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THE LEVISON LETTER
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Action Ideas For Better Direct Mail,
E-mail, Web Sites & Advertising
Published by
Ivan Levison, Direct Response Copywriting
April, 2004
Volume: 19 Number: 4
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What's in a name?
A copywriter’s guide to product naming
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The early car makers didn't waste a lot of time creating
fancy names for their cars.
They named them after themselves.
Ford. Buick. Chevrolet. Chrysler. Dodge. Ferrari.
Porsche. Rolls-Royce.
Soon, however, things changed. Future generations of
automobile marketers decided that they could sell more
cars if they came up with exciting, evocative names --
names that men, then the principal buyers of cars in America,
would find irresistible.
For example, when they were marketing to the upwardly-
mobile family man who aspired to wealth and "class," they
offered the Town & Country, the Park Avenue, or the Crown
Victoria.
The younger, free spirit went for the Aviator, Sunfire,
Liberty, Escape, or Explorer.
The macho guy with the open beer can, who you NEVER
want to
flip off when he cuts in front of you, chose the Viper,
Marauder, or (most ominously) the Crossfire.
Well and good. The car in America is a wish-fulfillment
as well as a means of transportation, and buying a car
with a highly evocative name is A-OK with me.
What turns me off is a new trend in product naming that
I
find quite repellent. I'm talking about giving
everything, from cars to companies, names that don't mean
a darned thing.
For example, today you can go out and buy a Chevrolet
"Aveo," a Hyundai "Elantra," or an Oldsmobile
"Alero." In
my view, these phony names are nothing but pretentious
efforts to sound modern, hip, and sophisticated.
Let me give you another example . . .
The company formerly known as Phillip-Morris, produced
a
lot more than cigarettes. They owned brands like Kraft,
Maxwell House, Nabisco, Oreo, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia,
Post, and Tang. Obviously, Phillip-Morris wasn't crazy
about its "dealer in death" image that was tainting
its other brands so they decided to put everything
under a new umbrella and change their name. What are they
calling themselves now?
The Altria Group.
In other words, they have decided to become invisible
and
fly under the radar with a non-name. Heck. It could be
the perfect name for a car . . . The Nissan Altria.
Yes. Sadly, a lot of the marketing language used today
is
empty language. But you can do better.
My advice? Insist that the marketing materials written
for you are crisp, clear, and compelling. Never settle
for clichés and flat, boring prose. And finally, don't be
afraid of lighting up your copy with personality
and emotion.
Let your competitor drive the Aveo.
YOU drive the Porsche.
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Are you a software marketer?
Don't miss a must-own book written by my friend Rick
Chapman. It's called:
"The Product Marketing Handbook for Software, 4th
Edition"
Rick's book is THE definitive guide to successful
software marketing and sales. It's 690 pages long and
contains over 2600 checklist items, 300 cost-of-marketing
line items, 20 case studies, 30 illustrations, sample
forms, free spreadsheets, and product management forms.
It is absolutely indispensable for software marketers.
$69.95. NOTE: I don't get a nickel for plugging Rick's
book. I'm recommending it to you because I think you need
it. Period.
Visit http://www.Aegis-Resources.com and check it out.
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How To Get In Touch
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Ivan Levison
Direct Response Copywriting
14 Los Cerros Drive
Greenbrae, CA 94904
Phone: (415) 461-0672
Fax: (415) 461-7738
E-mail: ivan@levison.com
Web Site: http://www.levison.com
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Copyright 2005, by Ivan Levison, All Rights Reserved.
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