Name Awards

Salquin to the Rescue – Great name, great kid’s book.

Yesterday I was bemoaning fact that very old people do not readily accept new, unusual or coined words. Today I have the joy of talking about a kid’s book that really continues to push the limits of names and characters – for both people and critters.

Before this book I had never heard of the Salquin native people of Canada, now I too love the word. Same as I learned about Chimona in the first book in the series and from whence the series gets its name: The Chimona Chronicles.

Believe me, if I had grand kids I would be reading this to them from my laptop. It is so much easier to read to your kids, or along with them, if there is some intelligence in the story so you don’t get too bored. After all, you know you are going to have to read it over and over if it is any good.

And in addition, this book comes with an associated series website (www.chimona.com) where you and the kids can investigate more of the names and terms. Even adults will not know them all unless you have travelled in the same areas as Rosie Reay, the author.

Yes, I am biased because I helped bring this book to market, but I only put the effort in because I thought it was worthwhile. With the added extra of a full length poem (a trademark of Rosie’s stories) and Candice McMullan’s great illustrations, I expect this book will be very popular for Xmas and many a family will be learning new names and places together, apart from unraveling the simple parallel plots in the story line.

In the meantime, you can get an early copy via download to your computer from www.FodenPress.com.

When is Gold no longer an appropriate part of the name?

The term Gold is often used as a descriptor of value in products and services, like the Gold Card, or Gold Program. This is similar also to the usages of diamond and platinum at times. But when you name your company Safari Gold because you really sell safari jewelry made in gold, and the gold price goes so high that you mostly  sell silver products, do you change your name to Safari Silver or do you stay with the old name?

Help me out here folks. As an investor in Safari Gold I am too close to the subject to know what is right or wrong.

Secondly, my giraffe friend here is always part of the image and branding of the company. What is the right name to give to such an icon that regularly appears? I am not crazy about giraffes, but so many people are fascinated by them (especially ladies) he gets to stay regardless.

Sky throwing their weight around at Skype

Sky TV in England have now sued Skype, claiming the name and trademark is confusingly similar and they have the consumer market research to prove it.  Wow. Years after the two brands have co-existed. Years after Skype has successfully filed for many trademarks. Sky obviously needed time to find the right morons to survey. And, coincidentally, waited until Skype filed for an IPO. Talk about being greedy. Why couldn’t Sky have sued them when eBay was the owner? Not big enough target?

Sky have always been aggressive about protecting their name, and with due respect, they have to be to protect such a common word. But this seems to me to be a classic case of trademark bullying that is not built on reality, but on opportunity. However, it should be taken as a lesson for all. When you are small and inconsequential they don’t come after you. But when you are fat and ripe and ready for fishing, the legal sharks arrive.

These are both great names, and I wish I knew how to create a big consumer forum to affect the trademark registration gods to come to their senses.

As predicted, Aulani shows the Hawaiian names are coming.

A reporter once scoffed at me when I said we would see more Hawaiian names abound because of the shortage of English words that can be owned and trademarked. She thought Akamai was a big exception. Of course, they have since grown to be a major internet infrastructure player.

Now Disney is launching its Aulani Resort in Hawaii.  Being in Hawaii, it is much more natural to use such a name… but it is a rare word that has them explaining its meaning and pronunciation. And, of course, with their money and marketing mojo they can brand anything, you might argue. Still, it takes courage to really bring a new word to life. The baby naming books say it is female for a god’s messenger. After the Disney spin is added, it supposedly means “the place that speaks for the great ones”.  And no, it does not rhyme with aura. Like in Wow or Maui, it is a loud Au.

Sign up now for your timeshare at Aulani.com. It will be ready for you and Mickey to don your flowery shirts next year.

A Daily® dose of real estate reality

About 2 years ago I blogged about a real estate firm called 50 Cabins after I went up into the Sierras off highway 50. Recently I made another inquiry about Sierra properties, and darned if the first person I hear from isn’t an old colleague who now runs Daily and Company Real Estate in Mariposa, California.

In this day and age of big real estate brands and chains, it is refreshing to drive into town and see the original little red and white building they share with an old fashioned small town barbers shop. Mr Daily has long ago moved on, but I commend my friend for keeping the name and history intact – especially in such a quaint, historic town that once played such a major role in the California gold rush, but today is better known as The Gateway to Yosemite.

Plus from a linguistics point of view, Daily is such an interesting word when used in a different context to normal. I believe that it fascinates and attracts attention as it stands out from the crowd while being imbued with positive feelings. And yes, it is a properly registered trademark too.

See more about them and their real estate services for the greater Yosemite area at www.mariposaproperty.com.

All hotels under one name… to create a brand

Today’s name award goes to Ian Schrager, as recently profiled in a Business Week Hard Choices column.  Ian, one of the largest owners of a collection of unique boutique hotels around the country, is quoted as saying:

“The properties have value, but a brand itself has a value too. In retrospect, it was ridiculous. I should have developed all of my hotels under one name. I’m in the hotel business, not the cool business”

Yes, branding is sometimes a big money game. And now Ian is joining forces with Marriott rather than starting a new brand from scratch.

When the name and logo are at odds

Sometimes when we do name audits for clients we find there is nothing wrong with the name, but there may be a problem with the logo and other visual identity. Here are two from my old neighborhood that were always driving me nuts, even though colorful and bold and still successful.

Air National Guard’s Rescue Wing -  look more like feet to me!

And at the height of summer St. Stephens Green might be partially hidden in the greenery, but why did they have to paint in blue? It dropped 2 points on my elegance scale immediately. Of course, after you have had a pint or two and tried their great menu, you probably won’t care.

Water in a box! And just call it H20. Brilliant.

Never mind all the great sessions and private discussions, I took personal delight at the recent Sustainable Brands conference in discovering the free samples of H2O – water in a cardboard container.

How come I never thought of that? We have all made enough comments about wine in a box, so why not water in a box? It is a much improved packaging source to keep all those millions of plastic bottles out of landfills and the ocean.

As to whom has the registered trademark on H2O (without modifier), I am not sure, but it seems like it is now adjudged generic. In other words, anyone can use it and no one can own it.

Green names for great brands? Or green grammar?

At the Sustainable Brands conference this week in Monterey, I will be co-presenting on naming and grammar to describe sustainable brands. I know not everyone gets a choice, but I keep coming back to how the name and the product make for a more complete brand promise and experience.

So a uniquely new styled car like the Nissan Leaf, and before that the Prius and Tesla, make for so much more of a powerful market brand statement than something like Civic Hybrid or Lexus Hybrid – which don’t look different and don’t have unique names for a unique share of mind.

Despite the braking woes at Toyota, Prius has over 60% of the hybrid market, and Leaf is already sold out for this year.. before they even ship the first US model! Believe me, the writers over at Huffington Post are very misguided when they voted these names as being in the top 10 worst green names. Has anyone at Huffington ever been out of the city? They need some fresh air.

Remember when fossils were old and yucky?

For a brief moment as I unwrapped my gift, I thought I really don’t care for fossils. Why on earth would anyone buy me one…  I prefer they be left in their natural habitat.
Oh boy, aren’t I out of date and forgetful.  Fossil does not mean fossil when it is the watch and gift brand. It means high class, even avant garde, with a touch of travel whimsy and humor. Yes, this word has taken on a whole new meaning as a brand.

That in itself is not unusual. But a brand that is the complete opposite of the original meaning of the English word?  That takes skill and class. What a great example of the power of branding when your brand values are clearly known…. and your name is but a unique handle for that brand promise.