In an earlier video, I talked about naming tradeoffs. I talked about how naming brands often presents a choice between a name that’s very clear and transparent in its communication or one that’s more differentiated from the rest of the category. Very few names can be both at the same time.
Naming Tradeoffs – What’s The Right Answer?
But it’s not that one approach or the other is the right answer. The truth is that strategic considerations also come into play, based on where a brand stands. When a brand is creating a new category, it needs to have a very transparent name to announce itself to the world. “I’m here and this is what I am!” On the other hand, if later entrants to the category follow the same strategy, they can end up stuck with a name that sounds essentially the same. That’s not very differentiating!
In this video, I talk about The Container Store, which created its category and one of their competitors, Organized Living. Please check it out and share any similar examples you can think of in the comments. You know I love hearing what you guys think!
