April 8, 2008
Dodge Journey Won't Stop Believing In Digital Brand Naming Promotion
The Dodge Journey is going to get a major online push today, with the introduction of the tagline, "If you can dream it, do it.”
A whopping 29% of Dodge's promotional media mix will be interactive, their “biggest digital outlay ever in terms of total dollars and percentage of the media buy” according to Ad Age.
The word Journey will play a pivotal role in the “Dodge Journey of a Lifetime” promotion and a series of videos for the NHL Playoffs entitled “Journey to the Cup.”
It’s a strong, evocative name, but it’s also hard for some us not to think of the cheesy 80s rock band “Journey,” which just announced its presence on Second Life. Their hit single “”Dream After Dream” comes to mind when you hear “If you can dream it, do it.”
And anyone who watched the end of the Sopranos remembers their song “Don’t Stop Believing,” which put the old time rockers back in the public consciousness.
Don’t laugh, the car is aimed at young singles and couples with small children. Plenty of the latter were subjected to those songs at at least one school dance.
Technorati Tags: Dodge, Journey, Rock Band, Don't Stop Belieiving, If you can dream it, do it, Journey the Band, Journey to the Cup, NHL
Posted by William Lozito at 7:54 AM
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April 2, 2008
Al Ries is Wrong About the Isuzu Brand Name
Al Ries wrote an interesting article about the demise of Isuzu. He says that one of the chief reasons that the brand died was because “it had a terrible name.”
Those of us who speak English prefer words or brand names that are perfectly balanced by vowel-consonant-vowel or consonant-vowel-consonant. We find these words and brand names easy to pronounce. Think Coca-Cola, Kodak, and Toyota.
Also think Isuzu. A great example of a brand name balanced by vowel-consonant-vowel.
Other Japanese auto brands are successful in the United States and are similar to Isuzu Brand.
- Subaru is pronounced similarly to Isuzu and the former has carved out a nice niche business in the U.S.
- And the Suzuki brand name is no easier or more difficult to pronounce than Isuzu and, as we know, Suzuki is successful in the U.S. with both motorcycles and autos.
Although I have the utmost respect for Mr. Ries, I have to respectfully disagree with him on this one.
If Isuzu failed in the U.S. it had as much to do with "terrible" marketing, or product mix, or timing.
How is the auto brand name Hyundai, which can be pronounced as either "Hun-day" or "Hun-die," (the former being the correct pronunciation) establishing itself as a brand to contend with in the U.S.?
It's not because of a "terrible" car brand name; it's because, I think, when Hyundai was introduced in the U.S. with its tagline, "Hyundai rhymes with Sunday," it educated U.S. consumers on how to pronounce the name.
Hyundai made a positive out of its brand name being pronounceable multiple ways, not unlike, Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB) made a positive out of the unusual shape of the Volkswagen.
Sorry Al, Isuzu didn't fail in the U.S. because of its name, it failed for other reasons. Many other reasons.
Technorati Tags: Isuzu, Hyundai, Toyota, Suzuki, Doyle Dane Bernbach, Linguistics, Coca-Cola, Kodak, Volkswagen,
Posted by William Lozito at 8:00 AM
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March 20, 2008
English Product Naming Appeals In Spain, Taiwan, China and the Ukraine
The news that Ukrainian firms are adopting Western images and naming to capture western market share falls in line with the trend worldwide to embrace English sounding names. A law firm that changed its name from Shevchenko Didovskiy & Partners to Asters is simply good business sense in a quickly globalizing world.
Taiwanese companies are also embracing English naming as are Chinese companies.
The headlines last month discussed a Chinese bun shop that had renamed itself “Go Believe,” which sounds a lot like the famous Chinese brand, Goubuli, which translates to "Dog wouldn't care it.”
Brand names often do not translate well from country to country: according to the Branding Strategy Insider.
The Mitsubishi Pajero had to be renamed in Spain because the word pajero is slang for "one who masturbates." No German will drink a latte because it is a slang term for an erection in Germany.
Technorati Tags: Naming, Go Believe, Goubuli, Pajero, Mitsubishi, Asters, English Names, Product Naming
Posted by William Lozito at 7:37 AM
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March 10, 2008
Tom Ford Gets Bond Brand Naming Blessing
I 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. 
The 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!”
Technorati Tags: James Bond, Tom Ford, Casino Royale, 007, Live and Let Die, Quantum of Solace, Ian Fleming, Tux, Brand Naming, Amy Winehouse, Paul McCartney, Aston Martin
Posted by William Lozito at 9:35 AM
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February 21, 2008
Hummer and Camel Reposition Their Brand Identity
If your brand name starts to look unfashionable, the thing to do is relaunch it with some subtle differences.
The Camel cigarette brand has recently gotten its first makeover in a century, with revamped packaging that includes the words "Since 1913" and the tagline "Our best smoke ever" on direct marketing materials. At least they have kept Joe Camel in the crypt.
GM, on the other hand, has decided to focus attention away from the Hummer’s brand name by not only shrinking the car, but focusing on each vehicle’s alphanumeric code (H2, H3, H4). GM has also directed consumer’s attention to the utility of the vehicle with its new tagline "Purpose Built."
In order to further distance itself from consumers who believe that it is a gas guzzling behemoth, GM has been shrinking the SUV as well, leading Oberdan Bezzi to design a Hummer Scooter, or the H2 450.
Technorati Tags: Hummer, GM, Camel, H2 450, H4, Cigarettes, Brand Naming, Purpose Built, Hummer Scooter
Posted by William Lozito at 7:30 AM
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February 18, 2008
Ford Offers a Global Brand Naming Fiesta
The news that Ford is bringing back the Fiesta at the Geneva Motor Show in March, has been greeted with much joy. The Fiesta is one of Ford’s better brand naming choices.
Introduced in 1976 (pictured left), it has stood the test of time in Europe, Asia, South Africa, Australia and the Americas but died a quick death in the US in the mid eighties, replaced by the Festiva.
This move by Ford also illustrates an example of truly global product naming strategy as well as forward thinking engineering. The Fiesta is actually a reincarnation of the Verve concept car, making it the most sophisticated Fiesta ever.
The idea here is obviously to create an equivalent brand name to the Toyota Corolla (pictured right), or the VW Golf, both of which are known worldwide.
While some grumble that the Verve name had a certain appeal, Ford seems to be betting on the fact that its US target market will not remember the Fiesta name from twenty years ago while those across the pond will appreciate a revamp of a trusted brand.
This is a great move by Ford. The Fiesta (the 2009 model pictured left) has sold over 12 million units worldwide and the brand spanking new car will offer plenty of competition to established brands. One important strategic element for Ford to survive is to embrace global brand naming, following the lead of its Japanese and European competitors.
Technorati Tags: Fiesta, Corolla, Festiva, Ford, Toyota, VW, Golf, Geneva Motor Show, Brand Naming,
Posted by William Lozito at 8:14 AM
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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.
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.
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.
Technorati Tags: Branding, Mafia, Coke, Honest Tea, Ossie Clark, Sienna Miller, Nutters, Ford, Mercury, Fashion
Posted by William Lozito at 7:31 AM
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February 8, 2008
Return of Detroit Electric Car Turns Company Naming Back a Century
I think that it is great news that the Detroit Electric Car brand name will see light again after a hundred year absence, even if the first offices will actually be in California.
The reintroduction of a car carrying the brand name favored by the likes of Thomas Edison and John D Rockerfeller Jr. is a joint venture between US electric car company ZAP and China Youngman Automotive Group.
The Zap Alias model will carry the Detroit Electric Car brand naming. The company’s base in California will help solidify that state as the heart of alternative energy cars, especially electric cars. I do have to wonder if anyone finds it funny that the Detroit name will be appended to a company that really has nothing to do with Motown, but I am always pleased to see a classic name make a comeback.
I’ve said it before: you just can’t kill a good brand.
Possibly the name of the new company will remind car buyers that electric cars were once very popular in the US and not seen as alternatives at all.
Technorati Tags: Detroit, Electric Car, Zap, Alias, Brand Naming, Energy
Posted by William Lozito at 7:31 AM
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January 24, 2008
Car Brand Naming All About The Numbers (And Letters)
I have written before about the move that car companies have made towards alphanumeric naming, but had to smile while reading an article by Ken Bensinger that quoted a Ford exec mixing up the name for the new Lincoln MKS—he referred to it at the LA Auto Shows as the “MKX,” another model altogether.
Some of us are just as confused, with Robert Farago asking us irately “Is there a MKT for the Lincoln MKT” (referring to the new Lincoln concept car). James Poulous speaks for an entire generation of automobiles when he says “I'm a car, not a number," while another blogger laments “give me alphabet soup, I’ll give you new car names."
Sorry, people. Alphanumeric naming is easier to trademark, gives a car a European cache and does away with the risk of being mistranslated when it moves overseas. Consumers are also pretty finicky: VW, who has brought us some classic car names (Bettle, Golf, Jetta) just gave us the new Routan, an update on its classic hippy “bus”, and it was duly dubbed “The worst car name in history” in the Businessweek Autoblog.
Now that’s gratitude for ya.
Technorati Tags: Brand Naming, Lincoln MKT, Lincoln MKS, Routan
Posted by William Lozito at 7:33 AM
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January 23, 2008
A Green BMW Could be a Triumph in Product Naming
It seems that the rumors that were flying around last November are true: BMW is looking for a new brand name for a line of eco-friendly cars.
Hilton Holloway thinks the solution is to simply make the MINI brand name the eco-brand, while Lascelles Linton at AutoblogGreen argues that BMW’s hydrogen car project, alongside its fuel-efficient Mini and gas sipping Smart brand, should be enough for the Bavarians. No new brand naming required.
I am partial to the idea of BMW trotting out a clean, green Triumph, a brand it also owns, which seems to be all but languishing despite its enormous appeal.
If the MINI can be brought back in new livery, why can’t the Triumph be a “triumph” in green engineering? I’d say that the first model should come out in British racing green and use BMW’s Efficient Dynamics Technology. That would be a sweet ride indeed.
Technorati Tags: BMW, Triumph, Product Naming, Eco-Friendly Cars
Posted by William Lozito at 7:28 AM
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January 17, 2008
Detroit Auto Show: China Takes EV Car Product Naming into Clouds, Sea and Song
EV autos, or electric vehicles, are being taken more seriously by global auto manufacturers.
Yesterday, I thought I had blogged about the strangest names at the Detroit Auto show. I was wrong.
A Chinese auto-designer has offered us three EV concept cars that look like they have been torn from the pages of a children’s book. Their names:
- Tang Hua Book of Songs
- Piece of Cloud
- Detroit Fish
Automotoportal indicates these are “The oddest-looking, and most bizarrely named cars at the show.” I have to agree. Although I would like to ride around on a “Piece of Cloud.”
VehicleVoice is having a good chuckle, wondering why anyone would drive the high voltage, amphibious Detroit Fish, which comes with fins and a propeller. Maybe we'll see the Detroit Fish in Lake Michigan someday.
They also direct us to a mysterious logo located on the steering wheel of each car of a man who could be “Colonel Sanders’ long lost half-brother.”
All jokes aside, designer Li Guangming points out that “If China and India burned gas at the same rate as the US, they would consume four times the fuel reserves of the entire planet. The future must point to the EV field...”
OK, I’m sold.
Technorati Tags: Car Product Naming, Detroit Fish, Piece of Cloud, Book of Songs
Posted by William Lozito at 7:31 AM
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January 16, 2008
Cool Green Car Product Naming An Asian Thing
Concern for the environment has occupied a great share of our attention recently.
This focus has not been lost on auto manufacturers. At the recent Detroit Auto Show, several environmentally friendly autos were introduced:
- Dodge Zeo - This brand name is a clipping of the word zero to signify that this Dodge vehicle generates zero emissions.
Chrysler ecoVoyager - This name simply precedes the current Voyager brand with "eco" which suggests it's an environmentally friendly, battery powered vehicle.
Cadillac Provoq - A hydrogen powered Cadillac with a stylized name suggesting either provoke or more likely provacative since the source of power is very unusual, provoking great admiration or interest.
Most of the rest of the new auto naming comes from taking an established brand name and adding “concept” to it (e.g. Jeep Renegade Concept).
Another tack in car branding is the Zenn and Karma, which comes from California, of all places. Or the Mazda Furai (which means “the sound of wind” in Japanese).
Toyota’s Prius has set the bar in my opinion. It’s a good name from a well known company, and a great car. If Japanese car makers grab all the good names, consumers are going to start thinking that green cars are an Asian thing, which would be a pity.
One great name for an American green car would be “Sequoia”-- now there’s a name that doesn’t simply have “eco” tacked in front of it and doesn’t sound like a Star Wars droid—plus the word is utterly green and American. Oops, Toyota has that, too.
Technorati Tags: Dodge Zeo, Chrysler ecoVoyager, Dodge Zeo, Cadillac Provoq, Green Car Naming, Zenn, Karma, Pruis, Jeep Renegade Concept
Posted by William Lozito at 7:31 AM
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January 9, 2008
New Car Naming is Thought Provoqing
Two new car names are raising eyebrows in the motoring industry today: the Cadillac Provoq, GM’s new hydrogen fuel-cell-powered concept car and yet to be officially named “People’s Car” by Tata.
The Provoq naming has already gotten Mork at the Trademork blog thinking about changing his name to “Morq” and prompting the Green Car advisor to say “if these guys don’t learn to spell they are going to provoke me to violence.” Hydro Kevin quips that the “Provoq is no Joke” and I must say that the very comfortable and speedy vehicle is certainly thought “provoqing.”
One name that will certainly have to go is the nickname “People’s Car” that Tata seems to have adopted for its yet to be unveiled 30 horsepower car. “People’s Car” is a direct reference to the Volkswagen, of course, and the title traditionally held by the Volkswagen Beetle, so that name is really only on loan unless Tata wants to get sued.
Aside from people’s worries over millions of new pollution causing cars hitting the roads, this car might actually bring “power to the people.”
Technorati Tags: Car Naming, Cadillac, GM, Volkswagen, People’s Car, Tata, Concept Car, Provoq
Posted by William Lozito at 8:08 AM
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January 3, 2008
Technology Brand Naming Men's Health Article
You may have seen the special edition of Men's Health Tech Guide 2008.
There are a lot of cool gadgets covered in this issue:
- Sierra Designs Echo Sleeping Bag
- Yamaha 2008 FXSHO Personal Watercraft
- Saeco Primea Cappuccino Touch Plus
Men's Health invited me to write an article on technology brand naming.
Technorati Tags: Men's Health, Technology Brands, Yamaha, Saeco
Posted by William Lozito at 8:01 AM
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December 19, 2007
Made in India: Is the World Ready For Luxury Indian Brand Names?
You 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.
These two brands may soon be sold to Tata Group for around $2 billion.
This 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.
Technorati Tags: Luxury Brands, Jaguar, Land Rover, Tata Group
Posted by William Lozito at 9:17 AM
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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."
Our 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.
We 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.
Technorati Tags: American Eagle, American Airline, Ford Fusion, Gillette Fusion, V8 Fusion
Posted by William Lozito at 1:51 PM
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December 4, 2007
Brand Naming Can Tattoo You
I'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'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?
Technorati Tags: Tattoo, Brand Tattoos, 7-Eleven, Dunlop, General Mills, Christian Dior, Aussiebum, Captain Morgan
Posted by William Lozito at 9:47 AM
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October 31, 2007
Is Fortwo a Smart Brand Naming Move?
I am interested to see whether the 2008 Smart Fortwo will be getting good press in the U.S., where people are a little reticent about really small cars.
The president of Smart Fortwo USA claims that "It's a new brand, a new car, a new everything, even a new segment - the microcar segment." And the brand name may be catching on with at least some of us.
It's a "smart" move during the times when people are worried about emissions, not least because the new "micro-hybrid" (not to be confused with the new name "microcar") was dubbed the "CO2 champion" in Frankfurt last month.
Cute names have worked before, of course, like the Beetle. But I have to wonder if this shift in brand naming is a strategic move on the part of the company that signals the general acceptance of small being a new big or not?
Technorati Tags: smart, ForTwo, Cars, Automobiles
Posted by William Lozito at 10:53 AM
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October 29, 2007
Brand Name Repositioning: Hummer and Coke Zero
Repositioning your brand name can often mean the difference between survival and failure.
Take the Hummer, for instance. In the age of "Inconvenient Truth," big gas-consuming trucks are a no-no.
GM's new campaign, entitled "Hummer Heroes," is meant to shift the focus to the good deeds one can do with a massive vehicle. GM has cleverly given 19 Hummers to the Red Cross as part of a donation of 72 vehicles.
Another example is Coke Zero. Initially it was targeted to women, however when Coke execs learned that men liked it as much, the black label was back.
Going "back to black" packaging helped to reposition the brand as masculine and a humorous TV commercial about two brand managers trying to sue Classic Coke for "taste infringement" made it distinctive.
Technorati Tags: Coca-Cola, Coke Zero, Classic Coke, Hummer, GM, Brand Repositioning
Posted by William Lozito at 9:12 AM
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October 26, 2007
Mercedes-Benz Adds Sound Logo to New Brand Naming Strategy
As you know, I've been blogging about Mercedes-Benz recently. The fact that company has not only implemented some serious revamping of its brand naming but also added a neat new "sound logo" is worth noting.
Adding a trademarked sound or olfactory logo to a brand name is nothing new and sometimes a bad idea.
What's interesting about Mercedes-Benz's new logo is that it's a solo vocal taken from a recording made by an English (not German) boys' choir. One Mercedes-Benz exec enthused that it is "emotional, elegant and unmistakably associated with our brand."
Technorati Tags: Mercedes-Benz, Daimler, Sound Logo, Logo Development, Automobiles
Posted by William Lozito at 10:00 AM
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October 25, 2007
Daimler Shareholders Benzed out of Shape over Company Name Change
Many Daimler shareholders are complaining about the company's name change from DaimlerChrysler to Daimler AG.
There's certainly nothing inspiring about the "AG" appellation, but Daimler and Chrysler never struck me as belonging together in the first place. The Daimler name evokes Lord Peter Wimsey: upper class, upscale, luxury cars with a good turn of speed (and perhaps a whiff of the turn of the previous century). Chrysler, on the other hand, is Lee Iacocca and the tough neighborhood that is Detroit (no longer really Motor City). 
So I sympathize less with those who object to a change than with those who would prefer to see the Mercedes-Benz name brought back in. Daimler was always a better fit with Mercedes than with Chrysler, and a return to the previous "Daimler-Benz" would doubtless have been preferable to many people, especially, of course, the heirs of Carl Benz. But that wasn't an option, according to CEO Dieter Zetsche.
One advantage the new company name does have is that the company is unlikely to need to change it again to reflect future acquisitions or sell-offs.
Technorati Tags: Daimler, Chrysler, Mercedes-Benz, Company Naming, Automobiles
Posted by William Lozito at 8:14 AM
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