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Getting a good brand is not easy, because most good combinations of letters have already been
taken. But, if Billy Fuddpuckers and Orville Redenbacher can be successful brand names, then
there is hope for all. Experts have given us several rules-of-thumb to follow and pitfalls to
avoid . Beyond these general principles, there is no end to the specifi c advice given by branding
experts. The branding decision is often very important; it can be botched or brilliant. Consider
some of the poorer brand name choices.
A new high-tech product was named Killer as management thought it would kill the
competition. Needless to say, it did not.
A real misfi re was La Choys Fresh and Lite line of low-fat frozen Chinese entrescritics
thought it might be a feminine hygiene product, or perhaps a beer or soft drink.
By contrast, the Motorola RAZR phone, Apples iPod, and the Swiffer mop from Procter &
Gamble are such popular brands that they have become associated with entire product lines.
Brand Name Pitfalls to Avoid
Not anticipating future uses of the name. A cute name can become irrelevant; a bad name may
be chosen because there was time pressure to make a decision; a regional name becomes a
hindrance as the fi rm goes national or international. Consider US Airways, originally known as
Allegheny Airlines, a name that suggests it should serve the Pittsburgh area only. An acceptable
name in English or some Spanish dialects may be offensive in other Spanishn dialects (the
Toyota Fiera was unsuitable in Puerto Rico where the name means ugly old woman). Even
differences between American, British, and Canadian English need to be considered. A new U.S.made product with the brand name EZ (pronounced easy) would just not sell as well in
either Great Britain or Canada where most readers would pronounce the name e-zed.
Not allocating enough time for the process. This corresponds with the idea of marketing
activities being conducted throughout the product process. The brand name should not be a last
minute rush job, especially if the brand is going to be marketed across multiple countries.
Consider that Procter & Gamble went to the trouble of assigning two different French brand
names for Mr. Clean due to slightly different usage patterns: M. Propre in French Europe, and M.
Net in Quebec.
Choosing the wrong comfort level. A provocative and controversial brand name such as Yahoo!
may be a great strategy, certainly better than a comfortable yet uninspiring name.
Having too many individuals involved in the brand naming decision process . It works better if
a team is assigned that understands brand naming and its consequences, than to let democracy or
consensus rule.
Other pitfalls: Not identifying who the key decision makers are; getting stuck on a brand name
early in the process and, knowingly or not, it is adopted without any objective feedback; not
checking negative meanings in foreign markets, and, of course, not hiring the best patent
attorney.