What's in a... name?

Could a search engine called BackRub revolutionise our lives the same way Google did? Would Nike’s rebellious branding feel authentic coming from Blue Ribbon Sports? And would teenagers be as keen on Pete's Super Submarines as they are on Subway?

These scenarios might sound far-fetched (BackRub, really?) but they’re the real names that Google, Nike, and Subway started under. Yes, the product is still the same regardless of what’s on the label. The appeal, on the other hand? Not so much. A well-chosen name can certainly be the make-or-break factor for a new brand.

But getting those one or two words right is tricky. Beyond the pragmatic concerns in brand naming – make it memorable, make it unique, make it easy to pronounce – there is a world of nuance in how names shape audiences’ brand perceptions. How do brands approach this colossal challenge? To find out, we’re breaking down different naming strategies… and a few pitfalls along the way.

Made in… wherever sounds impressive

When Reuben Mattus was thinking of a name for his new ice cream company, he knew one thing: he wanted it to sound foreign and expensive. And so, in 1959, H?agen-Dazs was born – an ice cream brand with a vaguely Danish-sounding name which means… exactly nothing. Mattus was a Polish Jew living in America, who did not speak a word of Danish. But the name was successful. Over 60 years later, most consumers still think H?agen-Dazs is German, Dutch or Scandinavian (certainly not American), and the brand has an undeniable air of luxury around it.

Mattus’ cheeky move has an industry name: foreign branding. There are examples of it everywhere, from Caffè Nero camouflaging as an Italian coffee chain to Pret A Manger’s faux French credentials (both brands are very much British). What these and other brands are doing is referencing countries that customers link to quality, luxury, and good taste. All in order to tap into these positive associations. Or, as was the case with H?agen-Dazs – simply to create intrigue and stand out from the crowd.

Putting a face to a name

Naming a brand after its founder may seem like an easy way out of a complicated problem. But what’s interesting is how this strategy has very different connotations in different contexts. When high fashion and luxury brands do it – from Prada, Chanel and Gucci to Cadillac and Estée Lauder – it denotes legacy, craftsmanship, and pride. There’s almost a sense of artistry to it: the name on the label acts like a monogram in the corner of a painting.

The same naming strategy takes on a very different meaning in the food industry. Here, referencing the founder evokes a feeling of familiarity and honesty (especially if they go by their first name only). We may not know who Annie, Ben, and Jerry are but the personability of Annie’s Homegrown Macaroni & Cheese and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream gives these brands more credibility in their claims of being organic and all natural. The billion-dollar chilli sauce empire, Lao Gan Ma, takes approachability a step further. Translating to ‘Old Godmother’ in Mandarin, the brand name deliberately highlights family-run origins to evoke nostalgia.

From high fashion’s exclusivity to bringing out the warm fuzzy feeling of ‘just how grandma used to make’; putting a real (or fictional) persona in front of the brand is a powerful move.?

Names out of place

What about naming places? Well, this often comes with an extra set of challenges. Unlike the brand guardians of food and fashion, placemakers are often confronted with a complex landscape of stakeholders and contexts. From appeasing cultural traditions, to respecting geographical naming conventions, to bringing local voices into the conversation – naming places is never easy.

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Case in point: Barangaroo, a residential and commercial scheme in Sydney constructed in the 2010s. The name, which honours a significant figure in the local Aboriginal community at the time of European colonisation, sparked numerous controversies. Critics wondered whether Barangaroo herself would have approved of how the development used public land. The controversy begged the question of ownership over land but also over heritage. ‘What do we call this place?’ is a difficult question. ‘Who gets to do the naming?’ might be even harder to answer. Involving the right people in the conversation at the right time is often the first important step.

More than a mere practicality

We’re reminded just how important it is to get the brand name right when a brand decides to change it – a risky and expensive move. Last year, Turkey officially rebranded as Türkiye (reportedly to avoid the unflattering associations with the bird) and a few years earlier, the Czech Republic introduced a shorter name, Czechia, to make it easier to use the country name on products and clothing.

Then again, in the right hands, even a ‘problematic’ name can become an opportunity. For example, Hyundai, a brand whose name gets mispronounced in many markets around the world, launched a tongue-in-cheek campaign to fix customers’ pronunciation – using it as an opportunity to remind audiences about the brand’s Korean origins and stay top-of-mind for upcoming 2023 product launches.

There are many ways to get a brand name right (and as many to get it wrong). But one thing is certain: from catching the eye to shaping how customers view the brand in the long term, names can do a lot of heavy lifting for your brand reputation.

At Hunter, we’re specialists in consumer-led branding, including the delicate art and science of brand naming. If you want to find a name that resonates with your customers, get in touch.