We put so much pressure on brand names, but what about the lines that follows them? Could the so-called “generic descriptor” actually be something that makes a name click, or even craveable?
In this #tellthetruths video, I talk about why that overlooked line can carry surprising emotional weight, and share a grocery store example that made me stop mid-aisle and smile.
I’ve been talking a lot here about nonprofit names that function as an emotional call to action, and this one is a masterclass. No Kid Hungry instantly tells you exactly what it stands for.
In this #tellthetruths video, I talk about why this kind of naming is so powerful, and why leading with clarity and conviction are often far more effective than playing it safe.
One of my favorite non-brand topics to talk about with you all is what I lovingly call “hate mail.” Not the angry kind. The kind we all seem to be getting more of, more aggressively, and in increasingly creative forms.
In this #tellthetruths video, I share two new spam tactics that have crossed from annoying into downright unhinged, and I’m curious whether you’re seeing them too.
Today’s Battle of the Brands is a showdown between two toy car classics, and I’m not pretending this one’s close. When it comes to aspiration, scale, and fantasy, Hot Wheels and Matchbox are playing very different games.
One feels like a miniature of the real world. The other feels like a promise of the one you’re racing toward.
Check out this #tellthetruths video, then please weigh in. I especially want to hear from anyone that preferred Matchbox cars as a child, if you’re out there. (I don’t think you are!)
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I keep seeing alcohol brand names that feel almost too specific. So specific that they stop feeling like brands and start feeling like instructions. In this week’s #tellthetruths video, I dig into the rise of hyper-specific alcohol naming, why High Noon pulls it off, and whether “drink me now” is really a strategy with staying power.
How are brand names like exercise? Well, with exercise more pain today is an investment in less pain over time. (Or so I tell myself, 4 times a week.)
I heard something on Caitlin Barrett’s excellent naming podcast, Big Names In Naming, that had me thinking about this. She had a VERY big name in naming, Anthony Shore, as one of her guests and he said something I wanted to share with you.
Shore talked about how the coined names that are typically easier to sell in to clients, and that are usually also easier to clear legally, are actually more expensive in terms of the effort to associate them with your desired meaning.
Check out this #tellthetruths video for more, then let me know what you think.
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I’ve written many times about naughty brand names, but one step down is the snarky, sarcastic name that functions similarly. The attitude of these kinds of names can make them really memorable and engaging, provided that such at one is appropriate for your category and positioning.
Check out my latest #tellthetruths video for a breakdown and some fun examples. But more than anything, please share any examples of similar snark that you’ve encountered in the wild.
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When it comes to brand strategy, sometimes people confuse being consistent with being the same. Brands need to flex to the occasion, the medium, the daypart, whatever the context is. And that’s not inauthentic if there’s a consistent thread running underneath these customized presentations.
That’s what I mean by “cousins, not sisters.”
Check out this #tellthetruths video to hear more, then weigh in.
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Check out my latest #tellthetruths video about Nom Nom Dog Food and the strategy of making onomatopoetic brand names. (No, I did NOT make that word up!)
Trigger warning: slurpy mouth sounds ahead!
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