English languages: Webster and the Americanization
As a non-native English speaker (French is my first language), I had to go through the arduous process of actually learning Shakespeare’s language from scratch. In school, most of my teachers were trained in the UK (it’s the closest English speaking country, obviously) and spoke British English with a polished British accent. In the face of our complaints (why do we need to learn another language, can’t people just speak French? Well, we will just mime then) they used to…
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Naming flowers and plants
It’s spring at last and flowers are starting to blossom. They are lining our streets and filling our parks: cherry blossoms (Japan’s favourite), daisies, roses,… We love Spring and we love flowers. However, few people actually know the names of the flowers they admire. As you may have guessed, Botanical Nomenclature refers to naming, and more specifically to the naming of plants. People have always named plants, obviously; but botanical nomenclature was truly established during the 18th century. At that…
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4 Approaches to Mergers & Acquisitions Naming
The feeling towards the mergers and acquisitions market seems optimistic for 2014, with most investment banks reporting growing numbers of deals in the pipeline. These landmark events for firms aim to create synergies, and brand value is a crucial factor, however only around half of these attempts actually succeed. One of the most common reasons for failure is conflict between the two entities, and it’s no surprise this is linked to the biggest killer for brands – brand confusion. Clear,…
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How nicknames can damage or benefit a brand, Chevy vs. “Fix it again, Tony!”
Fiat entered the American market in 1908. At the time, it wasn’t yet known as “Fix it again, Tony!”; the nickname was actually crafted some 60 years later in the 1970s and 1980s when some Fiat owners reportedly encountered problems with their cars. From then on Fiat got a reputation for making unreliable and poor quality cars. The nickname “Fix it again, Tony!” was coined as an acronym for Fiat and intended as a joke. However it stuck, to the…
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Life in a playful world : advergames, gamification & serious games
When I was a child I liked going to McDonald’s because of the little promotional toys given away in ‘Happy Meals’. I didn’t even like the food that much but I would often beg my parents to take me to McDonald’s anyway. The fact that the toys changed so often and were always goodies from the last hot anime series or Disney movie only increased their appeal to the child I was (By the way, do you know that McDonalds…
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The importance of brands and the protection of their rights to ensure quality products and safety for the consumers
Buying a product from a brand is like making a deal: the brand guarantees you that you are buying a quality product. For a firm, a brand is a precious tool to help ensure loyalty and development; it is putting its reputation on the line. Thus a firm must pay close attention to its brand and any fraudulent use that could be made of it. That is why the law, both national and international, enables firms to register a trademark….
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& Fashion
Gianluca Billo, Managing Director of Nomen Italy, tells us about the macro naming trends in fashion in his column “Naming Trends” in the Pubbico Today. The fashion world has developed, over time, two major naming trends, identifiable with two well-defined types. The more traditional brand made ??of a name + surname (or surname only) is reminiscent of high fashion and has become a genre, a code: name and surname of the creator, designer, entrepreneur, reference to the house. Whereas…
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The Chinese Naming of Cosmetics Brands: Beauty Lies in Names
Dior, Chanel, Avon… Famous cosmetics brands all possess an elegant name, at least an appealing pronunciation, even if the word actually means nothing. That’s quite logical, because you cannot boost the sales of your beauty products with an ugly name in the age of branding. But how did brands adapt their names to the booming luxury market in Chine, the ancient Oriental dragon? I’d like to reveal the tricks of three western cosmetics brands translated in Chinese: LaMer, Estée Lauder…
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Perfumes and colors
An example of naming trends in the perfume industry is the use of colors that identify a new fragrance. Noir or Black, Blue or Blu, Gris or Grey, and then Pink, White, Red, Green always preceded by the brand or the designer’s name and sometimes followed by an adjective or a name that recalls an image or a symbol (Free blue, Red Door) or that strengthens the color (Noir de Noir). Choosing the name of a color…
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