April 23, 2008
Is Barbie Contributing to her Own Brand Naming Dilution?
The news that Barbie has seen her sales decline by 12% this year is worrying for Mattel, but surely surprising to any parent who has had to keep track of his daughter’s ever expanding collection of ubiquitous toys.
Barbie is still the number one brand name when it comes to girls toys, but girls seem to be pulled in many directions nowadays thanks to video games, iPods and Bratz dolls, to name a few.
Despite the slump, Barbie has experienced a rebirth in the last few years thanks to a whole slew of new movies that see her as empowered, strong and independent. But what does occur to me, as well as to the dads I know who are in the marketing biz and feverishly buy these DVDs for their daughters, is how the Barbie name has become something of a sub-brand when it comes to their naming and branding.
There’s Barbie: The Princess and the Pauper; Barbie: The Twelve Dancing Princesses; Barbie: The Island Princess as well as Barbie: Mermaidia and Barbie: Fairytopia. Not to mention Barbie: Mariposa (think butterflies).
Here’s where it gets tricky. In very few of these movies does Barbie actually get called, Barbie. In Island Princess she’s Rosella, and in Princess and the Pauper the two twin princesses are Annaliese and Erika. In 12 Dancing Princesses she is Gennevieve, and so on.
The idea here is for the viewer to assume that Barbie is playing different parts in the movies, but it’s a stretch. Especially for a five year old, who might feel she has a few Barbies as well as a Mariposa doll.
It looks to me like these are movies given the Barbie seal of approval, rather than movies that feature a character named Barbie (who does in fact speak to the kids when the DVD menu comes up with a cheery “Hi, it’s me, Barbie” but, like some kind of higher power bestowing blessings upon the tale, does not show her face).
Phew. A guy needs a cheat sheet just to keep abreast of all the different brand naming going on here.
With all of these new products being poured on the market, could Barbie be facing brand naming dilution?
Add the thousands of Barbie clones that are out there, and it seems to be that Mattel is contributing to its own problems by creating what look to me like Barbie knock-offs rather than real Barbies.
How about a few movies that star a young woman named Barbie?
Technorati Tags: Barbie, Mattel, Toys, Dolls, Bratz, Brand Name Dilution, Sub-brand, Movies, DVDs
Posted by William Lozito at 7:34 AM
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April 4, 2008
Steinway Lyngdorf Sweet Sounding Brand Naming
Here is an example of a completely new brand name that can immediately grab huge market share from established competitors. The Steinway Lyngdorf brand for high end audio products is just irresistible.
Many of us who do not even play the piano know and revere the Steinway name. Extending it to an audio system means that non-pianists can grab some of that Steinway allure.
The secret here is that both brand names are leaders in their fields and they both have tremendous recognition in the marketplace.
The combination has acted as a “catapult,” sending the brand name to the top 5 of luxury
audio brand names according to the Luxury Institute Survey.
I’d add that the name Lyngdorf sounds German, just like Steinway does, and a German brand name connotes precision and high fidelity to most consumers in the audio field.
Nordic European naming seems to attract the audiophile with really deep pockets. Just ask Bang & Olufsen, Bose, Harman Kardon, or Klipsch.
Technorati Tags: Steinway Lyngdorf, Audio, Stereo, Luxury, German, Bose, Bang & Olufson, Harmon Kardon, Klipsch, Piano
Posted by William Lozito at 8:05 AM
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March 27, 2008
Will Wal-Mart Ruling Start Parody Naming Trend?
In copyright law, parody counts as “fair use.” So too in trademark law, it would seem. Wal-Mart accused Georgia resident Charles Smith of infringing on its trademark by selling products emblazoned “Wal-ocaust” and “Wal-Qaeda.”
It’s no surprise that Wal-Mart doesn’t find these particular parodies amusing, but even if Smith’s sites didn’t feature prominent disclaimers, it’s unlikely anyone would find the names—or the logos, for that matter—“confusingly similar.” The average person is plenty smart enough to realize that none of the T-shirts, posters, or bumper stickers comes from Wal-Mart.
And that’s exactly what Judge Timothy Batten concluded, as WebProNews reported. Smith is free to go on using the names “Wal-ocaust” and “Wal-Qaeda” to sell products.
Of course, Smith’s aim is to make a political point, not establish a business. Any company that chooses its name as a parody of another company risks obsolescence once the subject of the parody is no longer a household name. Some brands might continue to flourish even if no one gets the joke anymore, but if Wal-Mart went out of business, there would be no market for Wal-ocaust T-shirts.
Which is probably just what Charles Smith would love to see happen.
Technorati Tags: Wal-Mart, Wal-ocaust, Wal-Qaeda, Trademark, Charles Smith, Judge Batten, Logos, T-Shirts, Bumper Stickers
Posted by William Lozito at 4:42 PM
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March 6, 2008
Olsens, Abbey Dawn Offer Glam Tween Fashion Product Naming
I 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.
Possibly 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.
Technorati Tags: Fashion, Product Naming, Olsen Twins, The Row, Avril Lavigne, Abbey Dawn, Elizabeth and James, Twenty8twelve, Sienna Miller, Branding, Savannah Miller, Influence, Tween
Posted by William Lozito at 9:16 AM
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February 11, 2008
American Living Brand Naming Brings Ralph Lauren to The Rest of Us
Ralph 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.
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.
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.
Technorati Tags: J.C. Penney, Ralph Lauren, Brand Naming, American Living, Fashion, Naming
Posted by William Lozito at 7:30 AM
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February 5, 2008
Woolworth’s Lolita Brand Naming a Cynical “Mistake”
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.
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?
Technorati Tags: Woolworth's, Lolita, Bratz, Brand Naming, Filipino, Police
Posted by William Lozito at 7:28 AM
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January 29, 2008
Sears and Halston Return to their Brand Naming Roots
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.
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.
Technorati Tags: Halston, Ossie Clark, Sears, Kmart, Brand Naming, Kenmore, Craftsman, Die-Hard, Weatherbeater, Jennifer Aniston
Posted by William Lozito at 7:28 AM
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January 8, 2008
FohBoh: Niche Naming to Appeal to Insiders
To the uninitiated, “FohBoh” might look like yet another silly Web 2.0 name, continuing one of 2007’s top naming trends. But FOH (front of house) and BOH (back of house) are familiar terms to anyone in the restaurant industry. Do a Google search on “foh boh” and you’ll find yourself up to the eyeballs in restaurant job listings.
So when you want to start a social network for people in the restaurant business, of course you call it FohBoh. The name might lack euphony, but it’s perfect for appealing to a niche. If you know what the name means, you’re probably a good candidate for membership in the network. If you don’t, it doesn’t matter, because the site isn’t for you.
Technorati Tags: Web 2.0, Restaurant Network, FOH, BOH, Google, Social Network
Posted by Diane Prange at 8:20 AM
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January 7, 2008
Brand Naming: Snickers Nut 'n Butter Crunch Pretty Sweet
The new Snickers Nut ‘n Butter Crunch has Theresa Gubbins asking “who started the ‘N [brand naming] thing anyway” and positing that it might have started with Kellogg’s Nut ‘n Honey Cereal back in the ‘80s.
I wouldn't be surprised, however, if brand names with " 'N " in them don't go back 50 years or more. I do know that Shake 'n Bake was introduced in 1965.
Can you think of any brand name with " 'N " in them that precede the Shake 'n Bake name?
She also notes that its creator, Mars, has changed its name back to Mars Snackfood from Masterfoods, a great move since the Mars name is so well known. The big candy makers have become much more “nimble” than in years past, creating many new limited edition items with a new sub-brand.
I think limited edition candy bar brand naming seems to be getting edgier and edgier, although sometimes even top brand names drop the ball.
Does the combo of nuts and butter appeal to you?
Sounds too rich to me, but the way has been paved by Nutter Butters and even Hershey’s Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Take a look at the colors Snickers uses on the packaging for the Nut ‘n Butter Crunch and see if they don't come to mind.
Technorati Tags: Mars, Snickers, Hershey's, Candy, Reese's Pieces, Kellogg's, Gold'n Plump
Posted by William Lozito at 10:26 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 20, 2007
South Beach Living vs Dieting = Good Brand Naming
Kraft's decision to omit the word "diet" in its South Beach Diet brand name and replace it with South Beach Living will probably turn out to be an excellent marketing move.
The South Beach brand name is well entrenched - it is not only a food line, but a vending machine name and a diet bar.
Other brands also opt to omit the word "diet" in their product names as well. Take Coke Zero, for example. This brand is flourishing partly because it's gender neutral and doesn't describe itself as "diet."
According to the Diet Blog, the word diet often connotes to consumers bad tasting food aimed at an older demographic as well as, incredibly, "failure."
I'd rather talk about "living" than "dieting" any day of the week. Good move, Kraft.
Technorati Tags: Kraft, South Beach Diet, Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero
Posted by William Lozito at 9:48 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 13, 2007
New Product Promotion Trend?
I came across an interesting study conducted by an MIT professor who has discovered that shoppers will go for comparatively lower priced items if they are given an idea about what to do with the saved money.
Professor Shane Frederick discovered that he purchased a less expensive stereo system after it was made clear to him that he could buy 30 CDs with his savings over another brand.
As a result, IKEA is putting out ads for its furniture that show cabinets filled with the shoes one could buy from the savings.
I just can see the tagline: "IKEA Cabinets: Shoes Included."
Technorati Tags: Shopping, MIT, IKEA
Posted by William Lozito at 9:56 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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November 27, 2007
Claseo: A Classy Product Name
Here'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...
Technorati Tags: Claseo, ThisNext, ShopWiki, Social Shopping
Posted by William Lozito at 7:57 AM
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November 26, 2007
Kindle Kinda Not Good Brand Naming
We have known that Kindle, Amazon's eBook reader, was coming for some time now, but last week we saw Newsweek's Steve Levy raving about it as the "iPod of reading."
There are two interesting naming developments here:
- For one, Kindle is not naming a gizmo or a device as is often the case with cell phones, but it's naming a service that will act as an extension of the Amazon store.
- The Kindle name is a verb, not a noun. Where have all the good nouns gone? In almost any category they are taken.
I also have to wonder if the name Kindle was well chosen as ParisLemon has a picture of kindling burning on its blog and there are sure to be many "up in smoke" jokes cracked if this particular gadget, I mean service, gets burned in the marketplace.
This seems possible after Scoble's review and other iffy reviews from the book set.
I also think that the Amazon brand name appeals to people who love books, and eBook readers are meant to help, not hurt, those people.
A product name like Kindle might be meant to refer to "kindling excitement" but it also reminds me of book burning. Also, as Laura Freberg points out, "I surely don't want my "book" to ignite in my lap" like some computer gizmos have in the past.
Technorati Tags: Amazon, Kindle, eBook, Sony Reader, iPod
Posted by William Lozito at 8:23 AM
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November 13, 2007
eBay's Counterfeit Couture a Threat to Tiffany Brand Name
Tiffany'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 has weighed into the battle, as have L'Oreal and others.
Despite 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.
There 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.
Technorati Tags: eBay, Tiffany, L'Oreal, Hermes, Gibson Guitars
Posted by William Lozito at 9:58 AM
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November 12, 2007
One vs. Wood, The Quest for a Cool PC Product Name
The news that Gateway's "One," a tricked out PC that is meant to rival with iMac in sleekness and form, shares a product name with Dell XPS One makes one wonder how this could happen. By the way, the Dell XPS One will be launched on November 19.
There are might be two "One" computer brands, but there is only one "Wood".
What's wrong with the brand name "Wood Computer?" You tell me, but regardless it makes me curious to learn more about the brand.
Technorati Tags: Gateway, Dell, iMac, XPS One, Wood Computer
Posted by William Lozito at 8:40 AM
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November 8, 2007
Brand Recognition in the Womb?
Trendwatching.com just posted an article called "Generation Z," a quote from which caught my eye:
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First of all, no generation in the history of mankind can be made to embrace brands with such eagerness by exposing them to specific brand benefits. Consider this research nugget: a Swiss study has found that when sufficiently exposed to child-friendly brand jingles, tunes and spoken messages during pregnancy, up to 77% of all newborns not only recognize these brand markers, but develop a brand preference that could last until puberty, and probably into adulthood (final results are not yet available as the project only started two years ago). Furthermore, an astounding 23% of infant participants could indicate at least 9 out of 12 favorite brands using rudimentary hand signals.
Now, as it happens, this article is a spoof. Or, at least, it's meant to be a spoof -- there's no such study, and Trendwatching isn't really advocating marketing to children in the womb. And while we would find it fascinating if babies could really recognize brand names just because their mothers had heard them when pregnant, we're not in favor of it, either.
Nevertheless, it appears that Trendwatching isn't far off the mark. Children develop brand awareness very early. In 2005, the Amsterdam School of Communications Research published a study entitled "Identifying determinants of young children's brand awareness: Television, parents, and peers ." To quote from the abstract, "Two- to three-year-olds recalled only 1 out of 12 brands, whereas they recognized 8 out of 12 brands."
Are you scared yet? The Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood is. Their 28-page booklet, "The Facts about Marketing to Kids" makes the point that very young children can't distinguish between commercials and program content, and adds that six-month-old babies are "forming mental images of corporate logos and mascots."
Programs for educating infants don't seem nearly as successful as those intended to fixate them on buying things, because infant brains are better at recognizing sounds and shapes than at comprehending social values. (Hat tip to the Faux Real blog .)
This would be good news for the naming industry -- if we didn't care about letting our children grow up to be able to decide for themselves whether a name or a product is a good one.
Technorati Tags: Brand Awareness, Children, Marketing to Kids, Television, Ads
Posted by William Lozito at 11:37 AM
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November 6, 2007
Brand Naming: Google’s Android is Pretty Frightening
Google's launch of the new Android mobile software finally puts to rest the rumors of a gPhone. In fact, the new free software will not even feature the Google logo but, as Dana Gardner points out, this move will "threaten no less than the personal computer itself" by basically making any new cell phone a Gphone.
Extra Tech has sighed in relief over the fact that the Gphone name, "which stopped being cute awhile ago in the fine tradition of J-Lo, A-Rod, and K-Fed" can go away now, hopefully forever.
Still, the Gphone name will be around for some time, as even the guys at Google like to talk about it. Google's idea of omitting the Google brand name on the phones is a smart move and "part of Google's multilayered strategy to win over the wireless search and advertising industries."
The Android brand name reminds me of a '50s Sci-Fi flick "Androids & Cyborgs." Given Google's aggressive entry into the market, calling the new mobile software Android is little bit frightening given this free, stand alone piece of software will essentially enslave your phone to Google, making it Gphone in all but name.
Technorati Tags: Google, Android, Mobile Software
Posted by William Lozito at 11:09 AM
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Brand Naming: Handi-Vac Name That Sucks
The good news, at least for anyone who's ever experienced freezer burn: Reynolds is bringing out a $9.99 vacuum-sealing unit.
The bad news: they're calling it Handi-Vac.
If a "Handi-Vac" sounds like a wannabe Dustbuster to you, there's a reason. There are several Handi-Vacs out there already, with minor variations in spelling but the common function of providing suction.
- The Handi-Vac pick-up tool
- The HandiVac refrigerant recovery unit
- Hoover Handivac vacuum cleaners (no longer sold)
- Handy Vac wet/dry vacuums
- Hand-E-Vac medical aspirators
Worse yet, the name sounds a lot like Handi-Wrap-which is not a Reynolds product.
What's wrong with "Freezer Vac"? The domain and trademark are both available, and it would make the purpose of the product a whole lot clearer.
Technorati Tags: Reynolds, Handi-Vac, Dustbuster
Posted by William Lozito at 10:09 AM
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