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Brand words matter in marketing
8/14/2019 4:05:40 AM

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.

__________

Best Global Brands 2018 Rankings https://www.interbrand.com/best-brands/best-global-brands/2018/ranking/


 

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