It's All In The Name

Branding and Names

In marketing, we learn the importance of branding. Branding basically means how you position your product or service which will influence the way your potential buyers will perceive the what you sell them.

A lot of branding lies in choosing the right name for your product, service or company. However, it is quite amazing how many of the major companies around the world are named.


How important is a name to you, the consumer?
- Will you buy Post-It notes from the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company? What does a mining company know about stationery?

- Or a cup of cold root beer from Roy Allen and Frank Wright?

- Or a luxury sedan from a dude called August Horch?

- Would you trust Adrian Dalsey, Larry Hillblom and Robert Lynn to ensure that your important package gets delivered speedily and safely?


It's All In The Name!

Let's have a look at how some famous companies and products got their names - some may intrigue you, some may inspire, some are nonchalant and yet others might shock you!
Enjoy the read:

1- Accenture comes from the combination of the words "Accent on the Future" - very classy!

2- Adobe Systems got its name from the Adobe Creek that ran behind the house of the founder. That is going to be one popular creek!

3- Alta Vista is basically Spanish for 'high view'. Too high they lost sight of the competition?

4- Apple - Apple may have gotten its name from many sources. It could have been that apples are Steve Jobs favourite food; or it could have been that the name reminded him of the time he used to work in an apple orchard. I know, sounds like a total hoax! Some say, he loved the Beatles, and their recording label was Apple Records...it remains a mystery!

5- Carrefour means crossroads in French. Yeap, just like the crossroads we have to deal with everytime we shop, thinking of which hypermarket offers the cheapest prices!

6- Coca Cola got its famous name from the coca leaves and kola nuts used as ingredients. See, being a true blue fan, I'm disappointed I didn't know that!

7- Daewoo means 'Great Universe' in Korean

8- Danone is named after the founder's first son, DAN-ONE. Kinda like how my mum creates her e-mail passwords! Whoops!

9- eBay was a funny story. Its owner had his own consulting company named Echo Bay Technology Group. He wanted to create the website echobay.com, but as it was already taken, he went for the next best thing - eBay! I mean, seriously, thank God! eBay is easier on the tongue!

10- Haagen-Dasz does not have a meaning? No way! Way!! It was invented to create an aura of old traditions and craftmanship. So this meaningless name has become one of the most meaningful comfort food ever...interesting!

11- Harpo is Oprah spelt backwards. Heck, she can spell her name backwards, frontwards, or sideways, she'd still be a legend!

12- Hitachi means the sunrise...how very sweet - inappropriate, but sweet nevertheless.

13- Hotmail got its name because its owners and creator wanted to have the term HTML in its name - see how the greatest minds think simple?

14- Hyundai represents 'modernity'

15- Kia Motors translates to the Rising from Asia

16- Lego is the combination of the Danish words 'leg godt' meaning to play well. Well played!

17- Nike was named after the Greek Goddess of Victory...wow!

18- Pepsi is named after the enzyme 'pepsin'. Oops, losing me with all the scientific jargon!

19- Reebok comes from the African antelope, rhebok - bulls eye!

20- Samsung means 3 stars in Korean - not very ambitious now, are we?

21- Sharp, named after the company's first product ever, a sharp pencil. Oookay then, I guess it's good that they decided to venture into bigger and better (and money making!) stuff!

22- Shell comes from the fact that the establishing company used to import sea shells from Japan before they went on to their little oil project.

23 - Six Apart was named after the fact that its owners were born 6 days apart!

24- Virgin got its name when Richard Branson (Sir) received comments from a few girls on what to name his company - "Call it Virgin" they said, "as we are such virgins at running a business"..and ta-da the birth of the billion-dollar name!

25- Volvo means 'I roll' or 'I turn'. I roll? Sounds totally '80s! Totally!
26- Yahoo! got its name from the term yahoo (duh!) which was coined by the author in his book Gulliver's Travels. The term means a person who is repulsive in appearance and barely human. The founders thought of themselves as yahoos, hence the name.

...and in case you were wondering,Dell, Honda, Ferrarri, Colgate, The Walt Disney Company, Kawasaki, Schick, Chevrolet, Maggi, Casio, Mars, Taco Bell, Chrysler, Bosche and McDonalds, are all named after their founders.

Revisiting Branding Lesson 101
So, that makes me wonder, really, is it that important, that we give our companies the most unique, creative and extraordinary names we can possibly come up with? Can't we just pluck a name from the air? Or probably just take a part of our name and make it into that of a company's? Does the name really determine whether we succeed or not? Time to revisit my MBA lesson on Branding 101...

Sharmila is the CEO of the Professional Excellence and Lifelong Learning Centre. All the opinions expressed here are of her own, based on her personal experience. She welcomes feedback at sharm79@gmail.com