telephone directory because this was the only name he found that sounded
good in all languages and also had ease of pronunciation. More importantly,
the Tod’s brand concept was developed to translate the American casual
weekend style through Italian know-how of luxury product development and
to introduce luxury weekend fashion style to the world. The brand name was
therefore suitable for the brand concept.
Another often cited example of strategic brand naming in the non-luxury
fashion category is the Baileys Irish Cream liqueur brand. The brand is named
after a supposed ‘R.A. Bailey’, who also has his signature on the liqueur’s
bottle packaging, although he doesn’t exist. This fictitious character has been
used as a banding tool to sell the appeal of Irish beverage alcohol to
consumers. The benefit of this conceptual approach is an acceleration of the
understanding of the brand concept and the spread of brand awareness among
consumers.
In addition to recognizing the symbolic role of the brand name, several
traditional old luxury brands currently modify their brand names to reflect a
modern look and increase their appeal to the changing tastes of consumers.
For example, Christian Dior has erased the forename ‘Christian’ from its
packaging, advertisements and communications. The brand is now simply
known as Dior by consumers, although the company name remains ‘Christian
Dior Couture’. This name adaptation is a variation of the strategy of adopting
the brand’s initials like Louis Vuitton has done with the ‘LV’ logo; Yves Saint
Laurent with the ‘YSL’ logo and Dolce & Gabanna with ‘D&G’. The adop-
tion of a brand’s name initials aids consumer memory recall of the brand
name but could also backfire on the brand if mishandled. For example, the
adoption of the initials ‘CD’ could have several meanings for consumers,
including ‘Compact Disc’. The choice of the brand initials as a logo should
only be made by a brand after achieving extensive global awareness and
appeal. This would ensure that the brand’s perception remains undiminished
among consumers.
The brand name choice should also have elements of universality because
luxury fashion brands are increasingly global in nature. Consumers of luxury
goods appreciate exotic brand names associated with the brand’s history and
origin. At the same time, the disposable nature of today’s consumer means
that if the total brand package lacks appeal, then the name of the brand will
count for little. There are thousands of brands launched annually but most
of them fail and become forgotten as a result of unfeasible tactics. Only the
few brands that have well-defined brand concepts and brand strategies are
successful.
The brand concept is also reflected in the brand logo. Most luxury brands
are built on a foundation of history and heritage. However the evolving
luxury market requires an adaptation of the traditional outlook of luxury
brands to a modern stance. This has resulted in the tweaking of the logos and
the brand names of several luxury companies. As noted earlier, Christian
chapter 5 109the art of creating and managing luxury fashion brands