Wow, you guys are really mixed up.In my country we 'do xerox' and buy puma adidas (where adidas is the type of shoe and puma is the brand)
Its easier especially if the client isn't sign savvy, they know what Lexan is, but maybe not polycarbonate. They may have heard of Dibond but not ACM...etc
Depending on the client and the job I get more specific.A quote I just did for some PVC signs for a design company, I specified the Brand and product and spelled out that it was a premium exterior material so they may compare apples to apples.
Heres a good list of trademarks that were lost for not protecting them.
15 Product Trademarks That Have Become Victims Of Genericization
After reading this about the construction at epcot:I like saying "Aluminum Composite Panel" vs Dibond... just looks weird on a bid
Did you know that.... Epcot's Spaceship Earth is an example of the use of ACP in architecture. It is a geodesic sphere composed of 11,324 ACP tiles.
Humm maybe Gino was on to something about these "Mickey Mouse" signs.....