PRODUCT & BRAND

MANAGEMENT
Branding [tactical]
Fundamentals
 Brand namakarana – Its  Brand name – criteria
significance  Naming tradeoffs
 Brand name types  Brand name development
process
Brand namakarana [Significance]
 Identify
 Communicate
 Protect
 Enable
Brand name types
 Descriptive
 Business category evident
 Idiomatic
 Expressions unique to
language whose meaning
cannot be simply predicted
from meaning of its
constituents
 Connotative
 Something about brand
 Surname
 Arbit
 Existing word in new context
 Blended / bridged
 Two / more words or parts of
words
 Invented
 Made-up & non-sensical
 Name’s origin, structure,
and / or level of meaning?
 Acronym
 Initial letters of name,
combine initial letters or
parts of a series of words
 Altered / constructed
 One word
 Naming trends
1890s - ine suffix Ova ltine, Listerine, Va seline
1900s - o suffix Brillo, Bra sso
surna mes Ea stma n's, Ha rrod's
1920s - ex suffix Pyrex, Kleenex, Cutex, Windex
1930s - ma ster suffix Mixma ster, Toa stma ster
Sea t-O-Ma tics & Cruise-O-Ma tics
1940s - ma tic suffix
[ca rs], Ezy-Ma tic Corners [sheets]
1950s Na mes [surna me or given] Edsel, Mrs. Pa uls
1960s - 1970s Acronyms AT&T, 3M, IBM, GM
1980s Lite, Light, Air AirJorda n, Bud Light
1996 Ultra , Mega , Opti, Super
Extreme, Authentic, Interna tiona l, Silver,
1997
Genuine
1998 Globa l, Virtua l, Cyber, Psychic
Dot.com, e - & I - prefixes, nos. &
1999
letters, Millenium, Gold, descriptive
Connota tive & flexible na mes, 1 - word
2000
na mes
Source: Glenn Gunderson, Trademark Trends Report, 1997, Andrew McCrum,“Brand Names Today Compared to Those 100 Years Ago,”
Brand Management 8(2), November 2000, pp. 111-120, Susan Fournier et al., University of South California [5-502-029, 2002]
Brand name – criteria
 Communicable
 Relevant
 Memorable
 Distinctive
 Likeable & appealing
 Pronounceable
 Protect-able
 Global
 Durable
 Versatile
 Relative importance of criteria
 Relative importance of criteria
1 Releva nce to product ca tegory 5.99%
2 Connota tions 5.83%
3 Overa ll liking 5.79%
4 Recognition [Ea se of] 5.77%
5 Distinctiveness 5.49%
6 Reca ll [Ea se of] 5.42%
7 Tra dema rk registra tion [Ea se of] 5.14%
8 Pronuncia tion [Ea se of] 5.07%
9 Profa ne / nega tive connota tions [Absence of] 4.59%
10 Versa tility [For use with other products] 3.61%
11 Globa lity [Ca rries over to other la ngua ges / cultures] 3.18%

7-point scale [ 7 = Extremely Important

Source: Chiranjeev Kohli and douglas W. LaBahn, “Observations: Creating Effective Brand Names:
A study of the Naming Process,” Journal of Advertising Research, Jan. / Feb. 1997, pp. 67-75.
Naming tradeoffs
 Familiar vs. memorable
 Cost efficient vs. flexible
 Versatile vs. risk of becoming meaningless
 Semantic & linguistic relevant vs. global
 Communicable vs. protect-able
Brand name development process
 Brand Name
 Brand & Business Strategy
 Creativity / Generation
 Disciplined Evaluation / Decision
 Design & Launch
Good brand name
 Brand’s Role / Purpose
 Arbit combi will work
 Purely for identification
 Neologism
 Expression / new meaning
 Kodak, Nerf
 Special purpose
 Help position brand
 Use letters that already have meaning
 Care Free, Die Hard, Holiday Inn
Good brand name
 Products as bridgehead to line  Physical / sensory qualities of
of products brand
 Not limit firm  Easy to pronounce, spell &
 ‘Liquid Plumr’ – to line of remember
crystals  Honda’s Acura, Grey Poupon,
 ‘Western Hotels’ - to Haagen – Dazs
Western  Clear & relevant message
 Long term market position  Product characteristics
 More general & less dramatic  ‘Isovis’ motor oil [equal /
name – preferred constant velocity]
 But - if to be in the market  Brand insult [irritate particular
temporarily market group]
 Screaming Yellow  Rolls Royce Silver Mist
 Zonkers Snacks [manure in German]
Practitioner’s suggestions
 Digitals for modernity
 Family brands
 Quick
 Cheap
 Void of surprises
 Use ‘stop’ letters, ‘plosives’
 Geographic connotations
 “Evening in Paris”
 Ridiculous
 Embellished ordinary word
 Odd letter
 “Citi bank” vs. “City bank”
 Borrow clout
 “The” for Dignity
 “The Glenlivit”
 Personalities
 “Reggie Jackson candy bars”
 Attention grabber
 “My Sin Cologne”
 Reinforced low price
 “Klassy Kut Klothes”
 Letter play
 “Natures as Serutan”
 Symbol
 “Traveller’s Red Umbrella”, “Prudential’s
Rock”