Brand naming with flavour

I make no apologies for this blog looking more like a menu than usual. We’ve seen the fruit bowl raided for names: Blackberry; Plum (baby food); Apple Corps and now technology products are going all out to take names from the kitchen cupboard. Google’s Android operating systems have been given a dessert-related titles: Cupcake, Ice Cream Sandwich, Jellybean and Key Lime Pie. There’s also the Linux-based computer, the Raspberry Pi.

Maybe you thought that Apple started it all, or Orange? Banana Republic? Or (Av)Ocado?

Perhaps we could call it ‘Ingredient Branding’ or ‘Recipe Naming’ but this is a great way to add some flavour to products and brands, to make their names memorable and add some personality into a portfolio, without just being a ‘me-too’ fruit name.

This shows an enlightened shift in thinking around naming – products and services no longer need to describe what they do, they need to hint at the personality and enjoyment that the user will get out of them.

What’s more approachable than your favourite dessert? Even if you don’t make food? Not convinced? These products sound bright, fresh, confident. Because that’s the perception the name can give without having to spell out what the product does.

This is something that creative agencies learned a long time ago – following the path of psychedelic bands: ‘aricot Vert, Blue Banana. Older corporations also had a go; like Pye Electronics. OK, maybe not.

A tough call for brand owners – be memorable or tell consumers what it does. Spell it out, or make it stick in the consumer’s head. Get them to buy into the product, or get them to buy into the brand.

I’m looking for other examples. Please send me them, so that I can make a trifle – or a stew.

Farewell from the larder of brand names. I have to go, I’m hungry now.

 

2 Responses

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  1. Written by Chris Charlton
    on May 9, 2012 at 12:27 pm
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    There was an early nougties online currency venture called Beenz. Think it’s a hasbeenz now.

  2. Written by Chris Allan
    on May 10, 2012 at 12:08 pm
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    There is EGG the insurance firm, and then there’s CHICKEN the banking and finance lawyers in Alaska… I don’t know which came first though.

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