Factor Tachtig continues under the name Peach. That’s right. We’re talking the juicy blush and yellow piece of fruit that is occasionally on your fruit bowl. And also an emoji. Why Peach? Well we once actually considered the name ‘Project Banana’, then we continued as Factor Tachtig. But now, we think it’s time for the name Peach. We think it’s different: just fruity, sweet and cute.
Shakespeare asked that question too, centuries ago. And more recently it happened at T-Mobile, the telecom company. They changed their name to Odido. Nuon also took the step a few years ago and changed its name to Vattenfall. Both companies were dealing with a merger, so a rebranding was a necessity as well as a strategic move. But you can’t change your brand name just like that. Your name is a promise to your customers. It’s tied to their trust in you and is therefore invaluable. So, for now we’ll stick with Factor Tachtig. That said, when you do change your brand’s name, there are two main things to keep in mind. First of all, a brand name always arouses emotions unintentionally. Your customers’ neurons make all kinds of connections and associations with your brand. And that’s good because all those associations form the DNA of your brand. Which is my second point.
But first, let’s go back to the name Peach. Because I can already hear you thinking… Peach? you don’t really mean that, do you? Sounds way too general, not distinctive enough and doesn’t fit with what you do. Exactly. I agree. But what do you think about the name Apple? It is something in the fruit bowl at home too. And with a bite out of it, it may be next to your fruit bowl, connected to the charger. Not a bad name, you’ll have to agree. Another example I like to use is the Coca-Cola brand name. I wouldn’t dare to advise a client to take a brand name with Coca in it. But I don’t think you’ve ever stumbled over that at Coca-Cola? That’s because the brand evokes a series of positive associations in us (🎄🎅).
Do you have any names that you question? Let me know via the form below.
When you read a word, you already have associations, positive or negative. And that differs from person to person. You think a peach is nice and sweet and juicy, but your colleague only thinks about the fuzz on the skin. How about Plug. Do you have the chance to turn that into a strong brand? You may think: of course it is, because you associate it with connection, energy and power. But maybe you think ‘no’, because you’re afraid that the product will always have a negative connotation. Looking at expressions like ‘plug their head’ and ‘pull the plug’. In other words, personal bias has a lot of impact on how people perceive a brand name and it also takes time to land.
The key word here is foster. Awaken those neural connections with your brand name in your target audience’s mind again and again. Make sure that your brand name is always fresh in your customer’s memory and then, of course, linked to your brand values. Just think of that apple on your fruit bowl. Could you turn that into Apple? Admittedly, that’s quite a challenge. It’s the work of years of marketing effort and a lot of budget. But you also have to have the guts to start with such a name. Just like with IBM. Have you ever wondered what the abbreviation stands for? Me too. But that’s not really important. The brand has been built and fostered. You know IBM and know what they do. Hmm…So we can also go for the name PCH. 😉
Your name should be distinctive. Short and sweet, but also future-proof. In addition, you have to make sure that it does not get too close sounding to other brands (trademark). Something you can easily pronounce, spell and remember. Of course, this is useful if the domain name is available. And if you meet all of these criteria, try to choose a name that makes it clear what your product or service stands for. #goscooter
Coming up with a name is clearly not the easiest job. That’s why we’re happy to help you. We guide you and your team in your search for the name that fits you. A name that energizes you and also makes you want to put energy into. A name that you will proudly wear on your T-shirt and stick on your car. And then we also help you with strategy to cultivate that brand name consistently. That is what a sustainable brand is all about.
Stay updated with the world of brand names and strategy with us. Question? Comment? Drop us a line. Peach out!
Ps. Two weeks after this blog was written, Pantone chose the color of the year 2024, which is Peach Fuzz. 😌