Talk of the bay

Health company distinguishes itself from drugstores

After being known for the past six years as Custom Care Pharmacy, the Tampa company decided the name simply didn't fit. Its business involves developing new drugs, as well as providing specialty drugs for clinical trials and nuclear medicine and pain management markets.

"We still do pharmacy," said Chris Arnette, president and chief operating officer. "But it's not like we're the corner drugstore."

Custom Care hired a marketing manager with branding experience four months ago, hired a consultant and ran some focus groups. The upshot: As of Friday, the company became known as AnazaoHealth Corp.

Arnette said "anazao" is derived from a Greek word that means to live again or revive, which he believes captures the company's mission. But even the company president admits he initially struggled with pronunciation of the new moniker.

"I had to go home and write it out on a board phonetically," Arnette said. "It's "anna,' like a woman's name, then "zay,' like "hay,' then "o.' Anazao."

Arnette has discovered that when people stumble over the company's new name, it gives him a chance to talk about its products.

It's not like Arnette was deluged with suggestions for possible names.

"When the consultant came back with AnazaoHealth, I asked about alternatives," Arnette said. "They told me they had none and that if they give clients alternatives, the process takes forever. I thought that was an interesting approach."