May 5, 2009
McDonald's McCafé Brand Namé Adds New Chapter In Big Brand Naming
Today a new chapter in branding and naming comes to life.
McDonald's will "drop the mother of all campaigns on you... that will be not so much viral as bubonic." We're talking about a $100 million cross platform campaign to tout their new McCafé coffee brand and send Starbucks into branding history. This McBlitz will be their biggest push since their introduction of breakfast items in the 70s.
The Los Angeles Times, for the most part, welcomes this "old school" marketing tactic, but notes that the product name might be a slight problem: "McCafé is hard to say -- having three stressed syllables -- and American audiences have almost no experience with diacritical marks, so the acute accent mark on the final é is going to leave some fast-fooders bewildered."
McDonald's is attempting to remedy this naming concern by using a series of commercials to familarize us with what "é" sounds like. A McCafé product will turn a regular commute into a "commuté" and will make a better day "possiblé." In addition, an office cubicle with the right McCafé mocha can become a "cubiclé."
Get it? If not, radio spots are also being aired that will teach you "How to Speak McCafé."
McDonald's is also going to heavily utilize YouTube as well as other nifty branding outlets including the traditional, old school TV, print and outdoor ads.
Starbucks, on the other hand, is planning on lowering prices on select beverages, as will Dunkin' Donuts, which already is associated with good, cheap coffee. It's almost like boarding up the windows before a McHurricané.
It appears McDonald's has decided to go after Starbucks while they are feeling the pinch of a contracting economy. McDonald's is about to prove, in my opinion, that it can essentially be whatever it wants if it has a cheap, decent product (they always seem to) and a good brand name to go with it.
However, Starbucks assures us that they will not lose many customers, but I doubt it. I love my morning Starbucks, but it's tough to remain loyal when there is a competitive product available for less.
For almost a decade now, Starbucks has been a case study in below the line promotion and the power of WOM geared towards select groups. They built a brand on authenticity and the perfect embrace of a trend. It was the triumph of the brand over advertising.
But in one, huge body blow, McDonald's is attempting to wipe that out and show us what is really "possiblé" when you want to build a new brand "namé" in tough times.
Technorati Tags: McDonald's Brand, McCafé, Starbucks Marketing, McDonald's Marketing, Product Naming
Posted by William Lozito at 8:02 AM| Comments (0)
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April 10, 2009
Tastiest Buzz Brand Naming Follows Energy Drink Branding Trends
The Tastiest Buzz caffeinated drink name is yet another example of how energy drink naming seems to work in its own (albeit, rather large) corner of the marketing world. So many energy drinks are appearing on the shelves that it's become a necessity for the names to be designed to be instant conversation pieces.
This newest one has an interesting web site that showcases the drink's only flavor: Cranberry Citrus.
Supposedly, this energy drink gives you the same buzz as one cup of coffee.
However, the people over at Bevnet are not so sure that this is in fact the "tastiest" buzz possible and takes issue with the drink's decision to label itself a "premium caffeinated beverage" when it is really just another fruity energy drink.
One blogger created a sort of hit list of energy drink names and I note that almost all of them reference drugs, drinking or sex, just as "Tastiest Buzz" does (a "tasty buzz," for those of you unfamiliar with the world of marijuana, is a good high).
And who can forget the jokers who created the Cocaine energy drink?
Still, it is a $10 billion market that is infested with names like Crunk and Pimp Juice. Run of the mill naming just doesn't seem to cut it for kids who are searching for a little buzz...
Technorati Tags: Energy Drinks, Tastiest Buzz, Cocaine Energy Drink, Product Names
Posted by William Lozito at 7:51 AM| Comments (0)
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February 26, 2009
Tapping Into New York Bottled Water Brand Naming
The Los Angeles Times is quite intrigued by a new bottled water called "Tap'd NY. Purified New York City Tap Water."
Yes, somebody finally did it, they created a bottled water straight from the tap in New York, which is a city that boasts incredibly clean, great tasting water. Taking this fairly pure product, they've treated it to remove the chlorine and sell it for less than the competition.
The draw? Well, everyone seems to know that New York City water is pretty darn good, and buying water that comes from New York leaves a smaller carbon footprint than sending your dollars to Fiji or France (sort of).
One blogger adds that "we understand that Poland Springs is neither from Poland nor from springs" so why not just get the best tap water money can buy?
In addition to the surprisingly honest name, the company also has a series of clever taglines that adorn different bottles, ranging from "Bottle Water Without the Funny Accent" to "No Glaciers Were Harmed Making this Water."
However, starting a new bottled water company is a risky move, given that bottled water sales are declining. Consumers are starting to wonder if bottled water is actually better for you and most of us have accepted that the bottled stuff is pretty much the same as what comes out of the tap.
Bottled water is also seen as a major culprit in filling landfills, creating millions of empty, non degradable bottles, which recently led to the mayor of San Francisco to pass an order that forbids city government from buying bottled water.
Tap'd NY gets around this by encouraging people to reuse the bottles by filling them with, you know, actual tap water. They even have a team of "Hydrators" who will refill the bottles for you.
Besides Tap'd NY, there is at least one other bottled water company that is trying to atone for its waste: Belu, whose water comes in bottles made of corn. Located in the UK, all of the company's profits also go to clean water.
And I must admit that Belu's name is interesting, but I still think I like Tap'd NY even better.
Technorati Tags: Tap'd, Tap'd NY, New Product, Bottled Water, Product Names, Brand Names, Belu Water, New York City Tap Water
Posted by William Lozito at 10:03 AM| Comments (0)
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February 13, 2009
Starbucks to Go With Via Product Naming for... Instant Coffee?
The competition between McDonald's and Starbucks has been brewing for quite a while, but now things have boiled over. Starbucks is taking aggressive action against McD's sucker bait on two fronts.
Bad idea.
To begin with, Starbucks is a textbook case of how a premium brand name captured the hearts and minds of consumers in a relatively short time by building mystique, not around the products, but the experience.
Faced with a crashing economy and a brutal onslaught from the golden arches, it looks like Starbucks is walking away from its hard earned positioning in the mind of the consumer. Witness the "four bucks is dumb" campaign against Starbucks that seems to have won over some cash strapped consumers.
Starbucks has countered with cheaper food and an injunction to its servers to remind customers that 90% of their coffee offerings are under $4. All this, despite at least one poll that shows Starbucks customers overwhelmingly feel that the java is not overpriced.
Starbucks is offering less expensive eats in order to "take advantage of the new customer frugality" that's out there. But surprisingly, it is also going to offer, believe it or not, instant coffee.
Again, this is suckers bait. Starbucks is losing sight of its reason for being and trying to out McDonald's McDonald's. And it won't work.
Starbucks' supposed breakthrough product, Via, makes you think Maxwell House and Folgers, the everybody's coffee sold in supermarkets.
An unidentified Starbucks' source in a recent Ad Age article assures us that Via is "not just a sign of the times," but has been in development for quite a while.
Via, of course, means "to go" or "the way."
For Starbucks, it is the absolute wrong way.
I predict that Starbucks will regret these short-term knee-jerk reactions to McDonald's and will return to its historical roots and perceptions in the mind of the consumer.
Hopefully Starbucks will remember that they offer an experience that just happens to include coffee.
Technorati Tags: Starbucks, Starbucks Via, Instant Coffee, McDonald's Coffee, Naming, Product Naming, Branding, Brand Names, Brands
Posted by William Lozito at 10:19 AM| Comments (1)
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February 3, 2009
Classic Naming to (finally) Disappear from Coke Product Name
The name Classic is coming off of the iconic Coke brand name, finally.
The Classic naming only appears in North America, a hangover from the New Coke debacle of April 23, 1985, "a day that will live in marketing infamy."
Now, over two decades later, the reason for the existence of the Classic naming is no more - very few people can even recall what New Coke tasted like despite surviving until 1992 before being quietly shelved.
The Classic naming will live on in the fine print on the back of Coke bottles and cans as Coke Classic Original Formula.
This product naming decision comes in conjunction with Coke's "Open Happiness" campaign, aligning the product naming with worldwide standards.
The famous name change is still referred to in every marketing textbook as a classic (excuse the pun) example of how emotional attachment to a brand name is a 
dangerous thing to play with. One executive from Coke says that "Some cynics say we planned the whole thing. The truth is, we're not that dumb, and we're not that smart."
Some bloggers feel that the Classic naming actually gave the product a kind of "vintage feel" and as I've mentioned before, the name "Classic" can lend an instant status to a brand name.
In this case, Coke, by definition, is a classic and the destruction of the moniker is something of a relief.
Technorati Tags: Coke, New Coke, Coke Classic, Coca-Cola, Classic Naming, Coke Naming, Product Naming, Naming
Posted by William Lozito at 11:38 AM| Comments (0)
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January 21, 2009
Does Heineken's New "Give Yourself a Good Name" Campaign Help its Naming and Branding?
Heineken's new "Give Yourself a Good Name" campaign might be the first slogan I have seen that would not be too bad for a naming company. That said, I'm not sure if it's a great one for a beer company.
The chief marketing officer for Heineken in the USA explains:
Our consumers strive to give themselves a good name in a variety of ways including the opportunities they pursue, their responses to every day situations and through the brands they choose. Heineken is a brand with a 'good name' reinforced by 146 years of brewing excellence and a family-driven mentality to be the best. With our new campaign, we're taking steps to ensure that we continue to remain relevant and connected to our consumers.
There appears to be a double meaning at work here. It clearly communicates that consumers should reach for a brand with a good name, but it seems that by drinking Heineken they will also be building a good reputation for themselves. In addition, there's an admonition to drink responsibly, or not to throw your name away in drunken excess.
The campaign features three cryptic 30 second spots with actor John Turturro, one of which will be shown during the Super Bowl.
This comes as Heineken tries to push both its lager and light brands, both of which are facing declining sales in a tough economy.
As Craig McNarma points out, the campaign is a bit interesting but doesn't really explain to us why beer drinkers should pay more for Heineken. Turturro is funny but he essentially spouts nonsense at the viewer ("he who wanders with purpose has no purpose to wander") in a high-end setting, which does little to create any real incentive for the consumer.
My main concern here is that I just don't see a connection between drinking Heineken and giving somebody a good name, or even understand how Heineken itself has a good name.
Is drinking beer all about preserving one's good name?
Does this campaign further Heineken's good name in the mind of the consumer?
Having Turtorro say to us in a somewhat threatening voice to "Navigate wisely...or get lost" makes me feel like ditching the beer, and its name, altogether.
Technorati Tags: Heineken, Give Yourself a Good Name, Heineken Commercials, Heineken Branding, John Turturro
Posted by William Lozito at 8:15 AM| Comments (1)
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January 12, 2009
Gatorade's New Generation of Branding and Product Naming
I'm very impressed with the new Gatorade branding, naming and repackaging. Of all the changes Pepsi has been making to its products lately, this is the one that has the potential to caputre our imaginations. In doing so, it seems to have garnered a good deal play on the Internet.
By focusing on the "G" and the lightening bolt logo Gatorade is able to tread that difficult line between pure sports drink and casual thirst quencher. The line extensions have also been renamed to "convey the attitude of a tough-love coach or personal trainer, with in-your-face names like "Bring It" and "G2."
This simple move will likely reinvigorate this well loved brand name, keeping it relevant while the competition has gotten bigger, wackier, and cooler.
With a new attitude, Pepsi is reminding people how much they like the drink while the recently released Lil Wayne commercial brings the old generation of Gatorade together with the new.
Pepsi is learning how to keep its branding relevant, flexible, fun, and ever-changing, and this is a real win.
Technorati Tags: Gatorade, G2, Bring It, Branding, Product Naming, Brand Naming, Marketing Strategy, Lil Wayne Commercial
Posted by William Lozito at 8:24 AM| Comments (0)
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