suggest products that will work for your specific situation."

I firmly believe that the branded and trademarked products we have, are among the best in the industry, and we have the people, knowledge and research to back them, when you have questions about them.

CRYSTALYX^® Breed-Up^®, Crystal-Phos^®, and ROLYX^® supplements are an easy way to affordably provide organic/chelated trace minerals, vitamins, phosphorus, magnesium, and/or fly control in your summer mineral program.  All this, in a weather proof supplement block, that’s available 24/7, while minimizing your investment in time, labor and equipment.  And, as I have said before, take all that a step further, and try those products with two of our greatest innovations, the WeatherAll^® BioBarrel^®.