The timid man yearns for full value and demands a tenth. The bold man strikes
for double value and compromises on par.
… Mark Twain
Archive for December, 2006
On Boldness
December 23rd, 2006 by Chief Nut
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
December 22nd, 2006 by Chief NutGo back to Name Game #2 and #3 and you’ll see I suggested that the process involves quite a bit of list making. In our most recent round of brainstorming, we came up with two full pages of concepts. About 200-300 different words and phrases. Of course the team jumped right into analyzing the synonyms, antonyms, idioms, homonyms, homophones, alliteration, rhyming words and phrases and started to come up with some really great names. Let’s not stop there …
Tip Ten: Sleep on it. Yes, there’s a reason why that’s an expression. It works! I’ve heard it called the “phoenix effect” … where your great ideas rise from the ashes of the previous days heated brainstorming session. The point is that time (especially restful sleep) can give you a completely different perspective on any creative process. Including name generation. Consider all of those hundreds of ideas as seeds. Overnight, the healthy ones will grow and evolve. They’ll be different. Before, they were just a pile of seeds. Now you can tell which ones are viable. NAP TIME!!
No Habla Slogano
December 21st, 2006 by Chief NutThinking of taking your brand “international?” If you do, don’t just stick the words into Babelfish and hope for the best. Here’s an article from Moronland.net with 13 hilarious reasons why NOT to do that!
Ask About Our Tips!
December 21st, 2006 by Chief NutI was having a wonderful brainstorming session at lunch today with “Content Lover” and “Word Wiz” Allen Voivod. We were engaged in a pleasant conversation with Laura, the Head Barista at the local coffee shop and, when asked, she recited to us (quite proudly, I must say) the cafe’s tip policy;
- One third goes to the employees … who split it equitably based on number of hours worked.
- One third goes to a fund that pays for employee enhancement … like college courses, seminars, etc.
- The final third goes to social and charitable causes.
The tips were being collected in an unadorned, completely UN-remarkable brown coffee mug. We politely asked her why she doesn’t post something about this wonderful, well thought out, charitable policy. She said “it would take too long to explain it”. Allen, in his ever-creative way, suggested that a small sign on the cup could read “Ask About Our Tips”. BRILLIANT!
Thinking about the topic of “brevity”, I tried to recall for Allen a fabulous response from Mark Twain to a newspaper editor about why a short article would be more costly than a long article. I couldn’t find it, but I did find this other gem:
It usually takes more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.
…Mark Twain
Betrayed by the One You Love
December 18th, 2006 by Chief NutI love my 17 inch Mac Laptop with it’s big, bright, vivid screen. Alas, not all things are perfect. A couple of weeks ago the Power Adapter started throwing off large, loud sparks. So, I’m thinking to myself “this CAN’T be good.” Once it was plugged in and didn’t move around, it seemed to be fine, so I made sure I plugged it in before sticking the plug into the computer. That didn’t last. It eventually died (thank God, with no damage to the computer). Sigh.
A quick trip to the online Apple store (type “Extra portable power adapter 65W” into the search box and click on the… first product) showed the part costs freakin’ $79.00! Deep breath, deep breath. For cryin’ out loud, this thing is just a plastic box, a plug and a wire. How could Apple possibly charge that much for it?! Justifying the situation, I convinced myself that it was because of the high quality and specialized components used in its manufacturing. Ummmm … nope.
Click on the link above and quickly scan through the 1348 reviews on this piece of doo doo! What amazes me is that Apple endures this kind of bad press but does NOTHING (apparently, over the course of almost two years) to change the design. They now have thousands of irate customers when the whole situation could have been salvaged if someone was paying attention.
Relegated to chucking the broken adapter and buying a new one, I tore the old one apart. I pried off the plastic cover of the small part the prongs stick out of and used a pair of needle nose pliers to re-shape the poorly designed copper strips (which were, by now, damaged from the previously mentioned electrical arching). I glued the cover back on and VOILA! … the adapter works like a champ! No sparking … and the prongs are more secure than when the computer was new.
I didn’t write this to share my stories of woe. I’m pointing out that even a company like Apple, who spends hundreds of millions on development, uniqueness in product design and being a thought leader can sometimes “blow it” because somebody didn’t figure out that a piece of copper was the wrong shape. It’s ALLLLL in the details.
The Emotion Of Food
December 16th, 2006 by Chief Nut
A U.S. Census Bureau 2007 Statistical Abstract of the United States says that Americans are FAT! OH MY, WHAT A SURPRISE! We’re heavier than Mexicans, Australians, Greeks, New Zealanders and the British — combined! OK, I added in that “combined” bit, but you get the point.
So what does this have to do with brand? Consider the purchasing process for most people and the influences at work that get them to buy one food over another:
- Desire for fast and convenient (pre-processed, pre-packaged, canned, wrapped)
- Desire for something filling (SUPER SIZE IT!)
- Desire for something that tastes good (mmmmm, bacon)
- Desire for value (processed is cheaper than fresh)
- Desire for control (customized burgers, selection of meals, selection of size, etc.)
Restaurants aren’t big on promoting “slow, labor intensive, light, health food”. Worse yet, the general public’s buying decisions aren’t based on this latter concept either. If the emotions of health conciousness could beat out the above list every time, we’d have a nation of svelt, buff, super-studs.
Certainly Subway Sandwiches is giving this a go (You GO Jared!), but we’re a long way off from turning this epidemic of obesity and diabetes around. An interesting note is that Subway was voted the #1 Franchise of 2006 by Entrepreneur Magazine. Hmmmm
If you’re in the food industry, consider the world changing, differentiating strategy that YOU could be making by shifting your brand’s emotional connection from “fast and fat” to “hip and healthy”. It’s different but it could help lift you above the other lard brokers out there … and the world would be better for it.
Live Free Or Die
December 15th, 2006 by Chief NutFor those of you who have never heard that phrase (Live Free Or Die), it’s the state motto for us here in New Hampshire. Since the early beginnings of our great nation, the people of NH have held the strongest belief that individual liberties are as precious as any other “rights” we enjoy.
Needless to say, you can imagine my reaction to this Washington Post article, pointed out by Seth Godin, where the Federal Trade Commission may step in and regulate various aspects of Word Of Mouth advertising. Hmmmmmm.
Faulexinom … A Made Up Name.
December 13th, 2006 by Chief Nut
TRIVIA QUESTION! … “Why (or how) did Xerox come up with their name?” Give up? Because they wanted an identifiable, defendable (trademark lawsuit-proof) identity that was short, AND BOTH began and ended with an “X”. No other word in the English language does that.
Like Kleenex and Coke, the name Xerox has become synonymous and universally interchangeable with the word “photocopy”. THAT, my friends, is a strong brand! So, the $10,000 question would be “can I just make up a name?” Answer: yes and no (again with that darned two edged sword).
Take a look at the masters of made up names … Lexicon-Branding. As a premier brand strategy firm and one of the best name-comer-uppers, they’re responsible for some traditional brand names like “Powerbook”, “OnStar”, “Blackberry”, “Tungsten” and Subaru’s “Outback”, Forester” & “Baja”.
For decades, this team has also been making up names like “Dasani”, “Zima”, “Febreze” and “Nexcare”. Indeed, all powerhouse brands that are immediately recognizable by most consumers. BUT … what about some other names they’ve come up with, like; “Evista”, “Vistive”, “Capton” or “Provenge”. In their own circle of influence, these brand names are strong, easy to identify, easy to spell, meaning-rich and CAN be built into mega-names. The problem is that it’s not so easy to remember these newly made up names. You have no past historical reference to relate with.
Tip Nine: If you’re going to make up a name, be very, very careful! Know that the cost of trying to avoid trademark issues is this initial lack of language recognition. It may take a long while to get brand “legs”. Also, expect A LOT of people to say “Uhhhhh, WHAT does THAT mean?” Made up names very typically evoke a love-hate response from the general public.
You’re likely on the fence with this one. There are, indeed, both pros and cons to consider. Take your time … this is a big deal.
IF YOU DO decide to try and make up a name, check out these resources:
- Robobunny’s “Dislexicon” - English Language Extender
- Perceptus’ “Word Mixer” - Similar tool but it just mixes words you provide
Go back to our Name Game category (the link’s over there on the right) and check out tips two and three. I walked you through the process of making a list of HUNDREDS of related words. Start plugging these into the above sites and you’ll see how this can all work out.
An Example: Let’s say I were trying to make up a new name for a brand strategy company. One related word would certainly be “identity”. By plugging this word into the Dislexicon system I quickly came up with “Benidenti” (with the implied meaning of “good identity”). It’s short, easy to spell, has a European feel to it, and a quick search at the USPTO site shows no competing companies.
Now comes the hard part (after I get a real clearance check from my IP attorney and an official “go ahead” from the USPTO) … burning this sucker onto the frontal lobes of every Tom, Dick and Mary I can get my hands on.
Tag The Rude Cactus
December 9th, 2006 by Chief NutOK kids, put on your thinking caps! If you’ve been reading the last 10-11 posts, you’ve noticed that they’re almost all about “naming”. This includes coming up with creative corporate taglines.
A contest: IT Security Geek Chris Cactus has been using the moniker of “Rude Cactus” for three years. He now needs help coming up with a new tagline! Apparently “putting the suck in succulent” just isn’t cutting it. Although he has made it a point that the top prize will NOT be either a puppy OR a hooker, I think this would be a good exercise for us all to give this naming exercise a try. GOOD LUCK (you’ve got until next Thursday)!
The “Little Old Lady” Test
December 9th, 2006 by Chief NutName Game Eight!
We finally come around (out of order) to my numero uno, most important nugget in coming up with a great company name (or tagline, or product name or service name)…
Tip Eight: Clarity, Clarity, Clarity!
This means no “cutesy” or “clever” names. If you ever have to explain anything, for any reason, EVER, it is by definition a bad name. To avoid this pitfall, don’t use:
- Clevr spelling
- Hy-phens
- Under_Scores
- Sub.Domains.com
- MaydUpp Werdz
- Perilously dificult to spell words
Heed the KISS principle … Keep It Simple Stupid (or any other final “S” word you choose). Here’s a standard to follow;
Let’s say you’re standing in line at a grocery store and you’re chatting with an old family friend. Gray-haired Ethel is 90 years old and has never used the Internet. If Ethel gets home from her shopping spree, later in the day, she should STILL remember the name of your new gig. Yes, it needs to be THAT clear. If loving, caring, motivated family-friend Ethel can’t remember it, you can be sure that a large percentage of a rushed, uncaring, quick to click consumer audience is going to forget it even faster!
Don’t fight yourself! “Clarity” as the first rule will make the process of coming up with a fab name infinitely easier.
Feeeed Meee
