The most important marketing decision of your life
Though, it’s not an easy decision. It requires both strategic thinking and creativity. FCMG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) companies spend a lot of time and money doing market research on this, and test all alternatives on consumers before deciding.
Why is it so difficult?
Think for a minute. Your brand name will have to make sense in your category, and to communicate a brand idea. Your idea, the one that will differentiate your products from others, and that you’ll always have to use in any of your marketing initiatives. Your brand name will need to be short, memorable, comprehensible, easy to pronounce, legally defensible - although not generic nor dull. It will have to communicate something to shoppers. Not to you.
Not easy.
There are good and bad names, in produce. Melinda incorporates the Italian world "mela" (apple) and plays on it. Chiquita has a Latin sound and naturally brings you to the banana world. Innocent communicates purity – which is what their smoothies are all about. Italian apple brands Val Venosta and La Trentina clearly say where their apples come from. These are all good names. Names that contains an idea. An idea that is relevant to who's buying, not to who is producing.
Then, you see a lot of bad names. Names that do not differentiate, or that do not say anything to shoppers. For instance, the name of the owner of the company (unless you're willing to spend millions of Euros to advertise it). Or fantasy names, totally disconnected from the category you’re in, that you’re using as they sounded nice the day you created them. Or more, brand names that are difficult to pronounced, or too generic to be recalled.
No, choosing a brand name is not an easy job. But do dedicate some time, resources and professionalism to it. A good brand name is the first step towards marketing success. In produce too.
-----
Pisani Fresh Marketing is a consulting & marketing and commercial services agency for the produce world. It has been founded by Maurizio Pisani, former marketing Director for Chiquita and Commercial Director for Del Monte.
For more information:
Maurizio Pisani
maurizio@pisanifm.it
www.pisanifm.it