April 2006 Archives: Name Wire: The Product Naming Blog

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April 30, 2006

Product Naming: The Pesky "W" of Wii

Wii Logo I am convinced that Nintendo’s claim that "Wii" is a brand name everyone in the world can pronounce is more optimistic than accurate.

Not only do we have to deal with the Great Vowel Shift of English, which makes it the only European language which pronounces a long "i" to rhyme with "tie" rather than "tea," but then there’s that pesky "w".

In our April 28th Wiii brand naming post we mentioned the Welsh use of "w" as a vowel, but what about the way German and other Germanic languages pronouce "w" like the English "v"?

Though as a name, "V" might be a great improvement on "Wii." Vii haff vays of making you buy this game console.

Then there are languages like Italian and Greek which have no "w" at all, meaning that "Wii" as a sound doesn’t naturally exist for them, much less have any meaning.

And Modern Greek uses an "ou" to simulate a "w" when writing out names like "Washington," which comes out "Ouassington."

Which brings me to the point that any proper name should be pronounced the same way in any language — that’s what distinguishes it from ordinary nouns, which just get translated.

So, in a sense, Nintendo could make the same claim about any product name or brand name, the way any of us could make it about our own names. For instance, my colleague’s name, William Lozito.

Here are some other blogs that have been posting about Wii:

1UP.com collects the opinions of Ziff Davis staffers.
JoeBlade argues that the name is both confusing and embarrassing.
Venting Plasma says that Nintendo's explanation of the name is the sort of metaphor that just doesn't work.

Technorati Tags: Wii, , Gaming, Video Games, Language, Translation, Linguistics

Posted by Diane Prange at 7:14 PM

Posted to Consumer Electronics | Product Naming
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Google Brand Name Change: Much Ado About Gu Ge

Google Conventional marketing wisdom and common sense dictate using one global brand name for a company doing business globally.

However, "when in China, do as the Chinese do" might apply. Google may have sold part of its soul with the name change in China to Gu Ge (which means something to the effect of "Song of the Harvest of Grain").

But there's another way to look at this: China has four times the population of the US, and its economy is growing three times faster. You do the math.

Gu Ge There's a lot of noise on the internet these days about a backlash over the Gu Ge name in China. According to an article from Deutsche Presse-Agentur, reprinted by Tech Monsters and Critics, about 10,000 Chinese consumers have suggested up to 50 alternative names for Gu Ge, with about half of them favoring keeping the "Google" name.

These 10,000 consumers, as a percent of China's 1,307,000,000 population, is equivalent to comparing the population of Three Fork, Montana or Elk Point, South Dakota with the total population of the United States (299,000,000).

Never heard of Three Fork or Elk Point? That's my point. A New Coke debacle it's not. It's barely a whisper. Google is wise not to take legal action against the www.noguge.com site. Doing so would only make the site a cause célèbre.

Who knows? With the center of gravity shifting to China and India, it's not incomprehensible that Google's global brand name may someday be changed to Gu Ge.

Here are some other perspectives on the Gu Ge brand name:

China Snippets has Google's promotional video about the new brand name, with English subtitles.
The Journal of Intercultural Learning on the Cultural Implications of Google’s New Chinese Name.
Global Voices offers a roundup of comments from Chinese bloggers.

Technorati Tags: Google, Gu Ge, China

Posted by William Lozito at 6:05 PM

Posted to Brand Naming | Naming | Technology
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April 29, 2006

Links Du Jour - Wii Brand Name Edition

Nintendo's choice of "Wii" for the brand name of their next gaming console, which I wrote about yesterday, is being talked about all over the web. Here are some of the opinions I found to be of interest:

Duality: Why you should all stop hating Wii - Argues that Wii's logo implies inclusion and that it's all part of Nintendo's current marketing strategy.
Kotaku: Nintendo Gauging Wii Love? - Apparently, Nintendo had a marketing firm gauge people's opinions of the Wii brand name.
MobileMag: Yes Wii can, says Nintendo - Nintendo is pushing the idea of the Wii name being all about inclusiveness, for gamers and non-gamers.
Entropy Ink: Wii...What? - The author says to those who plan to show their displeasure with the brand name by refusing to buy it, "I'll see you in line with me the first day it releases."
CAD Media: Oh the puns be a flyin' - Quotes from Nintendo's official announcement of the name.

Technorati Tags: Nintendo, Wii, Gaming, Video Games, Nintendo Revolution

Posted by William Lozito at 8:30 PM

Posted to Brand Naming | Consumer Electronics | Marketing | Naming
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April 28, 2006

Brand Naming: Wii Wii Wii All the Way Home

Wii Logo I have to add my voice to the chorus of disapproval coming from the gaming world over a new Nintendo brand name called Wii.

Nintendo has come out with a funky page explaining the name, which is meant to be pronounced “we” (as in “we all play”). They claim the name reminds us that “this console is for everyone” and that "Wii" can "easily be remembered by people around the world, no matter what language they speak".

But it could be mispronounced "why", or perhaps some would pronounce the two i's separately. If you do, you might get “Why I?”, a question many of us ask ourselves on Monday morning when some gamer is playing with one of these things in the next cubicle.

More likely, it could be mispronounced “wee”, which is just not an association you need with a hi-tech product name.

In some languages, like Welsh, where the “w” is a vowel pronounced “oo”, you might get oooh-eee, which for a game might be OK, but most of us are not Welsh and if you are not, that particular pronunciation sounds like a call for the pigs, another big no-no.

Nintendo says “together, Wii will change everything” but I’m thinking the first thing they should change is the name.

Technorati Tags: Nintendo Wii, Nintendo, Wii

Links Du Jour

Snakes on a Plane: The Airlines Weigh In - Some names just beg for controversy, and this one is no exception. I think these guys have done their branding research and are stirring up trouble just for its promotional value. For those of us who don't even like the IDEA of snakes on a plane, the likelihood of actually running into an airborne serpent is low.
GPS Being Used As a Marketing Tool - Here's a cool way to promote your company name: get it installed into people's GPS units. So, when folks are looking for some address, your logo pops up--presto!--just a block away from their intended destination. Dunkin' Donuts and Cold Stone Creamery have already embraced this technology...
The iPod Will Lose its Grip on Podcasts - Or at least Steve Rubel predicts. Kind of a funny idea when you consider the product names iPod and Podcast are clearly linked, but with the introduction of BerryCast for the Blackberry, I have to admit I see some grim times ahead for the iPod version. Blackberrys will be easier to use. And you gotta love the name.

Technorati Tags: BerryCast, GPS Marketing, iPod

April 27, 2006

Links Du Jour

It's! The! Brand! New! Honda! Fit!!! - The new product name is being touted with a lot of exclamation points!
Knightly in for Moss. Bye-Bye Kate. - The new face of Coco Mademoiselle has been chosen, and the guys at Adjab say she looks like a credit to the brand name.
There is no such thing as a low interest category - Doesn't matter what your brand name is, it is interesting and can be made more interesting if you're doing the right brand research and you have some passion.

Technorati Tags: Honda Fit, Coco Mademoiselle

Brand Naming: This Fragrance Was Made for Lovin' You

Kiss The 70's supergroup Kiss is back with a new fragrance, joining ranks with the many other singers offering scents with their celebrity brand names.

It seems to me that very few blood spitting, make-up wearing heavy metal bands have the right name for a fragrance. Motley Crue and Def Leopard, for instance, are two difficult brand names to imagine as a cologne or perfume. But, Kiss just happens to have a scent-friendly brand name despite their pretty scary image.

The Kiss line will to include a fragrance, shower gels and body sprays. The ads will link the distinctive make up worn by the band (and its dragon-tongued lead singer, Gene Simmons) with, interestingly, Venetian masks (that’s some good brand research at work).

The slogan will read “You never forget your first…” with the traditional Kiss logo, followed by the tagline “Fragrances Made For Lovin’ You”, referencing the group’s hit song “I was made for Loving You”.

I think this is pure nostalgia branding at work, of course, but Kiss has always been a bit different and the scent will stand apart from the tamer offerings by such celebrities as Britney and Mariah.

Technorati Tags: Kiss, Celebrity Fragrance, Gene Simmons

What To Do When Your Name Is Mud

Silt Sometimes what a small (or big) town needs is a name change.

For instance, what do you do when the name of your town is Silt, Colorado?

A whole bunch of residents are unhappy about the name, which dates back to the nineteenth century when trains used to kick up clouds of silt around the fledgling town, leading locals to post a sign by the tracks that warned, “Watch Out For Silt."

Fast forward to 1989 when someone slapped a bumper sticker on his car that proclaimed “Silt Happens”. This was pretty embarrassing, so in 1992 a number of residents tried to get the name changed, which led to a slogan contest in 1999, in which the winner was “Where the Sun Rises with a Smile and Sets in Your Heart."

I think that may be a nice slogan, but people still hate the name. Proposed changes are Ferguson or Ferguson's Crossing, Cactus Valley, Grand View and Grand River.

The town residents vote on it on May 8th. I think Grand River sounds just...grand.

Technorati Tags: Silt, Grand River, Name Change

April 26, 2006

Windstream - This Brand Name is a Winner

Name Communications stalwart Alltel has changed its name to Windstream and will trade on the NYSE as “WIN”, allowing it to ‘win’ with customers (or so the new CEO Keith Paglusch hopes).

The company will be formed through the spin-off of Alltel’s communications business and its merger with VALOR communications, forming a formidable voice, broadband and entertainment brand for the rural USA.

The Windstream name, I feel, is an attractive one and perfectly placed, as the company will function in the “windstream” of this huge merger and of what remains of Alltel itself, which will be a pure-play wireless service for about 11 million customers across 34 states.

I also must say that having a ticker name like ‘WIN” is pretty nifty - it is surprising that it wasn't snapped up years ago following some brand name research by another company.

The typography and fonts, as well as its Web site, look fresh and new, and the green Windstream logo recalls wind, electrical communication and long distance - not to mention the green hills of Southeast America.

Well done and good luck, Windstream.

Technorati Tags: Windstream, Keith Paglusch, Alltel, VALOR

Links Du Jour

Let ad revenue be your shepherd - Here's a novel way to get your product name and URL out there: on the torsos of sheep. And it works...
That's disgusting... - Some pharmaceutical product names and slogans, like Mucinex (Mucinex in, Mucus out) are pretty gross. Now they are graphically disgusting as well thanks to in-your-face ads and yucky web games that make you remember the brand names. The branding research going on must really be gross...
Nationwide Puts Your Name in Lights - Nationwide is offering to put your name beside theirs on Times Square as part of its Life Comes At You Fast promotional campaign. This technique is an interesting mix of personal branding with promoting a company name.

Technorati Tags: Mucinex, Pharmaceutical Names, Nationwide, Life Comes At You Fast

Posted by William Lozito at 1:24 PM

Posted to Marketing | Pharmaceutical | Slogans | Taglines
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Brand Naming: Intel Picks vPro for Its Business Brand

vPro Intel is forging ahead with its strategy to lend its brand to PC functionality rather than simple power through the introduction of its vPro brand platform.

In my brand strategy post on January 2nd, I discussed how Intel moved away from the nebulous "Intel Inside" slogan towards a more integrative brand name by using the "Leap Ahead" slogan. The Intel masterbrand strategy supports branded platforms and processor platforms.

Intel's Centrino platform combined a processor, mobile chipset and a wireless chip while Viiv is all about home entertainment on PCs. Intel's new strategy is clearly allowing the company's name to be all things to everyone and, more exciting, allowing it to use branded platforms to support a plethora of smaller, more technical brand names.

For instance, vPro will offer security solutions for business users through offering what Intel refers to as Active Management Technology (AMT) and Intel Virtualization Technology (VT) both of which offer IT departments PCs that are easy to manage and which is more energy efficient.

I haven't always been a fan of Intel's naming strategy, but what we are seeing now is a brand literally honing its personality and becoming much more defined. And what's more, it seems to be working.

Technorati Tags: Intel, vPro, Intel Inside, Leap Ahead, Masterbrand Strategy, Brand Platform, Centrino, Active Management Technology, Intel Virtualization Technology

April 25, 2006

Links Du Jour

'Don't mess with Texas' celebrates 20 years of cleaning up - Texans are less messy than ever thanks to this clever slogan.
Starbucks Staff Not Spelling it Out For Us - Interesting blog on an interesting means of selling a hard to spell movie idea about...spelling...that is just not being executed well.
Ford To Change Ad Track...Again - Ford is at it again. They are getting rid of the "Built for the Road Ahead" slogan in favor of "Bold Moves".

Technorati Tags: Don't Mess With Texas, Starbucks, Akeelah, Ford, Bold Moves

April 24, 2006

Earth Day: The Products Are Great; The Brand Names May Not Be

Earth April 22nd was Earth Day, which puts into focus Earth-friendly products and brand names for today.

I think that the people at Coolhunting have found an interesting array of Earth-friendly products that appeal to those of us interested in saving the planet; they also have directed us to the “Preserve” range of disposable plates.

There can be no doubt that social activism and concerns should have a direct link to brand naming and brand name research. At least one store has made its entire focus on environmentally friendly products, including, amazingly, composting toilets and “woody pens” from the amusingly and forthrightly named Goodkind Pen Company.

I think the company name is OK, but the product name “woody pen”...may need some work.

Technorati Tags: Earth Day, Green Store, Composting Toilets, Woody Pen

Posted by William Lozito at 10:38 AM

Posted to Brand Name Research | Brand Naming | Household Goods | Naming
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Links Du Jour

Miller likes look of Instant Cool Can - This can has to be great news for beer lovers but I would imagine that Miller will have to do some serious brand name research and come up with a new name for the beer that gets put in this can. It's called the I*C*Can, an unfortunate name because it sounds like "I See Can", but I am sure Miller will rename this when they fill it.
I'll have a Guinness float with a Jameson chaser! - Ben and Jerry's made an untypical naming blunder here. We linked to this story on April 12, before the news broke about the brand name's murky past. This just goes to show you that brand naming research is crucial, even for fun loving dudes like Ben and Jerry.
How Routine Kills Brands - Interesting blog on how to keep your brand name fresh in people's minds.

Technorati Tags: Miller, Ben and Jerry's

Posted by William Lozito at 9:18 AM

Posted to Beverages | Brand Name Research | Marketing | Spirits
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April 21, 2006

Links Du Jour

The Pink Panther Energy Blog - You gotta love the guys at Owens Corning who have given the Pink Panther, their insulation brand icon, his own blog. The Pink Panther, despite the fact he cannot talk, is practically a brand name unto himself and---surprise, surprise---when he starts blogging, he has LOTS to say. I want to see if his arch nemesis, Inspector Clouseau, gets HIS own blog.
Sisterwoman Promises Social Networking Without the Risk - A new social site with an interesting name to help women socialize safely is set to be a direct marketing tool for advertisers looking to reach the 30-50 year old female demographic.
Canned Oxygen Could Be The Next Bottled Water - These guys are serious. With names like “Big OX” and “OGO” is seems like some brand name research in order. Right now you can get products with names like “Mountain Breeze”, or “Mint Escape” or “Tropical Breeze”.

Technorati Tags: Pink Panther, Sistewoman, Canned Oxygen

April 20, 2006

Links Du Jour

Yukata loves London - An interestingly named fictional Japanese programmer takes on London to build the Virgin brand name.
A Mouth-Watering Fatboy - There's a new marinade called "Fatboy" and everyone loves it. Could it be that brand name research is starting to show that thin is NOT in? (Think Harley's Fat Boy motorcycle)
Search Queries Soar, Google Flying High - Google is still the champ and still the most likely place your customers will go to search for your brand name on the Internet.

Technorati Tags: Yukata, Fatboy, Google

Posted by William Lozito at 11:20 AM

Posted to Brand Name Research | Food | Marketing
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The VW Jetta: Safe Happens

In an earlier blog post, I commented on how impressed I was with DDB Canada's Drinking Driving Counterattack campaign on drunk driving. That's why I was surprised to see the most recent Volkswagon Jetta commercial that looks eerily similar to the Drinking Driving Counterattack spot.

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I can't imagine how Volkswagon's new tagline, Safe happens, could be more flattering to the Drinking Driving Counterattack campaign.

View the new Jetta spot below.

Posted by William Lozito at 9:07 AM

Posted to Automotive | Marketing
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April 19, 2006

Links Du Jour

f-shaped reading patterns - Interesting blog on exactly what readers read when they pull up your web page. Crucial brand research for the web generation.
Ode to Mayor McCheese - This famous name from McDonald's past life is now gone. The Mayor's name was a sort of weird miracle of brand naming, and one of Ronald's best friends.
Knight Rider Could Only Wish - The Pontiac Solstice takes center stage in a New Comic called "The Rush", a traditional and excellent way of placing a brand name among hip consumers.

Technorati Tags: The Rush, Jacob Nielsen, Mayor McCheese, Pontiac Solstice

April 18, 2006

Brand Naming: Tsubi Steps on Tsubo for the Last Time

Tsubo Sydney jeans label Tsubi is the new up-and-coming fashion brand name from Oz - it even got the nod from U.S. fashion magazine W.

But its rise in the U.S. seems to be roadblocked by a California footwear company with the brand name Tsubo, who is suing the founders of Tsubi for trademark infringement in the U.S.

The Tsubo brand name has been registered in Australia since 2000 and has been informally petitioning Tsubi to change its name since its first trademark was registered in 2002. Tsubo is also taking Tsubi to court over using suspiciously similar typefaces in some of its brand marketing and a suspiciously similar logo.

Tsubi, you may recall, made its name by sending dozens of rats down a runway during the 2001 Fashion Week in Australia…and I think I smell one of them coming back to haunt them now.

If you love shoes, check out this great shoe blog. To keep current with up-and-coming fashion brands and news, read Fashion Asia, Look Online, and Fashion Blog.

Technorati Tags: Tsubo, Tsubi, Trademark Infringement

Links Du Jour

Jolt set for twitchy, overcaffeinated comeback - Jolt is the brand name that carved out the newly invigorated heavy caffeine drink niche market and it's coming back to take on Coke Blāk.
"Drivers Wanted" Dead. But Jetta Drivers Aren't. - Looks like the Jetta brand name is getting a revamp: the "Divers Wanted" slogan is dead. Its replacement might be "Safe Happens".
Hundreds ask Smithsonian not to sell out to Showtime - Looks like the Smithsonian is a brand unto itself. Interesting to see how the Showtime product name is so disliked by Smithsonian fans...

Technorati Tags: Coke Blak, Jolt, Drivers Wanted, Safe Happens, VW, Jetta, Smithsonian, Showtime

April 17, 2006

The Power of Ingredient Brand Naming

Activia In Episode 36 of American Copywriter, after a somewhat scatological discussion of Dannon’s new Activia yogurt and its active (some say hyperactive) ingredient, the bacteria bifidus regularis, hosts John January and Tug McTighe conclude that there’s nothing like a new ingredient with a coined name and trademark to sell a product. Just say Now with Sillynameyouneverheardof™ and it’ll fly off the shelves.

Of course, as anyone who has tried to trademark the name of a product or service knows, there are almost no natural words in many categories that haven't already registered, so neologisms, or coined names, are needed.

But I think those special trademarked ingredients do seem to be a big part of the marketing campaigns for dietary supplements and health foods - possibly because everyone is hoping for a magic pill to help them lose weight and stop aging.

So, is this just a clever marketing gimmick by Dannon? One blogger wrote the power of ingredient brand naming in a very interesting post earlier today.

Be honest, have you ever bought something because it had a new special ingredient with a trademarked name? I have.

Technorati Tags: Dannon, Ingredient Brand, Activia, Bifidus Regularis, American Copywriter, John January, Tug McTighe

Posted by William Lozito at 1:18 PM

Posted to Brand Naming | Food
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Brand Naming: Stoli vs. Russian Standard, A Tempest in a Shot Glass?

Stoli Two top vodka brands, Stolichnaya and Russian Standard, are fighting over who can legitimately claim to be Russia's Best Vodka. I think there's a subtle irony here, as the top accolade in vodka brand naming should be who gets to be Poland’s Best Vodka, since that is vodka's country of origin.

Nonetheless, worldwide consumers associate vodka with Russia and being named Russia’s best would mean to most of us that your brand name is at the top. Russian Standard claims that Stoli ships out the basic vodka mix to Latvia where it is bottled and sold worldwide, and that what we get is not the original Russian vodka.

The double irony is that the Stoli brand name is controlled by French Pernod Ricard outside of Russia, a group that angrily dismisses these allegations. The ancient (500 year-old) Stolichnya brand name has been under fire before, not least by the Russian government itself, which has gone to court over its use in the lucrative U.S. markets. Russian Standard, on the other hand, was introduced in 1998, but has a large share of the Russian market and, love it or hate it, is Russian through and through.

It seems to me that in a world where production of almost anything is outsourced at least in part, it will be harder and harder to claim what is truly a "home brand": over 50% of a Ford is made overseas, for example, and nowadays most Italian shoe brands - brand names that certainly gain equity through their association with Italy - are outsourced to less exotic places like Bulgaria and Romania.

Drinking Stoli at least makes one feel authentically Russian, even if the Russians themselves aren’t drinking it.

Matthew Barnett shares more insight into what makes a genuine Russian vodka brand name in a recent blog post. Also check out the article Irina posted on her blog that unravels the trademarking mystery behind Stolichnaya Vodka.

Technorati Tags: Stolichnaya, Russian Standard, Stoli, Pernod Ricard

Links Du Jour

'Control' yourself, Britney Spears' perfume is on the way - Britney has a new scent called "In Control". Possibly not the best product name for a perfume from this particular artist.
Does Google Penalize Oxford English Spellings? - Products stuck on web sites mired in OED spellings may be getting short shrift from Google. If this blog is right, brand naming may turn away from the Queen's English once and for all.
100 Calorie Snacks Are Big - There's something about linking the assurance "100 calories" next to a product name that makes it sell. Somebody did their brand research and figured that 100 calories was a splurge but not necessarily a no-no.

Technorati Tags: Britney Spears, In Control, OED, Google, 100 Calories

April 14, 2006

Links Du Jour

TiVo vs. EchoStar - EchoStar may want to "tivo" this decision recently handed down by the courts. EchoStar says it is the "scapegoat" for similar products offering
the same service.
Body Shop's popularity plunges after L'Oreal sale - Consumers are tougher and tougher about the authenticity of their socially responsible product names, and sales prove it.
Curiously Underfunded - Marketing for Altoids and Lifesavers brand names is set to be pumped up by Wrigley's, who is also going to put some serious funding behind Creme Savers.

Technorati Tags: TiVo, EchoStar, Altoid, Lifesavers, L'Oreal

April 13, 2006

Tiger Woods Has A Whole New Handicap

The s-word reared its ugly head again. "Spaz", that is. A recent BBC article noted that Tiger Woods has been criticized for saying that he played like a "spaz".

As you may recall, in a January blog post about reclaiming negative language, I wrote about a California company that was marketing a wheelchair with the brand name Spazz, which was creating an uproar due to the brand name's obvious insensitivity in the UK and New Zealand.

If you'd like to know more of my opinion on naming a wheelchair Spazz, check out this Radio New Zealand interview.

This same BBC article has three links on the subject of inappropriate language to describe the disabled. In the BBC site for its Ouch! Disability Magazine:

Worst Words Vote

Worst Word Vote - Results - See what 2,053 disabled and non-disabled people have to say about some language that is offensive to the disabled. I think some of the examples will surprise you (Also see image on right.)
Worst Word Vote - Top Ten by Disabled vs Non-disabled - Here's a side-by-side comparison of how the choice of top ten Worst Words differed between disabled and non-disabled people who took part in the poll.
Ouch! Podcast - The BBC's Ouch! Podcast is a monthly comedy show about disabilities, hosted by Actor Mat Fraser and comedian Liz Carr.

Technorati Tags: S-Word, Spaz, Spazz, Tiger Woods, BBC, Worst Word Vote, Ouch!, Disability , Mat Fraser, Liz Carr

Posted by William Lozito at 11:50 AM

Posted to Brand Naming | Marketing | Sports and Recreation
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Google Changes Its Brand Name To Enter The Chinese Market

Google China You may have seen the recent announcement of Google changing its name to enter the Chinese market. Chinese consumers found Google difficult to pronounce.

The new Google brand name in China is Gu Ge, which means "song of the harvest of grain". I'm not sure how the translation of Gu Ge fits in with Google's business, if at all. Maybe the meaning of the name is a metaphor for Google's mission to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.

China has the greatest number of Internet users and that will only continue to grow exponentially. But I think it's fair to say most companies would give strong consideration to changing their name to be able to reach more consumers than anywhere else in the world.

Technorati Tags: Google China, Gu Ge

Posted by William Lozito at 10:20 AM

Posted to Brand Naming
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China Is Developing Its Own Brand Names

If there are three things one can be sure about in the future, they are as follows: we will be taxed, we will die, and we will see new Chinese car brands in the next four years.

I found it interesting that state-controlled SAIC Motor Corp, which partners with VW and GM in China, is getting ready to launch its own auto brands. The new brand name is not out yet, but they already have a first run slated of 600,000 by 2010.

Ultimately, they plan on pumping out over 2 million cars per year shortly thereafter, and will probably need some brand architecture thinking. SAIC will be using technology purchased from MG Rover to make the new cars.

Watch this space, because whatever brand SAIC introduces is sure to be a winner.

Technorati Tags: SAIC, SAIC Motor Corp

Posted by William Lozito at 9:43 AM

Posted to Automotive | Brand Naming | Branding | Product Naming
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Toyota Introduces New Inexpensive Chinese Brands

Toyota Toyota is aggressively looking toward the Chinese market, planning on offering a new cheap and cheerful car brand name in the coming months for Chinese consumers. The company, which will soon surpass General Motors in sales, would experience a "quantum leap" in sales if the Chinese brands take hold.

I think some in the industry wonder if Toyota will enter China using new brand names altogether, fearing that selling inexpensive cars to the Chinese could diminish the Toyota brand name. Toyota did just that as it entered the luxury and youth markets in the U.S. with Lexus and Scion, respectively.

One thing is certain I'm sure: Toyota will face stiff challenges from Chinese car manufacturers who will not easily hand over this burgeoning market to the Japanese.

As I noted in an earlier blog post, Product Naming: China Wants Your Brand, the Chinese already have the Chery brand name and are aggressively looking to switch from being supplier of choice to foreign companies to offering consumers worldwide interesting, inexpensive Chinese brands that compete with the big guys. I'm sure they will not stand by idly while Toyota takes over their home market.

Technorati Tags: Toyota, Chinese Brands, China Auto Market, Chery

Posted by William Lozito at 9:27 AM

Posted to Automotive | Brand Naming
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Links Du Jour

Starbucks Claims Right to Doubleshot phrase - Is the term "Doubleshot" solely a Starbucks product name or a generic industry term? The courts may decide.
You've SaidWa. Now it's time to VisitMo. - Postal codes are being used as brand states...and we might be seeing a trend. A new frontier in brand naming...
Saturn Changes Ad Slogan. Hopes For The Best. - The new slogan may be a departure in brand values. The brand name is now 15 years old!

Technorati Tags: Doubleshot, Starbucks, SayWA, VisitMO, Saturn, Ad Slogan

April 12, 2006

Why the Lenovo Brand Name is as Familiar as the ThinkPad Brand

In a recent blog post on Asian laptop brand names, I mentioned how China's Lenovo sounded strange at first, but its multi-million dollar media effort is quickly making the name as common as ThinkPad.

Now I know why I have so quickly embraced Lenovo's brand name. The New York Times is reporting that, while Lenovo had the right to continue to use the IBM name for five years, they have quickly moved to remove it completely from their advertising (the IBM logo still appears on the laptop itself) and put all of their efforts into expanding the market's awareness of the Lenovo brand name.

The Times article indicates that there is a pretty wide range of opinions regarding this strategy.

For additional coverage of this story, have a look at:

Ars Technica: Lenovo Looking to Become a Household Name
ConsumerAffairs: Lenovo Sheds its IBM Skin
And Gizmodo reports that another part of Lenovo's strategy is to make its products easily accessible to the general public: Lenovo Gets Retaily at Best Buy

Technorati Tags: Lenovo, IBM, ThinkPad, Laptop, Computer

Links Du Jour

Ben and Jerry’s Pours the Perfect Pint - The new product name is Black and Tan. Only those two would float a beer flavored ice cream...
Dunkin' Donuts makes America go - Simplicity and everydayness is behind the new strategy to promote this truly ubiquitous product name.
United Nations bans traditional Chinese fonts - serif fonts next? - It's interesting to see that the UN even has this power, and certainly an article that makes you wonder what it will do to Chinese product names and what the UN could do to fonts we use to promote OUR brand names.

Technorati Tags: Ben and Jerry's, Black and Tan, Dunkin' Donuts, United Nations, Chinese Fonts

April 11, 2006

Busch Gardens: A Branding Experience That Describes

Busch Gardens has made a wise name change, rebranding both theme parks by the experience each park offers, rather than the geographic locations of the parks.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg is now Busch Gardens Europe to describe the experience.
Busch Gardens Tampa is now Busch Gardens Africa, again, to describe the experience.

The revitalized descriptive rebranding is a shrewd move by Busch. Vacationers don’t go to Busch Gardens because it’s in Tampa, for instance. They go for the experience. Nicely described with the new names.

Technorati Tags: Busch Gardens, Theme Parks, Travel, Tourism, Annheuser-Busch

Posted by William Lozito at 11:17 PM

Posted to Branding | Media and Entertainment | Naming
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Olympic Airlines Changes Name To Pantheon Airlines

Olympic Airlines will be renamed “Pantheon Airlines” as of October 26 of this year.

Looks like the beleaguered airline brand has found some new life, and the Pantheon name seems to be focusing on the brand’s Greek heritage. The new, smaller carrier will be sharing routes with CSA Czech Airlines.

I think a name change makes sense. This decision comes after the company’s ill fated restructuring in 2003 that saw the company renamed Olympic Airlines from Olympic Airways. Two years of mismanagement followed, as well as not a few cancelled flights. In 2005, the company was hit by bomb threats and equipment failure, which seems to have permanently jinxed the brand name.

ValuJet To reiterate, I think it makes sense for Olympic Airlines to change its name for a fresh start. I'm reminded of ValuJet, after having crashed in the Florida Everglades, changing its name to AirTran.

Follow the Airline Blog for continuing coverage and analysis of this story.

Technorati Tags: Olympic Airlines, Pantheon Airlines, ValuJet

Posted by William Lozito at 3:20 PM

Posted to Brand Naming | Company Naming | Travel and Tourism
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Virgin and SN Brussels To Announce A New Airline Brand Name

I have high expectations for this new airline brand name. Anything Virgin touches turns to gold. I expect the same to happen here. Virgin Express and SN Brussels Airlines are set to jointly introduce a new brand name in the coming months.

The new brand name will be positioned as the "modified traditional" segment of airline carriers with two types of classes: Comfort 1 and Comfort 2, with each class offered under different brand names that have yet to be announced.

This will be an interesting naming challenge, because the comfort category will be further segmented to different target markets, allowing the carrier to expand its horizons.

Technorati Tags: Virgin Express, SN Brussels

Posted by William Lozito at 2:43 PM

Posted to Brand Naming | Naming | Product Naming | Travel and Tourism
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Links Du Jour

Keyword Purchases Not a Trademark Use - Merck v. Mediplan Health Consulting - The courts have handed down another decision regarding keyword poaching…and this time the news isn’t good. Possibly a setback in protecting brand names.
Mariah Carey to Launch Fragrance Line with Elizabeth Arden - Yet another big star has her own fragrance, and yet another product can be had that bears her name and distinctive figure. She now joins ranks with Donald Trump.
Optimum Zen - There's nothing like associating Zen Buddhism with a cereal brand name! Brand Builder is having a ball with this particular product name.

Technorati Tags: Zen Buddhism, Mariah Carey, Elizabeth Arden, Merck, Mediplan Health Consulting

April 10, 2006

Want to Name the Newest Goodyear Blimp?

blimp Here’s your chance to make history by naming Goodyear’s newest blimp. The Goodyear blimp is an American icon of sorts.

To enter the contest, just go to this site. The site also has tips for naming the blimp under the "What’s in a Name" section, with information on tradition, symbolism, company personality, christenings and a few more hints for those who are still stumped after all that help.

The grand prize? Use of the Goodyear blimp for a day.

Technorati Tags: Goodyear, Blimp, Contests, Naming

Posted by William Lozito at 10:33 PM

Posted to Marketing | Naming | Sports and Recreation
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Brand Naming: GO Nintendo

Nintendo Go Gamers around the world are anxiously awaiting the launch of the fifth generation Nintendo machine, which many believe will be called “GO” (which means “five” in Japanese).

I wonder how this product name will play since the word GO is also the name of an ancient board game that has thousands upon thousands of followers across Asia and which is revered in Japan.

I think it would be like Nintendo calling its next Gameboy console "Chess".

This Engadget post has stirred up a lot of comments about whether GO is a good product name or not. For more information and to follow this story, check out this post at the GWXworld: Decoder? blog.

Technorati Tags: Nintendo, Nintendo GO, GO

Posted by William Lozito at 11:50 AM

Posted to Brand Naming | Consumer Electronics | Marketing | Product Naming
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Future Naming Trends and Techniques

Bruce Stevens and Colin McEnroe of WTIC NewsTalk 1080 in Hartford, CT interviewed Diane Prange, Chief Linguistics Officer, about future naming trends and techniques.

I thought you’d find the live interview with Diane both informative and humorous. It sounds like NPR’s Car Talk radio show, but on the subject of naming.

Technorati Tags: WTIC, Naming Trends, Bruce Stevens, Colin McEnroe

Links Du Jour

It’s California: Need We Say More? - New slogan for the state of California is pretty tame.
Industry Professionals Discuss Consumer Generated Media - Blogs, podcasts, video, online photo albums, social networks, and do-it-yourself ad campaigns are taking over all elements of branding and becoming a necessary part of brand name research and management.
Legendary repositionings - Legendary brand name repositionings from any part of culture and society. A tongue-in-cheek blog entry that is actually pretty interesting and shows exactly what’s in a name. The support for this blog post has been incredible.

Technorati Tags: California Slogan, Consumer Generated Media, Consumer Generated Content, Legendary Repositionings

April 7, 2006

Recognizable Product Names and Company Names

There seems to be a great deal of interest in the business press regarding product names and company names.

The press appears intrigued by the name development process and I’m more than happy to demystify the process in a recent Twin Cities Business article.

Technorati Tags: Name Development, Name Recognition

Brand Naming: Gentlemen Prefer Broncos…and Durangos and Wrangler

Durango At least one marketing expert feels that we do in fact assign genders to products in the process of naming brands.

The Ford Bronco is clearly a masculine name while the Toyota Sequoia is more feminine.
The name Durango is also masculine (names ending in “o” in Spanish are masculine).

The article talks about the “leakage” of gendered words into English. Makita Power Tools - whose target market is predominately male but whose name sounds female - had a hurdle to overcome when they came to the U.S. I think that we in the product naming business have been purposely gendering products for years to appeal to the correct target market, and language leakage is only a part of this.

It is no secret that a car like the Jeep Wrangler is clearly designed for the male target market, while the Renault Clio is much more feminine and demure. My recent product naming post on HERO Honda’s motorcycle names also shows the increasing moodiness of the male mind when it comes to their favorite brands.

Technorati Tags: Durango, Ford Bronco, Toyota Sequoia, Makita, Jeep Wrangler, Renault Clio, Car Naming

Is Comcast's Smartplay a Smart Brand Naming Move?

Smartplay might be the brand name for the new Comcast quadruple play offering.

Comcast's new quadruple-play telephone, Internet, television, and wireless business device is probably going to have its own product name, insiders report, after noting that the company has just trademarked the Smartplay name, which can be used for telecommunications and internet services, VOIP, wireless services, and broadcasting.

I think it's a smart and logical move to offer a new brand in this instance, because Smartplay will be co-offered with Sprint Nextel, meaning that it is unlikely that there will be a squabble over product naming.

Technorati Tags: Smartplay, Comcast, Sprint Nextel

Links Du Jour

Book Review: Influence - Science and Practice - Guy Kawasaki has posted an interview with the author of Influence - Science and Practice by Dr. Robert Cialdini, a psychology professor at Arizona State University. Guy feels the book is sure to make you a better business person.
Checking back with fedexfurniture.com - AdFreak updates us on the naming spat between FedEx and Fedexfurniture.com, a site that sells furniture made completely of...FedEx boxes.
Redbull Flugtag Advergame - This is an interesting way in which companies are getting their brand names across - via video games that co-promote other product names.
Maybe there is a Sucker Born Every Minute - Wacky brand names given to weird products that claim to provide, amazingly, peace in a bottle and diamond filtered vodka. Must be read to be believed. This is possibly the outer limits of brand name research.

Technorati Tags: Influence, Guy Kawasaki, Robert Cialdini, FedEx, Red Bull, Flugtag

April 6, 2006

Arbeit Macht Fries

In addition to Poland wanting to change the name of the notorious Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp to be politically correct, the reverse is happening in Bavaria.

Zdenka's blog shows an image of a McDonald's subway sign that says Willkommen in Dachau (Welcome to Dachau).

I understand that times have changed, but I think it's reasonable to say that after World War II, no one would imagine that there would be a sign saying Welcome to Dachau.

Technorati Tags: Dachau

Posted by Diane Prange at 10:11 AM

Posted to Food | Naming | Travel and Tourism
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Links Du Jour

Slowboy is a good name, really - Would you name a race car company “Slowboy”? An interesting case where pretty basic brand name research might have helped.
Thomas A Edison on Inventing - Tom Asacker's hilarious interview with Esther Lee on Coke’s new slogan, Happiness in a Bottle, and brand strategy.
Something Fishy About BabelFish Machine Translation - Machine translations can be pretty funny...until you start needing them for business. Makes me wonder how a machine translates your product name, slogan or advertising copy.

Technorati Tags: Slowboy, BabelFish, Happiness in a Bottle

April 5, 2006

Northwest’s Compass: A Magnetic Product Name that Points in All Directions

Name I learned that Northwest Airlines recently announced the launch of a new regional carrier, Compass.

The airline says it hopes to have its new regional jet subsidiary in the air as early as June and could have as many as 36 small jets flying within five years.

Compass will begin flying between Washington Dulles and Minneapolis in June with one 50-seat airplane. The new subsidiary will eventually fly 76-seat airplanes during its first year, and plans to add at least 36 of the small jets within five years.

Magnetic Compass There’s a lot to like about the product name, Compass.

Short – just two sweet syllables
Easy to pronounce, natural English
An excellent fit for the travel category
Nice tie to the parent brand (Northwest covers two points on a Compass)
Plenty of positive visual imagery to make it memorable
Perhaps even some emotional bonding (A compass keeps us from getting lost in the proverbial big bad woods)
It’s trademarkable – (Actually the registration is still pending, but Northwest’s legal team wouldn’t dare introduce a new brand name they couldn’t bank on, Right?)

There’s so much product name magnetism surrounding Northwest’s Compass, it almost seems to good to be true. But there is one big chink in the armor: differentiation. In other words, the Compass brand name really lacks an identity of its own.

Even though there are no other specific airlines named ‘Compass’ there are 83 other active marks for the exact same name in the U.S. Federal database.

For instance:

You can drive to the airport in your Jeep Compass
Next, check your Compass Luggage and go through the Compass metal detector at security.
(Hopefully you didn’t pack your Compass hunting knife)
Then board the Compass flight and take your seat (which has a Compass Life Jacket stored beneath)
Sit back and relax in your J.C. Penny Compass suit
And after take-off, order a glass of Compass Merlot

I could go on, but out of Compassion for you, dear reader, I will end it now.

For more about this story, check out The Airline Blog, The Airline Hub and The IAGportal.

Technorati Tags: NWA, Compass, Northwest's Compass

Links Du Jour

Personal Branding - Interesting thoughts on managing the most important brand name in your life: your own.
Forbidden Love - This blog examines the interesting, forbidden relationship between PR people and journalists. I personally think people doing product naming, thereby trying to get product names mentioned in the media, need to cultivate this prickly relationship.

Technorati Tags: Brand You, Forbidden Love

Posted by William Lozito at 1:15 PM

Posted to Brand Naming | Branding | Marketing | Product Naming
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April 4, 2006

Consonants Are Key To Brand Naming

We conducted proprietary research on all the consonants in the English language to determine consumers’ associations with each consonant.

Some of our research findings were published in a recent issue of Stagnito’s New Products Magazine. I think you may find our research results interesting and revealing.

Technorati Tags: Consonants, Consonant Research

Posted by William Lozito at 4:05 PM

Posted to Brand Naming | Linguistics | Naming | Product Naming
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Links Du Jour

Starbucks vs The DoubleShot Coffee Company For Naming Rights - Starbucks is losing friends in the coffee industry because it beats up on the little guys for supposedly trading on their product names.
Verizon fined for DC Graffiti Campaign - Verizon is not above putting their company name all over the sidewalks if it will help boost sales. But getting fined after breaking the law is probably not the best way to run a product naming campaign.
More Baby Boomers = More Nostalgia in Ads - People doing brand name research for this target market have to find more and more nostalgia-based touchpoints that hearken back to when today's oldsters were in their twenties.

Technorati Tags: Starbucks, DoubleShot, Verizon, Baby Boomers

April 3, 2006

Links Du Jour

Playboy Towel promotion - An interesting way to promote the Playboy name using beach towels. What will they think of next?
Dodge Looks Online to Reach Young Buyers - Dodge Caliber is going online to hit the elusive 25-35s. Interesting brand name initiative.
Celebrating Cluelessness - Some top execs are getting slapped around by new technology - and their work shows it.
How To Remain Sane - Guy Kawasaki follows up on his excellent blog The Art of Driving Your Competition Crazy. A new installment in the brand naming playbook.
AdobeNAE - The free version of Photoshop is going to China, India and Russia as a nod to the impossibility of fighting piracy of products and product names over there.

Technorati Tags: Dodge, Caliber, Adobe Photoshop, Playboy

April 2, 2006

Does the Wal-Mart Exsto Men’s Clothing Brand Name Stand Out?

Wal-Mart has just announced a new line of clothing, designed by the G-III Apparel Group and aimed at "young men with an urban flair." Its name? Exsto.

This is a fitting name (pun intended) for the image Wal-Mart wants to present. Exsto is Latin for "stand out, project, be conspicuous, be visible." Just what anyone looking for style wants to do.

Admittedly, not too many of Wal-Mart’s customers speak or read Latin. Many are Latin-American, however, and may think of the Spanish esto, meaning "this." As in "this is the one."

What do you think of the new Exsto brand name?

Technorati Tags: Wal-Mart, Exsto, Clothing, Fashion, Apparel

April 1, 2006

Maytag Caught in a Brand Architecture Whirlpool

Whirlpool has just completed the buyout of 115 year old Maytag and will immediately start integrating the companies. The hoary old Maytag name came with a $2.6 bil price tag, including Whirlpool’s assumption of Maytag’s debt.

I’ll have more on this Monday, April 3rd. I do know that Maytag will continue to be sold as a Whirlpool brand. The ancillary Maytag brands, like Jenn-Air and Amana, will probably remain on under the Whirlpool banner.

Whirlpool has published a special section of their website containing information on the acquisition for customers, investors, employees, retirees, media and trade partners.

For more on the Maytag – Whirlpool merger check out Antitrust Review and Home-Tech Talk .

Technorati Tags: Brand Name, Whirlpool, Maytag, Acquisition, Buyout, Jenn-Air, Amana

An Auschwitz by any Other Name is Just as Reprehensible

I just read that Poland is petitioning UNESCO to change the name of the notorious Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp to "Former Nazi German Concentration Camp Auschwitz-Birkenau".

The move apparently comes in reaction to recent German media references to the camp as a "Polish concentration camp". It’s no surprise that the government in Warsaw is anxious to disassociate itself with the most memorable symbol of the Holocaust, but to me, this name change request is little more than finger-pointing as well as an inaccurate use of nomenclature.

Here are just a few reasons for resisting the name change to "Former Nazi German Concentration Camp Auschwitz-Birkenau":

Auschwitz-Birkenau are a pair of Polish towns and not German towns.
Adding "former" to the name is meaningless. Tourists don’t say "I’m going to visit the former Graceland" or the "former Versailles" — I’m sure they’re smart enough to know that this is a former concentration camp or they wouldn’t risk the visit.
The phrase Nazi German gives me pause. It is possible to be a German and not be a Nazi. It’s also possible to be Polish and be a Nazi. So Nazi alone suffices.
Last, the length of this name is simply unbearable. Even for a German attraction.

Here’s my petition. Keep it short. Most people just call it Auschwitz anyway.

Technorati Tags: Germany, Poland, Auschwitz, Birkenau, Holocaust, Nazi

Posted by Diane Prange at 4:31 PM

Posted to Naming | Travel and Tourism
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