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.

A few years ago, a southeast asian airline company opened its doors. It was going to be the first regional airliner to travel between cities in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. There was and is a need for such a service. Unfortunately, they decided to call it PMT Air. The letters stood for something important in the minds of those who came up with the name, but they stood for something entirely different in the minds of the foreign tourists. An airline called ‘Pre Menstrual Tension’ just didn’t work and the company folded.

That is an extreme example of the importance of brand names. Even less obvious errors can lead to equally poor results. In other instances, a brand name that works just fine for a company at one stage can work against it when it grows and tries to expand its market. In other cases, bad publicity can ruin the name of an otherwise great company.

Think of the Homelite chainsaw and you think of a chainsaw that is designed for light jobs around the house, don’t you? They make heavy duty chainsaws, too. You wouldn’t know it from the name, though.

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.

Kentucky Fried Chicken has gone to great expense to re-brand itself as KFC, because the word ‘fried’ alienates a now health conscious nation. This is another example of how branding works or doesn’t work.

Think of any brand name and it will create certain images and emotions in you. These feelings will influence your decision to buy or not buy that brand.

Now make up your very own brand name. Take something neutral, like a quilt set. Now pretend that you have created one designed only for men. What brand name would you give it? Would you call it the Paul Bunyan Quilt and appeal to outdoorsmen or would you call it the Penthouse Quilt? Either way, you would attract only a portion of your intended market.

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?