Marketing guru Seth Godin has written about sloppy naming for product families. He’s particularly scathing of Apple. It’s a familiar problem. People keep playing amateur brand-name creator, especially if they are responsible for dreaming up new products and services. I’ve seen it all - twee word-plays on primary brands, me-too versions of i-this and something-mate, ghastly alliteration, overlap, duplication and just plain randomness, not to mention customer confusion and law suits for trademark infringement.
You know who you are; stop it right now! Put someone in charge of product branding for your business, get them to develop a credible product naming architecture which is consistent with your strategic positioning, market offer and product development plan. Debate it, agree it and mandate it. Then enforce it with absolute central control. It’s the only way, folks - your brand is too important to your business.
(Tapio - that means you!)
First posted July 17th, 2007
You know who you are; stop it right now! Put someone in charge of product branding for your business, get them to develop a credible product naming architecture which is consistent with your strategic positioning, market offer and product development plan. Debate it, agree it and mandate it. Then enforce it with absolute central control. It’s the only way, folks - your brand is too important to your business.
(Tapio - that means you!)
First posted July 17th, 2007