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?
The Line That Lands It
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.
This video originally appeared in LinkedIn.
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The Yin And Yang Of Names and Taglines
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TRANSCRIPT:
Hey guys, it’s Rebeca with BrandTrue. And today I want to talk about something, I’ve talked about it before, Because I believe so strongly in the line that comes, the words that come after a brand’s name. What we refer to as the generic descriptor, that can really land a name.
So what I mean is if you buy, say, Jif, it’s Jif, which is trademarked, peanut butter, which is not. Anyone making peanut butter, can use the peanut butter part. So we tend to think of it as a, like I said, a generic descriptor, as an identifier. But, with a lot of our names that we’ve done for clients, we’ve actually added a lot of power to the name with the line that describes it.
So one of my favorite examples is (you know, the laundry category is incredibly crowded) Tide Laundry Detergent. They’re all laundry detergent. And if you were coming in and you were trying to stand out by having a different formula, you could be, you know, we’ll call it Rebeca’s brand, Rebeca’s Enzymatic Cleanser. Why do you have to call it laundry detergent? You can add a little power, you can stand out.
So I just saw a fabulous example of this I wanted to share with you. It’s Alexander, it’s a dairy and it’s milk. I was in the dairy section and I saw Alexander, and then right underneath it it said: Eco Dairy. And I said, oooh! I want milk from an Eco Dairy, right? Like right away it’s a family name. It’s not that distinctive all by itself. But by putting it together, they added so much power to their name.
And so then, you know, to prepare for my video, I started doing a little research. And besides the stuff that I saw, they also have milk in glass bottles, which is a more expensive proposition. It’s a different feeling, different ethos, probably a different consumer. And there it says Alexander Family Farm, right? So much romance from pieces of their name that they can’t even trademark. I could come along and come up with family farm as well, but you know, will I? They really move into a very emotional space with a piece of their name that most people consider throwaway. So I was really interested in sharing that with you. I think it’s very powerful. Thanks. Bye!
