Staff Picks
Names to Remember
07.03.14
Branding is powerful in our culture and a good name is a good start. The stories behind the brands and the products we consume can be pretty entertaining.
In the introduction of the 2005 book, The Making of a Name, it is said that the best names are linked to the product benefit, but 7UP, LEGO and Gap hardly link to a benefit.
When the names are not linked to a benefit, the brand often got its name from the founder, as in Wrigley, Oscar Mayer and Levi Strauss. That model is rooted in the 19th to early 20th century. In the late 20th century, the trend was to combine words with different meanings to evoke an idea or an emotion like Microsoft, Accenture, Intel, Nutrasweet.
But here we are in the 21st century and how about the names of the library downloadables: Zinio, Freegal, Overdrive and Hoopla? Have any idea what they are, or their benefits? If not, check our eBooks & More web page. They are fun to say, especially Hoopla! It's a service we'll have in the fall that will allow you to stream movies, music and audiobooks. Fun to say and easy to remember. The goal of a strong brand.
Checkout these books about company histories, branding techniques and even branding YOU for success.
(top photo credit: 7up.com/history)