Lecture 3 - word branding: names and claims

Question 1

Why would you name a brand?

Answer 1

1. to make the brand/product memorable
2. make a brand/product distinct from the rest on the market
3. establish an identity that most likely will not change

Question 2

What does a name with functional value mean?

Answer 2

the name elicits a practical evaluation e.g. price/quality, Swapfiets

Question 3

What does a name with symbolic value mean?

Answer 3

A name that elicits an emotional evaluation (e.g. is it comforting, what meaning do I associate with it?) Tesla refers to Nikola Tesla, which has an air of genius

Question 4

What is dichotomous branding?

Answer 4

The name is a combination of functional and symbolic value i.e. Milka refers to product made from milk

Question 5

what are the degrees of symbolism?

Answer 5

1. concrete i.e. Zeiss sounds like a German-origin brand
2. somewhat concrete reference to a myth or history i.e. Nike referring to Greek Goddess of Victory
3. Very abstract: no connection to anything i.e. Apple

Question 6

What is the taxonomy of brand names?

Answer 6

1. descriptive names: represent a description of the products or services offered.
2. Allusive brand names: are not directly descriptive of the brand or products, but they hint at the brand values, superiority or characteristics of the products.
3. Coined brand names are made up words with no prior meaning than the brand. Sometimes, this also include invented people

Question 7

What are the pros and cons of a very descriptive name?

Answer 7

(+) help consumers classify a brand in the right category (of products/services

(-) limit the meaning consumers can attribute to a brand

(-) can be a problem if feelings towards a product/service change

Question 8

What are the pros and cons of a very generic brand name?

Answer 8

(+) are less vulnerable to trends, and shifts in
consumer preferences

(+) leave more space for a constructed
meaning, together with consumers

(-) can take time and effort to establish a connection between the name and products/services

Question 9

What are the two (main) reasons for name rebranding?

Answer 9

1. structural change (internal)
   - M&A
   - change in ownership
   - legal changes
   - changing product category
2. Strategic change (external)
   - Reputation problems
   - outdated name/image
   - changing brand perceptions
   - internationalisation
   - Changing business category

Question 10

What are the pros and cons of rebranding?

Answer 10

(+) Forced choice, but also
an opportunity to project
distinctiveness and change (e.g. as a consequence of bad reputation).

(-) damage or eradicate
an established corporate brand and all the status and attachment consumers had to it.

Question 11

What types of name rebranding is there?

Answer 11

1. Evolutionary
   it makes an implicit reference to the previous identity. In the case of M&A, often it’s the sum of the previous names or a reference to a change or evolution in product offer.
2. Revolutionary
   makes no reference to the previous identity. Often used when e.g. the management of an organisation changes or there are bad connotations associated with he previous name i.e. Weinstein

Question 12

What makes name recall easier?

Answer 12

1. if the name is somewhat familiar (it recalls something that exists like Apple)
2. if it has relevance (i.e. it connects to a product feature)
3. if it links to advertised features of the product (e.g. Softex for a brand of tissues)

Question 13

What makes a name sound feminine?

Answer 13

• longer names
• ends in vowel (-a, -e)
• mostly made of vowel sounds (Nestlé)

Question 14

How are feminine brand names perceived?

Answer 14

• warmer, leading to a better attitude
• particularly successful in hedonistic products

Question 15

what does conceptual fluency mean?

Answer 15

How easily X comes to mind and improves if an individual’s knowledge aligns with X.

Repeated exposure to the name “Easi-Clean” in advertising would make it easier for you to process the name in memory over time. This is the overall effect of familiarity.

Question 16

What does perceptual fluency mean?

Answer 16

How easily can individuals recall X’s physical and visual characteristics?

This focuses on how easily you can recognize the physical features of the name. “Easi-Clean” uses simple, common words and a hyphen, making it visually easy to read and remember due to its clear design

Question 17

What is processing fluency?

Answer 17

The ability of people to 1) process information and 2) respond to it affectively. Improves upon exposure

This is about how easily the name evokes meaning. “Easi-Clean” directly tells you what the product does - it cleans easily. This makes it conceptually easy to understand the purpose of the product.

Question 18

How can brands exploit brand origin to affect brand perception?

Answer 18

brand origin is a powerful branding tool – likely to positively/negatively influence
consumers’ attitudes.

Brands might exploit processing fluency (= repeated exposure) and assign a foreign name to their product, hoping to gain better attitudes.
If there is no FIT between
origin and name, however,
consumers might not feel as
positively about the brand.