40 CHAPTER 2 BRANDINGBrand names, as well as other brand elements such as logos, URLs, symbols, characters,
spokespeople, jingles, packages and signages, should be memorable, meaningful, likable,
adaptable, transferable and protectable.^3 A good brand name is easy for custom ers to say, spell
and recall. Excellent examples are Dell, Bic, Nokia and Ford. To enhance brand recognition
and avoid brand confusion, a brand name should also be distinctive and be able to diff erenti-
ate the product from the competition. Besides being memorable, it is an advantage that brand
elements are meaningful; for example, Mr Clean cleaning product, Vanish stain remover,
Head & Shoulders shampoo and Newsweek magazine reinforce an attribute or benefi t asso-
ciation related to the brand positioning. Brand elements should also be tested on their visual
and/or verbal likability or, in other words, on their aesthetic appeal. Over time, brand elements
may lose their appeal, calling for an update. As a consequence, logos, symbols, characters
and even brand names oft en have to be adapted. Texaco, Nike and Michelin are just a few
examples of brands that updated their logo/character over time. Preferably a brand is trans-
ferable both across product categories and geographic boundaries. Th e more specifi c the
brand name, the more diffi cult it may be to extend the brand to other product categories.
Nivea could easily extend its brand to the shampoo, skin care and other markets, but it will
be diffi cult for Head & Shoulders to extend its shampoo brand into skin care. To build a
successful global brand, the brand name should be easy to pronounce in diff erent languages.
Th is is not the case for the soft drink brand Mountain Dew in many non-English-speaking
countries nor the Polish vodka brand Wyborowa in non-Polish-speaking countries. Global
brand names also have to be culture- or language-neutral in the sense that they do not evoke
strange or undesirable connotations in foreign languages. Kodak, Mars and IBM are good
examples of this linguistic neutrality. On the other hand, the Rolls-Royce Silver Mist model
name sounds strange in Germany (where Mist means manure), as does the Finnish defroster
Super-Piss in certain European countries, and the toilet paper brand Kräpp in English-
speaking parts of the world. Other examples are the Spanish bread brand Bimbo that is asso-
ciated with an attractive, unintelligent lady in English; the Dutch bread brand Bums reminds
English-speaking people of a person’s backside and German-speaking people of sex; the
Egyptian airline company Misair is not appealing to French-speaking consumers because
misère means misery to them.^4 Finally, a brand should be available and easy to protect
through registration. Th erefore, no generic words should be used. Really successful brand
names oft en become household names, i.e. the brand name is used to indicate the product
category in which it was a pioneer. Examples are Xerox, Aspirin and Hoover.In 1862, Don Facundo Bacardi bought a small tin-roofed distillery in Santiago de Cuba. When his wife first stepped
in the distillery, she saw a colony of fruit bats living in the roofing. For the local people, bats represented good for-
tune, health and family unity. She suggested that her husband take the bat as the trademark for his rum. Because
of high levels of illiteracy at the time, a strong, distinctive, memorable and likeable trademark was very important
to identify and sell the product. The bat fulfilled all these criteria. Positive word-of-mouth reports of the excellent
rum spread soon and the bat made it easy for consumers to find the right product. More importantly, in line with
local beliefs and traditions, local storytellers reinforced positive brand associations by claiming that the bat brought
good fortune to the drink and gave it magical powers. Magic or not, the company had good fortune and, more than
140 years later, Bacardi’s bat is one of the best-known trademarks world wide.^5BUSINESS INSIGHT
Bacardi’s good fortune BatM02_PELS3221_05_SE_C02.indd 40M02_PELS3221_05_SE_C02.indd 40 6/5/13 2:59 PM6/5/13 2:59 PM