How Brand Names Mean More Than The Brands Themselves

You’ve probably not thought about it much unless you have tried to think of one yourself, but a brand name can be more important than the brand itself. If a brand name does not create the right image in the mind, it could spell disaster for the brand.

An extreme example in recent history was that of a southeast Asian airline company. They had a great idea: they were going to be the first company to fly smaller airliners between the large tourist centers in Thailand, Cambodia and Viet Nam. Unfortunately, they named their company PMT Air. While the letters meant one thing in the minds of those who created the name, they meant only ‘premenstrual tension’ in the minds of potential customers. The company folded in a very short time.

That was a pretty drastic mistake, but companies have been ruined or crippled by less drastic errors. Sometimes problems crop up long after a brand has passed its initial stage of success or when bad publicity sullies its name.

The Homelite chainsaw is a great chainsaw, but the name suggests a light duty chainsaw made for use around the house. Hence, many people don’t even know that they also make heavy duty chainsaws.

Then there are Husqvarna chainsaws. These chainsaws immediately make you think of heavy duty chainsaws built exclusively for serious wood cutters. You can even go into a store and ask for a ‘husky’ and the proprietor will know what you’re talking about. You’d never guess that you could buy a light duty one of these.

An example of how a brand name that once worked brilliantly can backfire is ‘Kentucky Fried Chicken.’ When a health conscious America decided that fried foods were bad for you, the company had to quickly rebrand itself as KFC in order to stay in business.

Try a little experiment. Think of a brand name – any name. Then just notice the first feelings and thoughts that you associate with that brand. Every brand evokes an image. That’s how important a name can be.

Try making up a brand name yourself. Just as an exercise, imagine that you have a new quilt set that you have designed for men. What do you think would be an ideal name for it? Would it be the ‘Mountain Man Quilt’ or would it be the ‘Playboy Quilt?’ In either case, you’re attracting one market segment and alienating another.

Even though billions of dollars are spent each and every year on market research, what brand name is going to work with consumers is still often anybody’s guess. Who would have thought that a name like ‘Google’ was going to become the household name that it is today?