The Number One Mistake in Branding!

What’s In A Name? Plenty if you want to stay current.

  Take the name AYDS. In the 70’s and 80’s Ayds (pronounced as "aids") was an appetite-suppressant candy, which enjoyed strong sales and was originally manufactured by The Campana Company. By the mid-1980s, public awareness of the disease AIDS caused problems for the brand due to the phonetic similarity of names. While initially sales were not affected, by 1988 the chair of Dep Corporation announced that the company was seeking a new name because sales had dropped as much as 50% due to publicity about the disease. While the product's name was changed to Diet Ayds (Aydslim in Britain), it was eventually withdrawn from the market. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayds)

Then there’s RadioShack. Who knew many years ago that portable radios would become collectibles and today the company would be closing hundreds of stores because of poor financial performance. Are the stores too small or is it the name RadioShack?

There once was an electronics store in Seattle called Magnolia Hi-Fi. Hmmm, I don’t think people use the term “Hi Fi” much anymore.

The key is to pick a brand name that is memorable and one that can stand the test of time – and change.  In industries that change, don’t lock yourself into a technology name that could become outdated. (Magnolia HiFi or RadioShack).

You want to break through the clutter, build brand recognition and awareness, demonstrate you stand by your brand promise, but also have a brand/business name that can be on the journey with you.

Then there’s RadioShack. Who knew many years ago that portable radios would become collectibles and today the company would be closing hundreds of stores because of poor financial performance. Are the stores too small or is it the name RadioShack?

There once was an electronics store in Seattle called Magnolia Hi-Fi. Hmmm, I don’t think people use the term “Hi Fi” much anymore.

The key is to pick a brand name that is memorable and one that can stand the test of time – and change.  In industries that change, don’t lock yourself into a technology name that could become outdated. (Magnolia HiFi or RadioShack).

You want to break through the clutter, build brand recognition and awareness, demonstrate you stand by your brand promise, but also have a brand/business name that can be on the journey with you.

Then there’s RadioShack. Who knew many years ago that portable radios would become collectibles and today the company would be closing hundreds of stores because of poor financial performance. Are the stores too small or is it the name RadioShack?

There once was an electronics store in Seattle called Magnolia Hi-Fi. Hmmm, I don’t think people use the term “Hi Fi” much anymore.

The key is to pick a brand name that is memorable and one that can stand the test of time – and change.  In industries that change, don’t lock yourself into a technology name that could become outdated. (Magnolia HiFi or RadioShack).

You want to break through the clutter, build brand recognition and awareness, demonstrate you stand by your brand promise, but also have a brand/business name that can be on the journey with you.

Then there’s RadioShack. Who knew many years ago that portable radios would become collectibles and today the company would be closing hundreds of stores because of poor financial performance. Are the stores too small or is it the name RadioShack?   There once was an electronics store in Seattle called Magnolia Hi-Fi. Hmmm, I don’t think people use the term “Hi Fi” much anymore.

The key is to pick a brand name that is memorable and one that can stand the test of time – and change.  In industries that change, don’t lock yourself into a technology name that could become outdated. (Magnolia HiFi or RadioShack).

You want to break through the clutter, build brand recognition and awareness, demonstrate you stand by your brand promise, but also have a brand/business name that can be on the journey with you.© Joe Barnes, Digital3000.net