Laurel and I love the XKCD web comic. Today their comic seems eerily appropriate given that we launched our Brand Name Owner’s Manual earlier this week. Enjoy.
Posts Tagged ‘auto naming’
12/2/09
No “Naming While Intoxicated”: Web Version of Catchword Brand Name Owner’s Manual Goes Live
By Laurel Sutton
Wahey! Our totally cool, fun, informative, and cheeky Brand Name Owner’s Manual has gone live on the web at long last. It’s got a ton of advice on naming and an extensive breakdown of car name themes We’re so excited, we did a press release and everything. Take a test drive, kick the tires, and let us know what you think!
It’s no wonder that with soaring gas prices, car companies are rolling out their gas alternative car models. The two that I’ve seen get a lot of press coverage recenlty are the Honda FCX Clarity and the Chevy Volt. The Clarity is Honda’s new hydrogen fuel cell car that begins beta tests this week in Southern California (but, only if you’re a famous Hollywood type). And the Volt is Chevy’s plug-in electric concept vehicle that is expected to be available to the masses in 2010. While neither car will be ready for the consumer market for a few years, they are both already causing quite a buzz.
What hit me almost immediately was that both car names are real English words. I wonder if concocted words or a Latinate name style was ruled out because Toyota seems to owns that style with Prius. (For those of you who don’t know, Prius is a Latin comparative adjective or adverb, with meanings “ahead, in front, leading; previous, earlier, preceding, prior; former; basic;” fitting for such a car in the green vanguard.)
I like what each of the new car names conveys about its car model. “Clarity” focuses on the environmental benefit, and perhaps even suggests how simple a decision it should be to purchase one. The name also fits nicely with Honda’s other real-word names: Accord, Element, Civic, Pilot, Fit, Odyssey, etc. All of these words (maybe with the exception of “Fit”), are real words with elegant connotations. Either that, or Honda has done a great job of imbuing each of the brands with elegance and reliability. Either way, I think Clarity is as equally elegant and evocative as each of the names in the Honda brand roster.
“Volt” appeals to Chevy’s tough and exciting brand image. The name is electrically charged, powerful, and punchy. Instead of conveying the benefit, Volt implies the radical new technology. (Similar to the way Zap
Of course, let’s not forget about the Smart Car that’s already selling its super efficient models in the U.S. In fact, by next year they plan on having a fully electric model available for sale. At $12,000 for the current gasoline-burning model, it’s no wonder that I’m seeing them pop up all over San Francisco. In parking-starved SF, it also doesn’t hurt that you can park two of these adorable little guys in the one SUV’s street parking space.
More green cars! And please, more exciting green car naming!
Ford recently announced that it is relaunching the Fiesta as a worldwide brand (see article). I love this naming strategy, but it doesn’t always work. Ford’s justification is two-fold: the name already has some existing equity (albeit, not all positive) and by using one name in multiple markets, they can trim down their marketing expense.
But from a naming consultant’s perspective, they got lucky. Fiesta is one of those words that has near-global awareness. The Spanish word (meaning festival or celebration, from the Latin festum/festa, meaning “feast”) has transcended borders and is now commonly understood by native English speakers (as well as speakers of dozens of other languages). Because the car is targeted at new car buyers (typically a younger demographic), the idea of a celebration ties in nicely with the broader marketing message for the car (again, across geographic borders).
Creating names with such international consistency is tough. Just ask the folks at VW. Can anyone spell Tuoreg? Taureg? Touareg? Or ask the folks at Buick. Who knew that Lacrosse was a Canadian slang term for masturbation? If they had done the linguistic research we offer our clients, they would have known before they launched.
Some of you may want to include the infamous “Nova” in this mix. However, let us dispel the myth once more. Yes,� when literally translated, “no va” would mean “doesn’t go” in Spanish. Yet the car is still sold (quite successfully) in Spanish-speaking countries. This is possible because people don’t usually parse brand names this way. I love the counter-example offered by Snopes.com: would anyone think twice about buying a dinette set that used the brand “Notable”? (Get it?)
Anyway, back to the subject at hand. Kudos to Ford for coming up with (and now relaunching) a brand name that sends the right message to a global audience. If any of you readers out there are looking for a new brand name that functions equally well in multiple international markets, Catchword can help.
I came across a great brand today while reading engadget. The company is ZAP and they build electric cars. I think their name is brilliant. Zap conveys the electric aspect of their cars wonderfully. The logo then reemphasizes this message with a comic-inspired font treatment. Even the exclamation point in the logo fits into the theme (it’s a little lightning bolt). Very clever!
ZAP also stands for “Zero Air Polution.” So let me summarize: ZAP has a name that is suggestive of their unique point of differentiation AND that functions as a relevant acronym? Brilliant indeed.
Perhaps the most fun aspect of ZAP’s brand is its brand extensions, aka the vehicle names. Zapino is the name for ZAP’s line of mopeds and Zappy is their scaled down scooter. The car names range from the playful Obvio and Xebra, to the more intriguing and mysterious Alias. (The Alias even looks like it was plucked right out of a James Bond movie!)
I love everything about ZAP’s names. It’s refreshing to see a clever naming system that isn’t forced or trite. If only the bigger car companies could emulate ZAP’s ingenuity both in naming and product innovation.
