Lisa Merriam

Naming Kore Sportswear

Congratulations on the launch of Kore Sportswear. This Long Island, New York company markets athletic clothing made of 100% bamboo fabric. In addition to being eco-friendly, the product has great insulating and wicking properties.

Naming KoreMerriam Associates was brought in by Fresh Bread Creative to name the new product. After exploring the usual clichés around bamboo and eco/green, we discovered a powerful concept that turned out to be an ideal name for this product. The name Kore Sportswear evokes the benefits of the product as an insulating base layer for serious athletes. The word is actually pronounced “koh-ray” and is another name of the goddess Persephone. She symbolizes purity and regeneration—two concepts “core” to this clean-earth product made from renewable resources. The name works on first impressions with sports enthusiasts who are not experts in classical mythology, and has the perfect back-story to reinforce the product benefits.

Naming How-To:

Naming Mistakes
Six Factors for a Memorable and Motivating Name
History of Best Known Brands
Styles and Types of Brands
Choosing a Name
Try a Recycled Name
Web 2.0 Naming Considerations
What is Brand Architecture
Approaches to Brand Architecture
Brand Architecture and Business Strategy

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AIG Name Change to AIU
Breaking Up the Motorola Brand
Google’s Speedbook Disaster
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Proxios CEO Talks About Renaming Process
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Unintentionally Funny Names-BARF
Unintentionally Funny Names-Putzmeister
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Renaming a $2 Billion IPG Agency
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Selected Naming Portfolio