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Your brand name is a good start in creating the verbal expression of your brand. To convey a richer story, you need more than that. Call it a tagline, strapline, or slogan, a short, catchy phrase may help take many brands to the next level. I’ve had many clients struggle trying to create the …
Brand Taglines Straplines Slogans and Catchphrases Read More »
“Don’t use the F-Bomb” is a seemingly common sense rule when using social media for corporate purposes. But, common sense is not as common as you might hope. A purported social media expert working for a leading social media agency tweeted this for Chrysler: “I find it ironic that Detroit is known as the Motorcity …
Don’t Drop the F-Bomb…And Other Good Social Media Advice Read More »
Burson-Marsteller released a study that claims 76% of blogs were off message. The brand message gap was found in more than 150 messages sent out by companies listed in the Financial Times Global 100 and discovered a large gap between the official brand messages and how they were reflected on blogs, in tweets, and on …
Today’s Wall Street Journal Law Blog has an interesting article on naming laws and statutes. This is an area I have covered a time or two from a branding perspective. Naming anything is actually an act of persuasion–your name says something about your company, product or idea for a new law or policy. It’s no …
Naming Is Persuading: The Commercial and Political Power of Brand Names Read More »
The book Doublespeak by William Lutz defines the term as language that: Pretends to communicate but does not Makes bad things seem less bad, negatives appear to be positives, unpleasant things appear to be attractive or at least tolerable Shifts responsibility and hides causes Conceals meaning and prevents thought Language should serve communication, but doublespeak …
When a corporation uses slippery doublespeak, particularly for brands with trust trouble, they double down on the damage they do to their reputation. Brand Doublespeak Doesn’t Fool Anyone Who does Toyota think they are fooling when they try to paint the new recall of the Tundra as a “heads up” to dealers of a “special …
Toyota Brand Doublespeak: Spinning Possible Recall as “Special Service Campaign” Read More »
Creating a great brand name means finding names that fit with products and that generate true and motivating associations. In politics, the opposite is more often true. Politicians of both parties seems particularly attracted to doublespeak. Take note of the new Democratic strategy of replacing the word “Reconciliation” with “Simple Majority”. What is behind the …
A Political Manuever by Any Other Name Would Smell as Rotten Read More »
A Growing Company Looks to Branding Kirch had grown from a small family venture into a multinational manufacturing and marketing powerhouse. The company had never really addressed its brand or history. In preparation for a new web site, they wanted to communicate to consumers in a new way. Kirch asked Merriam Associates to write the …
Kirch: A Brand Story and a Catalog for Design Icon George Nelson Read More »