Once you start paying attention you will quickly realize that there is no similar platform for what vehicles are named but I wish I could have eavesdropped on the discussions when the protocol was determined. I am sure the first time someone said “Dakota” people thought of the states, but now they see a vehicle image in their mind. Accord used to mean agreement or conjure up images of a Peace Accord, but now it’s a Honda. I’m sure that in their own way, all of the decisions made logical sense.
What I don’t understand, though, is who thought it was a good idea to name an RV “Intruder.” While some words like sierra, excursion or escape may have a dual meaning, none of them had a negative connotation before they were branded as vehicles. It reminded me of the infamous Nova debacle – with No va meaning “no go” in the Spanish market that was targeted for the vehicle. At least that wasn’t as blatantly obvious as the Intruder!
Bottom line: take great care when choosing a name. Whether it be the moniker for your product, service or child, it’s hard to change or live down a bad one. Don’t let a poor branding decision intrude on your messaging.
No comments:
Post a Comment