New Brand Marketing

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet.” – William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, Act II, Scene ii

While The Bard must be respected for his achievements, that line clearly shows the man did not quite understand the importance of a name when constructing a brand. The name still plays a role in establishing a brand, even if it isn’t always apparent.

There are instances when the benefits of a good name are obvious, of course. For example, a well-selected name can be used to avoid all manner of bad situations. No doctor, no matter how skilled, is going to get any patients if his name is Mengele – this goes double if he actually is German. A good name can be used to avoid negative connotations about the product or service on offer, as well. After all, would a traveling executive looking for corporate housing Atlanta be willing to stay in a place named after Norman Bates?

In contrast, the people that first made Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas knew what they were doing. Very few people fail to recognize the glory and grandeur that the Roman Empire tends to evoke in the public consciousness and Julius Caesar tends to be a major part of that image. Just make sure to avoid pointing out the historical inaccuracy, as Gaius Julius Caesar was part of the closing years of the Roman Republic, rather than the Roman Empire. However, for most people, toss in a Cleopatra, a couple of gladiators, and a lot of spectacle and they’ll happily ignore the faults.

There are also legal complications that can be avoided by choosing the right name. A name that is too similar to another business can cause confusion between the two and could make the newer one subject to legal action. In some cases, they might get away with it – the Scottish restaurant named McDonald’s won a lawsuit filed by McDonald’s Corporation because the family’s had the McDonald name for centuries. In most cases, they will get sued for everything they’re worth and be forced to shut down their operations.

Finally, choosing a good name involves making sure it is easy to remember. Branding is at its most effective when people can recall it when seeking a product. This recognition can often be crucial to success, because it means reducing the amount of work needed to “build” the market. This is Hollywood prefers churning out sequels instead of risking things with new material and why every single iteration of the Transformers franchise has characters named “Optimus Prime” and “Megatron.”