Naming Archives - Page 2 of 7

Brand Name Styles — Types of Company and Product Names

Before diving into your Latin dictionary when you consider naming your company, product or service, consider the wide array of brand name styles and product name options in use today. Abbreviation Raychem, Microsoft, Amtrak Acronym AARP, BP, AFLAC, IBM, KFC, TCBY,TIAA-CREF, UPS, USAA Alliteration Dunkin’ Donuts, Roto Rooter, Planters Peanuts, Piggly Wiggly, Brooks Brothers Appropriation …

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Brand Name History: How Best Known Brands Were Named

Some of the best known and most valuable brand names have surprising histories and unlikely provenances. Few came from high-priced naming consultants. Here is the brand name history for some well-loved brand: 7-Eleven Named for stores new extended hours from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Adidas Named for nickname of Adolf “Adi” Dassler Altoids Made …

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Biggest Naming Mistakes When Branding Your Company or Product

Here are the five biggest naming mistakes you can make when branding your company, product or service. 1. Mistaking the name for the brand. Your company or product name is just part of your brand. Not realizing this, many novice branders put too many expectations on their name. It is important to realize your name …

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Deflategate–The Newest in a Long Line of Gate Scandal Names

Deflategate–the shameful scandal involving under-inflated footballs that Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and the entire Patriots organization unbelievably have no knowledge of and no responsibility for–is the latest in a long line of gate scandal names. As noted in this post from the past, Watergate opened the floodgates for gate scandal names–Deflategate will surely not be …

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Redskins Team Name Is about Honor, Not Racism

Why is the Redskins team name suddenly a huge controversy? If it is racist, why wasn’t there a huge outcry back in the 1960s? Why has it taken decades for the eternal victim class to make this an issue in 2013? Truly, this is another example of people with nothing better to do suddenly throwing …

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Best and Worst Named Zombie Movies

In celebration of the release of World War Z, here is a run down of the best and worst named zombie movies: Best 1. Night of the Living Dead Not only the best zombie movie, but the best named zombie movie. It has the wit of juxtaposition with living vs. dead and the ominous promise …

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Merriam’s Guide to Naming Second Edition

The second edition of my book Merriam’s Guide to Naming is now available. In the half dozen years since the first edition, I’ve led over a hundred company and product naming projects for Fortune 500 multinationals, mid-size companies and start-ups. As part of this work, I’ve helped executives wrestle with questions and deal with challenges …

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Lance Armstrong’s Profitable Non-Profit Livestrong Brand

When a brand’s strength is tied to a real person–when it is a celebrity brand–its fortunes rise and fall with that person’s reputation and behaviors (see Osama bin Laden, Michael Vick, Tiger Woods). In the case of the Livestrong brand, Lance Armstrong’s “doing the dirty” complicates his business and his charity. The Livestrong brand is …

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Tebowing: Not a Trademarked Prayer Pose

Jets player Tim Tebow has filed trademark applications in some seven categories for the term “Tebowing.” The blogosphere has erupted in complaints that the football player is trying to trademark kneeling in prayer. A look at the actual filings (you can look at them here) show that is simply not the case. The applications are …

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AIG Rebranding as AIG Again

The latest AIG rebranding is actually re-rebanding: Returning to its old name, finally correcting a an ill-considered and ineffective name change. AIG Rebranding 2009 “AIG is trying to outrun its old reputation by adopting a new brand. Will it work? Most people aren’t buying it. The entity, formerly known as AIG, is firmly attached to …

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