Name Awards

Is Kijiji the sound of Ebay’s jungle cry?

There is plenty of places for successful abstract names in branding. But to have an abstract name that you can barely pronounce and worse, is very, very difficult to read in most fonts and almost anyone’s handwriting, that is really stupid.

No wonder EBay is suing Craigslist! Their own classified offering might even work if it just had a name intelligible to western ears, especially one with as much recognition as Craigslist (even though Craig himself didn’t want this name to stay on the door…. luckily wiser heads prevailed).

So we know that Ebay copied the classified ad idea from Craigslist, and the dots in the logo from Google, but we are not sure from which monkey-speak they copied the name. (We do not intentionally mean to offend Japanese character names here… just this name is not for the Japanese market). But they ended up with a very difficult name to type and read, let alone relate to.

Why couldn’t they just copy themselves and call me to sell them the domain KeenBay.com? At least you can read and spell and say it.. even on a quickly scribbled note.

Oh how an accent adds class.

All around a lot of countries, ladies know the brand name Bioré. The name just seems to sound like it cleans your pores in a classy fashion. Yet the name roots are so basic and simple, as some of the trademark fights show. Other have tried to have products called BioRe and Bio Regenaration… same idea – but with no class. The addition of that accent over the e makes all the difference doesn’t it? Changes BioRe into Bee Oar Ray. From the mundane to the classy, as only the French language can do.

Of course, the big irony of this name is that the product line is not sold in France or anywhere on the European continent. The brand is actually owned and managed by KAO of Japan nowadays. But who cares. In fact, who cares what the ingredients do. If I wanted a skin cleanser I would instinctively believe in one with such a cool name.

Brand success and the power of a name

Reading blogs and sharing notes about names is fun for many, but it is also nice to get together and share stories and ideas over breakfast sometimes. I spoke up once too often at some of the Business Marketing Association’s round table breakfasts, so now I am personally the speaker next week (May 7th) in Palo Alto. Let’s have some fun. Business doesn’t have to be boring. When the emotions flow the creativity does too.

Here is the link to sign up. No payment till you show up.. but mostly you just have to pay for what you eat. Bring a story or question to share. Maybe your name idea will win an award.