i is the new e as pink is the new black, beta is the new gold, small is the new big, or old is the new new. Sexiness changes and everyone follows sexy.

Back in the day (like 5 years ago), it was sexy to use e in front of brands. Remember eToys in the dot com bubble? Even e*trade? eBay? You can even eFile your taxes!

E defines electronic commerce. Companies used ‘E’ in their branding to convince consumers that they were hip; that they were cool; that they were cutting edge. It was a buzz word, of sorts.

But E is no longer cool. I is the new e, and I is kicking E’s ass into the grave, taking the shovel and personally burying it.

The truth is that the Apple iPhone, iStockphoto, iiProperty (!!) and iTunes all are so much cooler than those ‘E’ brands. And now there is iGoogle.

Branding is everything when it comes to how the brand makes the consumer feel. Sexy is cool and iProducts make people feel sexy. Cool!