“We’re in the IT business and you want to call us a fruit!?!”

A dangerous temptation would be to expect the name to say EVERYTHING: the product functions, its physical characteristics, its benefits, its personality, the profile it targets. In reality, these type of briefs lead either to unwieldy “monsters” or totally generic names. Does the name APPLE say all these things?

Point of UU:

A brand name is only one element of the marketing mix, which also includes communication, packaging and the product itself. The objective of a brand name is to convey only the dimensions of the brand positioning which will not be already covered by the other elements.

In most cases, a product already speaks for itself, the name does not need to describe it and can have a more connotative function. Of course this requires a certain level of audacity: are we able to consider daring names which are far removed from obvious product territory?

Let’s look at some successful examples: Would we spontaneously say that REDBULL is a drink? FITNESS a cereal breakfast? SUBWAY a fast-food chain? ORANGE a telco company?

The breadth of the spectrum the name is supposed to cover often depends on the level of marketing budget: If a brand is introduced with a limited budget (low share of voice, limited visibility in the market) the brand name may well have to support a broader spectrum of the positioning. Alternatively if the brand is supported by a huge communication investment that will address the main product dimensions, the name itself is free to focus on one single dimension – even in a subtle or nuanced way. The name REDBULL does not describe the product, but the brand is strong enough to let the name focus on personality attributes.

So, once the positioning is clearly defined for the brand the next priority is to distinguish the dimensions already conveyed by other elements of the marketing mix (product itself, packaging, communication) from those on which the brand name should focus.

And here it pays to be creative and audacious.