March 10, 2008

Tom Ford Gets Bond Brand Naming Blessing

007Logo.gifI think that its fair to say that there are some brand names that the average American consumer would never have heard of if it wasn’t for James Bond. Think about the Lotus Esprit S1, or possibly the Aston Martin, and almost certainly the Walther PPK or P99.

The recent news that Tom Ford will be getting the nod to make the tux in the new Bond film is likely to help bring the designer further out of the Gucci spotlight and onto his own stage. Getting your brand naming entwined with Bond’s just makes sense.

The actual name of the new movie, Quantum of Solace, is based upon a 1960 short story by Ian Fleming. JamesBond.gifThe movie will bring back many old friends from Casino Royale and none other than Amy Winehouse will be singing the title track.

Paul McCartney, who sang the title for 1973’s Live and Let Die, says “I definitely wouldn’t do it again. I have been trying to think of something to rhyme with ‘Solace’ and all I can come up with is ‘Wallace’! I don’t envy whoever is going to write the song!”

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March 6, 2008

Olsens, Abbey Dawn Offer Glam Tween Fashion Product Naming

Mary-Kate-and-Ashley-Olsen.gifI am a big admirer of the Olsen Twins brand name (Mary-Kate and Ashley) and the way in which these two women have leveraged their brand naming into a number of fields.

They are writing a book entitled Influence that will feature numerous photos of the two girls who have become walking brand names and have carved out a serious niche for themselves in tween fashion branding as well as in more mainstream clothing, for example, The Row.

AVRIL-TIE.gifPossibly inspired by the Olsen Twins’ success, punk rocker Avril Lavigne is getting all “girly” and is set to offer the Olsen Twins some competition with the introduction of her Abbey Dawn collection. Abbey Dawn being her childhood nickname.

The Olsen Twins, however, are, well twins, leading some bloggers to wonder if sibling branding may be a powerful trend. Witness the rise of the Olsen Twin’s siblings’ line Elizabeth and James and Twenty8twelve, a clothing line from Sienna and Savannah Miller: “The name of the brand comes from Sienna Miller’s birth date (December 28th).”

The fact is, product naming for tween girls is is getting just as cut throat as high street fashion and using entertainment icons to do the job seems to be a great way forward.

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February 27, 2008

Asics Brand Naming to Break Out

asicsrunningshoes.gifBusinessweek has an article up about Asics, the preferred brand name for serious runners.

It seems that the company wants to branch out into more fashionable realms to break out of its niche, but most people see the Asics name standing for serious running wear, not leisurewear, even when it is already emblazoned on things like backpacks.

The name Asics is an acronym for “Anima Sana In Corpore Sano” (ASICS) which means “Sound mind in a sound body."

I think the Asics name, while quite erudite and meaningful, sounds a little technical for the fashion crowd, although, I suppose, it is no stranger than Adidas.
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I did think that its retro sub brand, Onitsuka Tiger, had quite an interesting story behind it and might even have a better chance of gaining naming traction.

After all, people are already wearing that name.

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February 12, 2008

When are Brands Refreshed and Revived?

I am always interested in the nuances of revamping a company’s brand naming or product naming. Fact is, a lot of the big branding news this year has come from brands that have updated their images, or changed them altogether.
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The fashion world is busy bringing back names from yesteryear. I have already written about Halston making its USA comeback, now it seems in London, Ossie Clark (actress Sienna Miller pictured right in an Ossie Clark dress) and Nutters, from the sixties, are back on the catwalk.

The New York Times suggests that even the mafia could use some rebranding. And often age or changing tastes do create room for a brand refresh.
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But the biggest reason that brand names we love get changed is acquisition. Honest Tea is soon to fall under Coke's control and that will affect how customers perceive it, which will, whether the company likes it or not, change the perception of Honest Tea from alternative to mainstream.

The one brand that is begging to be rebranded is Ford Mercury, or “the love that dare not speak its name” according to Robert Farago. It has to either be totally rebranded or else simply killed.

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February 11, 2008

American Living Brand Naming Brings Ralph Lauren to The Rest of Us

ralph-lauren.gifRalph Lauren's American Living will be launched at J.C. Penney’s today.

Launching interesting, unique in-house brand names is part of J.C. Penney’s strategy to gather a larger and more upscale customer and it seems to be working.
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Some may think Lauren is slumming by going to J.C. Penney’s, but ultimately the strategy will work not least because it emulates what Martha Stewart and other big name brands have done, using high-end brands to elevate the J.C. Penney brand.

Lauren seems incapable of putting a wrong foot forward since the Ralph Lauren look is something that has permeated American culture.
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This is clever, under the radar product naming. The internet has been full of the news that Lauren is behind this move, and the American Living products are Ralph Lauren in everything but name.

For those of us who want the look of Ralph Lauren without the price tag will probably head to J.C. Penney’s this week searching for a deal.

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February 5, 2008

Woolworth’s Lolita Brand Naming a Cynical “Mistake”

woolworths-logo.gif The news that Woolworth's in the UK had to pull a bed with Lolita brand naming for pre-school girls has been met with hoots of laughter across the blogosphere after the company claimed to not be aware of the literary allusion to the sexually predatory pre-pubescent girl in Vladimir Nabokov’s famous novel, which was not only made into (at least) two movies but also referred to in the song “Don’t Stand So Close to Me” by the Police.

Sorry, but it is difficult to believe that this was an inadvertent mistake, or that the brand naming was introduced without somebody raising an eyebrow.

Maybe, just maybe, the people who created the Filipino cookie in the Netherlands were unaware that there is an entire group of people out there who would be offended by a tagline like ‘Are you as Tasty as a Filipino?'

Fact is, brand naming for pre-teen girls has become a virtual porno playground. Bratz dolls (pictured below) are now flagrantly sexualized (and encourage the kids to be bratty) and Playboy is now making its way into school wear.
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Blue Milk has a great blog talking about the corporate pedophilia that we are subjected to daily and the “billions of dollars of marketing aimed at kids whose childhoods are being cynically abbreviated, stolen for profit.”

But who really cares, right?

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January 29, 2008

Sears and Halston Return to their Brand Naming Roots

jen_aniston_vintage_halston_emmys2003.jpg The old adage “Know Thyself” is certainly true when it comes to popular brands.

Two news stories today put this into bold relief: the first is the return of glamour fashion brand names Halston and Ossie Clark, both of which died when they tried to move into popular, low brow fashion, but which have experienced a revival in recent years thanks to the likes of Kate Moss and Jennifer Aniston (pictured right, wearing a Halston dress). Maybe this time they will have learned something about sticking to their target markets.

The second was addressed by Jack Trout on Forbes.com yesterday when he wrote about the various brand names that helped build Sears: Kenmore, Craftsman, Die-Hard and Weatherbeater.

These are legendary brand names in American culture and are synonymous with the Sears brand name.

Trout suggests that allowing them to be sold by other retailers could spell disaster for Sears, adding that he feels that Sears should take over the Kmart brand naming altogether and present a united, unique front to Wal-Mart and Target.

sears_logo.gif It would be very interesting to see Kmart suddenly turn into Sears, which would immediately increase the brand name’s presence nationally. More importantly, it would be an over promise and is inconsistent with the merchandise offered in the current Kmart stores. In other words, this would be a band-aid fix.

Sometimes a brand name has to return to its origins to move forward, and remember the values customers have traditionally associated with their brand.

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January 25, 2008

Counterfeit Brand Naming Hotspot Tries To Go Legit With SilkStreet

silkstreetlogo.JPGIn what Agenda Inc. refers to as a “highly ironic move,” notorious brand naming counterfeit hotspot Silk Street Market in Beijing has applied for a trademark to its own SilkStreet clothing label and warned counterfeiters not to copy it.

In what must be the most lenient criterion for reselling a high end brand in the world, the company solemnly assures us that only traders with ““no record of selling fake or shoddy products within six months and no [customer] complaints.” can sell SilkStreet brands.

This will surely raise a few eyebrows over at Burberry, Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Prada, who won a symbolic $1,387.00 in a joint lawsuit against Silk Street and five of its tenants, “the first case in China to end in such a settlement.”

I’m thinking that it will be really hard to convince people that you are wearing a real SilkStreet shirt.

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January 22, 2008

Nike and Apple Take to the Air in Brand Naming

I have been mulling over Apple’s new MacBook Air brand name, which was announced last week at Macworld.
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And here are a number of points that come to mind:

  1. Mac lovers knew the name was coming (and Apple may have helped them figure it out with their “There’s something in the air posters)
  2. David Pogue of the the New York Times writes that “the name ‘Air’ is particularly apt. It describes not only the laptop’s aerodynamic shape, but also its nearly complete inability to connect to cables.” I agree.
  3. Some people wonder if the folks over at Nike aren't going to think this is some kind of move on their turf, with one wag asking “So when the MacBook Jordans coming out?."

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Or maybe that’s not a joke: in the very same week that Jobs announced the brand naming of his new computer, Nike let it slip that their 23rd Air Jordan was set for release.
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Yes, “Air” is Nike territory, but I’d add that Apple and Nike are selling to an overlapping target market. By the way, I wonder if Apple minds the recently introduced Tata Nano auto, manufactured by Tata Motors in India.

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December 19, 2007

Made in India: Is the World Ready For Luxury Indian Brand Names?

Tata_logo.gifYou probably have not heard of India's Tata Group, the country's largest automaker and possibly its biggest brand name, but you most certainly have heard of Jaguar and Land Rover.

Jaguar_Logo.gifThese two brands may soon be sold to Tata Group for around $2 billion.

Land-Rover.gifThis is leading many experts to wonder if the world is ready for Indian luxury brand naming. Much as Martin Lindstrom did when Louis Vuitton moved its production to India.

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December 6, 2007

Brand Name Evaluation - The Importance of Context

As naming professionals, we are always surprised with associations that people make with the name candidates we present.

I feel it tells us as much about the person and their view of the world as it does their opinion on the name candidate.

One very common response we hear is "That name reminds me of x."

AmericanEagles1.gifOur response is "You really have to evaluate the name candidates in context." Take the name American Eagle, for example.

  • American Eagle is the regional carrier for American Airlines.
  • American Eagle is also a retail clothing chain that is located in many shopping malls.

So, if our assignment were to name a clothing chain and we recommended American Eagle, it's very typical for client to say "It reminds me of an airline" and dismiss it for that reason.

Fusions1.gifWe say, "Wait a minute." How about the Ford Fusion and the Gillette Fusion razor and the V8 Fusion juice?

As you can see, the same name can co-exist in multiple categories and not be confusing since all of these brand names are presented in context.

When I go to a store to buy Gillette Fusion razors, I don't think automobiles or juice.

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December 4, 2007

Brand Naming Can Tattoo You

Chanel_Tattoo.gifI've said it before and I'll say it again: If you want a sure way to get your brand naming under people's skin, think tattoos.

As the latest trend, companies are not only incorporating tattoo art into their brand names, but also creating brands that are designed to appeal to people with tattoos.

  • The convenience store chain 7-Eleven has a new energy drink called "Inked," which is "aimed at people who either have tattoos or those who want to think of themselves as the tattoo type."
  • Dunlop has offered free tires for years to anyone who will get their "Flying D" tattooed to their body.
  • General Mills is selling fruit roll-ups that allow kids to create "temporary tongue tattoos."
  • Christian Dior, Tag Heur, Aussiebum, Bling, Benefit Cosmetics are all looking into creating "tattoo logos" in India, because tattoos are a big part of Indian culture.
  • CAPTAIN-MORGAN-TATTOO.gifCaptain Morgan's new rum is called "Tattoo."

As you can imagine, people of all ages and nationalities wear tattoos, which means that you almost cannot lose by incorporating tattoo advertising into your brand.

What's next?

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November 27, 2007

Claseo: A Classy Product Name

logo.jpgHere's a new take on the concept of social shopping: clothes you need an invitation to buy. Claseo appeared in the November 15 SpringWise newsletter because of its concept, but we were attracted by the name.

While other social shopping networks have typical Web 2.0 names like ThisNext, Crowdstorm and ShopWiki.

"Claseo" emphasizes exclusivity rather than popularity.

You can tell from their name that their products, and their customers, have class.

Now, if only we could get an invitation...

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November 13, 2007

eBay's Counterfeit Couture a Threat to Tiffany Brand Name

Tiffany_logo.gifTiffany's battle against eBay for not vigorously patrolling the sale of counterfeit Tiffany items is about to commence. The focus is on the ridiculous number of fake goods being sold by the online auctioneer.

Hermes-Logo.gif Hermes has weighed into the battle, as have L'Oreal and others.

L_Oreal_Logo.gifDespite the fact that eBay forbids the sale of these things quite explicitly, it seems that major brand names want eBay to take more responsibility for the no-good-nicks that fall through the cracks - and there seem to be thousands of them selling everything from Gibson guitars for under $3 to computers.

eBay_logo.gifThere can be no question that tracking what people want on eBay is a great way of tracking the world's most desirable brand names. And if eBay becomes the portal through which people undermine brand name equity of some of the most desirable names out there, then that is a real shame.

Add to that the ready availability for almost any brand name luxury good over the Web itself and it might be argued that "counterfeit couture" could very well wipe out the real thing.

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November 5, 2007

Company Naming: Is Latin Fashionable?

inditex.gifAccording to the Wall Street Journal Spain's largest fashion retailer, Inditex SA, has plans to open a new chain for accessories. Thriftily, they're considering a name they already own: Uterqüe.

"Uterqüe" is the masculine form of a Latin pronoun meaning "each of two" or "both." This could have good connotations for shopping, as in "I'll take both," and for accessories that come in pairs, like earrings.

If anyone knew what it meant, that is. "Uterqüe" is not among the Latin words likely to be known to the general public. To those who've never studied Latin, "Uterqüe" looks a lot like "uterus" or rather, since this is a Spanish store, útero. Which might be appropriate for a store selling maternity clothes, but rather less so to high fashion.

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September 26, 2007

Nike's Air Native N7 Brand Naming for Native Americans

NikeN7Shoes.gifNike's new Air Native N7 is the new sneaker brand name designed especially for Native Americans. This is the first time Nike has designed a shoe for a specific race or ethnicity. With a "culturally specific look" and a wider, higher design, it is meant to cater to the specific foot needs of Native Americans. The design sounds pretty cool: there are feathers inside and stars on the sole to represent the night sky. These are referred to as "heritage callouts," and are accompanied by "sunrise to sunset to sunrise patterns on the tongue and heel of the shoe."

The N7 name is a direct reference to the "seventh generation theory" which some tribes ascribe to, looking three generations behind them for wisdom and three generations ahead of them for legacy.

wrigley_five.gifWhile alphanumeric naming is nothing new, particularly in the auto industry, this product reminds me of Wrigley's "5" gum brand, which depends heavily on the associations derived from the number itself (in this case the 5 senses), unlike the Milky Way 2 to Go bar.

MilkyWay2.gif I also must say that Nike has made a good move by addressing the needs of a small, niche market like that presented by Native Americans. It shows a kinder, gentler side of the company and underlines the interesting "core" of the brand name: "If you have a body you are an athlete."

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September 12, 2007

The Biko Brand Name Alive and Well in South Africa

South Africa marked the 30th anniversary of freedom fighter Steve Biko's death yesterday, who was killed during interrogation at the hands of the apartheid police.

SteveBiko.gifSteve Biko is one of the great "might have beens" of history, and because he died in such a tragic manner and wrote so eloquently against the apartheid system, he is somewhat of a political martyr in South Africa... and now a fashion icon and indeed a brand name.

Wearing his image is now something between a fashion statement and a political statement. The commercialization of the Biko name, however, has caused much soul searching on the part of his admirers.

This reminds me of the same kind of agonizing over the use of the image and name of Che Guevara, another resistance fighter who died an untimely death and leaves a difficult legacy behind him.

It seems to me that people who buy images of Che or Biko are often not wholly aware of either figure's politics.

Their images might have become disassociated with historical reality and taken lives of their own, much as the glamorous preppy life of Ralph Lauren has done.

Ralph-Lauren.gif Indeed, Ralph Lauren, ironically, is another person who will be remembered more for the myth he created about the inspirational polo playing lifestyle than the reality of Ralph Lifschitz (Lauren's real name) from the Bronx.

The Lauren brand name, now 40 years old, is the window through which we remember the man. Perhaps he prefers it that way.

But I do think that it is worth noting that the romance of fashion may do a better job at preserving the memories of these men than the nuances of history.

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September 10, 2007

Fashion Brand Name Collaborations Match the Boutique with the Big Box

target.gif Yesterday The New York Times published an excellent article by Eric Wilson entitled The Big Brand Theory, that talked about the new alliances between high-end fashion names and major retailers like Target and Gap.

  • Lutz & Patmos very recently teamed up with Japanese giant Uniqlo
  • The same boutique fashion brand name has also teamed with car giant Volkswagen to create a line of accessories for the new Eos
  • Isaac Mizrahi has lent his name to Target in a line of cheap and very fashionable clothes that are designed to make middle America more fashionable
  • More collaborations are to come with Gap teaming up with fashion trio Thaoon, Rodarte and Doo to bring a hint of elegance to its everyman clothing line

kohls.gif In August, Vera Wang announced she will create an exclusive brand for Kohl's called Very Vera by Vera Wang. The line will include sportswear, intimate apparel, handbags, leather accessories, jewelry, footwear, linens and towels.

I think this is the way forward for high-end fashion brand names, not least because nowadays knock-offs of runway styles are getting into low-end stores faster than the originals thanks to Internet technology and a new, very savvy breed of fashion entrepreneur.

Carefully matching big names with boutique names is the way, I think, to beat the copycats at their own game, and to lift the general quality of fashion in the malls.

It seems that up and coming brand names meld better with the big chain stores' needs than already well-established fashion names like Halston... although we might see Karl Lagerfeld join the trend as well.

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August 20, 2007

Company Naming Change Trends - The More Brands the Merrier

When a company expands its horizons, more often than not a merger or acquisition is the cause.

Last Thursday's post mentioned Rocky Shoes and Boots, Inc. literally getting "too big for its boots," changing its name to Rocky Brands, Inc. upon acquiring Michelin Footwear and Zumfoot.

CollectiveBrands1More recently, Payless ShoeSource followed suit completing its acquisition of The Stride Rite Corporation and re-naming itself Collective Brands, Inc. as a result of the $900 million transaction to become the largest non-athletic footwear company in the Western Hemisphere.

"The new company name was chosen to communicate that together - collectively - these three units and their combined expertise and powerful brand portfolio create a stronger, expanded enterprise well positioned to serve a broadening base of global consumers."

Our proprietary Company Naming Changes research reveals that over a third of company name changes (34%) are initiated for this reason we like to refer to as "Dog Eat Dog." This trend continues to ring true in 2007.

If the shoe fits...

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August 7, 2007

The Beckham Brand Name Smells of Money

The Beckham brand name is marching on even if David Beckham himself is benched with an ankle injury.

beckham.gifNext month US shoppers will be able to buy David and Victoria's Intimately Beckham fragrance line.

The launch quietly went off last Thursday and the perfumes have been well received so far: Intimately Beckham Man is a "modern woodsy-spicy scent" while the Woman version smells of "lilies, tuberose, vanilla, sandalwood and orange blossoms."

The ad the Beckhams have been using across the pond, however, might need to be revamped... I simply do not recognize either of them in the picture. For instance, Victoria and David on the Victoria Beckham blog shows a much rougher looking bloke covered in tattoos.

This couple clearly has an empire going: the fragrance line, which includes David Beckham's Instinct is going to ring up $100 million, and Victoria is working on a line of sunglasses and clothing which already includes the VB Rocks denim jeans.

Their photo shoot last month in a seedy hotel probably heralds a new, rougher image for the American market, illustrating that the brand name can easily change with the times, even when Becks isn't on the field.

Will it succeed?

Of course. One gets the feeling that Victoria Beckham is a savvy manager of this multimillion dollar brand name, and we will be bending it like Beckham long after David retires from football (soccer in the US) and Posh Spice is but a memory.

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July 25, 2007

Saucony Name Branding Getting Corny Without Cheerleaders

SauconySaucony has me stumped. The '80s shoe brand name has a new parent company, Payless Shoe Source, and is stepping out with a new brand identity, including a new brand name and refined logo: the brand name is now lowercase and neater looking. By the way, lower-case logos, either brand or company, appear to be a trend these days - think nielsen, at&t, unum.

OK. So far, so good.

They have kept their "Loyal to the Sport" slogan. Which is fine except for the fact that lots of their sneakers look like they are made for relatively sedentary non-runners. Who is Saucony being loyal to? Skateboarders, walkers or runners? Competitive rap artists? Which one is THE sport?

Ok, never mind. Let's move on. The real head scratcher is that Saucony is introducing a new brand "manifesto" on boxes and hangtags: "A good day is when we get to run. A great day is when we inspire someone else to run."

I'm just not getting this. It sounds like a weird take on Nike's "Just Do It" slogan, but in this case it's "Just Get Someone Else to Do It." It's right up there with that old riff on the Soloflex "No Pain, No Gain" campaign, which was transmogrified by some wags to "No Pain, No Pain."

Nobody seems to know where a slogan stops and where a "manifesto" begins, by the way.

Additionally, Saucony will use the line "No Cheerleaders Required" to promote their cross country shoes.

Well, yeah, that's right, guys. Cross-country runners don't get cheerleaders. They have never been required. Am I missing something? Are there squadrons of teenage girls out there somewhere waving pom-poms at long distance runners?

The whole point of this new campaign is to make the brand name more streamlined and congruent. This has not been achieved, people. You have an ad line, a tagline and a manifesto and not much of it makes sense.

Plus, and I hate to say it, but nobody can pronounce your company name. Is it "sock-on-ye," or "sew-cone-ee"? Surely, it's not "so corny"?

That's not very inspiring.

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