Reframing category names to nudge perceptions is one of the most powerful tools in a marketer’s arsenal. Sometimes, this work is quite brilliant.
From Icky To Irresistible: Deception or Genius?
Check out this tellthetruths video to catch some really great examples. Then let us know what you think, and whether you think it’s right.
This video originally appeared in LinkedIn.
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TRANSCRIPT:
Hey guys, it’s Rebeca with BrandTrue, and today I want to talk about category names. So that’s after the brand name, describing what kind of thing it is, like Tide, Laundry Detergent. Those category names, sometimes some very dramatic work is done with changing how we perceive the whole category by changing that name. And it’s so funny because it’s not trademarked. It’s not ownable. Your competitor might use it, too. But I talked recently about how air fryers, which are so big these days, are really just tabletop convection ovens, but tabletop convection oven doesn’t sound anywhere near as sexy as “air fryer”. It really changes our perception.
So my friend Jessica Esterkamp reacted to that video by saying, “Hey, shapewear is a lot better than a girdle, but it’s the same thing,” and I just thought, “Wow, we have to look into this more!” So… started poking around and came up with some great examples. I don’t how you feel about liposuction, but “body contouring” sounds a lot better and sounds less painful too, even though it’s the same procedure, right? It really changes how we think about it. A couple of other examples: If you like to buy vintage clothing, it used to be “Used” and, ew, but now it’s “Pre-Owned”, or even, I love this one, “Gently Loved”. Another one is, if you’re not eating dairy anymore, maybe you like to put a “plant-based spread” on your bread. I do this, but I wouldn’t touch margarine. I’m a snob about that. On some level, I know they’re the same, but I don’t think about it like that, at all. And one that I really, really love is e-cigarettes emerged, I don’t know, not that long ago, 10, 15 years ago, and so it’s a new way of doing an old thing. Well, they now don’t really ever call them e-cigarettes. That evolved into calling them “vapes”, and that’s not a new way of doing an old thing. That’s perceptually an entirely new thing and without the stigma of the cigarette. I think it’s a very powerful, persuasive reframing.
So, I think we’re in dangerous territory with these because it’s a little bit brainwashing or a little bit deceptive. But also I think, you know, I didn’t know I needed a tabletop convection oven, but an air fryer sounded… I could see the connection to it more. So it’s right on the edge there. I would love to know what you guys think about doing this kind of thing and I would love to hear your examples because I know there’s plenty more good examples out there. Thanks. Bye!
