It’s an old idea. Literally the word brand means “to burn”. In the old West and elsewhere it was a way to mark property or ownership. In some cases, a brand was a mark intended to convey quality, a recognized signature.
In contemporary marketing, a proprietary brand is no longer simply ownership of a property, it is ownership of an idea, a unique concept or set of attributes which usefully influence perception in the marketplace.
That idea, or set of ideas, can constitute a corporate brand, a product brand, a product line brand, or a combination depending on where one chooses to place emphasis. The decision on where to place emphasis depends on multiple factors from existing awareness to perceived customer equity, esteem or loyalty, or available budget, in order to set any of the above in customer consciousness.
The key issue in brand development is to provide focus for users or prospects on those functional ideas that help them understand the role of the product in their lives or work and to create a persona for the product that the user can identify with. A good brand is a package of both literal and emotional attributes. The goal of brand development is to communicate and reinforce customer perceptions that build affinity and trigger choice.
Because the essence of a brand is communicated by a lot of different behaviors— advertising style, graphics, sales policies, promotions, news and more—we should note that a brand name gains meaning over time and that a name is not in itself a brand. Where possible, however, a brand name should support key ideas, brand benefits or at least provide either functional or emotional linkage to brand values.
Brand Names
Brand names can be developed within a variety of naming conventions.
Typically they can be:
- Geographical (Pacifica Bank, Seanet)
- Symbolic or connotative (Oracle, Mosaix, Legend)
- Descriptive or denotative (MS Word, UPS Second Day Air, Norton AntiVirus)
- Combinations (Adaptec, MS Office, Instacover)
- Meaning Neutral (Exxon, Camry)
The inclusion or choice of a naming convention should be made on the basis of whether or not it provides relevant distinctiveness and/or furthers a useful brand idea. Meaning Neutral names are generally distinctive, but also generally expensive to establish broadly. Regardless of the chosen convention, we seek to develop names that are:
- Short and succinct
- Easy-to-spell
- Easy-to-say
- Evocative (call up images, feelings or experiences)
- Descriptive (where appropriate)
- Adaptable to graphic expression
- Linkable to other relevant brands