What's In A Name: The BrandClarity Blog

CNN Money reports the Hummer is headed to the scrap heap. The Hummer brand reigned supreme in better days where the economy was going strong and gas prices were low. The Hummer H2 was an extremely popular SUV with wide appeal from offroading enthusiasts, businesspeople, yuppies, and yes, even soccer moms. The brand was going strong for years, and Hummer was reinvented with the smaller, more compact H3. 

We've been very fond of the Hummer brand name and its ability to capture a wide base of loyal customers. There were rumors the brand might be sold off to a foreign car company, although now it appears to be going to the grave. We'll miss you, Hummer. You were an indicator of America's strong economy and love affair with massive, tank-like vehicles. We're sorry to say the Hummer brand name will be no more.

Did you know BrandClarity is an international branding company and has facilitated the product naming of many national car brands? Learn more about our verbal branding services.

Multinational companies invest millions of dollars into their verbal branding. Which brands are the strongest? In 2005, Business Week published a Global Brand Scorecard (PDF) of the Top 100 Brands. Tell us if you think these brands still deserve their rankings.

1. COCA-COLA
2. MICROSOFT
3. IBM
4. GE
5. INTEL
6. NOKIA
7. DISNEY
8. McDONALD'S
9. TOYOTA
10. MARLBORO
11. MERCEDES-BENZ
12. CITI
13. HEWLETT-PACKARD
14. AMERICAN EXPRESS
15. GILLETTE
16. BMW
17. CISCO
18. LOUIS VUITTON
19. HONDA
20. SAMSUNG
21. DELL
22. FORD
23. PEPSI
24. NESCAFE
25. MERRILL LYNCH
26. BUDWEISER
27. ORACLE
28. SONY
29. HSBC
30. NIKE
31. PFIZER
32. UPS
33. MORGAN STANLEY
34. JPMORGAN
35. CANON
36. SAP
37. GOLDMAN SACHS
38. GOOGLE
39. KELLOGG'S
40. GAP
41. APPLE
42. IKEA
43. NOVARTIS
44. UBS
45. SIEMENS
46. HARLEY-DAVIDSON
47. HEINZ
48. MTV
49. GUCCI
50. NINTENDO
51. ACCENTURE
52. L'OREAL
53. PHILIPS
54. XEROX
55. EBAY
56. VOLKSWAGEN
57. WRIGLEY'S
58. YAHOO!
59. AVON
60. COLGATE
61. KFC
62. KODAK
63. PIZZA HUT
64. KLEENEX
65. CHANEL
66. NESTLE
67. DANONE
68. AMAZON.COM
69. KRAFT
70. CATERPILLAR
71. ADIDAS
72. ROLEX
73. MOTOROLA
74. REUTERS
75. BP
76. PORSCHE
77. ZARA
78. PANASONIC
79. AUDI
80. DURACELL
81. TIFFANY & CO.
82. HERMES
83. HERTZ
84. HYUNDAI
85. NISSAN
86. HENNESSY
87. ING
88. SMIRNOFF
89. CARTIER
90. SHELL
91. JOHNSON & JOHNSON
92. MOET & CHANDON
93. PRADA
94. NEW BULGARI
95. ARMANI
96. LEVI'S
97. LG
98. NIVEA
99. STARBUCKS
100. HEINEKEN

Corporate America devotes much time and resources to product naming and company names.

At it’s very best, a corporate or brand name creates its own buzz, with the name driving product demand.

The traditional methods are little more than organized brainstorming. A group of creative marketing managers and consultants sit in a meeting room with white boards, and scribble whatever comes into their heads. Then they vote on the top names that seem to make the most sense. A list of finalist names is submitted to company executives to choose the top one or two. The top one or two names are run through legal to identify any legal issues and see if anyone else is using it.

While this is the popular approach in corporate America, there are some basic problems with the traditional model of branding.

1. Will customers “get it”?
   
2. Does the name convey the same message to customers as it did to the company?
   
3. How does the name translate to other cultures?
   
4. How does the name translate to other languages and countries?

There’s got to be a better way. BrandClarity believes there are more effective ways to address these issues:

1. Will customers “Get it”? BrandClarity mixes the art of name selection with the science of market research. BrandClarity uses focus groups at multiple stages of verbal brand development to identify market insights into a brand name. BrandClarity’s MarketVise service polls potential customers to give feedback on brand names, assuring that a chosen name conveys the same meaning to consumers and clients as it does to company management.
   
   
2. Does the name convey the same message to customers as it did to the company? BrandClarity delivers legally viable, focus group researched, linguistically fitting names which match our client’s intended positioning. Our behavioral research enables clients to gain deep insight into consumer motivations.
   
   
3. How does the name translate to other cultures? BrandClarity’s market research extends to cultural name research, polling customers from specific cultural groups, to ascertain that the client’s intended verbal branding message is clear to consumers of different backgrounds.
   
   
4. How does the name translate to other languages and countries? Today’s brands aren’t just local to America – many of today’s brands speak to an international audience. BrandClarity has international teams with multiple language expertise, to conduct naming market research in many different international markets, in many different languages. For example, considering all the countries that use different dialects of Spanish, BrandClarity's expertise can assure a consistent brand message is delivered in America, Spain, Mexico, and Argentina. International and multi-language market research can help companies avoid naming disasters (Ex: branding their next automobile Nova, without realizing the name means “doesn’t go” in Spanish).

Since 1995 BrandClarity has specialized in shopper insights and strategic brand development. Our expertise is focused on specific core elements of building strong brands: target market research, verbal branding and visual branding. Today’s rapidly changing business environment requires that companies keep their finger firmly planted on the pulse of the market. As an international brand consulting firm, BrandClarity focuses on the principle that your target market controls your brand.

The Product Naming Development Update is a recurring post from BrandClarity to inform our readers of our new and exciting verbal brand development projects.

We offer two different approaches to product naming:

MarketVise is the most market-intensive trade name development process available. It utilizes multiple stages of creative and market research to deliver target market endorsed, legally viable, linguistically appropriate names to communicate your positioning.

Creative JumpStart is our pay-as-you-go list methodology which delivers 15 legally prescreened trade name candidates submitted to the client in increments of five names each. A client feedback session is conducted after each list submission.

Recent Product Naming Results:

	Bloom Food Lion, a subsidiary of Delhaize Group, is one of the largest supermarket chains in the United States with over 1300 stores. Food Lion sought to create a grocery concept which was deisgned as an uncomplicated way to shop with the freshest products available. The company desired a trade name which communicated these attributes. In addition to the brand name, Bloom, the tagline "a different kind of grocery store" was created to communicate their desired positioning.
	Honda Clarity Honda introduced its new zero-emission hydrogen power fuel cell sedan. BrandClarity was tasked with creating an international trade name which communicated not only the no emissions benefit, but also Honda's clear environmental focus. Clarity as a brand name very effectively accomplishes both those objectives.
	BUSH'S GRILLIN' BEANS BrandClarity was retained to create four new flavor names for BUSH Brothers' line of GRILLIN' Beans. The flavor names created include: Smokehouse Tradition, Southern Pit Barbecue, Steakhouse Recipe and Bourbon and Brown Sugar. BUSH'S required that each flavor name capture the essence of the each product's taste. All names were paired with the products in taste tests to insure that they properly communicated the consumer's perception of product taste.

BrandClarity's clients include companies such as: FedEx, Sony, KIA Motors, Johnson & Johnson, Coca Cola, Abbott, Kraft Foods, YUM!, Diageo and Clorox. No matter the time line or budget, we pride ourselves on crafting custom solutions to help our clients solve their product naming and marketing issues. If you have any questions or would like to discuss any possible project initiatives, contact BrandClarity.

The Product Naming Development Update is a recurring post from BrandClarity to inform our readers of our new and exciting verbal brand development projects.

We offer two different approaches to product naming:

MarketVise is the most market-intensive trade name development process available. It utilizes multiple stages of creative and market research to deliver target market endorsed, legally viable, linguistically appropriate names to communicate your positioning.

Creative JumpStart is our pay-as-you-go list methodology which delivers 15 legally prescreened trade name candidates submitted to the client in increments of five names each. A client feedback session is conducted after each list submission.

Recent Product Naming Results:

	Pontiac Torrent Pontiac approached BrandClarity to develop a new identity for the debut of their new V6 crossover SUV. The trade name, Torrent, was developed to denote the vehicle's swiftness, power and ruggedness. The name Torrent is a current usage word meaning to exhibit a strong flow as in a swift current of water.
	Abbott EarlyShield BrandClarity recently developed the EarlyShield trade name for Abbott Nutrition. This product is the latest advancement in infant formula. It consists of a unique blend of prebiotics, nucleotides and antioxidants, which are the nutrients found in breast milk. The product supports a baby's natural defenses, digestive health and important immunity building blocks. The trade name EarlyShield is functional and properly supports the product's positioning by directly communicating this message.
	Bayer Profender Profender is the world's first spot-on intestinal wormer for cats. It combines powerful broad spectrum control of intestinal worms with the ease and convenience of a spot-on treatment. BrandClarity created the functional new word, Profender, to communicate the core messages of professional and proactive defense. In our experience, new words tend to be easier to register and defend, but often times more expensive to support. The trick is to create a new word which distinctively and clearly communicates the desired message. Profender does this very effectively.

BrandClarity's clients include companies such as: FedEx, Sony, KIA Motors, Johnson & Johnson, Coca Cola, Abbott, Kraft Foods, YUM!, Diageo and Clorox. No matter the time line or budget, we pride ourselves on crafting custom solutions to help our clients solve their product naming and marketing issues. If you have any questions or would like to discuss any possible project initiatives, contact BrandClarity.

The Product Naming Development Update is a recurring post from BrandClarity to inform our readers of our new and exciting verbal brand development projects.

We offer two different approaches to product naming:

MarketVise is the most market-intensive trade name development process available. It utilizes multiple stages of creative and market research to deliver target market endorsed, legally viable, linguistically appropriate names to communicate your positioning.

Creative JumpStart is our pay-as-you-go list methodology which delivers 15 legally prescreened trade name candidates submitted to the client in increments of five names each. A client feedback session is conducted after each list submission.

Recent Product Naming Results:

	Energizer NIGHT STRIKE Energizer was introducing a line extension to their new Hard Case® line of professional lighting products. This new line of lighting products was to be targeted toward outdoor recreational activities; primarily hunting enthusiasts who go on extended outdoor trips. BrandClarity created the name Night Strike to communicate the preferred positioning of activity, ruggedness and brightness for this new line lighting products. The new trade name has been so well received that it is being extended into their military lighting product line.
	Johnson & Johnson - Soothing Naturals Johnson & Johnson recently launched a new baby moisturizer that helps soothe lips and skin irritation from dryness. The trade name Soothing Naturals was developed to communicate not only the soothing nature of the product, but also to speak to the trusted natural ingredients that work together in an exclusive formula to provide superior moisturization for a baby's delicate skin.
	PPG - Alteos PPG was seeking to create new international brand and category names for their new electrochromic dimmable aerospace windows. The product replaces traditional window shading systems and eliminates much of the maintenance and warranty costs associated with these types of systems. PPG required an international trade name that was distinctive and had an interesting story which could be communicated to their customers. The new trade name needed to be legally available internationally in multiple trade mark classes. BrandClaritycreated the name Alteos from the Latin prefix Alt from "Altus" meaning high or noble denoting performance and the suffix "Eos" which in Greek means the Goddess of the Dawn. This new word gave PPG a distinctive legally viable trade name which had an interesting and memorable story behind it. BrandClarity also developed the category name "Interactive Window Systems" to further communicate the highly customizable interactive nature of this new product line.

BrandClarity's clients include companies such as: FedEx, Sony, KIA Motors, Johnson & Johnson, Coca Cola, Abbott, Kraft Foods, YUM!, Diageo and Clorox. No matter the time line or budget, we pride ourselves on crafting custom solutions to help our clients solve their product naming and marketing issues. If you have any questions or would like to discuss any possible project initiatives, contact BrandClarity.

When developing a new product or brand, there's only one opportunity for the perfect trade name. MarketVise is a methodology that guarantees the delivery of a legally viable, linguistically appropriate, market endorsed trade name that fits the brand positioning.

There are four key areas that need to be addressed within a trade name development process:

1. Target Market Endorsement
   To be effective, a new trade name must be endorsed by the target market. To ensure that trade name candidates are endorsed by your target market, BrandClarity conducts two waves of formal market research at an intermediate and final stage.
   
   
2. Internal Subjectivity
   Verbal brand development is a very subjective process. The more people involved, the more opinions. Since BrandClarity test names with the target market multiple times, your result will be market endorsed. When a potential trade name scores well with your customer, internal opinions tend to shift towards support of customer perferred names. In addition, BrandClarity provides a final project report showing the logical progression of your project. This arms our clients with the necessary data to support or defend their decisions.
   
   
3. Linguistic Appropriateness
   New trade names must not have a derogatory meaning in a foreign language. BrandClarity has a global network of linguists who are indigenous to the countries evaluated. We use multiple linguists per dialect which assures linguistic acceptability.
   
   
4. Legal Availability
   The greatest trade name in the world is useless if not legally available. BrandClarity has been conducting legal screening since the early 1990s. We conduct online domestic and international legal prescreening and commonlaw searches on every name candidate prior to client submission. Where possible BrandClarity works in tandem with a client's legal team to make trademark availability screening even more seamless.

Because BrandClarity has implemented so many safeguards into our MarkeVise verbal brand development process, we guarantee the delivery of a legally viable, linguistically appropriate, market endorsed trade name that fits your positioning. Don't take it from us. Read what our clients have said about our work.

We also offer the Creative JumpStart, our per list creative service, which is a microcosm of the MarketVise methodology. Creative JumpStart is ideal for projects with smaller budgets or tight timelines.

Some of our clients include: Pepsi-Cola, FedEx, YUM Brands, AT&T, Sony, Clorox, Amgen, Bayer and Johnson & Johnson. View a complete client list.