There
is a debate that makes its way through marketing circles that goes something
like this: Does the name of your brand really matter? People point to brand
names like Amazon or Uber and make the case that, although they are really
strong brand names, they have nothing to do with the products or services they
produce. On the flip side, a brand like Facebook or Microsoft give you at least
a hint of what the brand is all about.
So does it really matter what you call your brand? It does, but maybe not in the
way you are thinking. For instance, Steve Jobs named the computer giant, Apple,
after he returned from an apple orchard. He thought the name was catchy. He
didn't name it anything associated with a computer. Instead, he named it
something that was simple and easy to remember, created a great visual, and was
totally different from what his competition was naming their products. George
Eastman named his company Kodak. Unlike Jobs, he didn't want a name that was
associated with anything else, so he invented the word, Kodak. He wanted to own
the name so that when anyone heard it, they immediately thought of his cameras
and nothing else. On the other hand, Phil Knight, the entrepreneur behind Nike,
did not like the name for his shoe company. He wanted to call it Dimension Six.
(He also considered Bengal and Peregrine as brand names). After he was outvoted
by his employees, he begrudgingly agreed to Nike.
Do you see what is in common between all three names: Apple, Kodak and Nike?
They all have two syllables. So do these globally recognized brands:
- Cisco
- Samsung
- Honda
- GE
- BP
- Google
- Intel
- Gillette
- Disney
- Chanel
The
fewer syllables you have, the more memorable your brand will be. In fact, of
the 100 best global brands in 2018, as recognized by Interbrand, only one had
more than five syllables (American Express) and only two had five syllables
(Johnson and Johnson, Harley Davidson). There is something in our brains that
have trouble remembering more than seven syllables in a phrase and we are much
better when we have three or less. Branding names have to be memorable.
Brand
names also have to be different than what your competition is doing. The reason
Knight considered the names Bengal and Peregrine was that Puma shoes were very
popular when he was branding Nike. He wisely rejected these ideas. Naming his
shoe something different than an animal made his brand distinct. Making your
brand stand out from the competition is extremely important in marketing.
What
makes a great visual? George Eastman liked the letter "K”, with its angular
legs, it gave the illusion of movement, like an arrow. He also liked the warm
colors, red and gold, because they jumped off the page at you. Eastman
understood the power of a bold visual that grabbed your attention in marketing
his products. Consider the way your brand name looks as a visual. A good brand
demands you look at it.
How
are your brands? Are they memorable? Are they distinct from your competition?
Are they bold? If not, it may be time to look at rebranding.
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Best Global Brands 2018 Rankings https://www.interbrand.com/best-brands/best-global-brands/2018/ranking/