Brand Naming - November, 2003 - May, 2004
An effective brand name will be appropriate for the category, memorable,
and "available" as a trademark and domain name. Here are a few brand
name strategies:
- The shorter the name, the better. Example: Apple.
- Keep the name simple. Use fewer letters of the alphabet by repeating
letters. Example: Google.
- Be suggestive of the category. Example: PlayStation.
- Use alliteration (the recurrence of the same letter and sound in
accented parts of words). Example: Volvo. Note: a repeated sound is
more effective and memorable than repeated letters.
- Be easy to say and read (spoken as spelled). Test: do you have to
spell the name over the phone?
- Be shocking! Examples: Yahoo, Virgin.
- Personalize the brand name. Example: Craigslist.org.
- Avoid negative connotations. People often associate inappropriate
ideas and things with names. Do market research to make sure that
there are no negative connotations with your name.
- Use a name, not an acronym (a word formed from the initial letters
of a name). "Names" are 60% more memorable than an acronym. Comments
from a recent BrandSolutions survey on acronyms: I
do not like names with abbreviations in them. I prefer the name written
out, rather than an acronym. I like names that are not abbreviated.
They are simpler to understand.
The brand name is usually the most emotional component of brand identity.
I advise clients not to get too attached to any one name during the
brand naming process because trademark and domain name conflicts will
probably eliminate most potential brand name candidates. Testing of
the final names is essential to find the name that is most compelling
and credible to customers
Brand naming is a specialized expertise. BrandSolutions recommends
and refers clients to Namestormers.
Contact Mike Carr of Namestormers at (512) 267-1814 or at mike@namestormers.com.
A trademark is the most powerful form of intellectual property because
if you manage the trademark, you can keep it forever. Patents and copyrights
have a time limit. With this in mind, be sure to do both a legal and
linguistic screening of your brand name finalists.
Many thanks to the editors and reporters that wrote all the great stories
and articles below.
I welcome your own comments, insights and wisdom. Email me at cpettis@brand.com
- Chuck Pettis
Study: New Brand Names Not Making Their Mark
BRANDWEEK Magazine, December 8, 2003
With 80,000 words in the dictionary and more than 280,000 U.S. trademark
applications a year, no wonder it is difficult to come up with a meaningful
brand name for anything.
Many companies and organizations think that once you get a new brand
name, then the "brand" problem is solved. Brand names are taken very
seriously and emotionally inside the organization, yet once a "name"
becomes a "brand name," the impact of the brand name on brand equity
is much less than the associated purchase factors and imagery. That
is why major companies like Microsoft are prohibiting new brand names
unless absolutely necessary. The current trend is to use the company
name as the "brand name" followed by a generic category descriptor,
e.g. Microsoft Customer Relationship Management software.
Get Out of My Namespace
The New York Times Magazine, March 21, 2004
There aren't enough brand names to go around - globalization and the
Internet have seen to that. The United Stated registered around 30,000
trademarks in 1980. Registrations last year were at an all time high
of 185,182. The resulting volume of trademarks has increased litigation.
Frivolous cease-and-desist letters are sent to small-business owners
daily. The Fox News Network was ridiculed for attempting to control
the words "fair and balanced," yet still owns the trademark rights for
those words in two categories: television news programs and neckties.
Say 'Tillamook' and You Could be in a Vat of Trouble
The Seattle Times, February 6, 2004
Tillamook, the "Land of Many Rivers," is a county, city, avenue, forest,
river, and bay on the northern Oregon coast. As you might guess, a number
of businesses use this place name in their company name. Three years
ago Tillamook
Cheese claimed trademark infringement by Tillamook
Jerky. The result: the company could keep its name, Tillamook Country
Jerky, but couldn't use the product brand name, Tillamook Jerky.
Moral: Battling over brand names is expensive! Manage your brand names
very carefully. Keep all trademark records and dated proof of use trademarks
samples in case they are ever needed.
Two Famous Camps, Into Locking Horns, Fight Over a Name
The Wall Street Journal, October 13, 2003
One Letter Costs Camp Its Old Name
Concord Monitor Online, May 6, 2004
Trademark disputes can be very costly. Interlocken International Camp,
a 43-year old camp in New Hampshire offering cross-cultural experiences
and travel, was forced to take on a new name (Windsor
Mountain) and identity as a result of a legal suit by similarly
named Interlochen
Center for the Arts in Michigan, also known as the National Music
Camp. After suits and countersuits, the dispute was settled when both
educational institutions agreed to drop their respective lawsuits and
signed a binding agreement.
Moral: do a very careful legal screening before committing to a new
name.
Battle Cry Equals Brand Success
Advertising Age Magazine, November 17, 2003
There is a myth that the right short catchphrase can help capture customers
and motivate employees. For example, "Information at your Fingertips"
and "Your Potential. Our Passion." help explain Microsoft's product
development strategy. Seeing taglines and slogans from companies like
Microsoft and Nike ("Just Do It") motivates other companies and organizations
to want a tagline or "battle cry." And many companies are more than
happy to oblige by creating one for them.
Here's the problem. Most companies and organizations do not have the
creative talent to devise an effective short and "sticky" catch phrase.
They also do not have the communications program to promote and advertise
the tagline or slogan enough so that it is actually remembered and associated with the brand.
Research proves that most people are unable to identify even the most familiar
slogans. Therefore, with few exceptions, BrandSolutions considers the
creation of a slogan or tagline a waste of time and money.
Naming the Baby: Parents Brand Their Tot With What's Hot
The Wall Street Journal, December 26, 2003
More parents are now giving their babies names of popular designers
and luxury products. A long-time lover of Chanel
perfume and handbags, Alice Hunter named her first child "Chanel." In
honor of their daughter, Alice and her husband have the Chanel logo
tattooed on their neck and chest, respectively.
The Social
Security Administration tracks popular names given to babies. In
2003, there were 2,267 Tiffanys,
936 Mercedes
and 270 Lexuses.
The top boy names in 2003 were Jacob and Michael. The top girl names were
Emily and Emma.
My grandfather, Charles R. Pettis, Sr., was very proud of the Pettis
genes. He researched our family tree back to 600 AD and named his son,
Charles R. Pettis, Jr. My full name is Charles R. Pettis, III (this
name stops with me!).