June 9, 2010

More Men Getting Iced Every Day, Smirnoff Claims It Has Nothing to Do With Their Naming and Branding Promotion

Yesterday The New York Times picked up on the new drinking game called "icing." It's full name is "Bros Icing Bros."

You can read the rules for yourself, suffice to say that this is a game aimed at the college age demographic and requires players to drink copious amounts of Smirnoff Ice, hence the name "icing." This game has spread out of the frat house to the world of Goldman Sachs and elsewhere. The word "Bros" and "Bro" has been given new life by this game.

Ironically, the Village Voice reports that the entire game is based on how awful the drink is. The blogosphere is full of contempt for the game and the people who play it.

And Smirnoff has denied involvement in the game, and one blogger claims that it was created by two frat guys. The problem is that the game is gaining traction, as one expert is quoted saying "We're gonna see more of this. Now that everything can be delivered through digital media, what's the last authentic thing? Spontaneous experience."

This might be an example of a frat prank gone haywire. Or viral marketing gone wrong. Or right. The fact is, the "Ice" name is now in front of a perfect demographic. Guys who hate the stuff are buying Smirnoff Ice so they will not get "iced" (see the rules).

But, we must repeat, because this game promotes the idea of underage drinking and irresponsible drinking and drinking in public places, of course Smirnoff claims that it has nothing to do with it.

Never mind the Twitter feed, the Facebook group or the many pictures and videos that have cropped up almost instantly. This just sort of... happened. The name Ice has gone into the newspapers and across the Internet. Just by accident?

Maybe so. But I also am starting to think that viral branding and social networking continue to demonstrate a great deal of power.

Technorati Tags: Smirnoff Ice, Bros Icing Bros, Icing, Drinking Game, Alcohol, Malt Beverage, Frat Game

Posted by William Lozito at 8:46 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 26, 2010

Game Day Beer Brand Naming at 7-Eleven

I'm not going to make much of the new 7-Eleven "Game Day" beer name. Instead, I'm going to focus on what it means that 7-Eleven has a private label beer at all.

Simply put, this is a watershed moment in private label branding - which 7-Eleven excels at - and in branding in general.

There can be no doubt that private label branding has reached a tipping point when 7-Eleven, of all places, has its own beer brand.

But then again, why not?

It's the third largest beer retailer in the United States and consumers are already eagerly flocking to less expensive beer. Or, more accurately, they are moving away from what the New Yorker calls the "mushy middle" (quoting Al and Laura Ries) of branding and frequenting either high end brands or the really cheap stuff.

In the case of beer, this means that real premium brews are still doing well and low-end brands are also flourishing, but everyday beers are facing challenging times.

7-Eleven's private label wine - Yosemite Road - holds the number one and two spots in the chain's sales. Yes, that's right. And if 7-Eleven can sell to wine lovers, they can definitely sell to beer drinkers.

Now, some may point out that their last attempt at beer, Santiago, was a high end failure that was meant to compete with Corona. But this stuff, with its non-assuming cans and logo, is aimed right at the downmarket crowd. Premium beers still dominate United States sales, but the really low end beers have a kind of retro, grungy appeal to the Homer Simpson in every beer drinker. As one reviewer puts it:

Would I have bought this when I was 21 years old and just sold a few compact discs and a pint of my blood so I would have money to get drunk on the weekend? Sure. Would I buy this beer now that I know better? Definitely not.

Well, that's no big surprise, but think about this: Beer purchases in convenience stores took a 4% dip last year, but sales of sub-premium beers like Keystone Light and Natural Light actually went up.

OK, 7-Eleven calls it "premium brewed," but customers will recognize Game Day for what it is - cheap suds that go well with chips and microwave burritos.

Technorati Tags: Game Day Beer, Game Day Brand, 7-Eleven Private Label, Beer Brand Names, 7-Eleven Branding, Beer Naming, Premium Brewed, Beer Sales, Beer Retailer, Game Day Light, 7-Eleven Beer

Posted by William Lozito at 9:48 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

March 25, 2010

Guinness Debuts Black Naming and Branding

I am watching two developments around the Guinness beer brand with some interest, and I am not sure which will have a deeper impact in the future. Namely, Guinness has decided to end its, "Good for you" promotion. Yes, the company has been touting its dry stout beer as, "Good for you" and, amazingly, has been giving away free bottles of the stuff to blood donors.

Obviously, this is not happening in the US, where there are lots of restrictions.

A spokesperson for Diageo, the parent company for the famous Irish beer brand, says, wisely, "We no longer want to promote alcohol as a medicine, or to imply it can be used as a treatment or a cure."

This is a good move, to say the least, since blood donors are among the last people on Earth who should be drinking.

The Guinness brand stood the test of time and is recognized the world over as the consummate dark, hearty beer.

The company knows this, of course. One famous tagline they have used is "Don't be Afraid of the Dark," because dark beers are a little frightening.

So I was surprised to see that they have a new lager out, but it's black lager.

Guinness Black Lager is available to consumers in Northern Ireland and also in Malaysia .

Will Horbury of The Irish Times asks why the company can't come up with some "normal" beers.

"Why on earth can't they knock up a couple of half-decent "normal" products: perhaps a pale ale, a wheat beer, or even a crisply aromatic Pilsner?"

If you know that people are a little wary of really dark lagers, since your tagline encourages them to overcome that fear, why do you go into the lager market with a black lager? I am sure this will make its way over to the US, so people that are over their dark beer fear can gulp it down.

Technorati Tags: Guinness, New Name, Black Lager, Good for you, Irish, beer, Don't be afraid of the dark, Diageo

Posted by William Lozito at 9:27 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 5, 2010

Wine Naming and Branding For the Down and Out

If you haven't noticed, wine naming has gone downmarket in a big way. And I mean a big way.

The recession has affected winemakers as well as everyone else and there is a rush on to rename and repackage wine for the thrifty consumer. Which has led to some interesting (read funny) crossover into the brown bag booze branding brigade. The New York Times has identified the lowest of the low and it's (drum roll, please) Wild Irish Rose.

This stuff is NOT good. One blogger reviews it thus: "Seriously, if given the choice between living under a bridge and having Irish Rosie to look forward to every night or simply hanging myself, I'd choose suicide without a second thought."

This really will not do the Irish wine industry much good at 18% alcohol by volume and around $2 a bottle, it is the drink of choice for the down and out. But, interestingly, many people in suits and ties seem to be buying it, as well as Jäger Bombs, which may actually be more dangerous than 'The Rose.'

For those of us looking for more savory alternatives, why not check out a new concept in wine packaging: wine in a glass.

It seems to be a hit in the UK and is used to sell quaffable units of Château Roubine's Grand Cru Classé Côtes de Provence made by the prestigious French Château Roubine. Here, you can literally buy a glass of the good stuff if you cannot afford a bottle.

Feeling a little risqué? How about some Red Leight Rosé, which some feel is "perfect for Hollywood celebrity bashes." Um, OK, maybe. Cristal has that niche wrapped up, sorry.

A quick round up of weird wine names shows a preference for down market, totally irreverent naming and branding. On one blog we have

• Bitch
• Le Vin de Merde
• Oops, Frog's Piss
• Cat's Pee On a Gooseberry Bush

My favorite? "Old Fart and His Wife Too."

Technorati Tags: Wine, Bitch, Naming, Leighton Meester

Posted by William Lozito at 8:40 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 6, 2010

ASU Puts a Cork on Sun Devil Ale Naming and Branding

Arizona State University has demanded that a local pub rename its Sun Devil Ale.

The owner of SanTan Brewing Co has decided not to fight the university's recent cease and desist letter and will instead hold a naming contest during January and February to find a new moniker for the brew that has been sold in his establishment for two years.

The owner has (mildly) suggested this is a case of "selective enforcement" around the trademark for a name which is very widely used in Chandler, Arizona.

Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law attorney Mark Reichenthal at IP Ideas took the liberty of looking at the Secretary of State of Arizona's website and found "quite a few" places that used the Sun Devil name.

Wandering Justin irately goes further, noting that a quick perusal of the Internet comes up with "a women's nudist club, a liquor store and an auto repair chain" using the name... and possibly a bail bonds company.

The problem seems to be that naming an ale using the term "Sun Devil" not only encourages underage drinking at the university but also could be something that takes off pretty quickly outside Chandler (the pub owner looked for a federal mark, a sign he might have been thinking big), without ASU getting a penny of the proceeds.

This kind of problem occurs when a trademark holder is a little lax in protecting its mark, leading people who are being prosecuted to wonder why they are being singled out when others are let off the hook.

ASU would win if push comes to shove, which is rather a shame because it looks like SanTan Brewing acted in good faith here. I suppose a naming and branding consultant could have cleared this up before it became an issue.

Technorati Tags: Beer, Sun Devil, Trademark Conflict, Arizona State University, Naming Contest, Brewing Company

Posted by William Lozito at 1:49 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

December 2, 2009

el Jimador New Mix Borrows Soft Drink Brand Naming to Compete with Beer

Today my mind is on tequila. Specifically el Jimador's "New Mix" cocktail
in can.

To quote the Tequila Examiner, there will be three types of these New Mix drinks, including "Spicy Mango Margarita, the Paloma (the most popular tequila cocktail in Mexico), and the Margarita (the #1 requested cocktail in the U.S.)."

The campaign to sell the stuff will begin this month in California and roll out across the USA.

The brand name, el Jimador, is what the master harvester of agave plants is called, but I'm more interested in just how closely the artwork resembles that of soft drinks. Canned cocktails compete directly with beers and even have about the same percentage of alcohol, but soft drinks might skew slightly young for margaritas.

One blogger even describes the stuff as being similar to a soft drink and the company's branding seems to do very little to dispel that impression. This simply does not look much like an alcoholic drink.

The product comes from the very respected Casa Herradura, one of the top tequila producers in Mexico, which in turn is owned by Brown-Forman of Louisville, KY.

So even though Brown-Forman may be targeting beer, particularly "Mexican imports and flavored beers like Bud Light Lime," you can't help but wonder if they are also trying to make mixed drinks look more appealing to the younger markets.

Technorati Tags: Margarita Mix, el Jimador, New Mix, Brown-Forman, Casa Herradura, Spirit Naming, Mixed Drink Naming, Soft Drink Naming

Posted by William Lozito at 9:45 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

November 3, 2009

Vodka Naming Gets Buff with Devotion

Vodka naming is now officially pretty darn weird. Not as weird as energy drink naming, but it's close.

A new vodka from San Francisco is being named Devotion. Never mind that San Francisco is hardly a place you'd associate with vodka (I personably think of Poland, then Russia, then Sweden, then Finland), this vodka offers "the benefits of protein" and was created by a "dining aficionado and fitness buff." Because, as we all know, fitness and hard alcohol go together like salad and chocolate frosting.

This drink was created when the creator decided to give us something that represented his two favorite passions: "fitness and nightlife." This is the stuff you need to drink if you want all the goodness of vodka with all the health benefits of protein.

According to the press release: "Its name Devotion shares many of the same attributes of the world's greatest athletes and success stories: commitment, drive and success." It's slogan is "Get Devoted".

I don't know about you, but I'm kind of confused. There is already a word for becoming devoted to vodka, it's call alcoholism.

However, a vodka hailing from San Francisco is really nothing when you have vodka from Florida named 4Orange that is "distilled exclusively from pure Florida oranges."

What happened to potatoes? Is this really even vodka?

Then there is Hendrix Electric Vodka. Didn't Jimi die during a binge?

Compared to that, Trump Vodka (pictured right) is pretty tame.

Although, I won't think too hard about it, because I'm too busy making martinis out of Godfather Italian Organic Vodka. Here we have a vodka name that flies in the face of common sense: it's named after a movie and a crime syndicate, it's Italian, and it's organic and it's vodka.

Italy and vodka have about as much in common as oranges and vodka or fitness and drinking.

Technorati Tags: Vodka Naming, Devotion Vodka, 4Orange Vodka, Hendrix Electric Vodka, Trump Vodka, Product Naming

Posted by William Lozito at 8:37 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

September 8, 2009

Absolut Facing An Absolut Brand Naming Dilemma

Absolut vodka sales are way down in the U.S., and since we represent half of the vodka's market, this is an Absolut Catastrophe. The reign of Absolut as the coolest and one of the most pricey vodkas is one of the best tales of advertising lore: Absolut took a blah product and made it cool.

Now, less expensive upstarts like Skyy and Svedka have been stealing their market share, essentially by using their own tactics against them.

Let's give Skyy and Svedka their due: the names are interesting and, most importantly, Nordic sounding. The packaging is just as attractive as Absolut's.

Svedka gets a great deal of leverage off its "cheap chic" bottle design and prominent brand naming but has bombed younger drinkers with its "fembot" ads and of course its Swedish heritage. The bottle is meant to look "equally attractive lit up on the back-bar of a hip club as well as lining a club store's shelf."

Skyy's deep cobalt blue bottle and Absolut-inspired typography is equally as attractive, as is their Twitter page.

Absolut, meanwhile, seems to be going for staid naming and branding, including a city range including a new Absolut Boston flavor that tastes like "black tea" (think Boston Tea Party) with green coloring (thing Fenway park).

I'm not trying to be critical but Boston just does not make me think of vodka. Are they trying to create a niche within a niche?

Absolut owns the premium-cool vodka category, mostly because they have the advantage of essentially creating it. Absolut can take heart that alternative, non-Russian naming is still on the upswing (much to Smirnoff's chagrin). But they need to aim at a more youthful market and stay achingly relevant.

In my opinion, the biggest disaster the company could face would be a move on the part of consumers back to Mother Russian (Stoli) or to Polish naming.

Get back to what you know best, Absolut.

Customers like shabby-chic? What about an Absolut Funky campaign? Absolut Cool?

Technorati Tags: Absolut, Vodka, Skyy, Svedka, Absolut Boston, Smirnoff

Posted by William Lozito at 9:04 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 22, 2009

RIP Vodka Branding, Mezcal's Illegal Product Naming is in Demand

I'm wondering if grubby is the new thing when it comes to spirits product naming and branding.

The news that vodka sales are in decline comes just as we see a rise in alternative, tougher tequila and mezcal brand naming. Despite the fact that some may protest the demise of vodka, the vodka field is overstuffed with competing brand names.

There are now over 75 different flavors, including a pickle flavor. The head of Pernod Ricard even said that there are "too many flavours launched one after the other - something like twice a year recently." I'm assuming that he's talking about ridiculous flavors like artichoke and home brews like Skittles vodka.

Never mind the Go Vodka tubes or the vodkas sold in test tubes with names like Rampant TT.

I think is safe to say that the rise of Tequila is an indicator that consumers want something that screams authenticity as well as affordability. Vodka is an essentially tasteless drink that is associated with the Absolut sipping upper middle-class of the last couple of decades.

In hard times, you just don't feel like pickle flavored vodka, you want something grungy and tough.

Proof positive is the rise of the Mexican distilled spirit mezcal, and a new brand of it named "Illegal."

I would hazard that even three or four years ago it would be impossible to sell mezcal to anyone or sell people on its artisan qualities.

Now, we're seeing bars devoted to it. And names like "Illegal" scream out "I am alternative. I am edgy. I am real."

Technorati Tags: Mezcal, Vodka, Tequila, Spirits Names, Spirits Naming

Posted by William Lozito at 7:31 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

March 20, 2009

Timberlake's "901" Tequila Brand Naming Up Against Quality Product Names

Justin Timberlake is launching a new Tequila called 901, referring to the area code of Memphis, his former hometown.

Popwatch jokingly suggests that it "might as well stand for the amount of money (in millions) that JT will be raking in this year between booze, clothes, and his own record label." However, Timberlake's spokesman says that the number "901 is that time of night when your evening is ending, but your night is just beginning."

A Memphis launch of this brand is not expected, but it does highlight the aggressive branding and naming that Timberlake and stars like Diddy and Jay-Z have embraced in this category.

You see, tequila is tricky. The word itself comes from "tequiti," meaning, work and "tian," meaning place, and Mexicans are particularly sensitive about the many tequila pretenders around the world. Some may even wonder if Timberlake will be selling us the real thing. But for that ruling we'll leave it up to The Tequila Regulator Council (Consejo Regulador del Tequila) in Mexico, the only source that can truly certify a Tequila as authentic.

If 901 really is authentic tequila, then Timberlake appears to be competing with a new trend of upscale tequilas that has been growing for about three years now. This growth has seen the unveiling of new brands like "Partida, Tezon, Distinguido, La Certeza, Siembra Azul," as well as a bunch of Cuervo extensions.

In light of that competition, Timberlake's 901 has some tough acts to follow, especially with Partida, which some believe is the "best tequila money can buy." Partida's founder has even compared its creation to that of wine.

A great deal of effort has been put forth to inform drinkers that Partida is indeed "authentic" and all natural and made from "100% blue agave in Amatitán, the heart of Mexico's historic Tequila region." In addition, they recently announced that they would be protecting the trademarks against competitor Intersect Beverage and Maverick Spirits for copying their promo materials, bottle, carton and brand positioning in the branding of their Azuñia tequila.

It seems to me that customers in this segment are going to become more and more conscious about authenticity as time goes by and even more choosy about the quality of their tequilas, making the appeal of their brand name all the more important.

Technorati Tags: 901, Timberlake Tequila, Partida, Tequila Brands, Product Names, Justin Timberlake

Posted by William Lozito at 7:45 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

February 10, 2009

Of Sheep Dips and Pigs Noses: Whisky Product Naming Goes Social

Would you drink a whisky called "Sheep Dip?" How about one called "Pig's Nose?"

Kieffer Southerland would.

The Spencerfield Spirit company has rescued these orphaned brand names from the dustbin of history and brought them back to public consciousness.

Sheep Dip has a good tasting rating and clocks in at $30 a bottle - the name comes from the traditional nickname Scottish farmers give to homemade whisky.

Pig's Nose comes from the farming expression "soft as a pig's nose" and has a mellow quality that comes together in a "muddy way," while also setting you back $30.

These revived product names are being very proactive in using digital and social media to get the word out, appearing on various blogs and even Flickr. They also have a Facebook group called Sheep Dip Fold.

Sheep Dip used to be a best selling whiskey at Harrod's and its relegation to obscurity probably has more to do with the vagaries of global whisky marketing than anything else. The point here is that when it comes to reviving a brand name there is more than one way to skin a cat, or dip a sheep.

This news follows that of a Canadian whisky maker who can now use the name Glen Breton without fearing reprisal from the Scotch Whisky Association, which feels the use of "Glen" might mislead consumers into thinking that the product came from Scotland (e.g. Glenlivet or Glenfiddich). "Glen" is the Scottish Gaelic term for "valley."

I might also note that the name "whiskey" and "whisky" seems to be used interchangeably in the articles I have been reading this morning. Just for the record, whiskey refers to American and Irish whiskies, while "whisky," the older form, is what the Scottish and Canadians drink.

Technorati Tags: Whisky, Whisky Naming, Whiskey Naming, Spirits Naming, Brand Names, Product Names

Posted by William Lozito at 8:26 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 28, 2009

The Right Spirits Naming Move for a Thirsty Economy

In 2007 I noted that gin naming and branding was undergoing a shake up and it turns out that the shake up has continued at full speed. New gins are much more approachable than in the past, as is new gin naming, which is veering away from traditional.

The new Bulldog brand gin, for instance, has a faint British resonance and according to one source with the company, the new name "seemed to embody the brand," adding that "Our name is one of our best assets."

Tanqueray also has an edgy Rangpur brand name that competes with Whitney Neil gin, which is packaged like a premium bourbon and gained some time in the spotlight for running a competition to help benefit trees.

Hendrick's gin is even more offbeat, calling itself a "rather odd gin" in a recent "decadently retro" ad.

Gin appears to be making a move away from the high end, Absolut inspired branding, towards the kind of branding we usually see with micro-breweries. This is branding that appeals to the young and those with a little less cash to spend, which seems to be a lot more of us everyday.

Sometimes I guess you just make the right move at the right time.

Technorati Tags: Gin, Spirits Naming, Gin Brands, Spirits, Brand Names, Brand Naming, Product Naming, Naming

Posted by William Lozito at 10:19 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

October 30, 2008

Can Jose Cuervo Naming and Branding Help You "Live Notoriously Well?"

Jose Cuervo is encouraging customers to "Live Notoriously Well" in its new campaign, which is a slogan obviously designed to reposition Jose Cuervo as an aspirational brand.

There are very few liquor brand names out there that really appeal to both the upscale and downscale crowd, but one that immediately comes to mind is Jack Daniels, which appeals to easy sipping young professionals (you can even get the logo on your Blackberry), as well as rock stars like Slash from Guns n' Roses.

With the "Living Notoriously Well" website, Jose Cuervo is trying to distance itself from the humorous persona previously associated with its brand name and it appears to already be working. To their credit, the word "notorious" makes the brand sound like an outlaw, and gives the drink a kind of western resonance that seems to fit.

The brand's owner, Diago, also just launched a "premium silver" tequila called Jose Cuervo Platino in response to dwindling sales against ultra premium tequila competitors.

But tequila does have an aging process and there is a broad range of quality out there, much like bourbon, with high end brands coming in at $50 a bottle. The key question here is whether or not tequila can genuinely become part of the good life or if it will always be a step below margaritas and slammers.

Which, for some, is pretty much as good as it gets.

Technorati Tags: Tequila, Jose Cuervo, Jose Cuervo Platino, Spirits Naming, Naming, Spirits Marketing, Brand Naming

Posted by William Lozito at 8:46 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

October 10, 2008

Toz Spirits Naming a Good Bar Call

St. Lucia Distillers located in Roseau, St. Lucia makes the highest quality rums and rum liqueurs. The company produces over twenty-five of the finest rum products in the Eastern Caribbean. The majority of rum production occurs in and around the Caribbean and South America. Rum is a distilled beverage made by fermenting and distilling sugarcane by-products, such as molasses and sugarcane juice.

With gold rums, the distillate, a clear liquid, is usually aged in oak and other wooden casks and thus receives its darker color.

St. Lucia asked Strategic Name Development to name its new luxury gold rum. The name had to be short, natural English, easy to pronounce, masculine, and most importantly it had to be a good bar call. It was imperative that the name conveyed a notion of discovery and that the product be portrayed as being premium.

From the hundreds of name candidates developed, Tøz surfaced as the most appropriate. Tøz was chosen as the name due to its tie to gold, since it is a symbol for the troy ounce, the traditional unit for weighing precious metals.

The name is based on the concept of a gold standard since the color shows signs of aging through its golden brown core and shimmering rim.

The Tøz masculine brand name was enhanced with the Danish "Ø" to add visual appeal and uniqueness.

An enjoyable aspect of the project for the Strategic Name Development team was taste-testing the rum.

Technorati Tags: Toz, Tøz, St Lucia Distillers, Rum, Spirit Naming, Naming, Product Naming

Posted by William Lozito at 9:30 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

May 7, 2008

Cold Spring Name Change Not a Hot Idea

On the State of the Brand 2008 blog this week, Jason Voiovich is lamenting the loss of the Gluek’s Brewery brand name, which was replaced by the more pedestrian Cold Spring earlier this year.

The copyright notice on the company’s website still says Gluek Brewing Company, but it appears not to have been changed since 2005.

Not that Cold Spring is meaningless. It’s the name of the city where the brewery is located. And the idea of brewing your beer from cold local spring water is attractive enough. But here in Minnesota, we’ve got Cold Spring This and Cold Spring That all over the place.

There’s nothing really wrong with it, but there’s nothing really right with it, either. Nothing distinctive. And if you brew craft beers, you need distinctive. Likewise if you’re trying to break into a new and already-competitive market. (Cold Spring now produces energy drinks.)

Admittedly, those not from Minnesota might be unsure how to pronounce Gluek (which is Old German for luck), and it’s usually a good idea for new product names to be easy for English-speakers to pronounce. But Gluek is not a new name.

The 1902 Gluek House is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and Gluek’s Restaurant is the oldest in downtown Minneapolis.

Around here, at least, the Gluek’s name has equity. Abandoning the name, and potentially confusing existing loyal customers, seems like a far greater risk than keeping it.

Viel Gluck!

Technorati Tags: Gluek, Brewery, Gluek's Restaurant, Gluek House, Energy Drink, Gluek Brewing Company, Cold Spring Brewing Company, Name Change, Brand Name, Minnesota, Pale Ale

Posted by Diane Prange at 8:58 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 11, 2008

Can a Brand Name Get Any Worse Than Antipoleez?

A new breath mint called Antipoleez (get it?) says it eliminates odors on your breath. Perfect for when you've had a few too many, right?

The CEO of this outfit claims its not meant to fool police, but as Marni Soupcoff observes, "Funny thing about the product’s name, then, don’t you think?"

There's some idle chatting on the blogosphere about whether the product naming is "sending out a dangerous message." Seems to me that any product that even suggests you can get out of a DWI with the right breath mint is really pushing the boundaries.

These folks even offer a "night out pack" and a "frat pack" and some really dopey claims on their site.

Antipoleez deserves the same fate as the Cocaine energy drink, pulled from the shelves.

Technorati Tags: Antipoleez, Cocaine, Breath Mint, DWI, Antipoleez, Frat Pack, Night Out Pack

Posted by William Lozito at 9:25 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 7, 2008

New Labeling Laws Could Cause Havoc with Wine Brand Names

Proposed new labeling laws that do away with regional considerations are creating quite a problem for wine brand names.

For instance, one Swiss village is fighting for the right to use the name “Champagne” on its wines, despite the little known fact that the only real “Champagne” is made in the corresponding region in France, everything else is technically "sparkling wine."

Should the new laws go into effect, the significant equity behind regional names known even by the non-connoisseur, like “Champagne” or “Napa Valley” would be lost, as every brand of wine would have the right to label their "sparkling wine" as "Champagne." This would be catastrophic to the high end, traditional wines that we pay premium prices for.

Imagine trying to reposition a brand name like Moet or Dom Perignon versus a newer label by Lil Jon.”

Technorati Tags: Wine, Champagne, Dom Perignon, Alcohol, Wine Region, Lil John

Posted by William Lozito at 11:32 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

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 | Comments (0) | TrackBack

August 31, 2007

Brand Naming v. Brand Extensions: Survival of the Funniest?

As a naming consultant, developing product names for brand extensions is a topic that I've written about before... and it's a strategy that is often necessary for a brand to continue growing.

The recent news that Guinness is diversifying into red beer with the launch of their new Guinness Red drink is a perfect example of this kind of brand extension.

For 250 years, Guinness has meant black and white. It's a black beer with a white froth. Now, parent company Diageo is pushing the brand in directions never been before... offering us Guinness bread and even your own froth maker called a "surger."

Some drinkers are not impressed... the World of Beer grumbles, "Guinness is stout, plain and simple. Not some Kilkenny knock off, not a weird looking creation which, judging by the photo published online at The Sun, boasts tomato juice as an ingredient, but stout. The black stuff. Period." Yet, other beer bloggers can hardly wait for the weekend to try it.

What's up? Extending a brand name, no matter how old and powerful and well loved it is, is something marketers feel compelled to do.

Even Guinness can't rest on its laurels... it has to offer extensions to customers or be swept away in a tide of microbrews and light beers into the ever smaller space of a niche brand name.

TD Clark's excellent article on the subject talks about how newer brands, like Crocs shoes, are already creating new brand names out of old ones. The Crocs brand is now offering apparel consumers "Crosslite rt" or "relaxed technology" shoes. This is aggressive brand naming at its finest, given the relative newness of the Crocs brand name.

Similarly, Mars is offering us a Starburst Drink... you remember Starburst fruit chews, right? By the way, this is an awful line extension, I think, and is doomed to fail. And current TV is using brand extension strategies to "expand its web presence and increase its marketing efforts."

Technorati Tags: Guinness, Diageo, World of Beer, TDClark, Crocs, Mars, StarburstDrink, Brand Naming, BrandExtensions.

Posted by William Lozito at 8:04 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

August 20, 2007

Product Line Extensions - The Awful and the Brilliant

When I saw an ad for Crisco Extra Virgin Olive Oil, I cringed.

I couldn't think of a more inappropriate or awful product line extension.

The Crisco brand connotes:

• Deep frying
• Fat
• Grease
• Clogged arteries
• Everything else that extra virgin olive oil is not

What were the people at P&G thinking? I'm convinced that someone at P&G let this out the door when deep down they knew better.

For more on inappropriate line extensions, check out Laura Ries' blog on Hellman's Mayonnaise versus Kraft's Miracle Whip.

Now for a brilliant line extension.

What could be more natural than a rum from Tommy Bahama?

• Tommy Bahama by virtue of its name says warm, relaxed and a casual environment
• The leading rum brand, Bacardi, is produced in the Bahamas
• Additionally, what could be more natural than wearing Tommy Bahama clothing while sipping rum in the Bahamas or the Caribbean, the birthplace of rum dating back to the 17th century?

Crisco Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Awful.

Tommy Bahama Rum. Brilliant.

Technorati Tags: Product Line Extensions, Crisco, Crisco Olive Oil, Tommy Bahama, Tommy Bahama Rum, P & G, Bacardi, Brand Names.

Posted by William Lozito at 9:44 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

June 20, 2007

USDA Helping or Hurting Organic Beer Brand Naming?

I am very interested to see the brouhaha that is developing over whether most organic beers can legitimately claim being "organic" at all, not least because it turns out that "almost all U.S.-made organic beers contain hops that have been chemically treated to fight mildew and insects."

This must be bad news for all the new organic beer labels that are coming out lately, including a whole bunch from New England like Wolaver's and Peak Organic.

The former has seen sales increase 18% yearly, which says something about America's love for microbreweries and organic products.

Of course, Anheuser-Busch has gotten into the act, with its Stone Mill Pale Ale and Wild Hop Lager. And therein lies the rub: Anheuser-Busch and others are trying to take advantage of a clause in the law that says just 95% of a product's ingredients need to be organic to be classed as USDA Organic on the label. So they are pushing to have their non-organic hops added to the list of exemptions.

But as one activist pointed out, "organic means organic," and, "when you're selling products that contain some ingredients that aren't organic, you lose the meaning of the word and the meaning of the organic movement."

This obviously puts bona-fide organic beer makers on the back foot. Most true organic hops come from New Zealand, where Steinlager has just announced a new Pure version of its popular beer brand name.

Technorati Tags: Organic Beer, Anheuser-Busch, USDA, Wolaver's, Peak Organic, Stone Mill Pale Ale, Wild Hop Lager, Steinlager, Pure, Spirits Naming

Posted by William Lozito at 9:02 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

June 16, 2007

Danny Devito Becomes Limoncello, Restaurant Brand Name

Danny DeVito claims to put his name on "every single thing I do," so it is no surprise that his new restaurant is called DeVito South Beach. This just opened following his decision to launch a new Limoncello drink in August called Danny DeVito's Premium Limoncello after a very embarrassing episode on the View where he was still a bit tipsy from the night before. Talk about turning lemons into, well, limoncello!

The opening looks like it was typical Hollywood A-list fare in the trendy SoFi (South of Fifth) neighborhood. If you want to drop in, smart money says the Global Steak Flight is the thing to order: it offers cuts from Japanese Kobe Beef, Australian Wagyu Rollatini and American Kobe Flat Iron. An interesting name indeed for what must be a very expensive dish.

The LA Times notes that there is certainly a long list of celebrities who have tried to “become a brand name” — Jennifer Lopez, Paris Hilton, Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor, to name a few.

But one word of warning seems to be that stars like Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis failed to make a go of it with Planet Hollywood despite their brand name clout.

Britney Spears’s restaurant NYLA seems to be going strong — interesting she turned down the name "Pinky" for her own restaurant (the nickname ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake gave her) and avoided putting her own name over the door.

On that note, my favorite name for a celebrity restaurant is Angus McIndoe, a Broadway eatery that is partially owned by Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Mel Brooks, Harvey and Bob Weinstein, as well as writer Frank McCourt.

Technorati Tags: Danny DeVito, Celebrities, Restaurants, Liqueur, Limoncello

Posted by William Lozito at 1:44 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 8, 2007

Martini Brand Naming Gets a Makeover

I was interested to finally read an in-depth piece on the new Martini Rosato brand name, Martini's new rosé-style vermouth that is "designed to grow frequency of consumption amongst Martini's four million light and infrequent (one to four drinks per month) drinkers as well as reversing the brand's outdated perceptions."

The new product is pink, a combo of white and red wines, and the new bottle design is sexier and more feminine.

The logo has been centered and put in the foreground, and the labeling has been changed to "give a bright, transparent and modern feel" with the goal of increasing "brand iconicity."

Martini lovers know that George Clooney has been brought in to give an extra appeal to women and the macho stamp of approval for men.

The company has a sponsorship deal with Oceans 13 and until June 11 you can get free samples at a "terrazza" just off London's Oxford Street.

The old standby bottles (Bianco and Rosso, for the uninitiated, as well as a few others including the sexy Fiero and the too cute Martini Mini) have been revamped as well.

There are two things that strike me here:

• First of all, the smooth, sexy, hourglass shape of the bottle as well as the whole tenor of the new product and its naming is clearly designed to make this product appeal to women more than men. I have to wonder if all those martinis that were tossed down by the Sex in the City girls had something to do with this.
• Secondly, the recipes that are on the bottles designed to help people at home make fruity, easy drinking concoctions are aimed at women: let's face it, what guy is going to mix himself a Martini Rosato over pomegranate juice or a Rosso and cranberry?

OK, somebody has to say it: what about, you know, martinis?

Could it be that the Martini brand name is actually moving away from the drink that makes it recognizable in the first place?

Obviously, the problem here is that people like martinis, they enjoy them fairly regularly, but only on a Friday night (four times a month), and when they do, they use only a few drops to a half jigger of vermouth. Winston Churchill, a great martini drinker, used to simply whisper the word "vermouth" over his martinis; some people actually only spray the gin with vermouth.

What we are seeing here is a subtle repositioning of the entire vermouth brand, aiming it at a whole new target market. Martini marketing manager Caroline Herbert says they are trying to aim the product at "lighter drinkers" (e.g. people who do not drink martinis regularly, which would be most of the non-drinking middle class) and "we are doing fundamental things that will make people see the brand in a different way."

A current weekly martini drinker might feel sort of left out even though like most hardcore martini lovers they like extra-dry vermouth, which Martini has also redesigned and repositioned.

And that might not be a good thing: educated males in their 30s who like martinis are likely to ask themselves what the Martini icon James Bond would do in a situation like this. My feeling is that he'd go for a more traditional vermouth like arch competitor Martini & Rossi.

Sorry, George.

Technorati Tags: Martini, Vermouth, Rosato, Packaging, Labeling, George Clooney, Oceans 13

Posted by William Lozito at 11:10 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 1, 2007

Product Brand Naming Pushes Boundaries

Two fairly innocuous pieces of naming news caught my attention this morning.

The first was the flak that the Suck & Blow branded gelatin shooters are getting for their product name that seems clearly aimed at the underage demographic, not least because the name comes from an adolescent kissing game that's right up there with spin the bottle. The company's web site is cartoonish and colorful and their product design is clearly designed to appeal to the fake-ID set, yet the founder claims that these are not geared towards kids:

"Our concept is the first interactive beverage in the alcohol industry,” said Doug Hamer, founder of SAB. “People in college or high school, they have all the interaction they need. People in their 30s and 40s and 50s, they just want the interaction of having fun when they go out to nightclubs or home parties. So our product is really geared toward the 30-plus-year-old demographic."

Well, I am part of the 30+ demographic and my last official jell-o shot was in college when I was, ahem, underage.

The other product name is the well named WoundStat product that is designed to stop bleeding on the battlefield. Right now, soldiers use something called HemCon, made with a blood clotting agent that is "derived from shrimp shells," and an aptly named product called QuikClot helps blood clot faster.

Technorati Tags: Product Names, Suck and Blow, jell-o shots, Gelatine, WoundStat, HemCon, QuikClot

Posted by William Lozito at 10:23 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

May 14, 2007

Can the King of Beers Rule Vodka With the Pomacai Brand Name?

Anheuser-Busch has just filed an intent-to-use trademark application for the Pomacai brand name.

No, this isn’t a new beer: it’s vodka. And not just any vodka, according to what analyst Mark Swartzberg told the Wall Street Journal, but “a fruit-flavored vodka involving pomegranate and açaí, a fruit native to South America.”

That would make Pomacai a portmanteau name, but a more problematic one than, say, “Slentrol.” Brew Blog notes that açaí berries are popular in smoothies and juices, but the fruit is not a household name in America.

And even with the diacritical marks which are missing from the trademark application, pronunciation is far from obvious.

The name has the advantages of being both descriptive and exotic, but any alcoholic drink needs a good “Bar call.” People have to be able to say it out loud with confidence. And vodka is not a snooty drink for the French speaker, either.

Anheuser-Busch’s earlier ventures into the realm of spirits have much better bar calls. “Ku Soju” (a sort of sweet-potato vodka) is tidily phonetic, and “Jekyll and Hyde” liqueurs have a memorably funky name with a hint of danger.

Because of the difficulty with trademarking names, companies trademark more names than they end up using.

It’s entirely possible that when (and if) the vodka appears, it won’t be called “Pomacai.” Which would probably be a good thing for both Anheuser-Busch and vodka drinkers.

Technorati Tags: Anheuser-Busch, Pomacai, Mark Swartzberg, Vodka Brand Name, Trademark, Spirits Naming

Posted by Diane Prange at 11:55 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 28, 2007

How Is This for a Product Name – Can Sleep?

Denmark’s Smukkeste Festival organizers and Royal Unibrew introduced the Can Sleep, an interesting branded accommodation for festival attendees, sober or not.

In what I’d say is a great example of creating a brand space, the Can Sleep features a lockable door, a can-shaped refrigerator and an 11.5’ high roof that can be partially opened to let in light and air. A ladder leads to the lofted mattress, which cozily sleeps two.

All Can Sleep furnishings are provided by IKEA, although we won’t go into names, and include a table and chairs, shelves, pegs and a mirror.

Reservations for the 121 Can Sleeps at the Smukkeste Festival sold out online in just 40 seconds, so it seems the new product is getting some attention.

And although Royal Unibrew holds exclusive rights to the item for the next five years in Denmark, Can Sleeps can be purchased elsewhere in orders of 54, or 9 six-packs. Each accommodation costs about $4,000, excluding delivery charges.

I can’t help but think that this idea is so clever it is going to attract other beer marketers that are keen on the idea of their target market getting cozy with their brand name like this.

The Springwise blog reports that "Can Sleep is a great example of how meeting just the right customer need with a little creativity can pay big dividends in brand recognition." That is right on the money.

Technorati Tags: Beer, Lodging, Branding, Marketing

Posted by William Lozito at 11:50 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

March 18, 2007

Gin Product Naming Getting a Shake-Up

William Dowd has an interesting post up entitled "The gin comeback is under way,” while the Authentic Bartender has one that predicts "new flavorings could make gin the new vodka."

Gin product names may be seeing a resurgence, as they seem to do every time a new Bond movie comes out. Bond’s penchant for martinis that are "shaken, not stirred" has probably been the most memorable tag line ever created for the spirits industry.

Dowd’s review of two gin brands, Martin Miller’s and Plymouth, comes to us shortly after Beefeater’s January brand makeover. Both brands have had an identity shake up that sees them offered in sleek glass bottles that are almost dowdy compared to the other brand names I mention below. Dowd’s is an excellent review of gin culture and its endless competition with vodka brand names and product names.

Last week Slashfood reviewed another high end gin brand name: Aviation, and referred to G’Vine and Bluecoat in the post. What all these gins have in common is that they are vying for top shelf status against very established brand names like Beefeater and Gilbey’s.

It is interesting to see non-England brand names like Aviation (USA) and Bluecoat (USA) and G’Vine (France) taking shelf space against staples like Seagram’s and Bombay. I also took Dowd’s advice to heart: when shopping for gin, remember to look for "distilled gin," "London dry gin," "dry gin" or "London dry gin” under the brand name: you don’t want to mess around with non filtered gin.

All of these will bring back the debate over whether a martini should be shaken or stirred.

Fools of the Apocalypse has a very strongly worded post up in favor of stirring martinis as well as a ranking of top gin brand names.

I disagree with his thoughts on the stirred martini, however. A shaken martini is colder, a little diluted and, because it has ice chips floating in it, stays frozen longer. The Fools’ writer can afford to put Bombay Sapphire in a G & T. Too rich for my blood but I am sure that that does make the best G & T possible.

Technorati Tags: Alcohol, Liquor, Vodka, Gin, Martini, Martin Miller, Plymouth, Beefeater's, Aviation, G'Vine, Bluecoat, Gilbeys, Seagram's, Bombay,Bombay Sapphire

Posted by William Lozito at 12:43 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

March 13, 2007

Dom Perignon Brand Name Too Exclusive For Its Own Good?

Despite the fact that it is a James Bond’s favorite, Dom Pérignon is a brand name that seems to have become associated with older men.

Legend has it that the product name itself comes from the 17th century monk named Piere Pérignon who discovered champagne.

Despite owner Moët & Chandon’s worries about its image, Dom Pérignon was ranked the “most prestigious” champagne last year in the Luxury Brand Status Index, ranking tops for “uniqueness and exclusivity,” “used by people who are admired and respected,” and “making those who consume it feel special across the entire experience.”

Maybe that’s its problem: Dom is seen as so exclusive and gentlemanly that nobody except James Bond feels like buying a bottle when they just want to relax or celebrate.

Dom has struck back with a sexy marketing campaign and a revamp of the bottle and packaging.

Research Studios Paris is helping to design a new “brand language” for the champagne; one of the consultants says “Dom Pérignon is such a pared-down brand, with very little story or myth, that it is all about the detail. If you get the detail wrong then the whole thing doesn’t work.”

This is often the case in repositioning a brand name: subtlety is key. I think that with such an established brand, insightful brand name research is necessary to assume that the brand’s mythology is leveraged.

Other “older man brands” like Bentley and Cadillac have successfully repositioned themselves to appeal to a younger demographic.

I feel Dom seems to be doing everything right. Possibly we will see Jay-Z lifting a glass soon.

Technorati Tags: Dom Pérignon, Moët & Chandon, Luxury Brand, Research Studios Paris, Brand Repositioning

Posted by William Lozito at 8:59 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 2, 2007

Beer Brand Naming Going to the Dogs

Yesterday’s official announcement by Redhook that they would rename its Indian Pale Ale “Longhammer IPA” was old news to a few hardcore Seattle beer lovers who had already noted the product name change which took place after the New Year.

One blogger asked “since when did macro-microbrews [Longhammer is partially owned by Anheuser-Busch] need makeovers?” Well, Longhammer is Redhook’s first beer with a brand name; calling it India Pale Ale or Imperial Pale Ale is like calling it “Lager” as IPA is just a particular brew of suds.

I agree with Ian at 2 Beer Guys Blog: this was a move probably suggested by Anheuser-Busch to create brand differentiation in a field that seems to add new and funky product names daily. How funky? Chris at the Belmont Station Beer Forum has a list of new beers up which include the Sierra Nevada Big Foot 2007 and Rogue Dry Hopped St. Rogue Red.

Chris also notes that this year we shall see some new and truly difficult to pronounce new brand names on the beer shelves from Denmark and Norway: Nøgne Ø and Ølfabrikken. And Redhook can look to Idaho’s 16 month old Laughing Dog Brewing company, which offers, among other brews, “Hot Chihuahua,” and its “Devil Dog anniversary beer.”

The Laughing Dog may not be laughing long, however, when it learns that a Dutch brewer has just cooked up a beer for dogs (laughing or not), named “Kwispelbier” which is advertised as “the beer for your best friend” and has beef extract and malt goodness in every bottle.

Humans can drink it too (and undoubtedly will), but it costs four times more than Heineken. I’m sticking to Bud and our company dogs, Chomsky and Pushkin, are sticking to water.

Technorati Tags: Anheuser-Busch, Redhook, Indian Pale Ale, Product Naming , Laughing Dog, Beer Brand Names

Posted by William Lozito at 8:58 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

December 3, 2006

Porn Stars, Beer and Santa: Brand Name Dilution Gets Hot

The Autumn issue (volume 88) of the newsletter from Marques, the association of European Trademark owners, features an excellent article by Eric Fingerhut entitled "Morality Aside, Brand Owners Scorn Porn," on how the porn industry poses a threat to brand owners.

Often, porn stars choose screen names that are already registered as trademarks, such as Tiffany, Porsche and Chanel. These names can inadvertently tarnish or dilute the original marks.

This story is especially timely on two fronts:

• The recently passed Trademark Dilution Revision Act, the main effect of which was to overturn a 2003 Supreme Court decision in favor of an adult novelty store’s right to be named "Victor’s Little Secrets." The new law asks plaintiffs to prove a "likelihood of dilution," something Victoria's Secret could do with ease in this case. Professor Barton Beebe at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University in New York City has called this a "sensible and progressive reform of American antidilution protection."
• Coupled with that (excuse the pun) is the fact that brand names from adult films are clearly becoming more and more mainstream. Porn stars like Jenna Jameson, whose book How To Make Love Like a Porn Star is a best seller and is quoted in Fingerhut’s article, are attracting the interest of Madison Avenue. Jameson has starred in an Adidas commercial, for instance, and has been a guest host on E! She has lent her name to apparel, barware, fragrances, hand bags, lingerie and footwear offered at Saks Fifth Avenue and Colette Boutiques, and not your local Victor’s Little Secret outlet.

As these stars become more mainstream they will bring their stage names with them, and that means we are likely to see even more clear cut cases of brand name dilution. Fingerhut suggests that trademark owners visit Namedroppers.com as well as the Adult Video News Network to search for their trademarks. If you do discover your mark is being used in an unsavory manner, then Fingerhut suggests a simple cease and desist letter usually does the trick — porn people are very litigation shy.

Possibly none other than Santa Claus himself should read this article.

The Maine Bureau of Liquor Licensing and Compliance has just put the kibosh on a new brew called "Santa’s Butt Winter Porter." They also denied efforts to market "Very Bad Elf Special Reserve" ale as well as "Les Sans Culottes," a French ale that shows (horrors) a bare breasted rendition of Eugene Delacroix's 1830 painting "Liberty Leading the People," which hangs in the Louvre and is, um, the inspiration for the Statue of Liberty.

The Brookston Beer Bulletin has a great post on this featuring the "outrageous" labels in question and a reminder that "butts" are actually beer barrels in England. I doubt the importer in question, Shelton Brothers, is going to be getting letters from lawyers at the North Pole — or from the Delacroix estate.

Technorati Tags: Trademark, Intellectual Propery, Beer, Adult Entertainment

Posted by William Lozito at 11:48 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

October 22, 2006

Branding: This Bud’s For Jay-Z

Following yesterday's post on Jay-Z, it seems that he is also helping lend some cool to the Budweiser Select brand name.

On October 18th he released two versions of his video "Show Me What You Got". One version helps promote the NFL as well as his upcoming CD "Kingdom Come," while the other promotes Bud Select and includes NASCAR's Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Indy driver Danica Patrick. It is an example of Jay-Z’s almost chameleon-like way of being all things to everyone.

Now the co-brand director for the Budweiser Select beer name, Jay-Z should be able to bring an "urban" hipness to the brand that already is King in Middle America.

Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, is simply unstoppable: overseeing Rocawear, his own record label (Def Jam), and promoting Bud Select all seems a tall order for a man who is supposed to be in "retirement."

His association with the beer brand name is sure to appeal to young urban adults. In the words of Marlene Coulis, Anheuser-Busch's VP of Brand Management, Jay-Z ought to be able to "reach people in groundbreaking ways."

This Bud’s for you, Jay-Z.

Technorati Tags: Beer, Advertising, Endorsements

Posted by William Lozito at 3:44 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

October 21, 2006

Jay-Z Draws an Ace of Spades Brand; Cristal Pulls a Deuce Brand Name

Decanter.com reports that Jay-Z has officially dissed Cristal champagne and has unofficially endorsed "The Ace of Spades," Armand de Brignac after Cristal boss Frédéric Rouzaud made some ill considered disparaging, racist comments about the musician's fondness for his high-end brand name champagne.

In response, Jay-Z seems to have gone out of his way to make clear to his fans that Cristal is no longer his tipple of choice: in his new music video, "Show Me What You Got," Jay-Z sends back a bottle of Cristal and is presented instead with a silver briefcase containing a bottle of Armand de Brignac.

Some bloggers are predicitng that this will start an exodus away from Cristal, something that Armand CEO Brett Berish clearly is thrilled about. Berish welcomed his wine’s (seemingly unexpected) inclusion in the new video with a gushing press statement expressing praise for Jay-Z’s "highest standards and finest taste."

The Armand de Brignac brand name may not be well known, but it is indeed high end and with its swanky gold bottle and luxury price positioning, it is sure to experience a windfall from Jay-Z fans who look set to bring some bling to this established champagne brand name name.

I find it inconceivable that Cristal would go out of its way to insult one of its highest profile drinkers, a celebrity whose association with its brand name gives it instant credibility among a very hard to please target market.

Cristal's poor judgment and shortsightedness will be Armand de Brignac's gain, and well it should be. To get such high profile product placement with such a well known celebrity — for free — is simply a brand naming dream come true.

Pop the corks, Ace of Spades brand, you’ve got it made.

Technorati Tags: Champagne, Hip-Hop, Product Placement, Celebrities, Endorsements

Posted by William Lozito at 5:40 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

August 19, 2006

Links du Jour 08-19-06

• What is Co-Branded? - Adjab has a great post about a new blog on co-branding at Urban Honking that was picked up on Brandflakes. Think Disney and McDonalds, think Jeep and Orvis, U2 and iPod. I have written about the great co-branding between Nike and iPod and Lego and Eggo. Co-branding is different from franchising — it's using two non-competing brand names to build a bigger presence in the marketplace. Who can you share your company name with? Today everyone puts their two cents in.
• TiVo Wins a Big One Against EchoStar - EchoStar has 30 days to disable nearly all of its DISH-branded DVRs. I've written about the clash between TiVo and Echostar before — it's a landmark case against people who want to bypass TiVo. EchoStar has won an injunction but the writing's on the wall: patent protection is here to stay on groundbreaking technology and further strengthens TiVo's position as the name brand of choice for this popular service.
• Rule One for Celebrity Endorsements - Make sure people actually know the name of the celebrity doing the endorsing! One of the tips from Name Branding 101, students.
• Marketing Wine to Women May Indeed Be a Great Idea - I have a special fondness for off-beat wine names. But the product name "Little Black Dress" is possibly a little dodgy. It sounds like you are pandering — there's no wine aimed at men called, for instance, "Cute Bow Tie" or "Sexy Boxer Shorts." Also, lots of women who like wine, as one wrote, happen to have a "big black dress." This is an interesting link just to see the instant negative reaction from lots of wine drinking women on cute, girly product names for wine.

Technorati Tags: Co-branding, TiVo, EchoStar, DVR, Endorsements, Wine

Posted by William Lozito at 1:41 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 13, 2006

Links Du Jour 06-13-06

• World Cup 2006: when taglines attack - "One game changes everything", the tagline for World Cup 2006, is a little close to the bone for US Soccer fans who watched their team get beaten 3-0 by the Czech Republic. This is an example of an emotionally jarring, ominous tagline.
• Hey World - This Bud's For You - I was surprised to learn that practically the only beer available in World Cup Stadiums is Bud. I mean, the Germans have their own beer brands. Ironically, before the World Cup, Budweiser could not even use its famous brand name in Germany as it was too similar to a local brand. Now, the German press is ripping into the brand, but Bud doesn't seem to mind - the audience figures here are just too attractive.
• .NET Framework 3.0 - The .NET name will not die. Microsoft has renamed WinFX. It is now .NET Framework 3.0. The .NET Framework 3.0 is a tool that allows coders to develop Windows based applications and services. It seems that for some time, Microsoft overused the name ".NET", labelling many of is programs and brands with the moniker, and they toned things down with WinFX. Now, they're back to their old tricks leading to some confusion within the blogosphere. Overusing brand names is a weakness we have noticed before in Microsoft.

Technorati Tags: World Cup 2006, One Game Changes Everything, Budweiser, Beer Brands, .NET Framework 3.0, Microsoft Naming

Posted by William Lozito at 8:17 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 12, 2006

Links Du Jour 06-12-06

• Smell the terroir! - You have to love Fred Franzia, the maker of the popular "Two Buck Chuck" wine brand (how's THAT for wine brand naming?) This guy is on a mission to bring wine to the masses, having claimed that "no bottle of wine is worth more than $10." His new brand is astronomically priced, for him. Harlow Ridge costs a hefty $8.99 and is named after a wine distribution facility near the airport. Having already been banned from using the term "Napa Valley" on his labeling for wines not grown in this area; he claims he can build the Harlow Ridge brand in six months flat (imagine all of the wine quaffers out there drinking this stuff and wondering where in Napa Valley Harlow Ridge is). We've already covered how wine naming is becoming more irreverent and animal friendly, so it comes as no surprise that a "common man" vintner is getting all kinds of good press.
• The Uncola Wars - A pretty good article about when, exactly, a product like Sprite or 7UP can be called "all natural". Making claims that can be proven false about your brand just makes no sense to me, and hurts a product name. What I do think is a cool name is Sprite's "subLYMONal" ad campaign, which got at least one blogger looking for its meaning online. Nice.

Technorati Tags: Two Buck Chuck, Wine Naming, Harlow Ridge, Sublymonal, Sprite

Posted by William Lozito at 9:25 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

May 31, 2006

Links Du Jour 05-31-06

• The end of the jpeg? - Microsoft wants to get rid of the ubiquitous .jpeg and replace it with a new format called Windows Media Photo (WMP). WMP? I sometimes think Microsoft must botch their product naming on purpose.
• "Customer Made" is lead user in speed - I think this article illustrates a fascinating new trend where we see customers doing product design, product naming, and advertising. We now have the means to have real-time access to customers while doing brand name research.
• SoCo sponsors Celebrity Poker Showdown - SoCo is getting into the poker craze by sponsoring Bravo's Celebrity Poker Showdown. I think SoCo is playing its hand well by linking to the enormously popular game of poker, which, after all, links back to life in the old South - an integral part of the SoCo brand heritage.

Technorati Tags: JPEG, WMP, Window Media Photo, SoCo, Celebrity Poker Showdown, Customer-Made, Southern Comfort

Posted by William Lozito at 8:39 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

May 25, 2006

Links Du Jour 05-25-06

• Attention copywriters: now Pennsylvania needs you - Now you can do your own brand name research. Pennsylvania is looking for a cool line for a bumper sticker campaign. I have already covered the difficulty people are having, maybe PA will be OK.
• Men are men and beer is beer - Unless it's light beer, then it's not really beer at all! - I have to point out the lack of parallelism in this proposed slogan: "Men should act like men and light beer should taste like beer." I think it should actually read: "Light beer should taste like Light Beer." When is comes to branding, that's more within the bounds of clarity.
• Widgets Are a Phenomenal Marketing Opportunity - Get With the Program - Widgets are a way cool way to add some oomph to your product naming efforts. Imagine a nifty little widget that lets clients see your brand name all day.

Technorati Tags: Pennsylvania Bumper Sticker, Beer Advertising, Widgets

Posted by William Lozito at 8:35 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

May 17, 2006

Links Du Jour 05-17-06

• Those $@!%ing Meetings! - A funny lesson in [conference room] naming architecture. I wonder how many corporate brand architecture decisions are made this way...
  
• Take off deep - John Winsor's fascinating take on building brand momentum. The lesson for product naming? Thorough research and a deep connection to the brand promise.
  
• Viagra and the wine blogosphere - Stormhoek is into wine porn. Kim Maxwell discusses how the company is using blogging to spread its brand name, and uses feedback from bloggers to design its labels and promote its brand name.

Technorati Tags: Brand Architecture, John Winsor, Stormhoek, Kim Maxwell, Brand Momentum

Posted by at 10:31 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 24, 2006

Links Du Jour

• Miller likes look of Instant Cool Can - This can has to be great news for beer lovers but I would imagine that Miller will have to do some serious brand name research and come up with a new name for the beer that gets put in this can. It's called the I*C*Can, an unfortunate name because it sounds like "I See Can", but I am sure Miller will rename this when they fill it.
  
• I'll have a Guinness float with a Jameson chaser! - Ben and Jerry's made an untypical naming blunder here. We linked to this story on April 12, before the news broke about the brand name's murky past. This just goes to show you that brand naming research is crucial, even for fun loving dudes like Ben and Jerry.
  
• How Routine Kills Brands - Interesting blog on how to keep your brand name fresh in people's minds.

Technorati Tags: Miller, Ben and Jerry's

Posted by William Lozito at 9:18 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 17, 2006

Brand Naming: Stoli vs. Russian Standard, A Tempest in a Shot Glass?

Two top vodka brands, Stolichnaya and Russian Standard, are fighting over who can legitimately claim to be Russia's Best Vodka. I think there's a subtle irony here, as the top accolade in vodka brand naming should be who gets to be Poland’s Best Vodka, since that is vodka's country of origin.

Nonetheless, worldwide consumers associate vodka with Russia and being named Russia’s best would mean to most of us that your brand name is at the top. Russian Standard claims that Stoli ships out the basic vodka mix to Latvia where it is bottled and sold worldwide, and that what we get is not the original Russian vodka.

The double irony is that the Stoli brand name is controlled by French Pernod Ricard outside of Russia, a group that angrily dismisses these allegations. The ancient (500 year-old) Stolichnya brand name has been under fire before, not least by the Russian government itself, which has gone to court over its use in the lucrative U.S. markets. Russian Standard, on the other hand, was introduced in 1998, but has a large share of the Russian market and, love it or hate it, is Russian through and through.

It seems to me that in a world where production of almost anything is outsourced at least in part, it will be harder and harder to claim what is truly a "home brand": over 50% of a Ford is made overseas, for example, and nowadays most Italian shoe brands - brand names that certainly gain equity through their association with Italy - are outsourced to less exotic places like Bulgaria and Romania.

Drinking Stoli at least makes one feel authentically Russian, even if the Russians themselves aren’t drinking it.

Matthew Barnett shares more insight into what makes a genuine Russian vodka brand name in a recent blog post. Also check out the article Irina posted on her blog that unravels the trademarking mystery behind Stolichnaya Vodka.

Technorati Tags: Stolichnaya, Russian Standard, Stoli, Pernod Ricard

Posted by William Lozito at 12:41 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

March 30, 2006

Product Naming: Wine Names Bring Out the Animal In Us

In my previous product naming post, I commented on the new product naming strategies the wine industry has embraced, including their move away from staid old estate names towards funkier names like "Fat Bastard" and "Marilyn Merlot".

The brand naming trend in wine has continued to move downscale, centering around animal names and references, with wines like "Monkey Bay" and "Smoking Loon" outselling new non-animal brand names by almost 3 to 1.

I think customers just want wines that look cute on the table, and names like "Yellow Tail" seem to appeal to the drinker at the lower end of the wine scale (between $8-$12 per bottle).

In fact, when it comes to wines, downscale packaging with a funky label seems to work - plastic corks, even boxed wines are being snapped up by customers looking for an appealing quaff. My favorite animal name still is Goats-Do-Roam, from South Africa (referencing the Côtes du Rhône region).

Check out these wine glasses for another laugh. If you'd like to keep up on the latest wine information, I highly recommend the Vinography blog. But first, read about Manly Merlot and Other Oxymorons from fellow Minnesotan Doug Williams' blog.

Technorati Tags: Marilyn Merlot, Wine Naming, Yellow Tail, Smoking Loon, Goats Do Roam, Côtes du Rhône

Posted by William Lozito at 11:00 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

March 9, 2006

Product Naming: The Starbucks Rwanda Blue Bourbon

Starbucks Has a New, Blue Coffee That Makes You Drunk...Or Not...

I noticed that Starbucks has a new addition to its Black Apron Exclusives line of high-end coffees: The Rwanda Blue Bourbon, and it is neither blue nor does it taste like bourbon. In terms of the product name origin, the “blue” refers to the color of the coffee cherries while the bourbon is the name of the species of Arabica beans.

I think Starbucks may have conducted brand name research on this name. In fact, the Bourbon name is from the same source as the bourbon drink, a variety of coffee invented and grown by the French and grown for decades on the Island of Reunion. The name is seductive and exotic, enticing for those of us who adore coffee in all its forms. The product naming, however, will have at least a few consumers thinking that Africans have found a new, blue cup o’ joe.

The Starbucks Black Apron Exclusives product line has been very popular, a godsend for the real coffee lover who wants a cup of real Kona, for instance, or some good Ethiopian. I can safely assume the Black Apron name comes from the distinctive black aprons worn by Starbucks employees. I understand the Black Apron line of coffees is part of Starbucks’ attempt to become a more socially responsible company: $15,000 is being donated to participating communities to build public facilities.

Marketing Blurb seems to think that based on the strength of the product name alone, this coffee will be a favorite.

Technorati Tags: Starbucks, Rwanda Blue Bourbon, Product Origins, Coffee Names

Posted by William Lozito at 7:34 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

March 1, 2006

Product Naming: Heineken Takes the Leap into Light

Light beer lovers should prepare themselves for a new brand soon to hit the markets: Heineken Premium Light. This brand is aimed squarely at the late twenty-something crowd of guys who like high end beer. The Heineken Premium Light name may not sound inspired but according to the New York Times, there may be more here than meets the eye. First, Heineken has not simply offered up another ”light” beer (eg. Heineken Light), it has offered us a premium light beer, and there is indeed a difference.

Heineken has noted a gap in the light beers market at the premium end, a gap currently being filled by Heineken’s Amstel Light brand (aimed at women), while mainstream light beers from Bud and Corona battle it out at the lower end of the scale. Heineken Premium Light is meant to attract the Bud or Corona drinker who wants to “trade up” to something a little more sophisticated. Heineken will go against Michelob’s Ultra Amber with a slightly higher price position and an emphasis on “smooth”.

I wonder why Heineken has shied away from offering us a light beer in the past. Could it be a focus to avoid diluting the Heineken brand?

One marketer noted that both beer and soda companies have been traditionally shy to take the leap to light - Coke’s first diet drink was Tab, not Coke Light, and Bud’s was Natural Light, not Bud Light. But sooner or later, even a pure brand like Heineken has to get thirsty for larger market share.

If you're thirsty for more beer, check out A Good Beer Blog and Guest on Tap.

Technorati Tags: Light Beer, Heineken, Heineken Premium Light, Brand Naming

Posted by at 12:16 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

November 10, 2005

Product Names: Monster Whisky Anyone?

In an earlier post I wrote about the emerging trend in wine naming that shifted away from hard-to-remember estate names towards the irreverent names like Yellow Tail and Fat Bastard.

Despite this trend, which seems to affect beer as well (witness the advent of "Bootie Beer" this month), Scotch Whisky product names still conjure up unpronounceable, romantic Gaelic words. Try Auchentoshan for instance, fine old single malt, that means, "corner of the field" in Old Scottish. Or how about Dalwhinnie, excellent single malt that comes from the highest distillery in Scotland? The name means, "meeting place" in Gaelic, but you knew that, didn't you? Other, better-known single malt whisky names, like The Glenlivet and Langavulin are actual places in Scotland.

But these names do not exactly roll off the tongue, do they? Nowadays, consumers want hip, easy to remember names. Spirit companies should consider them.

Compass Box Delicious Whisky Ltd. is on the forefront of creating great, high-end malt blends with funky labels and neat names that are sure to bring the enjoyment of fine whisky to the trendy set. I bet a glass of Asyla, Monster or Hedonism whisky would work.

But not as much as the bottle of Chivas Regal, one of the world's most popular premium scotches, which is sold worldwide every second of the day!

Technorati Tags: Spirits Naming, Whisky, Chivas Regal

Posted by William Lozito at 12:13 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

October 17, 2005

Product Names: Irreverent Wine Names

Next time you are in a restaurant, take a look at the wine called Yellow Tail, or else choose from an astonishingly quickly growing list of new wines guaranteed to tempt you: Goats Do Roam, Marilyn Merlot, Crocodile Chase, or Bored Doe to name a few.

I think these names make Red Bicyclette and Little Penguin seem downright conservative. Welcome to the new trend in wine names, where quirky, memorable names seem to sell over staid old unpronounceable ones.

Why order a bottle of Louis Jadot when you can order "House" wine, with a kid's drawing of a house on the label, or a bottle of Australian Ball Buster? Wine buyers at TGI Fridays officially favor irreverent wine brands in an age where wine is tied with beer as America's favorite adult beverage.

The introduction of the Fat Bastard wine, "took it to a new level." Cool wine names and funny wine labels may pique consumer interest, but it's the taste that keeps them coming back. I say it's good news for wine lovers everywhere.

Technorati Tags: Wine Names, Spirits, New Naming Trend

Posted by William Lozito at 12:35 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

September 20, 2005

The Power of The Brand Name Nickname

Coral Wireless is the latest example of a company that recognized the power of a nickname trademarked as their company name. In this case rather than trademarking a company nickname, they chose an international term for cellular phones, mobi, a clipping of mobile.

Mobi PCS is in good company. Coca-Cola trademarked its nickname Coke and Federal Express trademarked its nickname FedEx.

Although not trademarked, other well-known popular brands with nicknames include Lex for Lexus, Beamer for BMW, Belvi for Belvedere Vodka, Merz for Mercedes-Benz.

Will other companies follow the road of Mobi and Coca-Cola or insist that consumers refer to them by their trademarked name as Lego does?

I guess time will tell.

Posted by Katya Miller at 12:12 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

September 15, 2005

Natty Up: Nat Yu Fadda's Budweiser

Anheuser-Busch plans to test market a new caffeinated version of Budweiser Natural Light beer, named Natty Up in Florida, North Carolina, Texas and Missouri.

Natty Up is targeted to the younger, college crowd who plunk down their dollars for brew, Red Bull and other energy drinks; which, of course, explains the name.

If you're not still in college, you may not know that Natty is clipped slang for Budweiser Natural Light. Because it is relatively cheap brew, Natty has long been considered a major food group on college campuses across the country.

The Natty Up line extension capitalizes on this college cult following, espousing an inexpensive light beer that gives you energy or keeps you "up."

But what makes this new product name even more intriguing is a verbal heritage that reaches beyond the barley. In Caribbean vernacular, Natty derives from knotty, as in kinky, jungle thick and matted. As in Bob Marley's Natty Dreadlocks, Natty is also Hip Hop slang for Cincinnati.

Fortuitously for A-B, the exact term, Natty Up, is also emerging as a cool colloquialism. Popular Reggae lyrics like "Natty up wid he gun" or "Natty up yu head" imply that it's a verbal phrase. And a pretty energetic one. Natty bad idea, Bud.

Posted by Diane Prange at 12:44 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

September 12, 2005

Another Vine Grows in Virgin Soil

The Virgin brand's core idea is making "consumer's life easier - delivering better value for money, a better service, challenging the status quo, and injecting an element of fun into what have traditionally been dreary marketplaces."

Sir Richard Branson has been referred to as the king of über-stretch. Starting with Student Magazine, he has taken the brand to a plethora of product categories - airlines to mobile phones, jewelry, gaming, health clubs, cosmetics and now wine.

Has Sir Branson overstretched the brand with Virgin Vines wine, and do the new wines deliver on Virgin's core idea? Probably not.

Virgin Vines is a logical extension of the Virgin brand. The wines are targeted to younger consumers, most likely 21-35, which would include the Virgin Mobile and Virgin Cola target of 15-30.

And, for the most part, the new wines deliver on the Virgin brand promise.

• At $10 a bottle, the wine is priced at the sweet spot to attract younger consumers.
• One could say that a screw top is, broadly speaking, providing a better service since the wine is easier to open and more portable.
• The Virgin Vine website is definitely "injecting an element of fun" in the wine market by reducing the often stuffy wine terminology to a light-hearted fun one.
  
  
  • Traditional Wine Term: Body
    What They Say: The overall texture or weight of wine in the mouth. Most influenced by alcohol, glycerin and, in the case of dessert wines, sugar. See “light-bodied” and “full-bodied”.
    Virgin Vernacular: What everyone shows off when they are young, and hides when they are older.
    
  • Traditional Wine Term: Depth
    What They Say: Refers to a wine that is demanding of more attention. It begins with subtle layers of flavor that go deeper into more complex and secondary flavors.
    Virgin Vernacular: A very sought-after yet elusive quality in a partner. An especially rare find in men.

If I do have one quibble with the Virgin Vines extension, it's the product name. The noun, virgin, usually refers to pure, chaste and unadulterated products, such as Virgin Wool and Virgin Olive Oil. In the case of spirits, it has traditionally applied to non-alcoholic drinks - a Virgin Mary, for example.

Is the Virgin Vine product name an oxymoron, or another example of Virgin adding the element of fun to a category?

Posted by William Lozito at 1:01 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

June 2010 (1) April 2010 (1) March 2010 (1) February 2010 (1) January 2010 (1) December 2009 (1) November 2009 (1) September 2009 (1) April 2009 (1) March 2009 (1) February 2009 (1) January 2009 (1) October 2008 (2) May 2008 (1) April 2008 (2) December 2007 (1) August 2007 (2) June 2007 (4) May 2007 (1) April 2007 (1) March 2007 (2) February 2007 (1) December 2006 (1) October 2006 (2) August 2006 (1) June 2006 (2) May 2006 (3) April 2006 (2) March 2006 (3) November 2005 (1) October 2005 (1) September 2005 (3)