Is Your Name Your Brand?

What's In A Name? Is Your Name Your Brand?

My maiden name spurred jokes that were less than desirable until I married a guy named Hoover. Then the jokes about "suc*" became the norm. So the new name took me from one bad joke to another. Ugh.

When I married a second time, Hoover was swapped for Brown. AT LAST! A name that did not spur obscene jokes! Boy oh Boy, a happier person could not be found. It's a name I kept even after the twelve year marriage ended. "Brown"," aside from being a much better personal name has become my professional "branded" name and has stood me in good stead since 1978.

Because I made the transition long before a professional name meant that much for brand recognition, I've never had to worry about the name itself. At least not for a very, very long time. Being branded under "Brown" came naturally. Why would anyone want to make note of this?

It's about branding and what that means. So, as an example let's look at Coke. It's not unusual for company leaders and brand marketers to forget that their brand has such a tremendous impact on a large population. For our example let's remember the "new Coke" that was introduced in 1985. Although Coca-Cola invested $4,000,000 in market testing, the launch of their new product created a public outcry. In less than three months Coca-Cola re-introduced the original formula. What made the difference? Why did they change back? What happened that made the introduction of the new formula such a resounding failure? Coca-Cola focused on the introduction of the new product formula rather than the loyalty of their own brand.

When I changed names from Hoover to Brown, I had no idea that Brown would become a company name. When people think of "Hoover," it's a natural progression to "vacuum cleaners." Perhaps it's the luck of the draw for some of us that we have the business names we do. Nowadays, I have to compete with UPS and their "what can brown do for you?" campaign. This, however is not equal on a scale that equates with the name Hoover. Thank goodness!

So, when you think of your company (or companies) names, how did you make the final decision that helped you settle on a name you could brand? Or was that even a consideration for you? Got a story? Let's hear it!

EB :D