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Making A Brand, From Blackberry To Lexus Dealerships
Many of today's most famous brands are simply based on a company owner's name which has survived many decades - such as Heinz or Woolworths. But some have been entirely made up by the owners many years ago. In recent times though, advertising and marketing agencies have become responsible for creating some of the world's most well known brand names. In this article we'll take a look at how Lexus dealerships got their name, how Blackberry became a world-wide brand and the launch of Coca Cola Zero.
Lexus dealerships did not, as some may think, get their name from Johnny Lexus in 1954. There has never been a Johnny Lexus. Dealerships bearing this name got it after a long and very careful process of deliberation. Advertising agency Saatchi and Saatchi were hired by Toyota in 1986 to come up with a new brand for a line of luxury cars. 219 different names were dreamt up, with a short list of Chaparel, Calibre, Vectre, Verone, and Alexis racing into the final furlong. The winner was Alexis, which was meant to combine 'luxury' and 'elegance'. Eventually, the A was dropped, and Lexus cars and Lexus dealerships got their now famous name.
Many other brands got their name in a similar way to Lexus. A prime example is the Blackberry handheld devices, on which a comparable amount of time and money was spent. Lexicon Branding was given the task of coming up with a name for Research In Motion's (RIM) new product.
Although mobile email was one of the prime functions of the Blackberry, it was decided that a brand linked to the word 'email' would prove unpopular as research suggested it raised people's blood pressure! Instead, a more natural, organic name was sought. One of Lexicon's naming people thought the device's keypad looked somewhat like the seeds of a blackberry. And, like Lexus dealerships, Blackberry was born and became popular worldwide. So addictive in fact, it has been nicknamed 'Crackberry'.
Coca-Cola's 'Zero' cola brand went through a similar branding process, but more time was spent on the look of the drink. If you look at the ingredients list on the side of a can of either Diet Coke or Coke Zero, you'll quickly noticed that they are the same. The company was keen to market a sugar free version of Coke to males, realising that the existing Diet Coke was thought to be directed at women. Thus, the striking black can design was developed - more masculine than its silvery sister product. Zero itself is a blunt, straight-forward name, suited to the youthful male market.
Lexus dealerships and cars, Blackberry handheld devices and Coke Zero all show how important a name is to the success of a product. These made up words instantly connect to positive images or feelings in the prospective consumer, and as these examples have suggested, the money and time involved in selecting them is money and time well spent. The next time you see a Lexus dealership or a Blackberry sitting in a store - remember the amount of thought that has gone into the branding, especially for you!
About the Author Shaun Parker is a brand expert with many years of experience in branding industry. Find out more about Lexus dealerships at http://www.inchcapelexus.co.uk/
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