What’s in a name? Surname.
McDonald’s, Cadbury, Burberry, Ford, Kellog’s, Christian Dior, Heinz, Bang & Olufsen, Bacardi, Lamborghini, Tata, Bajaj. According to GoBigname, 50% of the top 100 world brands are derived from the surnames of their founders.
We often see relief on the face of clients when we readily like their choice of name for a new brand. Hey, this is not to undermine the importance of brand names. But quite often, it’s an overrated asset. Many a complicated names owe their genesis to this. When in distress, remember Amul Macho underwear. Having said that, we in India haven’t really taken our surnames that seriously. Particularly in the FMCG sector, or even in the food sub sector. Would Britannia be any different if it were Wadia? We do have big names coming out of first name (Vadilal), first name derived (Nirma), pet name (Haldiram ji), combo name (Dr Burman), even a locality name (Parle).
As long as it’s a name or surname give it the benefit of doubt before canning it. For one, most names are easy to pronounce. Two, people don’t care beyond that, at least not for long.
Why don’t we see new age brands following this time tested naamkaran? Perhaps because we search online by category (MakeMyTrip). Or perhaps there are several names behind most new ventures and D2C brands unlike the old times when it all began with the one & only. What do you think?
#branding #communication #fmcg