Want a great brand name? Then avoid these common pitfalls

There is something quite distasteful about the latest TV ad from ‘Who Gives a Crap’. Not sure if it’s the focus on enormous bottoms, the brand name itself, or whether just the whole concept jars unnervingly on British sensibilities (it’s an Aussie brand after all!)

Sadly, those factors definitely detract from the important message they are trying to make about the environment, which is a shame as their overall ethos is commendable – there’s not many companies who give 50% of their profits each year to help ensure everyone will one day have access to clean water and a toilet.

Of course, the fact we have an opinion about their marketing at all is an immediate win given so many TV ads nowadays are so forgettable, and is their brand name really that bad? It’s certainly memorable and doesn’t seem to have done them any harm given they have already donated over $5.7 million to give 400 million people access to toilets. But while they seemed to have got away with a questionable brand name, not everyone does

We take a look at some brand names that have fallen foul of some of the common pitfalls of coming up with a brand name.

Not doing enough research

Companies can spend thousands on coming up with and implementing a brand name ( Royal Mail spent £1.5m on the Consignia name, and didn’t that go well!), so it’s not surprising trying to come up with a name quickly and easily is definitely a good call. And nothing screams quick and easy more than simply naming a brand after the founders. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do some basic research such as how it will be received, whether it could have any other meaning, and oh yes, how it sounds when read out loud.

Sadly, the following brands seemed to have missed out those steps. First up is Sam & Ella’s Chicken Palace. At first glance it looks like a good name for a local diner, but when you read it quickly it starts to have somewhat disturbing connotations. Then there’s Passmore Gas & Propane which is named after the owner Mr Randall Passmore himself. We’d like to think he knew exactly what he was doing but can’t be 100% sure!

Globalisation isn’t easy

And talking about research as soon as you plan to expand into a new market you need to do some due diligence into whether the name will still work.

After all, would you want to buy a car that means ‘tiny male genitals’ which is the translation of Ford’s Pinto in Brazil, or a vehicle from a company called ‘rush to die’? Mercedes-Benz really shouldn’t have changed their name to Bensi when they entered the Chinese market!

What’s surprising about those examples is they are big brands with deep marketing pockets and yet time and time again they don’t seem to have carried out the most basic research. When Coca-Cola entered the Chinese market, depending on the local dialect, their name translated as either ‘Bite the wax tadpole’ or ‘female horse stuffed with wax’. After researching 40,000 characters, they found a phonetic equivalent which translates as ‘happiness in the mouth’.

And research shouldn’t just apply to brand names, but also to product ranges. When Starbucks launched their Gingerbread lattes in Germany, they didn’t realise ‘latte’ in Germany actually means pole which in turn is slang for an erection! Although you have to love the fact that to this day, they continue to sell their lattes without translation!

And don’t make the mistake of thinking you only need to do research if you’re expanding into non-English speaking countries.

Back in the 1970s, US computer company, Wang Computers, wanted a memorable slogan to advertise their products in the UK. They came up with “Wang Cares”, definitely memorable, but not necessarily for the right reasons! And of course, us Brits love nothing more than a rude sounding name. Enter Ikea’s Fartfull Kids’ Workbench. And in case you were wondering, Fartfull actually means speedy in Swedish. 

Circumstances beyond your control

Even if you’ve done all the checks and balances, there is always the risk external events, such as political crisis, social issues or even bad press are going to have a detrimental effect on your brand name.

Did you know that back in 2013 you could buy ISIS Chocolates? The company, which has been around since 1923, had previously been called Italo Suisso but changed their name to ISIS to represent Italy and Switzerland where their founder had learned to make chocolate

Unfortunately, the following year the terrorist group with the same name started to release their horrendous videos and orders for ISIS Chocolates started to quickly dry up as consumers found the brand name too disturbing. The company was quickly rebranded to Libeert.

Then there was the Livestrong Foundation who changed their name in 2012 from the Lance Armstrong Foundation after he was found to have illegally used performance-enhancing drugs throughout his career. Another reason not to name your company after your founder!

And of course, Black Lives Matter saw a plethora of brands change their names to drop any racist connotations, including Eskimo Pie becoming Edy’s Pie, Dixie Beer becoming Faubourg and Uncle Ben changing to Ben’s Original.

The danger of genericide

While we may all know Hoover, Kleenex and Band Aid are brand names which we now use as generic terms to refer to any brand in a particular product category, did you know Jacuzzi, Jet Ski and Onesies are also originally brand names? Or how about Breathalyzer, Ping-Pong or Rollerblades?

There is always an inherent risk your chosen brand name will suffer from genericization in the future, so if you think that’s likely, you will need to take steps to stop it happening. Back in the 1970s and 1980s Lego did exactly that by requesting all its customers call their blocks either ‘Lego bricks’, ‘blocks’ or ‘toys’ but never ‘Legos’. Whilst customers largely ignored the request, to be fair it’s rare for the term ‘Legos’ to be used when referring to other competing products.

Avoid trying to be too clever

And a final point, just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should! Would you want to get your haircut at the Curl up and Dye Salon (worryingly, there are several of these!) buy a meal at Thai Tanic (they are in Belfast, so we get the link, but really?!)  or fish and chips from A Salt & Battery Fish and Chips.

Getting brand names right is always a tricky process but is being potentially offensive really the way to go?

The scariest thing is many of these names still exist, but no matter the size of your business you should always try to come up with something that captures the essence of your brand and is going to survive the test of time, external influences aside. And if you are struggling to know where to start, book one of our brand workshops and we’ll make sure you find a brand name you and your customers will be happy with for years to come.