May 17, 2012
Australia Wangles a Naming and Branding Blooper
Every so often I like to return to one of the biggest dangers in the world of naming and branding, and that's what happens when your brand becomes lost in translation.
It seems a company from down under called Wyngle found that their name really wasn't trusted all that much by Americans as it sounds too much like "wangle." So they are now named Wynbox.com.
The article, Five business rebrands that got lost in translation, mentions four other notorious failures, including Peugeot's ill-fated attempt to move into the Chinese market - the Chinese translation of Peugeot is "Biao zhi," which sounds like the Chinese slang term for "prostitute."
Other notable faux pas include Pepsi's slogan "Come alive with the Pepsi Generation" which in Taiwanese translates to "Pepsi will bring your ancestors back from the dead." And in China the KFC mantra "finger licking good" translates to "eat your fingers off."
But of course the world is littered with terrible names, and they just keep coming. Vauxhall's new car will be called "Adam," leading one source to wonder "Couldn't Vauxhall have done better?"
And don't forget about the Netflix, SyFy, iSnack 2.0 and AOL naming debacles.
Let's just hope companies learn from these brand naming faux pas.
We have compiled a list of brand naming faux pas you may find helpful.
Technorati Tags: Naming, Branding, Faux Pas, Translation
Posted by William Lozito at 7:56 AM
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May 15, 2012
Ford De-emphasizes Its Naming in the New "Go Further" Campaign
Ford's new slogan, "Go Further" will replace its "Drive One" message while also making an interesting move in de-emphasizeing its brand name and logo in advertising.
This effort to de-emphasize the name is fairly radical as Ford has aways been very straightforward about its brand name (the F series truck is the best selling vehicle in the U.S. and of course "F" stands for "Ford").
Ford is trying to "overcome negative perceptions" about its name and get people to pay attention to the cars and the marketing. One Ford executive says, "As soon as people see the badges they jump to conclusions about the brand."
As a response to consumer research that showed people liking the products more when they did not know where they came from, Ford unveiled a week of nameless advertising starting April 30. These nameless ads generated 3.4 million consumer views online.
Despite consumer intrigue, Ford reintroduced the name and logo in its advertising a week later.
The new "Go Further" advertising will target the "skeptics" who see Ford as a less than stellar brand when it comes to quality and fuel consumption, areas where Toyota and Honda dominate.
They are not creating a "new reality" for the company, says another executive, but instead are documenting the "goodness in the company already."
The idea is that Ford is so well known - but so misrepresented - that the brand can now quietly reposition itself. Will this happen without constant reminders to consumers about who they are? Time will tell.
Technorati Tags: Ford, Go Further, Ford Naming, Ford Branding, Naming, Branding, Advertising
Posted by William Lozito at 9:26 AM
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May 11, 2012
Vidal Sassoon: The First Name in Hair Care Brand Naming
The death of Vidal Sassoon had a few people in the world of social media admitting their surprise that he was a real person.
One tweeter wrote, "I didn't know Vidal Sassoon (RIP) was a real person, I thought the companies Vidal and Sassoon had merged once years ago."
This led Karen Tumulty, national political advisor for the Washington Post, to wonder "How much overlap is there between people who didn't know Vidal Sassoon was a real person, and ones who thought the Titanic was just a movie?"
Vidal Sassoon was a highly driven hair stylist, who allowed women to break out of the shaped, beehive, sculpted look to real cuts that emphasized their face.
His career blossomed in the U.S. when Mia Farrow mentioned Sassoon in the Polanski horror film Rosemary's Baby, where her hair was famously cropped: "It's a Vidal Sassoon, it's terribly in."
Sassoon sold his brand in 1983 to P&G but stayed on as its pitchman, giving us the famous tagline "If you don't look good, we don't look good."
He was one of the first celebrity "hair gods," and was known to brag that he was the first hair stylist to put his name on a bottle of hair care product.
For future reference, Johnnie Walker, Toyota, Colonel Sanders, Famous Amos, Adidas, and Chef Boyardee were all real people as well.
Technorati Tags: Vidal Sassoon, Shampoo, Conditioner, hair care, P&G, Procter & Gamble
Posted by William Lozito at 8:01 AM
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May 10, 2012
Man's Name Change to Tyrannosaurus Rex Brings Up Interesting Naming Dilemma
The news that a Nebraska entrepreneur has legally changed his name to Tyrannosaurus Rex all in the service of increasing his name recognition is worth a laugh.
Yes, you read that correctly, Tyler Gold thought his name didn't have quite the resonance as that of the famous carnivorous dinosaur. With the approval of a judge, he changed his name to Tyrannosaurus Rex Jospeh Gold.
He had to assure everyone he wasn't changing his name to avoid creditors or the police. He simply wanted potential clients to remember his name.
As one blogger points out, "Whether prospective clients will see him as a valuable business partner - rather than a complete fool - remains to be seen."
He will refer to himself as "T-Rex" because he says it's "cooler" and "more recognizable" than just Tyler.
Now, while this may not be a smart move it is actually a sad example of the poor guy's desire for name recognition being eclipsed by his need to build meaning into his personal brand.
The world is actually full of ridiculous brand names that drew howls of derision across the blogosphere when they were introduced. Here I am thinking of Wii and iPad. Both names are eye catching and even a little ridiculous, yet the names are now ubiquitous.
The difference is that both the Wii and iPad names lend meaning to their products. "We" are brought together to play the Wii video game system, while the iPad name is descriptive of the tablet and follows Apple's naming convention.
But what if he was an exceptionally aggressive lawyer? Or a professional wrestler? The name change would still be ridiculous, but fraught with meaning. Nobody states what our friend in Nebraska actually does, so while people will remember his new name, it may evoke the wrong impression.
Think about the real law firm called "Payne & Fears." Surely they would have room on their staff for a guy named T-Rex?
I don't know about you, but that sounds like a great name for a divorce lawyer.
Technorati Tags: Branding, Naming, T-Rex, Nebraska, Payne & Fears
Posted by William Lozito at 8:43 AM
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May 9, 2012
Palm Springs Has Changed Its Name to an Oasis
The greater Palm Springs area, a desert valley that has seen an increase in tourism, is rebranding itself to The Greater Palm Springs Oasis.
Additionally, the new slogan is "Greater Palm Springs Oasis: A Brand New Day."
Another part of the destination rebranding initiative is the commercial which offers a collection of experiences from golf to music and film festivals.
The new logo is an "oasis infinity" featuring nine loops that symbolize the valley's nine cities and nine "brand pillars."
The nine brand pillars are:
Sanctuary: Spacious places of escape, from historic to quaint to modern and resort.
Seductive: Enticing the senses and passions.
Sensory: Not just a place, but a collection of experiences that engage all the senses.
Serene: An oasis of calm and quality relaxation.
Spectrum: Alive with color, light, discovery, from sunrise to sunset.
Spirit: Enriching, nourishing, rewarding and connects.
Sport: A mecca for outdoor adventure and activity.
Style: Timeless, chic, unique lifestyle, architecture, art, fashion and music.
Sunny: The 360 days of clear blue skies changes your outlook and warms your heart.
The metaphor of an oasis, a peaceful relaxed area, in the desert should draw more attention and visitors to Palm Springs with its new name, The Greater Palm Springs Oasis.
Technorati Tags: Palm Springs, Oasis, tourism
Posted by William Lozito at 9:27 AM
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