BrandTrue

Brand Strategy | Differentiation | Naming

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Battle Of The Brands: Matchbox vs. Hot Wheels

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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Snark Tank

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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Ugh Doesn’t Translate

The word “ugh” means very different things in different language, which have nothing to do with frustration or disgust. But the only thing that’s relevant is what they mean here.

Check out this #tellthetruths video about why it does NOTHING good for you to create brand names based on relevant meaning in some other, irrelevant language.

What, exactly, is the point of that?!?!?!

No, don’t do it! This is the same issue as we see with hidden back stories. Don’t make decisions that are more about showing off for the rest of the brand team. Talk to the people your brand is for!

Sheesh!

No! What I meant to say was… UGH!!

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Lay It On Thick

In this week’s #tellthetruths video I’m going to talk about thick communications, and why I like them so much in a marketing context. Like thick names that are rich with meaning, thick communications give your brain layers of context to grab onto, which engages, connects and makes everything more memorable.

Check it out!

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I’m Not The Target. And That’s The Point

As much as I think I can remain objective when it comes to evaluating brand names, I’ve recently learned about how much it turns my head when I’m not the target.

Especially with names that draw on cultural currency, insider jokes, and the like, someone who is outside the tribe can see a really effective name and consider it a piece of poo!

Check out this #tellthetruths video for more and remember to ask your kids for their take the next time you think a brand name really sucks. Just, whatever you do, don’t ask them what 6-7 means!

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Oatly Sounds Just Right

For a crash course in leveraging tone of voice to reinforce a brand positioning, check out Oatly, the alternative milk brand. They’re a master case in engaging with their audience proactively and bringing a consistent personality to life across every touchpoint.

Now, their tone of voice is very particular and wouldn’t work for most brands, but they’re still really wonderful to learn from.

Check out this #tellthetruths video, and then check out how Oatly presents themselves.

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Do You Know What Brand Voice Is?

In order to have better content, you should have a very clear command of your brand’s tone of voice. But many people don’t even know what tone of voice means in a brand context.

The short answer is that it’s simply how your brand speaks, and the bigger your brand, the more important it is to have a strategic framework to make sure that everyone that touches the brand has a consistent understanding of what that means. Guardrails, if you will.

Check out this #tellthetruths video for a bit more perspective.