Well, we hate to be negative but yeah, we think it does! This name is for a women’s clothing and home decor brand and we just don’t find it aspirational or clear enough.
Does This Name Suck? SOFT SURROUNDINGS
Watch this #tellthetruths video to see how we analyze the name against our TRUE framework to come to that conclusion.
This video originally appeared in LinkedIn
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TRANSCRIPT:
– Hey guys, it’s Rebeca with BrandTrue. And we’re going to do a “Does This Brand Name Suck?” today around a brand called Soft Surroundings. At some point during the pandemic, a Soft Surrounding store showed up at a strip mall near my house. And so I was like, “What is this?” And it’s a lifestyle brand for middle-aged women with like, kind of like a Bohemian edge to it. I thought this shirt was actually perfect for this video because they have like sort of soft prints like that.
And so the idea is that comfortable fabrics, comfortable home goods, comfortable wellness products that I guess help you feel comfortable. It’s kind of a lot for a brand all at once. It’s kind of a broad footprint. And I think that this name, it sucks. So we’ll go through the framework. I’ll try to articulate why. But I just, I hate it. I absolutely hate it. Okay. So is it a transparent communication of what they offer? Kind of a yes and no. Like “soft surroundings,” I guess everything is around “soft.” That’s their bright red thread, their transferable point of difference that they’re trying to leverage.
But I don’t know that I can buy a sweater or a tunic or a pair of shoes at a store called Soft Surroundings. Maybe a bedspread. So I don’t think it’s that transparent. Is it real? Does it have some kind of authenticity? I guess. But not like any, I don’t know. There’s not really a brand story there about where they came from. There’s nothing really emotional. I don’t love it. Okay. Is it unique? Yes. Nothing else sounds like that. And is it engaging? That’s where they really go down the drain for me.
I just don’t think calling it Soft Surroundings is engaging. It makes me think of a padded cell, not an aspirational brand that I want put on my body. So that’s what I think. Maybe someone with more familiarity with the brand can give me a different take. I would love to hear from you if you think otherwise. Let me know. Bye!
