November 20, 2008
Most Memorable New Product Naming of 2008 Not That New
It seems that 2008 was a bad year for product launches. Americans, distracted by the economy and the election, were woefully unaware of new product names.
Even the Nintendo Wii Fit, which was the most memorable new product launch as determined by a recent survey, was only recalled by 22% of respondents.
Americans appear to be clinging to tried and trusted brand names, as evidenced by the fact that the launches that proved most memorable to consumers were all orchestrated by well-known, established brand names.
As evidence, following the Wii Fit was the iPod Touch, Bud Light Lime, and McDonald's Southern Style Chicken Biscuit & Sandwich.
Part of this is the obvious affect of logo recognition, which always plays its part. But even with a memorable logo, never forget that failure can lurk just around the corner. The Wii Fit was popular, but Wii Music isn't living up to expectations.
Even the big names are resorting to interesting means of differentiating themselves to win over consumers.
McDonald's, another winner this year, is quietly trying to leverage the Quarter Pounder brand name by introducing stand alone stores in Japan that surprisingly do not have the golden arches and simply sell, you guessed it, Quarter Pounders.
Of course we cannot forget the role that packaging also plays in the successful launch of new products.
One way to get customers to instantly like a new product, in coordination with a new product name, is to try and get around annoying packaging.
There is a virtual revolt going on over "clamshell packaging." The disgust on the blogoshere over this kind of packaging was sparked by a recent New York Times article that notes that many established brands like Sony, Amazon, and Best Buy are offering user friendly alternatives to avoid "Wrap Rage," which is defined as the frustration we all feel after spending hours opening up packaging designed to cut us or tear our fingernails.
So when releasing a new product into struggling economic conditions, keep in mind that everything from the product name to the user-friendly packaging all play its part in determining success.
Technorati Tags: Product Launches, Product Naming, Product Naming, Brand Names, Logo Recognition, Packaging, Wii Fit, iPod
Posted by William Lozito at 8:05 AM
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November 19, 2008
Answering the Brand Naming Question: "What's In a Name?"
One of the benefits of being a naming company is getting the opportunity to work in many diverse businesses and industries both domestically and globally.
It's surprising to us at Strategic Name Development that although the businesses and industries may vary, the naming challenges are more similar than dissimilar.
And yet, despite these similarities, every single day is different. It makes for interesting work and reminds me of what Confucius says about one's career: "Find something you love and you'll never have to work a day in your life."
We love what we do.
From time to time the media contacts us for a story on some of the work that we've done. The subject of brand name development seems to have inherent interest to the press.
A recent Finance and Commerce article, that targets senior executives, featured Strategic Name Development. Yes, it mentions 
some of the names we created, like Cenovus, an oil company spinoff from EnCana, and the Baconator, and Maxtra, a global motorcycle brand for the number one motorcycle manufacturer in China.
But what you may find even more interesting is our thoughts on the name development process discussed in the article.
Technorati Tags: Brand Naming, Brand Name Development, Finance and Commerce, Maxtra, Baconator, Cenovus, EnCana
Posted by William Lozito at 8:13 AM
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November 14, 2008
The Pleasure of Brand Naming the New Piacci Premium Italian Cheese
Who doesn't like Italian food?
With a last name like Lozito, I may be a bit biased. However, I've had the opportunity to travel to many countries on many continents and in my opinion Italian food is hard to beat. Wiener schnitzel anyone? :)
I also have the privileged of bringing to your attention a line of high-quality Italian cheeses that allow us to savor the rich tradition of authentic Italian foods with the new Piacci™ brand.
Piacci™, as you may know, comes from the Italian word "piacere" which means pleasure. What could be more pleasurable than a traditional Italian meal with authentic Italian cheese?
"Now everyone can savor the premium Italian cheese experience with family and friends," said Kirk Scott, Director of Retail Marketing.
The Strategic Name Development team found partnering with the Piacci™ marketing team at Grande was the extra ingredient that allowed us to create a beautiful Italian name - Piacci™.
Please see the video link below to watch Judy Sipe, Chief Culinary Officer of The Food Channel™, discuss how to make a white pizza with Piacci™ cheese.
Technorati Tags: Piacci, Brand Naming, Product Naming, Name Development, Naming, Grande, Italian Food, Cheese
Posted by William Lozito at 10:03 AM
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November 7, 2008
Where Will Shinky Dinks Brand Naming Go Next?
The news that the Shrinky Dinks brand is for sale gives me an opportunity to write about how a good brand name acts as an asset in and of itself.
Shrinky Dinks was first a kitchen table invention that grew quickly. After running into distribution problems, the inventors decided to license the Shrinky Dinks name to Colorfoms and then to Milton Bradley. The name was then distributed to toy companies on a non-exclusive basis while the founder of the company, Betty Morris, sold the plastic toys.
Just like that Shrinky Dinks was back in business with one web site pulling in sales of over $20,000 a month. Total sales since the product's invention have topped $150 million, and Shrinky Dinks have become such a ubiquitous part of American life that they have gone up in the Space Shuttle.
They are also used on drink tags, Barbie products, and recently were the inspiration for new microfluidic devices for a professor at the University of California who remembered playing with them as a kid. They are even the subject of serious art competitions.
In fact, the name Shrinky Dinks is used pretty liberally in general. We seem to refer to any shrinking plastic product (you just need #6 plastic) as a "Shrinky Dink," but because it is so easy to package, it can be appended to almost any brand, especially when you consider that Smurf Shrinky Dinks seem to have been the company's biggest sellers.
This is quite simply a case of good brand name management that has made the name instantly recognizable and kid friendly.
I predict that it will be quickly picked up and find new life in years to come.
Technorati Tags: Shrinky Dinks, Brand Naming, Brand Management, Naming, Toy Naming
Posted by William Lozito at 8:45 AM
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November 5, 2008
Coors Banquet Beer Celebrates Classic Brand Naming
Coors' Banquet beer celebrated its 135 year anniversary last month.
Over those 135 years, the beer has been through several name changes - Original Coors and Golden Lager - but its current name, "Banquet," is a revival of the nickname given to the beer by miners who served it at banquets during their time off.
Throughout the 90's it was called "Original Coors" and then was renamed "Coors Original" in 2002. Last year the name switched again to "Banquet Beer" and sales have actually gone up as a result.
The brand name seems to be the element that drives sales in this case, mostly because Americans seem to be reacting to the brand's claim of being a true original, although a quality taste can't hurt sales either.
A quick look at the anger that consumers expressed when Old Dominion beer closed doors recently underlines the sense of regionalism and authenticity that today's beer drinkers seem to demand. A name like "Banquet Beer" is really not that far out there in that sense, especially when comparing it to smaller brand names like Dogfish and Magic Hat.
This is also an example of smartly revamping a brand name that is starting to get rusty. Making the brand name new by making it a classic is a tried and true formula for everything from Coke to iPod.
In any event, this seems like an excellent beer to enjoy the next time there is a viable reason to celebrate.
Technorati Tags: Coors, Brand Naming, Classic Naming, Banquet Beer, Classic Brand, Beer Naming, Naming, Original Coors, Golden Lager
Posted by William Lozito at 9:46 AM
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November 3, 2008
Twinkie Product Renaming Has Never Been Sweeter
Hostess Twinkies are being turned into 100-calorie snacks via "Twinkie Bites." These are packs of three miniature Twinkies that bring the Twinkie taste into a cake shaped format.
Sales of 100 calorie snack packs bring in over $400 million a year, mostly by targeting women who want to control their snacking urges.
Five years ago these 100 calorie snacks were not even on the snacking screen. But today, despite the fact that offering 100 calories versions of famous splurge items is viewed as a little contentious since the temptation to pig out on them is extremely powerful, they have become a popular snacking option.
Supposedly, these calorie friendly packs are the answer to the Snackwell cookie, offering the consumer a way to literally have their Twinkie and eat it too, just in smaller portions. No matter the brand strategy, it seems that some consumers "can't wait."
You simply cannot argue with success here. Hostess has taken the very same products we all know and love, and reshaped and renamed Twinkie Bites. That's it.
Sales are so high that Interstate Bakeries may get out of the red after four years of bankruptcy largely because in these tough times, more and more people will be brown bagging it, which more often then not will include a light snack.
Who says renaming doesn't pay?
Technorati Tags: Twinkies, Twinkie Bites, 100 Calorie Snack, Product Renaming, Naming, Snackwell Cookies
Posted by William Lozito at 8:54 AM
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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
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