nomenUK-naming

Is English a happy language?

2012-01-27T14:17:00.003Z

I’ve read quite a few articles this month on English words having positive emotional significance with the analysis concluding that English is a positive language. Scientists compiled the 5,000 most frequently used words found in four sources : two decades of material from The New York Times, 18 months' worth from Twitter, manuscripts from Google Books produced between 1520 and 2008 and music lyrics from 1960 to 2007. 50 people then evaluated each word on a scale of 1 to 9, with 1 being least happy, 5 neutral, and 9 happiest. They found that the average score fell at 6, a full point shift toward ‘positivity’.

Let me start a bit differently here:

Being Hungarian, people often ask what language I think and dream in. The thinking question is not that difficult, it always depends on the environment I’m in. I can adapt to the specific person and/or country (assuming I speak that language); it’s sort of a reflex. The dream question is more complex; actually, it has no answer. I apparently just blurt out random words in different languages in my sleep (not in one go). Does that correlate with language or with the position of the moon? Let’s not get started on that one.

I actually prefer reading in English. Not because English is an ‘optimistic’ language. Well, optimistic in the way that words are a lot shorter and I just find it a lot easier and quicker to read in English rather than Hungarian or French. The sentences are not as elongated; in Hungary we tend to overcomplicate the easiest things and I can say the same for the French. A simple sentence in English would have to be a lot more tedious in a Hungarian text. That’s why one of the first things I learnt in English class was: “Eszter, do end that sentence at some stage!”. I probably still do it at times…

Hungary has one of the highest suicide rates in Europe. I am not suicidal, but maybe I am more positive than your average Hungarian who doesn’t struggle having to formulate extremely complicated sentences on a daily basis. Are they trying to say that English speakers (native or the ones who use it frequently) are more positive due to the words they use? Or do we need to have a look at the language as a whole? These words have ways they fit in sentences as well, and the sentence is what will deliver the entire message. Sure, a word can evoke emotional responses, but this depends on the person’s background as well.

This study on specific words using a sample of 50 people doesn’t say much to me to be honest. Then again, I do have a slight obsession with samples/research that have the capability to deliver real insight. I genuinely think that if the same study was to be done in different languages it would have the same response, assuming that we are looking at the same 5,000 words that they had used. We are all human beings therefore no matter what the language, the same words in different languages should evoke the same emotional response. Yet the results will always differ depending on the sample used. That full point shift towards positivity could easily be altered, in the case of English or any other language that is being examined.

I do accept their research in the sense that I understand that they chose the 5,000 most frequently used words from these four sources. However, only a fourth of these resources reflect conversational English, so it would be needed to specify what aspect of English we are trying to look at to come to any kind of conclusion. That is if we can even come to any kind of conclusion after such research. You can’t just throw them all together. Say we have a look at the 5,000 most used words in another country’s media: the top words will be different as will the sample, because the people, recorded sources and analysts will always differ as well. In any case, the bigger the amount of sources we are playing around with, the bigger the sample should be when we test our hypothesis. That is why I reject their claim of English being a positive language.

It would be great if English was such a positive language though. It would surely suggest that the people using it are a lot happier as well in their lives. Say a non-English speaker is having emotional problems: “Hey, go learn English! Totally boosts your mood”. Let us rely on the remaining alternative methods as well though, as I’m sure the 50 people who had to rate these 5,000 words will never be able to look at them in the same manner again… which may require some form of (language) therapy. On a serious note… it would be interesting to see what the outcome would be if they were to continue this research using people for whom English is not the mother tongue.

So to put all this together: I think in different languages, I speak in different languages and I write in different languages. Does English stick out in a positive way? Yes it does, positive as it is easy to play around it due to its simplicity, but I do not find it more positive emotionally than any other language. If there were to be a scale of emotions for the depth of sentences in different languages, that would create a whole different story.

Language is not just words; it’s how you use them.

A Matter Of Translation

2012-01-25T16:04:00.002Z

I remember my translation teachers, back when I was at uni, repeating that when you translate a text, a sentence, – anything! – you can’t always translate literally and therefore you have to make choices, and choose a point of view. This got me thinking quite a lot to be honest; and sometimes I still find myself thinking about it. Like now.

I think I only really realised what those choices involve when I went through my phase of re-watching all the Disney films that I used to like (and know like the back of my hand) in English.

What happened there is that I got almost immediately struck by the fact that what I (as a French person) was seeing and getting out of these films wasn’t universally shared by the viewers of those same films throughout the world. Let me explain: put aside my personal tastes in terms of stories, whether I identify with the heroes or not, and what I understand overall from what is going on in the film (moral values, life lessons, etc.), what is left? I can’t sing along because I don’t know what the lyrics are in English. It sucks a bit of the fun out, okay, but what else? Well, this is where it gets interesting: what the characters say and sing is sometimes slightly different in the different languages (even if here I am focusing more specifically on French and English). Of course, it comes from the fact that the people who translated the lyrics and the dialogue for dubbing had to make some choices and that they couldn’t always transcribe again absolutely all the meaning. These little differences end up in French and English-speaking children not seeing exactly the same film. It might not make much sense to our English-speaking audience who might not have had to watch a (sometimes terribly) dubbed version of a film, and for this I apologise. As a way of comparison, it is pretty much like watching a film when you’re young and watching that film again some time when you’re a grown-up and getting the subtle or salacious jokes that you weren’t getting when you were younger. It is about getting to a whole new level of the film. So you can understand some things slightly differently when you watch, say The Lion King in French and in English. Fine. Does the same thing happen in other aspects of our lives?

The answer to that question is “yes”.

Let’s leave Disney for now and take another example: the for Dummies books. Those books have been translated to several languages and here again I would like to compare the French and English versions. If they needed to, the for Dummies books could possibly be re-named ‘for Idiots’; although it is never nice to be called an ‘idiot’ (especially by someone else) I could picture myself calling myself an idiot in a situation where it is obvious that I haven’t done the right thing. Plus I feel that depending on the context the word ‘idiot’ can be a synonym of (and less negative than) ‘ignorant’ in some ways. This being said, let’s take a look at the French title for this series of books: ‘--- pour les Nuls’, literally ‘--- for Losers’; yes: ‘losers’. Now say I want to learn to play the guitar; both the English and the French books are going to be on the same subject, and the French version is very likely to be nothing more than a translation of the English text. However, will I feel like buying the French version of the book? I mean, there is a big gap between being a ‘dummy’ and a ‘loser’. In the first case the title suggests that I still have lots to learn whereas in the second case it kind of suggests that I am pretty much hopeless and that if I don’t get what is in the book I can just go hang myself. In addition to that, in the eventuality of me buying this book in a French shop, what will the people around me think of me? Or what will my friends think of me when they have a look at my bookshelf? I don’t really want people to think that I am a loser! Worse: it is hard and derogatory to think of myself as a failure when all I wanted was to learn to play the guitar.

These are only but two examples of how when something is translated (no matter what it is) the choices that are made are likely to affect the way we receive, process and ‘digest’ the information, and of how likely it is that the translation will have a different impact not only on the individuals sharing a same language, but also across languages (e.g.: the for Dummies books sound funny in English but imply that you are a failure if you read them in French).

Premium names

2012-01-19T13:16:00.001Z

The following entry was written by Kevin Taylor:

Is it always the best idea to give your product or service a name that tells everyone it is the best thing available and that nothing else will ever get close?

I recently had a conversation with a client about the strategy he wanted to apply to his company’s new product names over the coming year. Some of these were to be new brands, some would be sub-brands and some would be limited editions of existing products only intended to be on the market for a short time. We were discussing the options that he had been considering for each of the categories and some of the names that his team had been pushing for.

For one particular product, several members of the team were championing a name along the lines of ‘Brand X Pinnacle’. Basically the name declared that this was the height of this type of product’s development. It said that this new product was far better than anything else available. The idea fairly obviously being that this should appeal to consumers on the grounds that they would be getting the best possible product.

The problem with this was that the product was only intended to be on the shelves for a maximum of 3 to 4 months. It was a limited edition of an existing product (which would still be available at the same time) that was not intended to be a long term offering. What would consumers be thinking when they could suddenly no longer purchase this ultimate product? They’ll find themselves looking for a new product to fill the gap and it’s entirely possible that they wouldn’t go back to what they were originally buying from the client in the first place.

Take a made up (and not very inventive!) example. You’re cheerily buying ‘Happy Smile Toothpaste’ from Tooth Co. Suddenly Tooth Co. brings out ‘Ultimate Smile’ and you switch over because the name is telling you that this is even better for your teeth, even if that is not really the point of the new product which may simply be a new flavour. After a few months ‘Ultimate Smile’ vanishes from the shelves and you need to find a replacement. Unfortunately Tooth Co. has placed the idea in your head that their own product, Happy Smile, is not actually the best toothpaste it’s possible to make. Do you go back to buying Happy Smile or do you decide to have a look around now for something that may be better? Tooth Co. has diluted the strength of their own product’s brand. Even if they decided to keep Ultimate Smile around forever they have already damaged their other alternative options by telling you that they are not as good. Any company that has two products that can be seen as alternatives on the shelf risks diluting the brand of one of them by calling the other ‘the absolute best there is’.

In the case of my client this was one of those occasions where he had to say no to the name being put forward which was hard for the team involved. To be fair, the name they had come up with was very good and ticked a lot of the boxes that you want filled when creating brands. It’s always hard to lose a good name. It’s often even harder when the product stopping you from using it is one of your own rather than one of your competitors.

Do the best brands really leave their names behind?

2012-01-18T15:08:00.009Z

I read an article about a month ago entitled ‘Why The Best Brands Eventually Leave Their Names Behind’[1]. Joe Duffy talks about how branding is so much more than a name, which is a statement that I cannot argue. However, I would like to answer his question: ‘How important is it that a name actually explains your product’s unique selling proposition, defines your company, or pegs you into a specific category?’ Very.

He speaks about the struggle that comes with naming. Sure, it’s not easy, but when I hear the word struggle I tend to think of something complex that you need help with and surely it is something that cannot be ignored. If it’s a challenge, face it. It is true that it is harder to find more ‘unique’ names these days due to all the trademark and legal issues, but that is exactly the reason why naming should be given more attention. If you want to differentiate yourself, you need a good name. It is important to note that a name doesn’t have to be descriptive in the traditional sense to achieve differentiation and definition for your brand.

The given examples of names in his article that don’t ‘say much’ are Apple, Amazon, Target, FedEx and Aol. Being in the industry we are very aware that branding is not a one day process, you can’t just think of a name and expect that to be enough to build identity; it happens over years; decades even. These brands are already ‘grownups’ even though they keep evolving slowly; they are at a different stage of the brand cycle than new companies and products out there. They do say a lot, they say loads: one brand name tells the whole life story.

I like to imagine the naming process as having a child; something that is born and grows. As the baby is born, the first step is to give it a name and then work around educating and giving personality to him/her. You need to ‘dress’ and ‘pamper’ your name as it grows. If your child doesn’t like his/her school, clothes, hair… you can then alter these details, but the name is something that defines the child from the beginning and is known by it. However, their full identity cannot be erased even with a name change and characteristics will remain; just as with a company.

Take Innocent Drinks as an example. They have been working very hard on their branding since 1999 in the United Kingdom with their presence having developed to other countries around Europe. The reason why I am using this as an example is because they have a unique and original name. Over the years, even when using the word innocent, the smoothies come to our minds. Rewind back to 1999. What if they had picked a different name? Let’s be basic here and use two words to create a name: fruit and healthy; Frealthy. Beautiful, right? Would Innocent be as successful now if they had gone along with a name such as Frealthy? Have a think about it.

Branding agencies and other creative agencies often take on the task of naming. Yet it is such a niche and specialized market that naming should be done by specialists, within the agency or outside. The idea of a name being the quintessence of a brand is exactly the idea we wish to transfer.

Another way to understand the whole thing is picturing you walking into a store. There are so many brands out there that will offer you similar products and services, yet you have to pick one of them. You may not have enough time to research before your purchase. What is one of the first things that will impact your choice and the element that you will retain? The name. You see ‘Innocent’ and ‘Frealthy’ smoothies, which one do you pick? It may be easier to answer my question above this way.

It’s true though, it is all about different approaches. All brand elements are important considerations. I can merely present the different thought process in what we value and how we work, but at the end of the day it is for the client to decide what is most important for their ‘baby’.

Brand language is very important. It encompasses a bigger idea. With the name you are able to define the personality of the brand, how you perceive it and branding enables you to develop the name in the long run.

I would like to conclude with Joe’s theory of ‘wordlessness’: in my eyes, this happens the other way around. People know these memorable short names that the ‘best’ brands possess and their branding language has enabled us to remember their name as a reflex if we see only the logo. But look at it the other way around, for instance Levi’s, would you know immediately what their logo is if I only told you the name?

I believe the name is the core of the ‘Apple’. :)

[1] http://www.fastcodesign.com/1665632/why-the-best-brands-eventually-leave-their-names-behind

Janopause – to drink or not to drink?

2012-01-13T12:35:00.000Z

While it is still January and the subject of New Year’s resolutions is still relevant, I thought I’d have another look at it.

I saw a funny tweet by @wordspy on the invented word janopause: n. The practice of abstaining from alcohol for the month of January. I thought it was really clever as it really does sum up a resolution in one word. Excellent! I think it should go straight in the dictionary.

In the previous entry I spoke about how advertising reinforces the need to be healthier and diet during this month. Bearing in mind these healthier options are more expensive, you are also more likely to spend less on demerit goods. It would be interesting to have a look at what the ‘demerit’ industries are doing to maintain their sales when such a large group of people decide to cut out certain pleasures from their lives at this time of the year.

Being on the subject of janopause, let’s have a look at what alcohol companies are doing to fight the janopause disease.

David Jernigan, director of the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health describes social media in alcohol advertising as the ‘wild west without a sheriff’. Due to all the restrictions, it is easiest to reach the younger target market online through the means of Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Flickr and so forth. It is absolutely everywhere.

Articles on this have been published both beginning of last year and this year on this matter and if we look at it closer it really makes sense in many ways. Not only are the youth the future/(current) consumers, they are also the ones who are ‘invincible’ and can afford to keep drinking carelessly in January rather than going through the janopause, like the majority of us out there.

It is also funny how the healthy lifestyle ads are almost always targeted at a more mature market; therefore should we religiously stick to the janopause after our 30s and let all the youngsters consume all that alcohol?

If you find yourself trying too hard to keep away from the alcohol this month, maybe go and buy a bottle of red wine (solely for the antioxidants) to be more youthful. Or perhaps you can now use the word janopause more often to describe your present state to colleagues without having to give too many explanations as to why you are over consuming nuts, fruits and other goodies.

New Year’s resolutions influenced by marketing

2012-01-11T16:45:00.001Z

Now that the Christmas season is over…

Happy New Year!

And what comes with the New Year: New Year’s resolutions.

We hear and read a lot about companies’ and industries’ resolutions for 2012; however what probably affects us the most first hand is their advertising resolution. The resolution that doesn’t fail to haunt us in our everyday lives.

I know many people who claim they don’t make any resolutions, but there are times of the year, especially around now, when the subjects of money and weight arise. Having made resolutions or not, marketers know our weakest spots and open our need for (unwanted) resolutions.

Coming back to England yesterday I had to do some of the necessary things: grocery shopping and going to the bank. Both of these trips intertwine with some enforced resolutions:

When I went to X supermarket (no free advertising here!), I did the usual, took my little list out and bought all the things that I wanted to get. Nothing unusual here. Then at the checkout, the woman at the till kindly offers me their ‘free’ magazine for the months of January and February. Little did I know that I’d be the one paying! Strange that they never usually mention it and the magazines just sit there and the accent on ‘free’ is what struck me the most. Oh, and the fact that she almost forcibly shoved it in my hands.

The story continues: I get home, unpack the stuff that I bought and throw the magazine on the counter. Usually I don’t take these things, but hey, if it’s there why not flick through before it’s recycled? Bammmm: the vast majority of the recipes were healthy or healthier options for the New Year. ON a budget. Smart move, combining the two things in one go. So obviously these subconscious worries are reinforced by companies telling you that you SHOULD be worried…

Then comes the bank, I’m already more alert at this stage and kind of looking out for specific hints of theirs. Maybe I don’t look carefully usually at their brochures (thought I did) but the closest one to me as I was queuing up was about budgeting. So I have a read through this as well, and I swear this wasn’t there before. I must admit my sensitivity towards the New Year’s conspiracy may have taken part in me overanalyzing every single message.

There is a clear link present between marketing and the way we form and alter our resolutions due to its influence. You may very well be aware of this, yet many of us are so used to this influence that we tend to ignore its true impact. Why can’t resolutions be as simple as ‘smiling more often’?

Some words about Christmas

2011-12-22T14:25:00.000Z

I read a tweet a few weeks ago from @guardianstyle thatgave a brief explanation of the origin of the word “Xmas”. The answer got me thinking about Christmaswords and their origins. I wonder howmany other people will, like me, learn something surprising today.

Christmas

The word “Christmas” is a combination of “Christ” and“mass”. “Christ”, meaning “anointed one”or “messiah”, is commonly used to refer to Jesus, believed by Christians to bethe prophesied messiah. In the contextof Christmas, this is the intended meaning. “Mass” is a word coined by the Roman Catholic church, andmeans the celebration of the Eucharist (the holy communion). It is a ritual of thanksgiving incommemoration of Jesus’ death. The worditself has origins in the Middle English word “masse”, from Old English “mæsse”,which is ultimately from Latin “mittere” – “to send away”; it is perhapsderived from the concluding dismissal in the Roman Mass, “Ite, missa est”, -“Go, it is the dismissal” or "Go, (the prayer) has been sent".

Interestingly, then, the origin of the word “Christmas”seems to relate more to the death of Jesus than his birth.

Xmas

It is a common view that “Xmas” is a modern contractionof “Christmas” and is therefore somehow informal and improper. In fact, “Xmas” can be found as far back as the1750s; for example, it appears in Bernard Ward's History of St. Edmund'sCollege, Old Hall (originally published circa 1755). So where does it come from?

The letter ‘X’ or ‘Xp’ / ‘XP’ have often been used torepresent “Christ”, ‘X’ being the Greek letter chi and ‘P’ being the Greekletter rho, and their being the first two letters of Χριστός, Greek for “Christ”. Earlier versions of “Xmas” are "X'temmas" (around1551) and "Xp̄es mæsse" (around 1100).

So, contrary to popular belief, “Xmas” is not a sign ofilliteracy but of an understanding of Greek!

Yule

The early Anglo-Saxons had a name for the winter periodwhen many important feasts took place. The name for it was “geol” / “geola” in Old English; this later became“yule”. Again Christianity had aneffect, in that the Yule period was reduced to a 12-day period starting on the25^th of December. Once thename “Christmas” was adopted for this Christian festival, the name “Yule” diedout somewhat but is still used as a synonym of Christmas.

Carol

A carol is a Christmas song. The word originates from Latin and Greekwords for the flute player who accompanies choral dances (”choraúlēs”). It could also be related to the idea of acircle, perhaps a circle dance, from the Old French “carole” (a kind of dance),or middle English “carole” (ring, circle), or Latin “corolla” (garland).

Noel

This is a variant of the Old French “naël”, whichoriginated from the Latin “natalis dies”, meaning “birthday”. It came into English in the 14^thcentury, and really comes directly from the French, being spelt “Noël”,although it can also be spelt “Nowell” and “Noel”.

I wish everyone a very happy and restful festive season –whatever you call it!

Sources: www.dictionary.com

http://en.wikipedia.org

The Cultural Supermarket

2011-12-16T17:06:00.005Z

When you are used to the way products are organised and displayed on the shelves of supermarkets you don’t really think or expect that things might be different in a neighbour country; but I can assure you that they are; or some of them at least.

Let’s take a simple example (some supermarkets might do things differently from what I am about to describe but this is what I have noticed): in many supermarkets in France, the fresh fruit and vegetables section is located at the centre of the supermarket whereas in most British supermarkets I have been to (with the exception of the few Tesco I have “visited” and which were a bit more like French supermarkets), fresh fruit and vegetables are the first thing you see when you get in.

These aren’t the only items that you can find in a different part of the supermarket. At least fruit and vegetables belong to a whole (sometimes rather big) section that you can’t really miss. Now think about a single, “rare” item.

I was young and naïve at the time. I thought that nothing could be worse than choosing what butter brand I was going to buy. Well, on another day when I was craving American-style pancakes, I undertook a trip to the supermarket in a quest for maple syrup.

In my French brain, finding maple syrup is easy: it is in the same aisle as honey, chocolate spread and jam, and/or in the “food of the world” section of the supermarket. In addition to that, since my first grocery shopping trip I had got a bit more used to British supermarkets. So what could possibly go wrong? However, that day proved that I still had loads to learn about the British mind and the organisation of supermarket shelves. In short, it took me 20 minutes to do my normal shopping and another 30 minutes to find the maple syrup, which was with the tinned fruits and custard (and the only reason why I eventually found it is because after swallowing my pride and accepting defeat, I asked a shop assistant). I wonder how I didn’t think of it myself?! Because I’m French, pardi! and my mindset is different, I suppose.

That day, besides learning where to find maple syrup and, incidentally, to put my pride aside and ask for help in a shop, I learnt that cultural differences aren’t only expressed through languages and the way people speak, they don’t show only through the music we listen to and the way we dress, they also affect people’s logic and therefore the way things are organised and displayed in shops.

Interview with managing director of Nomen UK: Emma Peto 2/2

2011-12-09T10:04:00.003Z

In this second and last part of the video, Emma Peto, managing director of Nomen UK will be exploring the depths of a good brief and how this will impact the synergy with clients. We also look at the details of what exactly happens after a name has been created.

Thank you for watching. Do let us know what you thought and if you have any questions that you would've asked or would like to ask us.

Interview with managing director of Nomen UK: Emma Peto 1/2

2011-12-08T11:53:00.005Z

Managing director of Nomen UK, Emma Peto, talks about the necessary skills for naming and how these intertwine with the naming process; highlighting the importance of naming and how it is done.

In the second video we will be exploring the depths of a good brief and how good communication facilitates the naming procedure as well as what happens after a name is created.

Part two will be available this Friday; tomorrow.

You'd Butter Believe It!

2011-12-05T12:13:00.005Z

Many writers (like Bill Bryson and Stephen Clarke to name but two) have written about their experience of living or travelling in a foreign country. Living myself outside of my home country, I thought “why not sharing some of the adventures I lived when I still was a newcomer in the country of Her Majesty?”

Shortly after arriving somewhere, one of the first things one usually does is look for food. That’s something natural to do really. So one of the first things I did after arriving in the country was to look for food too.

If you think that going shopping in a foreign supermarket is going to be easy – I don’t mean to discourage anyone here but – you’re wrong. Although the “concept” of supermarket is the same, I wasn’t prepared to enter a whole new world (I will come back on that in a later post).

When I think about it now I can’t help thinking that this experience proved at least one thing: the choice of your brand name is essential.

The thing when you are new in a country is that you haven’t grown up with the local brands and therefore you know nothing about them, you don’t have your favourite brands yet and most importantly, you don’t know what brand to trust.

I came to this simple conclusion in the dairy section while I was looking for butter. There I was welcomed by a shelf crammed with – mainly yellow – tubs (as if the wealth and success of a country could be measured by the amount of the same stuff you can display on a supermarket shelf!). Some call it “choice”. Choice is good when you know the brands or have at least heard of them before. In my case back then, having the choice didn’t prove great as it confused me even more. But let’s go back to that shelf crammed with tubs. In France, butter is usually sold wrapped in foil and it’s the margarine that is sold in tubs. At that point I thought that surely British people too liked spreading butter on their toast so I started exploring the shelf more thoroughly. Not knowing anything about the brands I had in front of me wasn’t helping at all. Imagine looking for something and not knowing what this thing looks like or basically picture Indiana Jones in The Last Crusade, when he is facing all those Grails and needs to pick the right one; well, that was pretty much me looking for some butter that day.

So how did I choose in the end (no, I didn’t give up!)? I ended up picking a brand with the word “butter” in it: that was what I was looking for and therefore it was reassuring. In addition to that, the brand name managed to make me laugh (which is quite unexpected when you are in the dairy products aisle) making this whole first experience in a foreign supermarket on my own less traumatic. “You’d Butter Believe It!” That name has made me smile ever since, despite the fact that I have tried many other butter brands since then.

Sex sells vs. polygamy

2011-11-30T14:12:00.014Z

The evolution of acceptance has enabled us to accept more advertising with the sex sells theory, but how far are we allowed to go these days? I’m going to use polygamy as an example in this article. So, what about polygamy? It’s still taboo. Why is one form of sex-advertising allowed and another not?

Greg Schirf, founder of Polygamy Porter beer used the slogan: "Why Have Just One?" in time for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. His reasoning? He believes: "You have to be creative if you're going to survive in the beer business in Utah". And controversial, for that matter: the ads were banned, yet the sales were booming as well as their e-commerce trade. One Mormon woman commented: "If people somehow think it [polygamy] represents the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it does not." Could we not then also say: “If people somehow think women represent sex, bikinis, thongs (etc.), they do not”?

Women seem to be generally accepting of ads that represent them as “sex objects”. Look at the Lynx ads as an example. But there seems to be a lack of acceptance of other sex-related attitudes, such as polygamy, a practice which nevertheless is acknowledged by some beliefs and practices in the world. Why is it better to suggest that a man wants to sleep with every other woman rather than him having three wives that he (assumingly) loves? Just a thought… as it would suggest that lust is more accepted than love these days.

I understand that there may be religious taboos involved with polygamy that may affect people’s acceptance of it. Religion in marketing has been discussed in a previous post (http://nomenuk-naming.blogspot.com/2011/09/religion-in-marketing.html). Now we can ask, why should religious views, including those on sex, be suppressed in advertising, and yet “free” sex reinforced? Polygamy could be seen as a way of expressing our sexual preferences as well, whether or not this has any religious connotations.

Of course, the question of polygyny vs. polyandry arises here as well – we mainly hear about polygyny, where the man possesses more than one wife. In the earlier example from Polygamy Porter Beer, the presence of polygyny here is actually being sexist: it’s all targeted at men.

The real problem behind this ad, then, may be the fact that polyandry gets ignored. Would women find it “funnier” if the idea of multiple husbands were to be displayed in an ad? Maybe it would ease the tension and help people accept what is really going on around them.

Lynx’s new shower gel ad with the slogan: “The cleaner you are, the dirtier you get” was also banned last week. It was featuring a woman touching her own breasts. If Lynx can get men to buy their products with this kind of advertising: go for it. This is solely speaking from a marketing perspective, of course. I personally prefer the Old Spice ad series featuring unrealistic expectations from a man. It’s funny. The Old Spice one manages to target both genders in a humoristic way that I doubt will offend anyone. Stereotypical elements still remain, yet the viewer does not notice as much.

How far do we take the censorship then? If we live in a country where women and men are meant to be equal, shouldn’t all Lynx ads be banned as well along with the Old Spice ones? Not to mention the numerous other ads evoking sexism and cultural issues.

Going back to the polygamy example, I wonder if we will slowly be more accepting of polygamy as we are more open to ads with sexual natures, as this will realistically not be disappearing. The evolution of acceptance would suggest so, however I feel this may take longer.

Maybe the moral values behind sex are being slowly wiped out, but maybe there could be several debates linked to the appropriateness of these ads (both religious and moral). Interestingly, the Lynx ads could be said to be subtly suggesting polygyny anyway.

I’m not saying I agree or disagree with any of these. I think the slogan in the beer ad is hilarious. I can appreciate the sense of humour used here. It works. The beer is good too, apparently. There may be some truth in every little stereotype of a certain sex or culture and if you can use this to sell something, why not. The important thing is that religious and moral values should be respected equally. Let’s also hope that the sex sells debate is a gate to ulterior freedom in expressing ourselves.

Naming your band

2011-11-23T10:31:00.007Z

We had a discussion about band names the other day. This obviously got me thinking.

First of all, I would like to establish that this entry will be biased based on personal musical preferences, but I wanted to do a little research on some band names and see if I could find any patterns or ways to categorise them. I’m sure you may have given thought as to where certain band names originate from and how they correlate with the musicians’ success.

For instance, you may think Garbage is a "rubbish" name, yet it works for them. We need to take into consideration that they are a band who have been around for a while and had the opportunity to build up their brand image that is now associated with the name as well as their logo.

Onto the decoding method. My theory is that every band name can fall under a certain category. I will be excluding artists who use their real name in this mini research, as I am not in the position to criticize people for the names they were given by their parents (not yet anyway). The goal here is to pick a certain number of band names from my repertoire (obviously a limited sample compared to the number of bands out there) and see if I can categorise them. I also want to find out where the ones that can’t be categorised belong and where they are most likely to end up.

Let us start with one of the common trends of “The”.”The Somethings” may have certain sub-categories yet most of them fall under the same category as they are following the trend that The Strokes rekindled with their debut back in 1999. Yes, we had The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Clash, The Who... yet the trend skyrocketed from 2000.

"The" bands: The Kooks, The White Stripes, The Carbonfools, The Rapture, The Cribs, The Killers, The Young Knives, The Fray, The Phoenix Foundation, The Rakes,The Yeah Yeah Yeahs... need more?

And the other groups that arose:

Pharmaceutical bands with an addictive nature: The Cure, Placebo, Drugstore, Jane's Addiction.

X: IAMX, Pure X, The XX, T Rex.

Locations: Texas, Lasgo, Calexico, Bay City Rollers, Portishead, Tokio Hotel, The Beautiful South, Brainerd, E Street Band.

Novels: As I Lay Dying, The Velvet Underground, Art of Noise, Belle and Sebastian, Heaven 17, Marillion, Modest Mouse, Opeth.

Evil: The Horrors, The Enemy, The Killers, Liars, Vandals.

Movies: Aiden, Bad Company, Billy Talent, Bring Me the Horizon, Iron Maiden, Xiu Xiu, Atreyu.

Fur: Grumbling Fur, Handsome Furs, Psychedelic Furs, Loose Fur, The Yummy Fur, Hot Fur.

Sexual: Scissor Sisters, Orgy, Climax, Steely Dan, Slut, Sex Pistols, Alien Sex Fiend, The Vibrators, Porno For Pyros, Peaches.

F-bomb: Fuck Buttons, Fucking Wrath, Fucked Up, Fuck the Facts, Holy Fuck, Fuckhead.

Annoying: Blitzen Trapper, Bombay Bicycle Club, Crystal Stilts, Cymbals Eat Guitars (Jimmy Eat World gone wrong?), Fruit Bats, The Last Shadow Puppets, Neutral Milk Hotel, Azari III.

The latter just don’t make sense. I noticed the trend of how these youthful bands try to be too cool (oh yes, this refers to the idea of trying to be cool yet again) and trying too hard to be unique, hence the simple title for the category being “annoying”. Even if they held a gun to my head I wouldn’t be able to remember these. They are way too long and the fact that they don’t fall under any category makes it difficult to compare them to something else therefore people are less likely to remember them. I wish I could give them the benefit of the doubt that they will be successful, but I would be lying.

So, some of my personal favourites? Cocteau Twins, Calexico, Cube Juice, Phoenix, Delphic, Guniw Tools, Male Bonding and Primal Scream. Some of these can be classified in the categories that I have created, yet there is still something about them that differentiates them from the “annoying” bands. Their effectiveness can be explained by the golden rule of good naming: a short name.

A way to simply test your band name is to put you in a position where you are talking to a friend. Pretend you are telling them what you have been listening to lately. Say the name out loud. If their reaction would be “SAY WHAT?” that probably means that the name is not sustainable:

Person X: “Ahhh, do you know any good bands?”

Person Y: “Yeah man, I’ve been listening to Cymbals Eat Guitars lately. Now try saying that three times.”

The fact that a name should be short and memorable can be applied in selecting a band name.

To conclude, some bands could really use some naming experts. Perhaps for their album and song naming as well.

My reasoning for the classified bands may be very simple and we will have to wait a couple of years to see whether my hypothesis about the “annoying” band names failing will be proven. Just ask me in 2015 what Cymbals Eat Guitars are up to.

My farewell

2011-11-18T16:22:00.005Z

It is going to be a rather self-indulgent post today I’m afraid! Today is my last day at Nomen UK and I’ve been told that I can write about anything I like. Oh the power! I did consider filming a 5 minute video where I gave a juggling demonstration and explained to you why in fact Sylvester Stallone is a modern day Leonardo Da Vinci but I thought I’d keep it relevant. Look out for that video on my personal blog in the future though.

What I am going to do today is list a few of the things I have learned from working in naming over the last few years. When I started I had a few assumptions and while some of them have been confirmed, most have been blown out of the water. So in no particular order…

When you tell people you name things for a living you will inevitably get one of the following 4 responses:

“Oh right” (followed by silence as they try to work out what that actually means)
“Is that a real job?”
“So did you name (insert their favourite product) then?”
“Hang on, so you just sit around all day and occasionally say ‘let’s call that Fred’?”

What is very obvious to you might be a revelation to someone else. This is probably me getting sucked into the whole ‘anyone can do naming’ myth but there used to be occasions where I would wait for a client to raise an issue with one of their names thinking that they were just waiting for the right time, but it never came. I soon realised that a lot of things that are very well known to people in the industry are not as common sense as I had assumed. It’s always best to assume that the person you’re talking to knows nothing and then work up rather than leaving them wondering why you didn’t point something out from the beginning!

Someone will always find something negative to say about a name if you give them long enough. There seems to be a million and one reasons that someone can find to reject a name. I have literally had someone say to me ‘we can’t call it that because if I squint and look at it, it looks like a penis’. In their defence they were laughing at the time. Different people have different views on where the line is on when to accept a name and when to let it go.

A lot of people think that naming is very easy. Everyone names their own kids and pets so they assume that naming a company or product is just as simple. I’ve found that there is a lot more art and science that goes into naming something than most people realise. There are also a lot more issues involved, mainly legal and linguistic. Although I’m a very big advocate of tapping into a client’s own creativity rather than just coming up with all the names myself I really think there is value in going with an expert to guide you through the process. Even if you just want some assurance that your own choice of name is solid it is worth talking to someone who specialises in the subject. Hey, I’m allowed to blatantly sell Nomen’s services on the blog today because I’m leaving!

I feel sorry for lawyers! I know, controversial. Plus I may have just given up a part of my soul. Anyway, for the first few months of naming I was not much of a fan of lawyers who seemed to shoot down every possible idea I put forward. I remember thinking on more than one occasion ‘why are they vetoing that? No-one is ever going to get confused between this product and that one!’ These days I’m of the opinion that they see their job as protecting you in the long run rather than just trying to make life more difficult for everybody.

Good ideas can come from anyone; sometimes the unlikeliest candidates. I’ve worked with a very wide range of creative staff at Nomen and seen men in their 60s come up with the perfect name for the latest mobile phone and girls in their teens create a strapline that beautifully explains a new type of power saw. Often those you wouldn’t expect to have an insight into a certain world are the best ones to ask to get that ‘fresh eyes’ effect.

Great naming is collaborative. I used to be really pleased when one of ‘my names’ was used on a product or even made it onto the client’s shortlist. These days I realise that there is really no such thing as ‘my name’ at all. Naming in a team is great for bouncing ideas off of each other and taking other people’s names and twisting them round until you’ve got the perfect solution. It’s been mentioned a few times in this blog in the past to always get other people’s ideas and this is exactly why. Someone might convince you that the idea you thought was rubbish actually has merit and even if it’s not right they can probably do something else with it.

Picking a name from a shortlist can often be harder than coming up with the list in the first place! As someone who is leaving to set up his own company I now understand why clients seem to often have a hard time picking something, no matter how well it matches the brief. Taking the final plunge is a big move and one of the most important parts of a naming consultant’s job is helping a client feel comfortable with their decision. I was seriously misled about the whole ‘just sit around and occasionally call something Fred’ aspect of the job!

So there you go, just a few of the thoughts that stick in my mind from being a naming consultant for the last few years. Thanks to everyone I have met through this blog. Thanks to what is an amazing team at Nomen. Thanks to all of the clients I’ve worked with too; I feel very lucky to have worked for so many amazing people on some very fun projects. My apologies for not naming you personally but I know the rest of the Nomen UK team are rather fond of you too and they won’t want anyone reading this trying to pinch you!

Matching languages to industries

2011-11-17T11:16:00.004Z

Today’s post is a translation of an interview from Nomen Italy’s Managing Director Gianluca Billo. In it he discusses the perception of different languages when used in certain industries. Gianluca can be contacted through the Nomen Italy website: www.nomen.it

How important is the choice of a language in brand naming?

The choice of a language definitely is fundamental to create a new name. But it is not always as our clients see it. Most companies ask for a short name as if it was the only key to success.

Are there any clear links between language, market, type of industry, and consumers?

There are no clear links between the language and the market (in the sense of country or nation). However, I would say that there are links between the language and the type of industry, and between the language and the consumers. Industries as well as consumers follow specific trends and keep using certain languages for specific sectors: English is usually used for technology, mobile phones and mass market services; French will be used for perfumes and fashion; Italian will come handy in the food industry; and Latin and Greek will be used to name companies (especially international ones).

What types of companies usually require an Italian name? And these days, is there any country that has a clear interest in the Italian language?

In Italy, Italian names work very well for pasta, tomato juice and sauce, and ready to use products (whether they are sweet or savoury) such as pastry and pizza dough; then you can also find Italian names (patronyms, not necessarily real) in the fashion industry (the name of the designer always creates fascination) where the italianità – the Italian way of life with its values, style and codes – creates added value and is known world-wide.

Abroad, the Italian language is very popular in Germany and the United States as it evokes thoughts of delicious and fine food, and of the Italian style (fashion and design). It is also very popular in China and Japan.

Say an Italian company creates a product that will be sold abroad: to what extent is it advisable to use an Italian name? Are there specific cases where you would advise against using an Italian name?

The concept of italianità plays a very important role in industries where Italian names - with their images and sounds - convey a set of values throughout old traditions. By this, I mean the industries that involve creativity applied to materials such as clothing, design, construction, goldsmith, and as I said before a certain number of food products (pasta, wine, olive oil, some cheeses, and sausages and salami). We usually advise against using Italian when it is unnecessary, when the use of the Italian origin is not justified, and when it becomes hard to pronounce (this happens with a lot of Italian words, especially the long ones with many consonants or with complicated combinations of letters, for instance [ch]). The Italian language works well when it is easy to read even if it doesn’t make sense straight away, as long as it is recognizable as an Italian word.

What do you think of Italian-sounding and looking names that are created abroad by non-Italian speakers and that sound clumsy, odd, unnatural and funny to us?

To be fair, those names make me smile. I do understand that the word ‘macaroni’ is much easier to read than maccheroni. Italian people usually try their best to get the spelling of English words right, even if the pronunciation could be better, whereas abroad complicated Italian words are directly “transliterated” and simplified if needed (see the ‘macaroni’ example).

Not for girls

2011-11-16T09:32:00.006Z

They say rules are meant to be broken. Why do we go against what we are told not to do? It is in our nature to counteract what we are told; this applying to our purchasing behaviour as well. Remember your childhood when your friends would say: "Bet you won't do it". You took the risk and did it. Marketers subtly put you in the same position and make you feel as a child again, daring and reacting in the same manner.

I remember the first time I saw Yorkie when I moved to England: “It's not for girls”. First thing I did: pick it up and buy it. I didn't even think. Is it as easy as this? May be. I could’ve picked any other chocolate on offer, however I still went for the Yorkie. No special ingredients whatsoever, yet I was still intrigued to know how it was different. I don’t think I need to go into detail on the gustatory experience. It is just like your average chocolate, yet I still find myself buying it occasionally. It’s all in the logo as well… oh that logo!

Dr Pepper recently (October 2011) launched its new diet version “Ten”, targeted at males. Their tagline is: “It’s not for women”. Their research conducted showed that men shy away from soft drinks labelled as “diet” or “light” as they are not manly enough for them. This piece of research may be new to them; however it has been claimed by other companies as well. We are obviously surrounded by different environments; however I have never seen a male friend shy away from purchasing a diet beverage. 40% of the people who tried Dr Pepper Ten so far were women. I think that proves a point.

This all makes me wonder… If they were to start advertising briefs with taglines such as “for real men only”; what would you do? Hypothetically speaking I would probably buy a pair, because I am told not to. Who can stop me? What am I trying to prove though?

Igniting feminism with the means of mildly discriminative advertising makes us want to prove ourselves to the world in our era, as we subconsciously are aware that 50 years ago an advertisement as such would have been taken seriously. We are not trying to be rebels; we are trying to be cool. Of course, there is the whole category of people who take this seriously (discussed later).

Are these really targeted at men or women? Taking the simple example of Yorkie, a man would not think twice whether to buy something or not, for instance if he is craving chocolate. I stand by the same view as well with diet soft drinks.

These catchy contradictory taglines prove how you can attract wider audiences despite them having subtle discriminative natures. Either a witty slogan or trying to revamp your brand, if you take the risk in being creative and unique ("Bet you won't do it")... chances are you will differentiate yourself and become the "cool" kid on the block.

Our pensive receptivity is exactly what the marketers demand. You can search for all these brands and find people arguing whether this is sexist, unfair, rude… the list goes on. I mean, there has already been a women’s rights petition against the “sexist” Dr Pepper ad campaign. C’mon, you’re giving them free advertisement! My favourite comment amongst them all was: “most of the evidence I see suggests that women against sexism are the minority”. I’m PRETTY sure the people working for Dr Pepper are not a bunch of “chauvinistic pigs” spending their days trying to ruin the image of women. But hey, I may be wrong. What worries me the most is that they can’t assume a woman came up with this campaign. So who is being sexist here?

They can call it sexist, but I call it genius.

How a certain style of name allows you to tell a story with your brand

2011-11-11T12:02:00.004Z

A brand is like a book

I like to compare brands with books (you can also compare brands with films if you want). You see, your brand name is just like the title of a book: it is important because it will often be the first contact customers will have with your brand. During this first contact phase it is important to get customers interested; and if you give them a title/brand name that is interesting enough they will be likely to get a closer look because they will want to know more. We, human beings, are a very curious species. We like to get to the bottom of things to find answers and to give meaning to our world. So make the most of this characteristic! Intrigue customers and get them curious about your brand and what you do. Kodak, for instance, is much more intriguing and interesting as a name than “Photographic Materials and Equipment Inc”. I took Kodak as an example but I could as well have chosen Oreo, Adidas, Ubuntu, Kijiji, Aegis, Häagen-Dazs, etc. What do Kodak and the rest have to do with brands being like books? Well; the title might be great but a title alone doesn’t make a good book.

A good book (or film) has a good story to tell

Original/unusual names have the particularity of not being very straightforward (if they were they wouldn’t be that original or unusual anymore). For this reason and because – as I have mentioned before – the human being is naturally curious, those types of names need a content to be added to them to “justify” their reason for being. A lot of the time it doesn’t really matter that your brand name doesn’t say straight away what your offer is about. It doesn’t even really matter if your brand name isn’t completely understood or understood at all; let’s take Kodak again: the name doesn’t mean anything and yet the brand has been doing well for over a century (and same thing really with two other famous brands: Häagen-Dazs and Oreo). This is why you shouldn’t be put off by this name style: at the risk of repeating myself all you would need to do is add content and have a clear positioning, and your brand name would suddenly make more sense. What makes a great snowman is not just the shape you give it. It is the personality that you choose to give it by adding what can look like some tiny details, but actually make a huge difference.

I think that this is one of the reasons why I like original/unusual names so much: there are so many things that you can do with them. Not only do they stand out from the crowd, catch the attention and intrigue – which often makes them easy to remember – but they also give your brand a unique personality and the possibility to unleash people’s imagination. Original/unusual names allow your brand to tell a story and this story, in return, can make your brand appear more authentic and true.

The story can be anything from the values you stand for; a fruit/vegetable variety (Macintosh is the name of an apple variety which itself takes its name from the Scottish surname “MacIntosh”, meaning “son of the chieftain”); or the evocations and/or associations that come directly from your brand name (Nike is the goddess of victory); to a tribute to someone or to another company (the real origin of the name is debatable but Apple is said to have come from the Beatles’ label Apple Corps.) to name but a few. To me, original/unusual names have the faculty of seeking and encouraging customers’ imagination that straightforward names don’t have as much; and by encouraging customers to use their imagination you allow them to enter your world and make it theirs (if I ask you to imagine a castle, chances are that yours will be different from mine and from the castle imagined by your friends and yet, we will be in the same “world of imagery”: that of a castle), and by doing so you facilitate engagement and bonding with your brand.

There is one other important thing to keep in mind though: a good brand name and a good story alone aren’t enough to guarantee your success. You also have to put yours words into actions (this is true for any types of names). If you don’t, it won’t be long before customers realise it and they might make you pay a hard price for it. This sounds obvious, I know, but a lot of companies still make this simple mistake with their brand.

Remember:

Your brand name doesn’t need to be completely understood (if understood at all) to work well.
Intrigue customers. Get them curious. Get them to want to know more.
Back up your brand name with a good story.
Make customers use their imagination when they think about your brand.
Don’t just say it, do it! Do what you say you do… and more.

Are bad names a good idea?

2011-11-09T14:41:00.003Z

Should you deliberately choose a bad name for your new company or product?

A week or so ago a couple of friends sent me articles they had seen suggesting that it was actually a very good strategy for getting yourself noticed. The argument went that people will discuss a bad name much more than a good one and therefore get your company in the spotlight.

I actually talked about this kind of thing a few weeks back: the enthusiasm with which everyone discussed Ben & Jerry’s “Schweddy Balls” ice-cream on Twitter. In recent days we have seen people all over the world discussing how bad “Siri” is and the things it means in other languages. There is no doubt that people are keen to discuss a name they perceive as bad (even if it’s not actually a bad name). As the saying goes “there is no such thing as bad publicity”.

So is it a good idea to deliberately choose a bad name, have everyone talk about you and hope that they will buy from you just because they are now aware of who you are? No, of course it’s not!

I am all for names that people will talk about. Despite the multitude of social media tools available to us it is still rare for a brand name to be discussed by the general public. The laughing at Siri was mainly done by those of us working in marketing while the public at large barely noticed or cared what it might mean or not mean in Japanese.

I loved watching the Twitter discussions on “Schweddy Balls” but I think it showed that there is a big difference between bad names and controversial ones. A controversial name is edgy, stirs up discussion, puts the brand in a very definite position, and makes a strong statement about the brand, which may be polarising for consumers. Humorous names can do this, for example – not all people find the same things funny. Controversial names can be very successful but it is advisable to be careful, get advice and make sure your controversy doesn’t cause you problems. “Schweddy Balls” may well have been accepted by a large number of consumers but the name has had a negative effect too as many supermarkets are refusing to stock it. There are successes of course. The energy drink, Pussy, is a risky name but it is directed at young, edgy clubbers, who are more likely to accept such a term without batting an eyelid. So far it seems to be going well.

Bad names, on the other hand, offend the customer, turn them off the product or make it sound unappealing; Holy Crap cereal for example (yes that’s real). The worst case scenario is that it makes a company look incompetent; if you can’t get the name right, how do I know the product will be any good? Do you want to rely on the fact that people will know you’re joking? Is it worth the risk of the public’s cynicism towards being manipulated when they realise that your awful name was just there to get them talking about it? Personally I don’t think it’s worth the trouble. Whether they really are or not, people don’t like to feel they’re being toyed with. Look around at the thoughts on Phones4U’s recent horror-inspired adverts and you’ll find people complaining that they were only created just to get banned and have people talking about them (not my own view by the way).

So to all the people suddenly claiming that bad names are a good idea (none of whom seem to actually work in the naming industry incidentally), I ask you…“where are the many successes to back up this claim?”

My advice: feel free to go with a controversial name if the situation is appropriate. As for judging whether it is appropriate you should get some expert advice and research your market (I’m surprised that no-one at Ben & Jerry’s didn’t ask the supermarkets whether they would supply an ice-cream called “Schweddy Balls”). A controversial name can work in certain cases but a bad name will always just be a bad name.

In the Mood for Work

2011-11-02T10:08:00.004Z

If you are like me you’ve probably experienced this sometimes difficult moment that occurs when you move from one task to another. And especially if you took a two-minute internet browsing break in between you can find it a bit tricky to get back to work on your next task because it is either hard to focus or to simply find the motivation. So today I thought that I would share some tips with you, little things that I do to feel fresh and boosted to get back to work. Who knows, it might help you as well?

Drawing:

For those who are channelling the spirit of an artist or who simply like to sketch and scrawl, drawing can be a very efficient way of focusing on a simple task while having fun. Draw something simple like a pen, an eraser, your sandwich, the place where you’d rather be, whatever you feel like drawing or pops into your head. Use colours and don’t worry too much about the details: you’re not trying to be the next Leonardo da Vinci but rather to be creative and detach your mind from what you were doing previously. So even if all you can think of are some geometrical shapes, go ahead! Don’t spend too much time on it either (you could have problems with your boss). Five minutes is a reasonable time to allocate to this activity. Personally I always feel refreshed and happy to work on my next task after I’ve done that.

Imagining:

Some of us are more cerebral than manual. If it sounds like you I would suggest that you work on developing your imagination through thinking. For example, create a new bank holiday, name it and imagine what people would celebrate and do as part of the celebration on that specific day; once, one of our creatives came up with “Be Kind to the French Day” so be creative and a bit crazy if you like: you’re allowed! (You can try to suggest it to your boss as a new bank holiday for your company but I can’t guarantee it will be accepted.) Another thing you can do is to imagine what a Barclays hat, a Dove pen or what McDonald’s shoes (in short: pick a brand and an activity that is far removed from their field of competences) would be like. To help you in this task it is sometimes a good idea to write down and/or draw what you are thinking about. Here again, the point is to keep it short and to not over think it so five minutes is enough.

Solving problems:

If problem solving is one of your strengths, passions or if you only want to practise it without having the pressure of bringing viable solutions, here is what you can do: choose a concept or institution (for example school or the company’s cafeteria) and think about ways to improve it in an ideal world (meaning: if anything was possible). Not only should you come up with good and creative ideas (who knows? You could even end up actually finding and suggesting ways to improve your company’s cafeteria – what a hero you would be among your colleagues!) but you could actually find yourself having fun doing it. Keep it short and remember: no one is going to judge or assess your suggestions so again, be creative if not a bit crazy (I once read that there is genius in craziness).

And finally, if you don’t feel like doing any of this but still can’t focus on your next task, well… nothing equals the virtues of some fresh air. Go for a short walk or stand by an open window, looking outside for a bit and it shouldn’t be long before you start feeling like you can work again.

I gave you only but a few examples of things you can do but there are plenty of activities that help to refocus and get the brain ready to work on something new, or to have an entertaining short break.

Feel free to share your own tips with us and our readers or to ask for more if you ever run out of ideas!

A chat with Nomen CEO Marcel Botton 3/3

2011-10-28T14:07:00.002+01:00

In the final part of our chat with Nomen International CEO Marcel Botton we ask him about some of his favourite names, and he touches on the strength of 'Google', a name that not everyone will immediately understand the reasons behind.

We also ask him for his views on the Pret A Manger name as it looks to make an impression on the French market. (Note: this issue was also recently looked at by our own Camille Medina here http://bit.ly/rPlx0Y in response to a piece suggesting the name may not travel well by Marketing Week’s Mark Ritson).

Previous Parts:

Part One: http://bit.ly/rmfHaj

Part Two: http://bit.ly/uqPEiT

A chat with Nomen CEO Marcel Botton 2/3

2011-10-26T10:37:00.005+01:00

Today we are continuing our chat with Nomen International CEO Marcel Botton (Part 1 found here: http://bit.ly/rmfHaj). In part 2 we asked Marcel about the trends in naming and the challenges that face people creating brand names now and in the future.

The 3rd and final part will be available on Friday.

A chat with Nomen CEO Marcel Botton 1/3

2011-10-24T14:26:00.004+01:00

At the recent Nomen International seminar we had a chance to sit down and chat with Nomen CEO Marcel Botton about a number of naming related issues. In parts 2 and 3 Marcel will be talking about the current trends and challenges of naming today and his thoughts on some current names but in part 1 we ask him a few general questions about the naming speciality.

Parts 2 and 3 will be available later this week.

Common naming process pitfalls

2011-10-19T21:22:00.000+01:00

I had aconversation at a recent pitch meeting that I think is worth expanding on andsharing. I was asked by a potentialclient what I felt were some of the most common things that can go wrong duringa naming process, the effect that they can have and how to best guard againstthem. What was interesting was that hewanted to know what mistakes were made by the client themselves so that hecould try to stop them from occurring during his own project. I love proactive clients!

Now beforeanyone gets the impression that I’m about to start venting my frustrations overevery issue I have ever had with a client I need to put up a small disclaimer. I totally understand why all of these issues comeup. Some may come from a simple lack ofexperience of this type of project and others are just impossible to get aroundwhen working in certain companies and environments. Any good consultant will be aware of theseissues already and will be able to help you work around them if necessary. This list is simply here to help create abetter environment in which to carry out a naming project, either with anagency or with your own in-house team. Ihope it helps.

Not allowingenough time

Expectationsvary wildly on how long a naming project should take. I have worked on projectsthat have been given anywhere between 2 days and 18 months to be completed. Giving too long to a project comes with itsown issues but the bigger and more catastrophic ones occur when not enough timeis available, which is also the more common state of affairs.

From acreative point of view, it’s best to have enough time to fully explore alloptions. Besides, even if you happen toget the best name in the first day, your confidence in that name might beaffected and you’ll probably find yourself doubting the decision and thinkingabout what ‘might have been’. You mayfind that you have limited options to choose from and you’ll possibly berejecting names because you’ll think there must be something better out thereeven if you don’t have the time to find it.

Even moreimportantly, you need to allow time for mistakes and problems. With experience I’ve discovered that thereare a lot of things that can go wrong in the naming process, from unexpectedlegal hurdles to the test audience rejecting the name.

Bringingpeople in late in the process

This one isvery common. In many cases it fits intothe category of ‘unavoidable’, where it is impossible to synchronise thediaries of all the key decision makers. If possible though, my advice is to try toensure that you get the expectations of everyone involved as soon as you can,even if they need to disappear for the middle part of the project. It also helps to have those people understandhow the process works from the start, so that even if they have to step backfrom the process for a while, they trust in it enough that when they come backin, they don’t feel the need to revisit old ground. I have seen projects progress down a certaintrack with everyone pulling in one direction only for a decision maker to comein near the completion date and tell everyone they want something else instead. Getting that first meeting with everyone aroundthe same table can be a tricky task; try having one person who will becontinuously involved interview those others who will come in later: it could bea huge time and energy saver.

Nothaving a clear objective

You know youneed to find a name, but what exactly are you looking for? What are you hoping for from your creativeteam or agency? If you don’t knowexactly what you’re looking in a name for you can use your creative resourcesimply to explore possibilities, but you need to realise that’s what you’redoing – don’t be disappointed when most of the names don’t seem to hit thespot. You can even use a consultant tohelp you decide what you’re looking for in the first place. This problem is notthe cause of much procedural hassle but avoiding it can save you time andfrustration. It’s important that your naming projects do not keep you awake atnight!

Gettingtoo personal

To find aname that fits the purpose and pleases everybody, it is best to remain asobjective as possible. This is not aneasy ask, especially when a proposed name hits a chord with you. As a tongue-in-cheek example, if you werebitten by a dog as a child which had the same name as the one being proposed, you’renot going to feel particularly warm to it. Your clients did not suffer this misfortunate encounter, however, so anexperience like this is not relevant to the naming process. To put it another way, selection or rejectionof a name should not be about like/dislike, but rather whether the name meetsthe requirements of the project or not.

Nothaving faith in your own ideas

If you havesome name ideas but none of them seem good enough, you can use a naming expertto help you explore more thoroughly. However, perhaps you have something that you already think is good, butsimply due to lack of confidence or lack of experience in name science, youfeel unable to present the idea as the candidate. It seems controversial to say, but, in somecases, it would be better to use the experts to help you develop the supportfor your existing idea, rather than spend time and money looking for somethingelse to replace it.

Notgiving feedback when it’s asked for / giving vague feedback

When yourcreative team or agency produces work, as professionals they won’t be expectingyou to like everything they’ve done and certainly won’t be offended byrejection of their ideas. What isimportant, however, is that you give your reasons. This is crucial because it is the reasons whyyou like and dislike ideas that will help the evolution of those ideas towardswhat you want. State the obvious andbore them with detail; they will thank you for it! And, as mentioned before, keep it objectiveand related to the project guidelines. Givingdetailed feedback to a number of suggestions is also a great way to explorepossibilities when you don’t have a clear idea what you are looking for.

Being tooinflexible

So youdeveloped a name idea that met all the criteria… except at the last hurdle youfound out you can’t use it. Onesituation where this commonly occurs is when an existing brand needs to moveinto new territories but the name cannot be used for legal reasons; forexample, the name you registered in your ‘home’ country is already registeredin the new target countries. This can bevery disappointing. The challenge now isthat it is difficult for any new ideas to beat the favourite one. But you need a name, so how can you get overit? Once again, objectivity comes intoplay, and a certain amount of flexibility. Do the new ideas perform the role required? Do they reflect the brand as well aspossible? You may have to allow somechanges in the brand, or in the communication structure. For example, if your logo and name weresemantically linked, you might need to consider a new logo as well; or youmight need to change a tagline or add a descriptor.

Not understandingthat it is a process

Sometimes a client at our first project meetingwill express disappointment that we haven’t given them the definitive namesolution straight away. However, thereare a number of steps that you must go through on the journey to the finalname. It sometimes happens that we cancreate the perfect name after the first briefing, but as explained above, it’sstill beneficial to go through the rest of the process in order to buildconfidence in your choice. And besides,this doesn’t happen often. It helps tounderstand that things will go wrong(especially when legal issues begin to be investigated) and that it isperfectly normal as part of the process to get to the desired outcome.

When should you start thinking about a name?

2011-10-06T13:37:00.000+01:00

Thereare very different ideas about when youneed to think about naming your new product. Some might have a name when the idea is but a twinkle in someone’s eye;others might have everything but the name to show to investors in a couple ofweeks. Is there an ideal time to startconsidering names, and if so, when is it?

Itis important to allow enough time to obtain the right name. Naming is a surprisingly lengthy process: ittakes much longer than most people realise to do it properly, successfully andlegally. Within the process there arestages of name creation, rejection, selection, testing, and maybe going back tothe drawing board… There’s a lot to consider. You also need to think about what needs tohappen after you have the name. Trademark registration can take months. Will you need to test the name with your concept on consumers? You may prefer to have the name sorted beforeyou think about design. You might haveno concrete ideas what the overall brand identity will be, and want the name tobe the first step in defining this.

Soshould you be naming that twinkle? Onlyif you have developed the concept far enough. A lot of things might eventually influence the name you want for yourproduct or company, including product features, brand identity, positioning,and the result of consumer testing on your concept. It might be tempting to name your idea beforeit has been given any real development in these areas. The problem with this is twofold.

Forone thing, as your concept begins to be implemented, you may find yourselfultimately changing what it’s all about. You might have a great idea for a product, but by the time the product becomesreality it is something totally different from what you originally imagined,because in the real world your idea wasn’t sellable in its original form. If you named your original idea, you now runthe risk of the name not fitting the evolved concept.

Thesecond problem with naming too early is that, if you don’t have a clear ideaabout what you’re naming, or what role the name will play in the overallcommunication strategy, it is going to be very difficult for you to say “yes”to anything anyone comes up with. Thatis to say, you may like or dislike various suggestions, but there will be noother particular reason to commit to or reject any one name. From a creative agency point of view, it’svery difficult to create and refine ideas when the brief is not well-defined.

There is no clear rule as to when is the best timeto think about a name. It depends onwhat you’re planning. Make sure you knowwhat you’re naming, but, importantly, leave enough time to find the rightname. The chances are, the name will bewith you even when other brand elements have evolved.

Brand names that make you smile

2011-09-29T14:38:00.006+01:00

Just like our emotions and thoughts can affect our behaviour (when we are sad we cry, and when we are happy we smile and laugh), our behaviour can affect our emotions and thoughts. I am sure that you have even experienced it before without necessarily being aware of it. Have you ever tried to act as a happy person and to make an effort to smile more at a time when you were feeling a bit down? If you have, you may as well have noticed that you probably felt happier and more positive after a little while. In the same way, if you are having a conversation with someone and you cross your arms on your chest your body language will not only communicate to the other person that you are shutting yourself off but it will also make YOU feel more negative about your conversation (if you don’t believe me, try it!).

In his book 59 Seconds: Think a little, change a lot, Professor Richard Wiseman says: “Get people to behave a certain way and you cause them to feel certain emotions and have certain thoughts^{^[1]}.”

Some researchers have carried out tests to show evidence of this phenomenon. One of those tests for example, consists in showing a group of people items moving vertically and others moving horizontally on a screen. The participants are then asked which items they preferred. Unaware of what has been going on during the tests, most participants reply that they preferred vertically-moving items. What has actually motivated their choice is that vertically-moving items have made them nod, making them say “yes”, whereas horizontally-moving items have made them move their head from side to side therefore making them say “no”.

In another test that was carried out by Fritz Strack (a professor of Social Psychology) and his colleagues in the 1980s, two groups of people were told that they were going to watch a cartoon. Both groups were given a pencil. People in group 1 were asked to hold the pencil in between their teeth without making their lips touch (which forced them to smile); people in group 2 were asked to support the end of the pencil with their lips but not their teeth (which forced them to frown). At the end of the cartoon it was noticed that the participants in group 1 had enjoyed the cartoon more and had found it funnier than people in group 2, showing that the participants had experienced the emotions associated with their expressions. So it would seem that we do indeed have a better impression of things when we smile (even if this smile is forced).

Is the same thing happening when we speak then?

When we speak we force our face into displaying a variety of emotions. Not that we really have the choice: to be able to pronounce certain sounds we have to open our mouths more or less wide, move our cheeks, purse our lips, etc. and as a result it looks like we are smiling, or pouting, or who knows what else? Thus, for instance, we will have to smile to pronounce words like “happy”, “family”, “sneeze” and to say brands like Ovaltine, KFC’s Complete Treat, Sunny Delight (a.k.a. Sunny D), Vaseline. The question then is to know whether or not we keep a better impression of those names because they literally make us smile when we say them, and whether we are happier and more positive when we say them than when we say Oreo, Braun or Walkers for example.

To me there is a lesson to learn from this: marketing people should probably give some thought to this too as it seems that if you make your customers smile (or say “yes”), they may be happy to come back to your brand.

[1] R. Wiseman (2009). ‘Happiness is a pencil’. 59 Seconds: Think a little, change a lot, pages 32-33

A few things to consider when naming

2011-09-27T10:38:00.001+01:00

Itis a rare pleasure that all of the Nomen branches get together at the same timebut we were lucky enough to do just that recently at the group seminar. Whilethere, we asked representatives of each branch what one tip they would givepeople to help with their naming process. This could be a specific attitudetowards the naming or a behaviour to maintain to make your process smoother.Below are some of those thoughts:

* BeBold: During the creation process, don’t hesitate to propose original names.Apart from making you stand out they are much more likely to be available whenyou carry out your legal checks.

* Stand Out: Differentiateas much as possible from the competition. Many names simply reflect the exactsame things as their competition. Use the opportunity to make yourself noticed.

* Take Time: Give theprocess the time it needs. If you leave your naming to the last minute you willusually be forced to accept something you are not entirely happy with. You willnot be able to explore your options properly and, once some ideas have beenlost through legal checks, you will be left with limited choices.

* Get Everyone Involved:Lots of projects go back to the drawing board when someone comes in late withconflicting opinions to everyone else. Try to incorporate all decision makersin the process as early as possible.

* Look Beyond Your Environment:Take some hints from cultural worlds: read a lot, go to theatres andexhibitions. Don’t just look attechnical worlds and your business. Even engineers can be creative!

* ConsiderYour Overall Strategy: Each product and service reflects on the corporate nameand its branding. A solid naming strategy makes it possible to establishcoherence between them.

* Decide the‘Winning Formula’ Early: When it comes to the decision time, someone usuallygets cold feet and starts picking holes in otherwise good ideas. Decide on thewinning criteria early in the process and understand that not everyone willagree when it comes time to commit.

* GetOutside Opinions: It can be difficult to make a decision from a list of nameswhen you were so involved in creating them. When it comes time to make yourdecisions, get the opinions of colleagues, friends and family… and namingconsultants!

Sharing the joke on Twitter

2011-09-15T14:18:00.005+01:00

Have you ever heard the theory that you laugh louder at something if you’re with other people? Something that may get a mild chuckle if seen by yourself will apparently make you laugh out loud for several seconds if you’re with others seeing the same thing. I always had my doubts about this (mainly because I laugh like an idiot who gets funny looks from other people so can let myself go when I’m on my own) but last week saw something happen in the naming world that has maybe changed my mind.

What everyone had assumed was a joke turned out to be the real thing when Ben and Jerry’s released ‘Schweddy Balls’ as their latest limited edition flavour. For those who don’t know, this is a tribute to a Saturday Night Live sketch involving Alec Baldwin who plays ‘Pete Schweddy’, owner of a holiday bakery called ‘Seasons Eatings’. The main joke of the piece being that although Pete offers lots of treats like Zucchini bread and fruitcake, the thing he most likes to bring out for the holiday season is his balls (popcorn balls, rum balls, cheese balls, ‘balls for every taste’). I’m sure you can fill in the gaps to work out most of the jokes but ultimately it concludes that no-one can resist Pete’s ‘Schweddy balls’.

My very quick name review before getting to what really interests me:

The name certainly has two of the qualities most associated with Ben and Jerry’s existing name portfolio. Firstly it fits in with their love of wordplay (Phish Food, Cherry Garcia, Caramel Chew Chew). Secondly it is a funny name which is expected of most new Ben and Jerry products (Fairly Nuts, Half Baked, Chunky Monkey). On the negative side I’d probably say that it’s gone a bit too far to the dark side for what is very clearly a family brand. Mark Skoultchi from Catchword said in his full name review that he’d feel the urge to wash his daughter’s mouth out if he heard her order some ‘Schweddy Balls’ in the shop (Mark’s review can be found here: http://bit.ly/qd61dy). I’m all for funny names but feel this joke conjures up images that I personally don’t want while eating anything. There used to be a shelf in our office of foreign food products with names that in English would give some truly bizarre and/or awful images while eating them. ‘Schweddy Balls’ wouldn’t have looked out of place there and would have had people making fun of it if it happened to be a foreign product that didn’t understand the joke. So I’m not really a fan.

Now onto what intrigues me…how it was chosen and how it was accepted so readily.

There aren’t many branding agencies who would have put this forward as a serious suggestion in the first place, let alone recommended it. It’s the type of name that would have probably come up in a brainstorming meeting that everyone laughed about and then moved on. I’m fascinated that it was chosen as the final product name. It shows that Ben and Jerry’s had some real confidence in their customers when they said that ‘they get the humour’. Although they said that they didn’t want to offend anyone, they have been around long enough to know that intentions don’t always matter and the name could have backfired. But most people seemingly did ‘get the humour’. Last week ‘Schweddy Balls’ was trending on Twitter like crazy as people shared the joke and desperately tried to find out where to get some.

This was one of those cases where it was very easy to point to the name and say ‘there’s the main reason for your success’. What I find interesting though is that in this case the name under any normal conditions could have been a disaster but in an environment like Twitter people are able to ‘laugh louder because they are seeing something with other people’. People were making jokes about the name but it didn’t matter because everyone understood that they were supposed to be finding it funny and were therefore sharing it on that basis. They didn’t have time in a social setting like Twitter to put their thoughts together and say ‘actually, maybe that’s not quite right for something sold to kids’. Everyone was caught up in the moment of sharing a joke together.

So has this changed the landscape when it comes to deciding on brand naming strategy? In some ways I won’t be too surprised if it has. I don’t expect we will see many family brands pushing the humour further than ‘Schweddy Balls’ but I do imagine we will see a slight shift towards some companies being a bit braver in their name choices knowing that people are willing to share a good laugh. It is assumed that a good controversy will spread just as fast as a good joke but Schweddy Balls may have just pushed the limit of where the line is.

How adopting a bold naming strategy can make your life easier

2011-09-13T15:26:00.006+01:00

What is one of the major problems facing companies when they want to expand their range of products or services?

To find a name that is relevant for the range and that hasn’t been taken by the competition yet!

This problem usually comes in two different forms.

The first one: company A develops and is about to launch, say, a product in one or a few more markets but doesn’t think of expanding further. Fine. They choose a name that suits their needs and it is available to register on those markets. Still fine. However, after a few months/years, company A decides to launch this same product on more markets and there, can you guess what happens? Exactly: uh oh! The name isn’t available on those markets and company A now has to find a new name, quick.

Second form of the problem: company B develops a product (but this is also true with services) and doesn’t think too much about any further products in the same range (maybe it is not even considering to create a range yet). They select a name – there were others they liked but this one is definitely the best for the product they have right now so they only register this one. The name is brilliant, everyone loves it and people love it so much actually that the competition starts producing the same type of products with names that are quite similar or along the same idea. Now company B decides to expand its range. When comes the time to name it,… uh oh! All the potential new names that fit with their existing one have been registered by the competition (or at least something close enough to stop the new name from being registered).

Why do these problems occur? My answer is simple and can seem a bit harsh: it is because company A and B didn’t anticipate enough. I know it is hard to anticipate everything; but this is where lack of anticipation can lead: a dead-end or the re-planning of the company’s naming strategy (which is not very convenient as it usually delays the whole planning).

There are ways to avoid this problem though. Take Orange UK for example. From the very beginning, the name has nothing to do with mobile phones or broadband. Now let’s take a look at the name of their mobile phone plans. Monkey, Dolphin, Canary, Racoon, Camel, Panther. Animal names. In my opinion this can be a brilliant strategy.

First, they can expand pretty much endlessly and secondly, Orange has pretty much prevented any other competitor in the same sector from copying them. Indeed, if a competitor was trying to get down the animal names route too, they would probably get into trouble legally but they would also get the consumers confused and to associate animal names with Orange. Thanks to good strategic planning, the names of Orange UK’s plans are – just like the name of the company – unique. It is interesting to note that it was maybe a bit risky at first to choose such names. I mean: ‘Dolphin’ or ‘Racoon’ don’t tell you what you have; but you will probably agree that those names are more exciting than just saying ‘free internet and texts’ and ‘low cost calls and texts’. Those names are more exciting, they are original, and therefore they stand out from the crowd. And as I was saying earlier original names offer a lot of naming possibilities in the case of future product or service development.

There is another advantage about choosing an original name as opposed to a more obvious one: it helps you to get noticed. Now for those who are scared or worried about taking risk, consider the following: take the first time that you asked someone to go on a date with you. It was super risky and scary, right? I am sure that many of you had questions starting with “How do I…?” and “What if…?” popping into their head – if you didn’t, I did. Nevertheless you took the risk, didn’t you? And no matter whether it worked out or not in the end, surely, by taking that risk you got noticed by the person you fancied.

Don’t get me wrong, if you decide to go for an obvious name that’s fine and has its advantages; but if you decide to be bold and to choose an unusual name or at least, a name that is not straightforward you have all the chances in the world to get noticed. Consumers might not always understand what your name means or stands for at first. They are likely to be surprised. Nevertheless, you will also get them curious about what you do and who you are. After all, who needs to know what the name Kijiji means to use the website? Most people use it without knowing what it means and they seem perfectly fine with that (OK, because it’s you: it means ‘community, village’ in Swahili). The same is true for innocent, the juice and smoothie brand. In this case the meaning of the name is easy to get but why innocent for smoothies? People buy their products even though some people may not be sure if the name is meant to reflect the ‘untouched’ nature of the product or if it is supposed to reflect on you as a healthy user.

Exciting and enticing brands make people want to participate, buy, or at least try. Then it is up to you to do the right thing so that from trying they start participating or buying on a regular basis.

Be careful though, original names don’t work in every sector. I am especially thinking about sectors like banking and finance or sectors involving security and where trust is required (would you trust a secured payment system called Purple Gekko?). However, even for those sectors it is still possible to use the power of evocation and association to convey the right message whilst being different from the competition (for example Egg is a name that evokes security and protection while nurturing your finances).

So remember: descriptive names do say what the product or service is about indeed, but original – that some people would call risky – names are noticeable, intriguing, exciting and memorable, and can make it easier to expand your range in the future.

Religion in marketing

2011-09-08T10:36:00.002+01:00

A few weeks back I talked about the Texan man who wanted to take the ‘Hell out of Hello’ and how most clients I have worked with have wanted to avoid religious evocations (http://nomenuk-naming.blogspot.com/2011/08/overcoming-subjectivity.html). I’ve discussed this with a few people since writing the article and they’ve asked me if I felt ruling out any potential association with religion is a bit excessive. To highlight the reasons why it makes companies nervous: the Advertising Standards Authority has this week ruled against Phones4U for an advert featuring a cartoon picture of Jesus.

The picture in question depicts Jesus giving the thumbs up above the words ‘Miraculous deals on Samsung Galaxy Android phones’. After receiving 98 complaints the advert was removed but this ruling means that it cannot be run again at a later date due to ‘being disrespectful to the Christian faith’ and was ‘likely to cause serious offence’. They did however point out that they realised the advert was supposed to be funny; thereby showing this up to be merely a mis-judgement rather than an attempt to upset anyone for the sake of a sale.

Now I’m not a keyboard conspiracy theorist so I won’t be claiming that the ad was run with the intention of getting banned and creating more press. Phones4U say that they intended to show a ‘light-hearted, positive and contemporary image of Christianity’ and sent individual apologies to those who complained.

Was the picture offensive? I’m not religious myself so my opinion is fairly irrelevant but a chat with some of my Christian friends and a browse through the comment sections of the news agencies who have already run this story shows some fairly mixed opinions. It’s fairly obvious that most atheists won’t see what the fuss is about but even amongst Christians the opinion was split between those who thought it was OK and those who hated it but I can’t find a single Christian who says that the inclusion of that image would actually make them buy the product. It leaves me wondering what the point of its inclusion was in the first place then. Those who will buy from a brand just because it makes them laugh would have bought the products with some other type of joke and I don’t imagine the militant atheist market who will buy just because it’s offensive to organised religion is that big to bother with.

When discussing what is acceptable in marketing I usually end up coming around to comparing it to what is acceptable in comedy. I totally understand why people would get offended by the mere inclusion of their religion in marketing or comedy but for some reason I don’t mind risky comedy as much as risky marketing. I have three reasons for this. The first is that I’ve always figured that is easy enough to avoid comedians like Sarah Silverman and Ricky Gervais if you know that they will be saying things you will find offensive but much harder to avoid it if it’s directly in your unsuspecting face when you get on the tube in the morning. The second is that some people may be less bothered by a comic like Sarah Silverman for making jokes around the subject of Judaism as she is Jewish herself but are going to be less forgiving when it’s an outsider, or brand, making the joke. The third is that I think that people are more likely to accept the inclusion of religion in comedy if it is used to highlight some sort of other issue which makes it useful; whereas its inclusion to try and sell you something is not so acceptable.

Now this doesn’t mean that I’m necessarily against the advert in question from a moral perspective. Ultimately though does it matter if you’re personally against it or not? If we know that someone will be upset and the inclusion of it isn’t of any particular benefit should we not just avoid it altogether anyway?

We don't just name things!

2011-09-06T11:50:00.011+01:00

I promise that I will give you something a bit more substantial on Thursday but today I wanted to share something a bit more light-hearted.

Part of our ‘name creation meetings’ will always involve some sort of warm up to get everyone feeling relaxed and/or to get the creative juices flowing. One of my personal favourite activities is getting people to introduce themselves while blindfolded and trying to make something out of plasticine. For some reason I’ve found that people have much more to say about themselves when they can’t see anyone looking at them and they’re trying to enact the crane kick from The Karate Kid in clay.

There is a (reasonably) serious side to this. Breaking away from what you expect to be doing can cause you to start looking for other links in the way you work. If I ask someone expecting to work in words to start doing something with their hands then suddenly they start seeing the problem at hand in a different way. This gives them many more avenues to explore when they go back to working in words and names.

That’s probably a subject worth going into in more detail at a later date but for now, for your viewing pleasure, I present to you some of the Nomen UK creative team’s plasticine creations…

Football's naming dilemma

2011-08-31T11:36:00.004+01:00

It seems like every other day now I’m seeing stories of various sporting stadiums looking to change their names to that of a sponsor. This used to be considered a very American trend but recent years have seen it become much more common in the UK.

Look at the English football Premier League alone; you have Emirates (Arsenal), Etihad (Manchester City), Reebok (Bolton Wanderers), Britannia (Stoke City), Liberty (Swansea) and DW (Wigan). That’s just over 25% of the teams in the league. With Chelsea also said to be looking to sell the rights to their stadium name it doesn’t so much look like this is the start of a trend but like one that has already arrived.

Part of what makes the job of anyone involved in naming so difficult is the fact that people feel like they own names in some way. The history of branding is littered with examples of product name changes that caused ‘outrage’ amongst the public (I have a friend who still calls a Snickers a ‘Marathon’). The debate on stadium name changes although audible has been much more muted. I’d like to think it’s simply because supporters are more focused on the positive side effects of a name change; Emirates Airline apparently paid Arsenal £100 million for the name of Arsenal’s stadium. I suspect though that the real reason is simply that it’s not the done thing to take a swipe at the club you love.

So does this mean that everyone just moves on and accepts the status quo? Unfortunately I have my doubts. Ex-Arsenal player Samir Nasri recently moved to Manchester City and on arrival at his new club said “Arsenal have good fans but they are not as passionate since they moved from Highbury to the Emirates”. Now if this is true (I’m sure Arsenal fans would disagree), what happened? Highbury was a great stadium; I went there myself many times and didn’t think there was anywhere else quite like it. The name ‘Highbury’ meant something to Arsenal fans; it conjured up that history and passion. I understand that times change and the team had to move to a bigger ground. I think just transferring the name ‘Highbury’ would have been inappropriate and calling the new ground ‘New Highbury’ would have been very weak, but ‘Emirates’? It’s not a name that says ‘we are going to carry on creating that history here’. The very nature of a corporate sponsorship name is that it is going to be impermanent which is something that football fans just don’t identify with. That name by its very nature can’t be something that football fans feel passion for.

As a Chelsea fan I was very happy to hear of the apparent troubles the club is having in selling the naming rights to Stamford Bridge. For me that name means something the same as Old Trafford, The Nou Camp, Anfield and The Bernebéu means something to others around the world. I just don’t think I’d feel the same telling my mates I was off to watch the game at Bernie’s Fish Bar Stadium. So to any football club chairmen out there my professional advice is to try to understand your audience the same as any corporation should…it’s not about how many people admire your product, it’s about how many are passionate enough to engage with it. In professional sports the passion is already there and you should be trying to maintain that in any way you can.

Looking Cool

2011-08-23T11:15:00.008+01:00

In a previous article dated from the 18^th of May 2011 I was raising the question of people identifying with brands and bands. It reminded me of a t-shirt I bought last summer: a black t-shirt with the logo of the Rolling Stones (you know, the mouth with the tongue sticking out!), and I started to wonder why I had bought that t-shirt. I mean: I love it, this is not the question; but I don’t even listen to the Rolling Stones’ music!

That’s when a thought – that I found very disturbing at the time – struck me: you can end up wearing a Rolling Stones t-shirt knowing nothing or (very) little about them and their music just because you think that many people think they are a “cool band”, and that therefore, wearing this t-shirt makes you “look cool”.

‘Impossible,’ I thought. ‘Not me!’

Horrified at the idea that it could be the case, I tried to remember what had led me to buy that t-shirt. My first reason for buying it was that I didn’t have a t-shirt with this type of cut and wanted one. Okay, that’s a good reason so far. My second reason was because I truly like the Rolling Stones’ logo. I think it is really cool (regardless of what it could make me look like); so my choice naturally went for that t-shirt rather than for the other one next to it, with the same cut but with a different drawing on it. Alright. But then I remembered that (terrible) thought I had, my third reason for buying that t-shirt: ‘and I will look cool in that t-shirt.’ “Look cool”? Ouch. Those two words showed me that my worries were confirmed and that every time I say I don’t care about what people think of what I am wearing it is not 100% true.

There is something comforting about all this though: I am not the only one in that case. If you were to ask every person you see with a Che Guevara t-shirt or bag who Che Guevara was you would be amazed at how many people wouldn’t actually know the answer. On the other hand, most of the time you would find out that the reason why those people have that t-shirt/bag is because “it looks cool”. Same: how many people have this famous picture of Albert Einstein sticking his tongue out either as a poster, a t-shirt, etc. just because they think this picture is “cool” and gives a “cool image” of them? And there are plenty of other examples of this.

So do we only buy certain items with certain things on them just because they make us look cool? Is that it?

These “things” are what is called modern “icons”, that is to say a “name, face, picture, edifice or even a person [that can be] recognized as having some well-known significance or embodying certain qualities […] usually associated with religious, cultural, political, or economic standing”.

Some examples of modern icons

It means that indeed, we might buy items with those icons on to look cool; but this is only part of the answer and this might not even be the main reason why we buy those items. Another part of the answer is that those icons come in very handy when it comes to saying something about ourselves – and the great thing is that they allow us to do so without even needing to open our mouths! Just by what we own and what we wear we give people around us multiple clues as for who we are, what we think, what we like, etc. It is amazing how a simple picture can tell so much about us just by all the meaning that is agglomerated in it. So buying such items allows us to express ourselves… in silence. And finally, there is the case where one can like the icon purely as a picture, without regard to the meaning behind it.

In short, we buy items with those icons on because:

a) they help us to convey a certain image of us based on how we think other people perceive those icons (“I would like to look cool and arty > I think that most people think that Andy Warhol’s work is cool and arty > therefore I have a poster of Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe in my living room”), and in this case never mind if our knowledge about those icons is poor or nonexistent!;

b) they say something about us to the world (“I have a bag with The Beatles on because I am a fan of their music”);

c) because we simply like them as pictures (like me and my t-shirt with the Rolling Stones logo);

d) or because – I haven’t mentioned that yet – these icons mean something to us emotionally-speaking (“I have a t-shirt of AC/DC because it reminds me of the great time I had at their concert”); in this case the item is more of a souvenir than anything else.

To come back on the story of my t-shirt, I might have had this thought about me looking cool indeed, and I might not know much about the Rolling Stones; but still: I like the logo as a picture so it is still a good reason for my purchase… isn’t it?

Overcoming Subjectivity

2011-08-19T09:24:00.004+01:00

When it comes to naming products, subjectivity comes up an awful lot. It is easy enough to rule out the name of your new international sofa range if it means ‘yoghurt’ in Italian and even easier if it happens to be a word used as an insult or sexual term in certain countries or cultures. What makes it a more difficult decision is when you are faced with someone telling you that they see certain words in your names that others do not. Someone saying that your new name ‘sounds a bit like’ a term for genitalia or has the first few letters of a word used for telling people to ‘go away’ can make the decision makers behind important brands very nervous. The question is though, where do you draw the line?

I imagine almost everyone in branding has at least one story of losing a favourite idea to what they perceived as crazy comments from a testing group. If one person in a group of a hundred says your name evokes sheep mutilation, should we ignore them or do we have to accept that others might think it and ditch the name?

There are obviously degrees to this. Take the word Juzu as an example and assume we want to use it for a product in the UK. Most people would say that it looks quite modern, was easy to pronounce and easy to spell. So far so good, but what if someone pointed out that ‘juzu’ is the name of Buddhist prayer beads? Suddenly we may have a problem. Most clients I’ve worked with have had religion on a list of evocations to definitely avoid so as to not offend anyone. Is this enough of a problem to not use the name? It’s not saying anything negative about Buddhism and if you were going to pick a religion that is viewed neutrally by most people Buddhism is probably it. So let’s assume our brand manager is feeling brave and says we can keep the name for now. We’re looking good until Mr. One in a Hundred points out that it evokes the holocaust. Erm, what? Even when I’ve just said that, most people reading this will look again and have no idea why. It’s a great looking word but say it out loud. Still no idea? Apologies if I’m boring those who figured this out at the beginning of the paragraph but when some people say this name out loud they hear as clear as anything that it sounds like ‘Jew Zoo’! I don’t yet have a scale of 1 to 10 on which to measure comfort levels of names but even without that I reckon I would know to put the brakes on this one.

This illustrates that sometimes the negative is so strong that, even though it will only be noticed by a small minority, we should nevertheless reject the name on that basis. However, we probably need to accept that no idea can truly be considered bullet proof and people will always find something negative to say if they look hard enough or think about it for long enough. Take the example of the Texan man who made headlines in 1997 for wanting to change the greeting ‘hello’ as it contained the word ‘hell’. I don’t want to upset anyone but I’d hope we can all agree that maybe that is taking it a bit too far!

Both hell and Auschwitz are clearly negative. But the difference is, having heard “Jew zoo”, it will be difficult to not hear it whenever you hear the name “juzu” again, whereas, having had the “hell” pointed out to you in “hello”, you are unlikely to be thinking of it the next time someone greets you.

Ultimately, the decision on whether to kill a name or save it is also a subjective one, but hopefully a degree of dispassionate common sense can be involved. So sadly I can’t give you a fool-proof rule to follow but would advise that if you hear someone’s problem with your name and recoil in horror you should probably scrap it but if you start laughing and questioning their sanity then it’s probably OK.

A Cornish mistake?

2011-07-28T16:36:00.001+01:00

Recently Cornish pasties have been added to the long list of foodstuffsnow granted the status of ‘Protected Geographical Indication’, meaning that anyPasties not made in Cornwallcannot masquerade as Cornish but must live under another name. But afterfighting for nine years for this special recognition, is it really worth it?

When one buys a Cornish pasty we do not question its heritage and whereit originally came from, however neither do we assume that all Cornish pasties wesee were manufactured in Cornwall.Although it may be right for Cornwall to refusepasties made in Scotland toclaim to be Cornish, will it actually aid Cornwall?By preventing any pasties not made in Cornwallfrom bearing their name surely the prevalence of the Cornish pasty will diminishand slowly its heritage will fade out of the public eye.

Something that confuses me with this scheme is how status is granted andwhy some foods are refused. For example the Yorkshire Pudding has been refusedsuch a status due to the fact that it is such a generic phrase that peoplewould not be able to manufacture them elsewhere and call them simply Puddingsas this would have a whole other meaning. So if ‘Yorkshire’refers to the style of pudding, why can it not just be accepted that ‘Cornish’refers to a style of pasty?

Another reason for refusal from the scheme is the quantity in which somefoods are consumed including Cheddar Cheese. It is said that so much CheddarCheese is consumed in Americaalone that Cheddar would not be able to feasibly produce enough to fulfildemands, but surely Cornwallcannot produce enough Cornish pasties alone to feed the nation.

The stricter side of the scheme however shows what can happen if youenter your product too hastily for a grant and forget the repercussions.‘Newcastle Brown Ale’ used to be on the list of restrictions so it could onlybe brewed in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne. What the company seemed to forget was that if they moved location, say across the river to Gateshead as they did in 2004, they wouldno longer be able to produce ‘Newcastle Brown Ale’. Luckily the companyappealed to the European Union authorities and managed to have the restrictionrevoked.

Let’s hope the makers of the Cornish pasties don’t decide to move orthey’ll vanish altogether!

Getting Ready for Pret

2011-07-13T17:35:00.006+01:00

(http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/sectors/food-and-drink/pret%E2%80%99s-brand-promise-lost-in-translation/3028165.article)

Last week MarketingWeek was raising the difficult question of the launch of Pret a Manger in Paris and of whether or not the chain should change its name on the French market . As a French person working in the naming industry I thought that I would chime in with my opinion.

First I have to stress the fact that in French if the name is not great and sounds a bit clumsy – I would say that it sounds like foreign people tried to (and in this case did) create a name in French – it is not a major problem (Pret a Manger can be understood in two different ways in French: “Ready to Eat Food” or “You Are Ready to Eat”). Indeed, apart from sounding a bit cheap or “fast food”, it doesn’t trigger any negative connotations straight away (as it was the case in the example given by the magazine of the Mitsubishi car – Pajero – that had to be renamed Montero for the Spanish market).

Furthermore, if we take into account the number of brands that we live with every day despite the fact that they sound a bit silly or cheap, I would say that Pret a Manger is probably fine. Some of my favourite examples are Cillit Bang (not the most beautiful name that the French language has known), Fepalcon (an antidepressant meaning literally “Don’t act like a twat”), Monoprix (a supermarket chain which name sounds cheap – “One Price” – but that really isn’t!) and Le Bon Marché (a well-known department store in Paris which name sounds (and means) cheap – and that is actually not very different from Pret a Manger on a naming point of view[*] – and that happens to be a French equivalent of Harrods).

Then I would back Mark Ritson who wrote the article in MarketingWeek: the brand is about to be launched in Paris and many Parisians have travelled or travel to the UK (and especially to London) on a regular basis and are likely to be familiar with the brand already. Thus, Pret a Manger is more likely to be associated with the UK there than with France.

And if I may introduce a personal opinion here, I would tend to say that changing the current name to a new one that would sound “more French” or “better quality” would make the Pret a Manger brand lose its identity and consistency. If you take a closer look at the type of products that are sold in Pret a Manger restaurants, they are definitely more British than French so it doesn’t really matter that the name sounds slightly odd in French. In addition to that, I can easily imagine that with a different name sounding better in French the customers would become much more demanding and that their expectations would be higher as for the type of products available. I think that in that case Pret a Manger would even have to adapt some of their products to the French tastes (fresh baguette, French cheese, charcuterie, etc.) because the risk, with a French name, is disappointment and progressive disinterest for the brand if the products don’t stick to the French standards.

On the other hand, the fact that Pret a Manger is a British company is probably a great competitive advantage for the brand. The reason is simple: one of the stereotypes that French people have about British culture is that it is strange (to us obviously) and unusual, slightly crazy at times so by definition “original” and “brilliant”. There, Pret a Manger probably has the advantage of differentiation. Because it is British – and therefore different – the restaurant chain might attract people who will get curious or nostalgic about the UK without regards to its name.

Mark Ritson proposed a possible compromise in his article: to shorten the name to “Pret”. I agree to say that if the chain wants to change its name it is one possible alternative. Another alternative could be to add “London” at the end of Pret a Manger. Indeed, by doing this the reason why the name can sound a bit odd to French ears would be explained (it comes from London, so it’s not French, so “aaah, mais oui! tout est clair!”). The other advantage of that second possibility is that the name, sounding good quality (because French) in the UK, will lose this slightly premium feel once on the other side of the Channel; however, by saying Pret a Manger – London, you put this premium feel back in the name (one of the best examples I can think of would be Burberry, often presented as Burberry – London in France).

To put it simply, a bad name in French doesn’t necessarily mean a bad name in France.

Bon appétit!

[*] The name Le Bon Marché, even if French, sounds a bit odd and old fashioned, probably due to the fact that the department store was founded in 1838. In the meantime, the French language has changed and this type of name has become quite rare in France and therefore unusual.

Band names = Brand names?

2011-05-18T16:30:00.007+01:00

The other day I was talking with some of my friends who are starting a band and one of them told me that they were struggling to name it. “We have loads of ideas, that’s not the problem, but we really want something that all of us like and that says something about us,” he said.

Up to that point I had never really thought about it but what my friend had just said made me wonder whether band names were actually very different from brand names.

I thought there was definitely something there for me to investigate and started to collect information. Here is what I found:

For a start, let’s go back to the basics – just to refresh the memory. What is a brand? According to the definition of the Collins English dictionary, a brand is “a particular product or a characteristic that serves to identify a particular product”. Identify is quite an interesting word here: it both implies the idea of distinguishing something from something else and the idea of identity. We will come back on this last one later. As for band, well the definition – I am referring to the first entry here because it adds something to the idea of band as a group of people who play music – is: “a company of people having a common purpose”. This definition suggests that a band is pretty much like a company, which could mean that a band name is pretty much like a company name. Makes sense. After all, like company names many band names say something – even indirectly – about that band (whether it is sense of humour, admiration for someone or for a piece of work, an ideology, etc.); they just tend to be a bit more catchy that company names.

And just like for brands, if you come up with a great band name, don’t register it and not long after you hear that the new album of a band with exactly the same name as yours has been released (a name that this other band registered as a trademark – copyright doesn’t work for band names but it does for a logo), basically the only thing you can do is to rename your band.

Finally, to come back on the idea of identity: just like consumers can identify with brands, people can identify with bands. You can buy a product from a certain brand simply because you like it (taste, quality, etc.) or because you also share the values and ideas that this brand conveys, and because buying this particular product says something about you (social status, involvement for a cause, etc.). When you think about it, it is not very different with bands and music: you can listen to a band’s music simply because you like that style / those lyrics / that particular tune, or because you share the values and ideas that this band and their songs convey (an ideology, a lifestyle, etc.).

Hmmm… this actually makes me think of something. It means another little investigation to come!

Benefits of consumer participation

2011-04-19T16:54:00.002+01:00

The world of marketing is a fast paced one, and companies have no rest when it comes to making sure that consumers don’t get bored with their brand and stay loyal to it. One of the most basic ways of making the consumers loyal to a brand is to offer advantages in return for purchase. This gives things like loyalty cards or points that you can collect and then redeem for extra items or to use as a certain amount of money off your following purchase. More recently, with the quick ascent of the Internet, digital promotion and social media have been used a lot as ways of getting consumer engagement with brands. Another popular trend these days is to make the consumer participate - and when we say participate, we don’t mean sign up for a chance to win vouchers or an amazing holiday in some exotic place, no! Companies make the consumer work on their brand (yes, seriously!). Thus, Kleenex organizes packaging design competitions, The Yorkshire Crisp Company ask their consumers to come up with innovative flavours, Pizza Express get their customers to send pizza recipes, and Soap & Glory offer their consumers the chance to suggest puns that, if good enough, will be used as names for their new products.

Lack of ideas or on the contrary brilliant idea?

Some criticism could arise from this trend. Things such as “the creative/marketing people working for those companies are probably short of ideas”, or “those companies just want to spend less money with creatives so they’re using free labour instead” could be thought.

But do these companies encouraging consumers to participate in the development of their brand really want to spend less money? This is not so certain if we consider that Walkers was offering the winner of their competition entitled “Do Us a Flavour! Win a Packet!” a £50,000 prize plus 1% of all future sales, and a prize of £10,000 each to five runners-up.

Moreover, making consumers participate is maybe the best way to give them what they want after all. This “made by the consumer for the consumer” technique can be a way to say “we give you what you really want because we really care about you”. Plus who has never dreamt of having their hour of glory? To see their packaging, their flavour, their recipe, their pun, their work, in short: the results of their imagination become a real product, and then to have the satisfaction of being able to say “I made this”? Offering this opportunity to a consumer is quite a clever idea to be fair. And if we look attentively, this technique offers at least three major advantages; let’s call them the 3 A’s (for attraction – amplification – attachment).

If we take once more the example of the Walkers’ competition: such prizes as the ones they offered are quite mouth-watering (no pun intended). The competition is therefore likely to attract a fair amount of potential consumers along with already existing consumers, who will suddenly pay more attention to the brand and its existing flavours in order to come up with an innovative, winning flavour of their own. Thus, we could say of these consumers that they are attracted to the brand; and let’s face it: more attraction is synonym of increased consumption, which is all good for the brand.

The second benefit quite logically results from the first one: those consumers-users, excited by the prospect of the prize, are likely to spread the word and to talk to their relatives and friends about the brand and the competition (send them links, become fans or followers on the social platforms, etc.). This is the first stage of what we nowadays call the “buzz”. The “buzz” - or another (probably more fashionable) way of saying “word of mouth” - has a long-lasting effect (hence the idea of “stages”). First is the amplification of the message - our second A - that comes with the excitement of a new experience and that goes very fast, spreading especially online (via social networks among others). Then the message is further amplified through recommendation, by talking to family and friends about the advantages of using such and such product, which can be done either online (blogs, forums, comments and rating, etc.) or off line. This leads us to our third A: attachment.

It is in companies’ interest to pay particular attention to the experience they offer to consumers because this experience could be their key to success. To explain: by making the consumers participate in and interact directly with the brand, companies are creating an emotional connection, an attachment to their products. If consumers have a good time / a good experience, they are likely to generate positive comments, to recommend the brand to others (amplification by recommendation), and to buy the brand again therefore creating loyalty to the brand (attachment). Thus, the whole experience that is offered with a product or service is at least as important as the product or service itself because as we’ve said: a satisfied consumer is likely to recommend the brand to others which means scope for more market shares for the companies.

Organizing competitions and making consumers participate in and contribute actively to the brand is maybe not such a bad idea after all?

You learn something new every day

2011-03-24T12:03:00.001Z

They say that hanging around with younger people helps to keep you young. Sadly it also has a habit of reminding you how old you are! While talking to one of my younger friends recently I mentioned that Snickers used to be called Marathon. This was apparently news to her. “Oh come on, it wasn’t that long ago surely?” After a bit of research I found out that the name changed in 1990! (2 whole years before she was even born by the way… how depressing).

I remember there was a bit of outrage in the school playground about it (not much of an internet to go and moan on back then) and how ‘Marathon’ meant something where ‘Snickers’ was just meaningless. It’s funny how annoyed people get over name changes, I guess we feel we own names more than something like a company’s colours for example.

Anyway, what we didn’t know at the time was Snickers did have some meaning…it was the name of Frank Mars’ favourite horse! I often find myself telling people not to just name their new product after something that only has meaning to them because to the public it won’t mean a thing, but you know what, sometimes maybe why not?

Sounds appealing?

2011-03-03T11:15:00.000Z

One of my favourite words, as a child, was Onomatopoeia.

Not only was it a lovely word to be able to say as a seven year old, but what wonderful words we could talk about! Jangle – crash – quack – sizzle – twang – honk – boing… I suspect the classroom was a bit noisy for a while, but what a great lesson it was. Writing our poems and stories became fun, and so did the walks home from school. We stomped along the road, splattered through puddles, rustled through fallen leaves and discussed the different sounds our pebbles made as we threw them into the stream, whether a splash, a plip or a SPER-LOOSH, and we had a whale of a time discovering the sound effects in the pig field we had to pass.

Oinks, snuffles, slurps, squelches – the onomatopoeic paradise of a pig pen!

It’s an invaluable tool for a writer or a poet, and also for a name creative. How often have we seen its use, like Frish, Swoop, Bliss, Yum-Yums, Febreze, and Crunchie – and known exactly what we were buying, even before reading the label?

I have hair products called Swishh, the emphasis on the ‘shh’ assures me that it will indeed work a treat. Companies want their products to sell; we want to buy products that work. If a lady buys Swishh, one can guarantee that when she has used it she will look in the mirror and toss her hair – and it will ‘swish’ for her.

Whether or not we realise it, we like the sounds names make. We read the subliminal message that this product is just what we need, and we have confidence in it, so it has to sound good – and of course it must live up to its promise.

Naming the movies

2011-01-27T13:43:00.001Z

Just like most products, films often go through several names before settling on what we see on the shelf at Blockbuster.

Some of these are never intended for the public, being used more to sell the idea of the script to the demanding studio; “American Pie” for example was originally called “Teenage Sex Comedy That Can Be Made For Under $10 million That Your Reader Will Love But The Executive Will Hate”. I don’t think it would have looked too catchy on the poster but I doubt there were many questions remaining in the head of the studio executives who saw the script.

Most of the name changes that occur are simply down to how they appeal to the consumer when you want as many people as possible buying tickets. “Rick’s Place” was found to not quite resonate as well as “Casablanca”, where “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep” was a great name for the book but didn’t catch movie-goers attention quite as well as “Blade Runner”.

But one of the things I love about the film industry is that it allows people to make genuinely bad products safe in the knowledge that there is a market for it, even if it’s only a tiny one. You don’t get many people saying they love the appeal of the new featureless, scratchy sounding personal music player but a bad film can have people lining up for hours, often in ridiculous costumes, to catch a showing.

Like a lot of products, the name is often the first hook that people will encounter to set the tone and let them know what they are in for. When your product is meant to be enjoyed for irony and/or insanity that gives you a lot of room to play. Sadly these kinds of films don’t have much of a marketing budget so I’ve not yet had my break in Hollywood but while I wait, here are some of my favourite movie titles:

The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies
Mega Shark Vs Giant Octopus
Snakes on a Plane
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
Ghost in the Invisible Bikini
SSSSSSS (AKA SSSSnake)
Slap Her…She’s French

And my all time favourite…

Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo