January 2007 Archives: Name Wire: The Product Naming Blog

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January 31, 2007

From Book to Movie - Where Brand Names Fall Apart

The worst movie title of recent memory has to be Perfume: The Story of a Murderer.

Perhaps this partly explains its poor showing at the box office – of a budget of over $65 million, the film has barely cracked $2 million in domestic gross. It opened to a limited audience in December 2006, then to a wide audience two weeks ago.

Guess what? No one came. But the failure of this film does provide a valuable lesson in name development.

In all fairness, the movie is an adaptation of a best-selling German novel of the same name. Perhaps the way the title is translated from German makes for a less laughable combination of words (The original title was Das Parfum).

To pursue that point further: because the name of the movie is such an odd grouping of words whose inherent meanings seem oxymoronic when combined, the title of the movie would work well if it were affixed to a comedy.

Alas, that is not the case here.

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer tracks the life of an 18th-century French perfume maker, whose obsession with discovering the right scent leads him to murder.

I’m sorry, but if a film with serious subject matter wishes to achieve some gravitas amongst its viewership – make the name less laughable!

Such a title may work on a book, since you’re dealing with an already niche market. But a film needs a less awkward title, or brand name, since its market and demographic are much larger. Screenhead.com suggested that "the film’s added subtitle must have been an attempt to attract a broader, more bloodthirsty audience."

The name of the movie would not be troublesome if the novel had been one of those literary classics that had penetrated the walls of high schools and colleges for half a century already, or the novel had been a huge hit in America, and rumors of its being made into a movie had been bandied about rapidly, like The Firm or The Da Vinci Code.

That way, transferring the success from book to film is easy, considering how one is piggy-backing on the name recognition of the book.

Perfume also suffered from poor branding, especially during its trailers when the film came off as an ǖber decadent period piece that seemed too obscure or pompous for the average American viewer.

The naming of a film is a delicate process. It depends on so many variables, including what kind of audience you want coming to see your film. And even if the title is set in the U.S., a different title of the same film might be given in the UK, appealing to a new set of rules tailored to its culture.

Sadly, the rules of American culture aren’t welcoming to Perfume: The Story of a Murderer. And that's exactly the type of cultural and language differences that should be considered in brand naming, or when developing a brand name that will be marketed globally.

Check out this related blog post for an interesting take on perfume and product development.

Technorati Tags: Perfume The Story of a Murderer, Movie Marketing, Das Parfum, Movie Titles, Brand Naming, Film Marketing, Film Naming

Brand Naming: Are Copycat Products a Blessing?

Copying current technology seems to be a blessing and a curse in protecting a product name.

In the case of Under Armour, it is a blessing. Here is a company that simply took existing, easy to find technology and packaging, and positioned it with an easy brand name to remember (think Post-Its and Velcro).

In one bold move, the company quietly hijacked NIKE's dominant equity in this arena, despite a fairly weak slogan, I think (“Protect This House”), and some misguided target market positioning (appealing to women with a brand proposition that sounds more suited to a campaign to make Kevlar vests for the LAPD).

Word of mouth, in this case, has won over customers for Under Armour.

Compare this to the curse of the knockoff: the iPhone has its first possible clone in China, the carelessly named Meizu M8, which some bloggers think may actually be an improvement over Apple's offering. One blogger says “it was only a matter of time before the iPhone got Xeroxed,” a reference to the phenomenon known as brand name genericization.

Engadget says Apple’s lawyers should “start [their] engines.” I would add that they should possibly give Levi’s a call for tips on the difficult job of discouraging Asian brand name pirates.

What's the lesson here?

If you're selling a similar-but-different product, your brand name serves as a key differentiator. Its everything, in fact.

Technorati Tags: Copycat Product, Under Armour, Product Naming, Brand Promise, iPhone, Genericization, Naming Consultant, Differentiation, Meizu

January 30, 2007

Levi's Getting Frayed Around Edges Over Trademark Protection

This week the New York Times noted that Levi's is one of the 10 most litigious companies in the country, partially because of its zealous protection of its famous pocket design — as well as every other trademark design feature it owns.

Susan Scafidi points out that while fashions themselves are not protected under US law, trademarks like pocket stitching and label design certainly are and those who blatantly copy Levi’s trademarks may have "bitten off more than they can chew."

Many bloggers are siding with Levi’s, who is chasing fashion houses that create jeans which feature a "patch with two creatures pulling a pair of jeans apart" as well as label placement on the back pocket. On top of this, Levi's has been after Japanese companies who create exclusive "repro" knock-offs of their earliest (trademarked) designs for resale.

There can be no doubt that part of every brand strategy is protecting the recognizable trademarks associated with it — that includes all of the above.

As the Times points out, Levi's has initiated over 100 trademark lawsuits since 2001, more than General Motors, Walt Disney or Nike. In my opinion, this is not surprising, as Levi’s trademarks are so easily copied, both purposely and inadvertently.

Part of brand naming is establishing everything that is unique about the brand and protecting it from those "inspired" by the features of the classic jeans to out and out criminals like the ones Google has to contend with. Levi’s is simply practicing due diligence.

Technorati Tags: Trademark, Levi's, Clothing, Litigation

Posted by William Lozito at 12:59 PM

Posted to Apparel | Branding | Trademarking
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Is "Live" a Dead Product Name?

Can you have too much life? I'm seriously starting to think so, at least when it comes to product names. In fact, I’d like to add "Live" to the list of banished words for 2007.

Any word used too often, in too many ways, loses its meaning. Any name used for too many products dilutes the brand of all those products, not just the one that used it first. Apple recognized this when it decided to call its new internet TV receiver AppleTV instead of iTV. There are just too many products out there with a lower-case "i" in their names. And along with "i" and "My," "Live" is getting to be sooo 2006.

OneCare Live Yet companies are still jumping on the "Live" bandwagon. It's bad enough that Microsoft has saturated the market with everything from the confusingly named Windows Live search engine to the Windows Live Writer (Beta) offline blog editor (which by definition is not live, though it's actually a good blog editor) to Office Live’s web-based software, which does, at least, rely on a "live" internet connection. And let's not forget OneCare Live.

Now Pepsi has just announced Aquafina Alive vitamin-enhanced waters. Maybe I'm just squeamish, but I don't want anything in the water I drink to be alive. That's part of the point of drinking water from bottles and not out of streams.

Viiv "Live" is appropriate, if unoriginal, for anything broadcast directly without delay or editing, like live news and interview shows on TV. But "recorded live" has always been something of an oxymoron, and many other uses of "live" in the broadcast industry are redundant. (Would you want to record in front of a dead studio audience?)

While I rather like Intel’s Viiv, "AMD Live!" makes me wonder whether I’m going to get an electric shock if I touch it.

Let’s put a moratorium on "Live" in product names for 2007, and get more creative.

Technorati Tags: Microsoft, Apple, Intel, AMD, Live, Windows, Aquafina

Posted by William Lozito at 9:31 AM

Posted to Brand Naming | Product Naming | Technology
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Gold’n Plump Makes it Easy with Bake it Easy

Gold'n Plump Bake It Easy chicken Ever wish you didn’t have to touch chicken when preparing a chicken meal?

Well your wish has come true, for you and millions of other consumers.

Gold’n Plump has just introduced the new Bake It Easy™ product line with the ultimate in convenience. The chicken comes in oven-ready packaging. Just add your favorite touch of seasonings if desired and bake.

Bake It Easy™ was selected in the top 10% of the best new food products in 2006 by Stagnito’s New Products magazine based on overall appeal, new and different, and purchase intent.

We developed the brand name Bake It Easy™. "The name is not only memorable, but conveys and reinforces the key product benefits and point of difference," said Tracy Miller, Senior Product Development Manager, New Products, of Gold'n Plump.

Technorati Tags: Food, Chicken, Brand Naming, Product Naming

Posted by William Lozito at 6:46 AM

Posted to Brand Naming | Food | Product Naming
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January 29, 2007

The Alphabet Soup of Auto Brand Names

Any of us who have purchased a car have probably needed a scorecard to figure out some of the alphanumeric nomenclature.

There’s the...

Mercedes C, E, and S classes
Mazda 3 and Mazda 6
BMW 3, 5, and 7 series
Honda Civic GX NGV
SAAB 9-2, 9-3, 9-5, 9-7X

Need I say more?

An article on auto brand naming that makes some sense of the auto brand name architecture appeared in a recent issue of Top Gear NZ.

The writer drew on Strategic Name Development's proprietary consonant research for auto names to determine the inherent associations consumers have with each consonant letter. I think you'll find the article interesting and eye-opening.

Technorati Tags: Cars, Automobiles, Nomenclature, Mercedes, Mazda, BMW, Honda, SAAB

The Palm OS X Product Name is Dead, Long Live Garnet OS... Or Not

The Palm OS product name will be replaced by Garnet OS, which was originally the code name used by PalmSource for Palm OS 5.4.

The renaming is part of an overall revamping of the Palm brand name. PalmSource itself, will soon be named after its owner ACCESS and the very word Palm is set to disappear from both products and software.

As noted in earlier product naming blog posts, anything relating to Palm is Byzantine in its complexity and skullduggery. This new development is no exception to the rule.

David Beers writes, quite convincingly, that this is actually the "rebirth" of the Palm brand name thanks to the naming agreements between ACCESS and PalmSource.

Good thing, because the blogosphere is full of complaints regarding this latest move to eliminate the Palm OS name.

Not least is the problem that we are sure to be given PDA software with clumsy brand names like Daily Quote for Palm OS and Garnet OS. Others call this OS "FrankenGarnet." And, ironically for those of us who might miss Palm OS, "The Garnet Host" on Linux will be called "GHost."

Just to add some more confusion to matters, there is an inaccurate rumor that PalmSource has a "secret third business" involving a yet-to-be-seen product codenamed Sherlock that may be introduced as Foleo.

It is amazing after all the permutations the Palm name has gone through (PalmSource, Handspring, PalmOne), that it still resonates with consumers.

Doing away with it would be a mistake. It is always possible that a groundbreaking brand name that is associated with the original, imaginative products in a field can make a big comeback after years of languishing and corporate infighting.

Just ask Apple.

Technorati Tags: Palm, Access, Garnet, Smartphone, PDA, Treo, Mobile, Wireless, OS, Operating System

Posted by William Lozito at 12:11 PM

Posted to Brand Naming | Product Naming | Technology
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January 28, 2007

Trademarking a Brand Name to Douse Burning Man?

The Burning Man founders are in a trademark dispute that might spell the end for the grass roots festival. Founder John Law’s suit against Larry Harvey and Michael Mikel seems especially bitter; you can get the full lowdown on the Laughing Squid blog.

Chris Messina recently posted a blog comparing the difficulty trademarking this "open" event with trademarking "open source software." One bitter post on the subject at Legal Pad posits, "everything that starts out as cool ages, losing pretty much everything that made it cool."

Probably so, but I might gently add that sorting out things like product naming, protection of brand names and protecting a trademark might slow down the uncooling process. Brand naming even off-beat events like Burning Man by a naming company can avoid these kinds of conflicts.

Technorati Tags: Burning Man, Trademark, Product Naming, Brand Naming

Posted by William Lozito at 10:52 AM

Posted to Brand Naming | Branding | Marketing | Naming
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January 27, 2007

Google is Brandchannel’s Most Impactful Brand Name of 2006

Google For the second in year in a row, Google has been given the nod by sometimes controversial online branding portal Brandchannel as the "brand that had the most impact on our lives."

This year, 3,625 branding professionals ranked Google once again ahead of Apple, followed by YouTube (which Google now owns) and Wikipedia. Ian at Green Gathering points out that with this announcement, "user generated websites and social media have finally hit the big time."

Tom Taulli notes that these networking newcomers just don't have to spend lots of money on advertising — really loyal users are building their brand names for them.

Ikea Interesting as well to see that the top five brands in Europe include only one Internet company name (Skype) and Google doesn’t rule: Ikea does.

Meanwhile, LogoBlog has posted The Best of 2006 Logo Trends: seems like "embellishing" is three spots above "splatting." What would product naming be without "vivid" or "glowing" logos? Nice piece.

Technorati Tags: Branding, Brands, Google, Apple, YouTube, Wikipedia, Skype, Ikea, Logos

Posted by William Lozito at 9:55 AM

Posted to Brand Naming | Product Naming | Technology
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January 26, 2007

Bud to Get Funny With its Name Branding on Superbowl Sunday

The Superbowl is make or break time for some of the corporate names in the US, not least Superbowl stalwart Anheuser-Busch.

This year, Bud will be trying to inject some more humor into its brand name on Superbowl Sunday, according to the WSJ. The last few years have seen the beer giant focusing on "quality" while Bud Light, aimed as it is at the younger demographic, has gotten the laughs. Bud has some interesting things in store: Will Video for Food points to a "behind the scenes" video of the making of a Mad Max-style Bud spot with NASCAR’s Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Bud has let loose a few teasers on the Internet for the die hard fans who are curious about what will air on the big day. Bud Light, for its part, will get 90 million viewers to watch Jay-Z vs. former Dolphins coach Don Shula in a holographic football game while K-Fed warms the bench.

This crossover is crucial to the entire marketing campaign as the Web prepares for the Superbowl onslaught of ad lovers logging on to see replays of the greatest ads. Last year, one Bud spot was watched a whopping 42 million times online!

The stakes are huge this year, not only for Bud and Bud Light but also for brand names like Pepsi, Doritos, Cadillac, Motorola, FedEx and Sprint. I will watch these with interest (probably while supping a Bud), but I’m more interested to see if Apple will come through with an announcement that The Beatles' tunes will be available on iTunes.

Technorati Tags: Superbowl, NFL, Football, Advertising, Commercials, Bud, Budweiser, Dale Earnhardt, Jay-Z, Don Shula, K-Fed

Posted by William Lozito at 10:07 AM

Posted to Beverages | Brand Naming | Branding | Naming
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January 25, 2007

Alexander The Great Starts International Naming Dispute

The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia has renamed its international airport after Alexander the Great, much to the consternation of their Greek neighbors who see the famous conqueror as “the epitome of classical Greek heroism”.

The renaming is part of a longer dispute between the Macedonians and the Greeks, who already have a province of Macedonia. The Greeks for years have pushed the EU to recognize their neighbor not as Macedonia but as The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), much to the irritation of Macedonians who want their country to be referred to, simply, as the Republic of Macedonia.

The Greeks are standing firm leading to some awkward interchanges between the two countries. The situation has become so intense that last Saturday a UN Envoy was sent in to help resolve the naming dispute.

This recent move on the part of the FYROM to associate the famous Macedonian (whom the Greeks see as their favorite son) with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, has led to some furious online interchanges, with Greek supporters saying the Macedonians are “seeking false support from the past” and FYROM supporters claiming Alexander was “born and raised” in their Macedonia.

Others posit that the FYROM is a Slavic, not Greek country, that simply has no claim to “true” Macedonian history - or its ancient heroes.

I am reluctant to offer an opinion here other than that of a professional naming consultant, but it does seem that The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is a rather unwieldy name and something should be done.

As far at Alexander the Great’s airport is concerned, well, as some bloggers have noted, there are street names and place names all around the world named after historical figures from other countries and, additionally, Alexander’s empire did stretch all the way to India.

Technorati Tags: Yugoslav Republic, Macedonia, Alexander the Great, Naming

Posted by William Lozito at 7:09 AM

Posted to Naming | Travel and Tourism
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January 24, 2007

Panama: The Product Name That Just Won't Die

Yahoo! is facing an amusing problem with the naming of its Yahoo! Search Marketing advertising system: everyone insists on calling it by its code name “Panama”, a name that has deep resonance with the company and users alike.

The problem is compounded by the fact that some users refer to it as “Yahoo Marketing Solutions” while others take the middle road and refer to it as “Yahoo Search Marketing ad system, ‘Panama’” or “Yahoo Search Marketing’s Panama Interface”.

It doesn't help that Yahoo’s own representatives seem to call it “Project Panama”. More than that, some users even confuse it with “Overture,” a now defunct but well loved Yahoo acquisition that has been incorporated into Panama, I mean Yahoo Search Marketing.

Things have gotten so out of hand that one user has started an online competition to help choose a new brand name for Panama—the winner gets a $100 Amazon gift certificate. It seems like this is an ill-fated competition, because on February 5th Yahoo! Will do away with the problem by re-launching the product as Yahoo Search Marketing. Whew!

We have seen how project code names often simply will not go away (Microsoft’s “Origami” is an example) and this one is so much slicker than the cumbersome Yahoo! alternative that we are sure to see it rattle its chains at least through 2007. The lesson here? When it comes to new product naming, make sure the one you choose is better than your code name.

Technorati Tags: Panama, Product Name, Yahoo Search Marketing, Yahoo!, Panama Interface, Code Name, Project Panama

Posted by William Lozito at 11:29 AM

Posted to Marketing | Product Naming | Technology
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January 23, 2007

Brand Names: Is Zune Vs. Zunior a Trademark Conflict?

There’s an interesting post on the WIRED blog, written by Eliot Van Buskirk and Sean Michaels. The post discusses a potential trademark dispute between the Microsoft Zune brand name and the Zunior brand name, which is also a music-related service.

This may or may not be a trademark conflict. If it is, it will be interesting to see how Microsoft handles it.

Since "Zunior" was the childhood nickname of Dave Ullrich, who runs Zunior.com, Van Buskirk asks if anyone can think of other company names derived from nicknames. He thought of Napster as an example (named after Shawn Fanning's "nappy" hair). Can you think of any others?

Technorati Tags: Trademark Conflict, Brand Names, Zune, Zunier, Microsoft Zune, Nicknames, Napster, Music Players

Brand Naming: CrashPlan Has A Very Clear Brand Promise

There’s a new kid on the online backup block.

Code42 Software unveiled CrashPlan at MacWorld on January 8th.

Whether or not CrashPlan is really “the easiest, most reliable, and smartest backup on Earth,” it’s got a great product name and clever brand positioning. A hard drive crash is a thing to strike terror into the heart of any computer owner. If it doesn’t, it should: all hard drives fail eventually.

I think Code42’s marketing department clearly understands the value of fear as a motivator, as well as the greater emphasis Americans place on disaster preparedness these days. Your computer will crash, so plan for it.

Backup is not a particularly sexy thing to try to sell. Companies offering online backup services approach this marketing problem in a variety of ways. LiveVault sounds secure (the fear theme again). Carbonite sounds tough (ditto).

Mozy, on the other hand, sounds laid back. You can relax now, your files are backed up. EZ Backup appeals to the less tech-savvy by reassuring prospective customers that they don’t have to be computer wizards to use it.

All of these are good brand names, but none is quite as arresting as “CrashPlan." The name clearly communicates how the consumer will benefit, and alleviates the fear associated with data backup problems.

Whether "CrashPlan" motivates consumers to purchase the product is the real test.

Technorati Tags: CrashPlan, Brand Positioning, Product Name, Computer Crash, Carbonite, Live Vault, Mozy, EZ Backup, Brand Association

Posted by Diane Prange at 12:20 PM

Posted to Brand Naming
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Binney & Smith Changes Its Company Name To Crayola

Binney & Smith Co., as subsidiary of Hallmark since 1984, is changing its company name to Crayola.

To leverage the brand name recognition of Crayola, its most famous product “just makes sense,” says Tom Asacker. The name, coined by company founder Edwin Binney’s wife Alice, comes from “craie,” the French word for chalk, and “ola,” or “oleaginous,” relating to oil.

The Crayola masterbrand has been used on a variety of products recently, extending its brand franchise to MP3 players, executive pens that look like big crayons, and even colored flavored bottled water (Crayola Color Coolerz).

Some people are actually making serious art with Crayolas. Obviously, the equity in the Crayola brand name is so strong that frankly you have to wonder why Binney & Smith Co. didn’t do this years ago.

I think a great deal of the Crayola brand equity was nurtured by the user experience and the relationship Crayola has with its users.

The color naming scheme of individual crayons, including “Inch Worm,” “Jazzberry Jam,” "Razzmatazz,” and “Tropical Rain Forest” added to this bonding with its consumers.

Plus, Crayola works hard not to offend anyone, over the years changing “Prussian Blue” to “Midnight Blue,” and “Flesh” to “ Peach,” and “Indian Red” to “Chestnut.” This offbeat product naming scheme helps when, for instance, they want cool water flavors like “Berry Blue,” “Wild Strawberry,” “Screamin' Green” and “Purple Pizzazz” - there is an instant, goofy connection with the parent brand.

Way to go, Binney & Smith. I mean, Crayola.

Technorati Tags: Binney & Smith, Crayola, Company Name Change, Brand Extension, Brand Franchise, Naming

Posted by William Lozito at 8:20 AM

Posted to Brand Naming | Company Naming | Marketing | Retail
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January 22, 2007

Windows Vista - Longest Product Name Ever

Microsoft has announced its longest product name ever: Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate UPGRADE Limited Numbered Signature Edition.

Engadget says “you have to be seriously into Vista” if you are thinking about picking up one of these $259 packages, complete with a embossed signature from Bill Gates himself (this is, after all, his last Windows offering as head of Microsoft before he retires to a life of philanthropy).

You can buy this package on Amazon, there are only 20,000 numbered editions for true Windows fans and I have to say that they are indeed a “piece of history.” The packaging is also a great improvement, although I must say rather Applesque.

I think it’s interesting to note a little confusion has come up regarding the product naming of this version of Vista. A “signature” edition of anything is different from a “signed” edition.

A signature edition is usually a product with an embossed signature that the manufacturer has designated as the standard bearer for the brand name. A “signed” edition is literally signed by the maker.

So, it would be possible for you to get a “signed,” “signature” edition of Vista - if you ordered it off Amazon and then happened to run into Bill Gates in your travels, who would sign his name under the embossed signature on the box.

Technorati Tags: Windows Vista, Product Naming, Signature Edition, Bill Gates

Posted by William Lozito at 8:17 AM

Posted to Brand Naming | Product Naming | Technology
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January 21, 2007

A Brief History of AT&T Brand Architecture

Steven Colbert has a very funny explanation for the evolution of the serious business of AT&T’s brand architecture.

The video clip speaks for itself. Enjoy.

Technorati Tags: AT&T, Cingular, Cellular, Mobile

Posted by William Lozito at 12:08 PM

Posted to Brand Architecture | Technology | Telecommunications
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Branding Katonah, Martha, Isn't a Good Thing

Martha Stewart's idea to trademark a line of furniture named after her upstate New York home town of Katonah has probably not earned her many friends.

The neighbors don’t seem to mind her use of the name but cannot see why it has to be trademarked.

One of Stewart's people has said this will be "a tribute" to the town, like "Philadelphia Cream Cheese or London Fog raincoats."

The head of the Village Improvement Society has countered, "I don’t object to Ms. Stewart's using the name, but her attempt to prevent others from using it is disturbing."

My advice as a professional naming consultant: use it, but don’t try to protect it. As at least one Katonah resident has already figured out, the patent application is doomed anyway simply because Stewart cannot claim the furniture, which will in all likelihood not be made by local craftsmen, comes from Katonah, NY. These days, 70% of furniture sold in the US is not made in the US.

The Katohah brand name is not a good thing, Martha.

Technorati Tags: Martha Stewart, Katonah, Trademark, Furniture

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