For example, a marketing professor from Columbia’s Business School (Bernd Schmitt, Ph.D.) commented that “when a product is launched its name is only part of a multimillion-dollar marketing campaign that also involves advertising, research, and social media” (Colapinto, 2011, 41). And while this is certainly true, he goes on to argue that “the name is just a starting point for a brand. The most important branding decision is more about brand strategy, distribution channels – where are the customers you want to reach” (Colapinto). However, Dr. Schmitt is not emphasizing a key part of the brand naming process. If brand name creation is done correctly, the company and the team explicitly address brand strategy and target customers during the creation of the brand name. This makes it is possible to save a large amount of money down the road because the company didn’t complete each stage of the marketing process in a silo. The more companies collaborate and horizontally structure their teams, ideas, and organization during the brand naming process, the more integrated the overall strategy and the less work that has to be done later. These issues would already be addressed during the brand strategizing that took place when the name was created. (Read more about the silo problem in management)

And, although Mr. Colapinto does defend this perspective with examples like F. Scott Fitzgerald who originally wanted to call his iconic “The Great Gatsby” the “Trimalchio in West Egg,” it’s important to realize that the strengths of a well thought out name go far beyond simple consonance and alliteration (although these can be important components). A branding strategy really should be derived and agreed upon during brand name construction. A name essentially embodies aspects of the strategy – while many people might not think much more beyond the brand name, names tend to appeal or repel them on a subconscious level.

Finally, we would argue that brand naming is a dangerous dance between creativity and efficiency. We are big believers in “out there” ideas and some of the great brainstorms that can stem from them. But trademark screening and brand name architecture design tend to be the more challenging and no less important parts of the process, especially when talking about global brands. Our team is more well-rounded because of the requirement to factor in the practical realities of IP protection and the need for global, cultural, and linguistic acceptability. While team members are creative, artsy, and right-brained, they also are grounded in the necessity of developing brand names that are legally available and resonate with different targets around the world. If managed properly, recognizing these constraints can actually sharpen rather than dampen our creative focus, reinvigorating us all and resulting in some truly amazing new name ideas that work in concert with a cohesive brand strategy and pass all legal and linguistic hurdles.

The Naru (Naming Guru) has emerged from the naming reflecting pool to finish sharing his/her branding perspectives from earlier this month.

5b.) Literal / descriptive names are better than emotional names when developing specific product names underneath a family brand.

While emotional, short & snappy brand names should establish strong connections with consumers (e.g., Northface, Nike), too many names of this ilk in one’s brand name portfolio tend to dilute brand building efforts. This type of name works well to establish a new product family’s tone and the brand’s “ambiance.” However, when a family brand  adds additional products and line extension names, it is more effective to stay simple and use literal or descriptive names. At this point, it becomes more about communicating what the additional products are and their key benefits to better establish the family brand, than it is to risk creating potential confusion by launching more brand-like names within the family.

6) There is no such thing as a perfect name.

William Shakespeare has an excellent quote that reads, “Striving to better, oft we mar what’s well.” If we can get past the old English, it’s the “perfect” reference to modern naming. At NameStormers, there is a policy to work with a customer until that customer is happy and it has served us well, resulting in over 80% of our business in recent years coming from repeat customers. Sometimes, it’s well worth the extra effort to really flesh out all the possible creative and viable name options, but not necessarily to find that one name that everyone loves. Striving to find that one unobtainable “perfect” name often ends up diverting the creative effort towards name candidates that no one hates but that no one is really passionate about either. Far better to end up with a name a few are passionate about initially, and that has the potential to excite others when the right window dressing is wrapped around it (a logo, copy and/or advertising), than push a mediocre name that will more than likely produce lackluster customer response.

7) Names with the greatest potential often have the most glaring weaknesses.

This really ties back to the memorability point from last week. Names that are risky often tend to be memorable. Take Google, Starbucks or even the Coppertone QuickCover name. Perhaps, from the Quick Cover name alone, you don’t immediately understand that Coppertone is releasing a new type of sunscreen spray that goes on faster and with less mess than their standard lotion. Many of Coppertone’s consumers tend to be families, and some of the company’s messaging targets mothers of young children. What if a mom was to look at the name “QuickCover” and think, “I don’t want something that is quick, I want something that is strong, protective, and powerful.” Or, “This lotion is going on my 1-year-old who has sensitive skin. Is the spray going to irritate his skin or not afford adequate screening, even though it is fast and convenient?” In reality, “QuickCover,” without the proper context,  could alienate some consumers; however, the name does telegraph a key benefit many might find compelling and memorable. Coppertone also mediated the risk associated with the name through their packaging – including the “Lotion Spray” trailer and the SPF 50 label right after the “QuickCover” name. It reassured those mothers who may have been more reluctant to try it while still conveying the new point of differentiation: that this line extension allows you to “quickly cover” your child. While names that seem too focused on a specific benefit or single emotion might raise concerns during the selection process, they often stand to have the greatest pay-off. With the aid of the right “window dressing” and context, names with a glaring weakness  often become less risky while still being sticky and memorable.

More to come during the next pondering from the Naru.

Click here to read Part I of this installment (this is Part II).

One of the special educational services NameStormers offers is access to the sage naming philosophies of the revered Naru (Naming Guru). (The identity of the Naru is protected so he/she can go about day-to-day life without being chased down the street by marketers and branding strategists demanding one-on-one audiences.)

1) Think like a customer, not like a product developer. (Would you have ever named a computer “Apple,” a shoe “Nike,” or a coffee “Starbucks”?)

Customers need to connect with a name, often on an emotional level, in order to connect with a brand. There are no “how to’s” for forcing customers to identify with a name, just like there is no formula to find people you like and who will like you in return – it’s just a mutual “feeling.” Customer-centrism is often better described as a team ideology to really get inside customers’ shoes. Asking questions like, what do I (the customer) really need? What would make my life easier? What problem can this product solve that I don’t even realize I face? While this may sound more intangible than actionable, Corporate Culture and Performance (as cited on Thinking Like a Customer) credits customer-centric organizations with a 36% higher ROI (return on investment) than their industries’ mean performance. As for naming strategy, start with how you would describe your target market. If they’re a younger, funkier group, focus on names that resonate with that demographic.

2) Memorability, not likability, is what it is all about.

If, when testing a group of names, one name consistently ranks as “liked most” many people would consider that a strong, favorable indicator. Likability is NOT the end all be all. What good is a name that is well-liked if no one can remember it? Presently, in the day of Facebook and other powerful social networking tools, if you forget the name of that one person you really wanted to follow-up with, chances are you can remember enough about them to find their contact information on Facebook without too much trouble. Products and services do not always have the luxury of context clues. Memorability is the one measure that always counts with customers. If they can’t remember the name of a product, the chances of them effectively telling others about it, much less coming back to get it for themselves, is slim to none. (Check out what Mike Carr, NameStormer’s CEO, says to the American Marketing Association (AMA) in June 2009 on memorability.)

3) Passion from a few is more important than consensus from all.

We all have experience with customer reviews – the people who post them either seem to love the products/services they review or hate them. Just like in life, not every person who sees your name is going to love it. That’s okay. As a matter of fact, it’s better that way. Chances are, you’re polarizing those who fall nowhere inside your consumer segment. As long as the name resonates with that segment, and leads to people who post at least once a day about how much they love everything about that product and name, then the name is doing exactly what it was designed to do – attract customers.

4) Controversial names are better than safe names.

This really ties back to memorability. Names that turn heads, drop jaws, make statements, and/or lead to scathing commentary on that one obscure blog that hasn’t praised anything in 10 years, are okay. Controversial names make waves, create buzz, and do a lot of work for you with little to no support from marketing dollars. While these sorts-of names do have inherent advantages, we don’t necessarily advocate creating a name that is divisive just for the sake of creating contention. Controversy doesn’t have to be the focus, but it also doesn’t have to be a reason to drop a name either.

5) Emotional names are better than literal / descriptive names when developing a new brand.  The reverse is true when developing specific product names underneath a family brand.

Think about politicians. As much as they rely on area-experts, and call academicians to share their quantitative research so they can know, unemotionally, through numbers exactly what they should and should not vote for, that is rarely what they use to decide how to vote. Talking to many academicians at one of the top-tier research universities in the United States, they recount that politicians think they want empirical research to tell them what to do and how to craft policy, but time and time again, they vote and create this policy based on pure emotion. Doctorates from vastly different disciplines recount how much more effective a personal story filled with emotion and angst was at swaying politicians’ votes than the most compelling research they had seen presented. Naming for a new brand is largely the same. It’s much easier to connect with customers through their heart strings than through their cerebellum – emotionally evocative names are typically much more effective for new brands.

The Naru is off to meditate, reflect, and gain additional insight. Stay tuned for the Naru’s next installment.

“Consumers are buying private label food and drink products in greater numbers, typically because these products represent better value” (Mintel, The Private Label Food and Drink Consumer, Dec. 2010). But, is this causation or correlation? Are consumers knowingly buying private labels in larger quantities because of their perceived value, or is something else driving the increase?

This same Mintel study identifies several private label names (e.g., Target’s Archer Farms and Dominick’s/Safeway’s Lucerne) where more consumers believe they are actually buying a national brand  than a private label.

While part of this perception is certainly due to clever packaging and well-crafted brand-building strategies, we believe that some of the credit clearly goes to the name. Take for instance two other names that are quickly identified as private labels among almost all consumers: Walmart’s Great Value and Supervalu’s Shop ’n Save. Are any of us really surprised at this? Is there any doubt that a name like Archer Farms just inherently has more national brand potential than a name like Great Value?

But what is also interesting is this takeaway from the Mintel study: “most consumers do not perceive a clear difference between the quality of branded products and those sold under a retailer’s private label” (Mintel, Dec. 2010). This same conclusion has been reported in the press and other studies, with seemingly increasing frequency in recent years. Some herald this as foreshadowing the inevitable demise of national brands. Yet others point to the premium prices, incredible customer loyalty and high margins that certain brands continue to command today (e.g. Apple, REI, Ferrari & Tiffany’s).

So what does all of this mean?  It may mean that national brands have not just an opportunity but an absolute obligation to better differentiate themselves from private label competition. The competition is becoming savvier with respect to brand-building and much better at developing private label names that rival the best national brand names out there.

We do both. We help retailers of all sizes develop strong private label names with the potential to usurp the incumbent national brand’s dominance.  We also help small to large manufacturers and service providers, in both the B2C and B2B arenas, create new brand names that engage, connect emotionally, differentiate and build strong loyalty and preference in a market.  Let us do the same for you.

The Harvard Business Review published an article this month discussing two possible approaches when naming next generation products: 1. Brand-Name Continuation (or) 2. Brand Name Change.

Callaway Company launched its first Big Bertha driver in 1995 and then chose the brand-name continuation strategy: following with Great Big Bertha and then Biggest Big Bertha. This may be a cute and clever progression, but are there any downsides to this strategy?

Before answering that question note that many other companies like Nintendo followed the other approach, brand name change. In Nintendo’s case, they’ve launched the, N64, GameCube, and Wii gaming platforms. This approach involved a complete divorce from the previous name characterizing the product line. The obvious question is which one of these strategies is best?

This brings us back to managing expectations: taking into account your specific competitive environment and the evolutionary versus revolutionary nature of your next generation offerings.  Managing expectations also needs to take into account your budget or, as is too often the case these days, your almost total lack thereof.

When consumers see brand-name continuation (Callaway), studies have proven they often expect more evolutionary improvements to existing product features. When they see brand-name change (Nintendo), they expect fundamentally new features, more radical changes and too often perhaps, “they perceive the product as riskier (likelier to fail or more prone to compatibility problems with previous products)” (The Best Way to Name Your Product, HBR, 2011). That being said, brand-name change products are also viewed as being potentially more rewarding – better quality, more significant improvements and easier or more effective in use.

Of course, if you have almost no budget to launch the new offering, even one that is a radical step forward, the brand-name continuation strategy is usually the default. It almost always takes more money and more time to launch a totally new brand than leverage an existing one … Or does it?

This again brings up managing expectations. There are relatively inexpensive and expedient ways to launch a totally new brand name. But they only work well if the new name itself works well.  That is, it needs to engage emotionally, grab one’s attention on that first exposure and clearly differentiate from the competitive set.

We’ll share with you in future posts some of the techniques we’ve developed over the last 25 years in the naming business that have achieved this for many of our clients.  The two strategies listed here for generational products are effective, but oftentimes there are creative hybrids that may hit the mark depending on budget and specific company/project flexibility. If you have an immediate need, feel free to contact us directly for more information right now: 512.267.1814, info@namestormers.com.

Baby names

Never having gone through the birthing process myself, other than when I cried myself into the world as my parents’ pride and joy, I still appreciate the excitement, thought, and detail that goes into baby names. Do you want your kid to be a Thor or a Nathaniel? Despite the fact that I’m sure there are quite a few Nathanials who wind up being Thors (and vice-versa), parents tend to see names for future children as their futures themselves. I want my little girl to be wise (Sage, Mackenzie), or I want my son to be strong (Aaron, Emery).

However, that tends to be a little different from how products and services are named. Typically, positive and descriptive attributes are combined to create a name that evokes positive emotions and/or conjures up some image of the product or service. iPhone – my phone. Juicy Fruit – taste of the gum. Quaker Oats – historical context and description. Typically, we don’t go around naming our kids things like Marlboro or PepsiCo.

However, in China, they do. Take the current Chinese president, Hu Jintao, for an example – as explained in Branding Strategy Insider.

“’Hu’ is his family name, but his first name ‘Jintao’ “is the combination of two characters, Jin and Tao. Jin is ‘brocade’ or ‘bright and beautiful.’ Tao is ‘big waves.’ By putting them together, Jin-tao means ‘enchanting waves’ or, metaphorically, ‘splendid success’ since brocade is associated with richness and success and big waves are strong and unstoppable.”

What’s interesting about the way they create baby names in China, is that it mirrors the exact same way one should create company or product names. The process goes even deeper. More than just actual translation (a name changed to retain its meaning) comes transliteration (a name chosen primarily based on a meaning derived from its sound).

A good way to understand this process is to consider how Chinese usually try to remember an English name – by converting the sound into Chinese equivalents. With transliteration, the goal is to “create a Chinese name that sounds closest to the original name and has positive associations.” Examples of this are fascinating. Hui-Pu is Hewlett-Packard’s Chinese brand name because it not only sounds like “Hewlett-Packard,” but Hui is “kindness” and Pu “universal,” so Hui-Pu can mean “benefit to all.” All of the sudden naming has a whole new dimension.

GroupOn

GroupOn is a new company that just came on the scene 2 years ago. I remember when GroupOn was only in 5 cities in the States, just 1.5 years ago, when I thought I was an early-adopter! Now, in addition to turning down multimillion dollar deals from Google and Yahoo, they have expanded to 35 countries in just the last year.

A question relevant to this discussion that has always come to mind when I hear about their dizzying growth and acquisition strategy, is how does the name GroupOn work in Russia, Europe, and Asia? One of the most attractive things about it in English is that it’s a play off of “coupon” that brings to mind “coupons” as in a whole “bunch.” How does the name play overseas and does that matter?

To facilitate their burgeoning growth, Groupon has done something perhaps smart initially, although potentially very challenging down-the-line. They have acquired local companies, allowing them all to retain their local identities. Their European service is MyCityDeal. They’ve taken the same approach in each new locale. In South America the service is ClanDescuento, in Japan Qpod.jp, and in Russia Darberry.ru. Clearly, they’re using the same CMS, web design, everything. They’ve standardized except on the name – which is odd, given the intentional local feel of their daily deals. This divorce might impact their relationship with their clientele.  If they are willing to tailor their brand name, why not also their web site, messaging, etc.?

Embrace or circumvent?

So, is it worth the headache of exploring new languages, cultures, and identities as you expand, or should you just circumvent the whole challenge via acquisition or a similar parent-brand/sub-brand strategy?

Honestly, one brand name (or derivations of it) that means one thing across languages and cultures is far simpler to communicate than a host of brands, even if they live under one parent brand. The thing about brand naming is that memorability is key. It’s easy to get from Hui-Pu to HP. It’s not very easy to tie a MyCityDeal or ClanDescuento back to GroupOn.

Building a strong brand seems paramount. Do you want to spend more money educating your market on your different brands and their relationships, or would you rather spend a little more time and money up front and have a strong, memorable, and meaningful brand name that works across multiple countries and cultures? We certainly advocate the single brand name strategy, as it more effectively leverages your brand building dollars and is simpler to execute and manage over time.

Whether or not Chevy’s car name “No Va” was really what led to its abysmal sales in both Mexico and Spain, it’s easy to argue that a name, literally translated, that means “no go” is a no-no for a car. Now Audi is dishing us up “excrement?”

Doing due diligence before running with a name in international markets seems like a no-brainer to me. Maybe it’s the fact that I do international trademark screenings on a regular basis that makes this point particularly salient, but it just seems too obvious that names with negative translations should be properly vetted before appearing on an international stage.

That being said, what about unbranded names, or names that try to be too novel or ironic? Take the latest release of Urban Outfitters jeans, for example. They’re literally called “Unbranded” denim. The irony behind this approach is that a lack of a brand name by default defines the brand. The lack of a logo, label, embroidery, or celebrity endorsement speaks to the rise of this brand’s target market: the modern-day beatnik, or more popularly known “hipster.” So, by allegedly targeting no one, this brand actually targets its largest consumer base – those people who shun conformity and yet unknowingly embrace it, hipsters.

So, too explicit of a name can be negative and a name that is not explicit enough can be confusing. What’s the Goldilocks (or “just right”) mentality to brand naming?

A post in the New York Times written by University of Texas Economics Professor Dan Hamermesh answers this. He comments that despite the determinants of demand that every student learns in ECON 101 (price sensitivity, personal income, and general preferences) he factors in an additional determinant he calls “the cuteness of the product’s name.” This is a man who purchased a Soy Vay® hoisin garlic glaze and a six-pack of Arrogant Bastard® ale based on the appeal of the products’ names alone.

Granted, not everyone can go out and buy a $150,000 car (price tag of Audi’s e-tron) just based on the appeal of its name. That being said, a good name can go a long way towards winning the hearts (and wallets) of a target market. Why alienate your consumers with your brand name when you can leverage it to win them over? This seems like a fairly simple mistake to avoid that some modern-day companies insist on repeating.

According to an article on CBS News, Generic and Store Brands vs. Brand Names, generic products do sometimes offer the same bang for the buck as their branded counterparts. That being said, sometimes they don’t.

As a brand naming firm, we’re especially sensitive to this issue. Concerned customers may shy away from names that seem to overpromise yet possibly inspire their market. They don’t want to be disappointed by paying too much for just a name. Sometimes I wonder – as a NameStorming team member doing my personal shopping is it taboo to buy generic products?

The solution lies in being smart about what you buy. Some brand names are at least 1/3 more expensive than their generic counterparts which offer no difference in quality (i.e. Ibuprofen). Other brand names are actually cheaper than the generic brands (i.e. Kiss manicure kits). Yet, still other brand names are incrementally more expensive (i.e. Cottonelle toilet paper versus the CVS brand) but offer infinitely better quality where it counts!

It’s important to pay attention to the products you buy and develop both a price and brand sensitivity. When it comes to price, know your threshold – be your own advocate and recognize when you’re getting ripped off. When it comes to brand, know your level of loyalty – identify how much more quality that brand name offers so you either appreciate the added benefit or know when it’s time to jump ship.

If it just comes down to the price or the name, what actually makes the real difference for consumers? Many products’ rise to fame starts with their name’s memorability (Craigslist, Zappos, Twitter, of course Google). However, avoiding a brand name that turns the target market off is just as important (Ben-Gay Aspirin, New! Coke, LifeSavers Soda, Touch of Yogurt Shampoo) … especially if the name being used doesn’t connect with the core brand equity (Coors Rocky Mountain Mineral Water, Colgate Kitchen Entrees, Pepsi A.M., Frito Lay Lemonade).

It pays off to select a strong name for a product as it can accelerate adoption and save significant time and money down the road. That being said, I wouldn’t recommend buying a product/service just based on name alone. Taking the time to invest in a strong brand name is just as worthwhile as taking the time to know if what you’re buying really measures up.

(A NameStormers’ Viewpoint – August, 2010)

Popular commercial brands generate a “positive emotional reaction from the human brain,” according to a study by the Radiological Society of North America. Does that mean consumers are inclined to just purchase those brands that we have all heard of before, for better or for worse?

This study links positive emotions to the purchase of well-known brand names while linking negative emotions to those brands that are lesser-known. Apparently, well-known brands are easier to process and activate a part of the brain associated with rewards. Conversely, lesser-known brands demand more from parts of the brain associated with memory and elicit stronger negative emotions. Maybe this means our brains view less clear, more convoluted names and messages negatively?

According to the study, the type of response depended entirely on how strong (or familiar) the brand was, regardless of what product or service was being tested.

We have seen this same trend in our own name testing research but don’t believe it is because lesser-known brands elicit stronger negative emotions. Rather, we think it is because lesser-known brands require us to “think harder.” That is, some of the most pedestrian, generic brand names that have been out in the marketplace for a while tend to test better than some of the most brilliant new names. We believe this is because of the natural associations any name acquires with exposure over time. Once consumers associate a logo, an advertisement, a package graphic, a story, etc. with a name, even a pretty crummy name, it tends grow on them and they tend to like it more. On the other hand, new names are naked. They have very little wrapped around them, very few associations, so the brain has to work harder to establish those connections.

Are more clever but obscure, new names destined for the scrap heap before they get a chance?  We believe many are because clever isn’t what is what is important. Rather, instant emotional engagement is the key. If a new name connects emotionally quickly, it often has high memorability scores. High memorability is what drives awareness and familiarity which can ultimately drive purchase decisions.

Bottom line: when developing new names, focus on those that connect with the right and not the left side of the brain.  Be less concerned with how descriptive or literal a new name is (e.g. an InfoSeek or Very Creamy style of name that connects with the left side of the brain) and more concerned with the emotional reaction it elicits on the right side of the brain (e.g. a Google or Double Churn style of name that might evoke a chuckle, a positive feeling, a desire for more, etc.). This is what we’ve been focused on since 1985 and what our research shows serves many of our clients quite well.

For more information about how we develop engaging, memorable names, go to www.namestormers.com or give us a call at 512-267-1814.

For more information on the Radiological Society of North America study cited above, go to: Shoppers’ Brains Under Brand-Name Control

Talon

First, if you’ve ever been to a pet store, had a bird as a pet, or been freakishly attacked by one, you know that most have sharp talons that are so strong they can use them to hang upside down from tree limbs or grab hold of their next meal while flying through the air. Since the product is an anchor, this name insinuates that not only is the anchor strong but it’s dexterous – it will find something to cling to and hold tightly.

Second, it’s short (2 syllables, 5 letters, so it will really pop off of the anchor itself as well as off of any advertising), sounds strong, and is easy to say and spell.

Third, it’s novel and differentiating for the category – we couldn’t find anything close to  Talon for an anchor. Most anchors have names like Fortress, Guardian, and Kingston. These are strong, stoic, and sadly typical names. Talon will stand out from the crowd by being original and more emotionally engaging but still relevant.

Fourth, and most importantly, it is easy to remember. The most important attribute of any new name is memorability.  Memorability helps create immediate awareness, the first step towards building a strong brand. Once awareness is established, Minn Kota can focus all of its resources on building preference – the 2^nd step in brand building and the real key to any enduring brand name.