THE PARTS OF YOUR BRAND NAME
Construction
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The Construction is the body of your brand name, the shape it takes during manufacturing, including length and ease of pronunciation. While not quite as fortunate as our design brethren, name developers do have several Constructions to work with, including the real-word (e.g., Legend), the coined word (e.g., Camry), the composite word (e.g., Land Cruiser), and even alpha-numerics (e.g., A6). Domestic namers may also consider the non-English word a recognized construction (e.g., Paseo).
Messaging
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The core idea or ideas communicated by your name. Not to be confused with the Metaphor (available on select models), the Messaging is usually the most important concept that your brand name conveys. Fast, Comfortable, Luxurious, Adventurous, Environmentally-Friendly, Quiet. These are all examples of Messaging communicated by numerous car brand names. Some brand names come equipped with very overt Messaging, such as the Toyota Comfort (interestingly, 90% of all taxis in Hong Kong are Toyota Comforts). Others boast more suggestive Messaging, such as the Honda Passport. Still others come standard with more abstract Messaging, such as the Volkswagen Touareg.
Metaphor
(Available only on select models)
Not all brand names come equipped with a Metaphor, but many of the best vehicles possess one. The Metaphor is a symbolic representation of the Messaging, and it can be a real head-turner. It's not always engineered into the vehicle because it does require a little more thought and naming expertise, but names equipped with Metaphor are often the most sophisticated and sturdy names on the road. Just some examples of names that come equipped with Metaphor are the Ford Mustang, the Honda Prelude, and the Chevy Corvette.
Tonality
(often referred to as personality)
Of all the brand name parts, the Tonality is the hardest to locate, and it's often the cause of brand name breakdowns. Identifying the brand name Tonality and knowing how to fix it will save you considerable time and expense in the event of a naming emergency. In order to locate the Tonality, first pinpoint the Essence of your brand name (note: the Essence is another relatively elusive part of your name, and you may get a little dirty looking for it). After you've put your finger on the Essence, you should feel the Tonality. If you're in the right place it should spring from the Essence fairly effortlessly. Note that not all Tonalities will sound the same. Some will be very sophisticated (e.g., LeSabre), and some will be less so (e.g., Gremlin).
