Wordlab: August 2003: The Free Business Resource for Naming and Branding

Hog Wild Branding: One hundred years ago this month, Harley-Davidson was born. Born to be wild.

Riding the brand from the brink of bankruptcy in 1985, the company has become a marketing powerhouse by taking branding beyond motorcycles and attaching its ubiquitous logo to items ranging from toys to underwear to butt cheeks. Sales of general merchandise (products that aren't motorcycles or parts) totaled $231 million last year, up from $114 million in 1998. General merchandise accounts for almost 6 percent of Harley-Davidson's annual revenue, up from virtually nothing in 1982, when Harley first began licensing products.

Now, you can even get Harley gear for your pet. It was the pet's integral role in families that inspired executives at Harley-Davidson to create a line of apparel and accessories for the biker pooch when looking for "logical product brand extensions," said Ruth Crowley, the company's vice president of general merchandise. Crowley said executives were careful to uphold Harley-Davidson's brand image, making sure each item for the pet line "ties in logically and with the integrity of the brand." The effort has been very successful, she said. Since the pet products hit store shelves in 2000, the line has been selling at a higher rate than its launch, which sold out in the first week. "We're very careful not to be silly about it," Crowley added. "We try to restrict the line and distribution, so it's meaningful."

Who is HOG? With research by LucJam into Harley-Davidson customer demographics, Snark Hunting recently presented a feature article on Harley People. "When they're buying a Harley, they're buying an image and a lifestyle first, and a motorcycle second," Tim Conder, an industry analyst with A.G. Edwards & Sons Inc. brokerage firm, said of Harley buyers.

Time rumbles on. You only get one chance. See you at the party.

Posted by abnu on Wednesday, August 27, 2003 @ 10:30 AM [ + ]

Hogwarts Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry: where witches and wizards go when they reach the age of 11 years old to learn how to become witches and wizards. Hogwarts was created by four founders and each founder had a house: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus is the Hogwarts Motto. It means "Never tickle a sleeping dragon."

Such is the lexicon of the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling, adding a rich texture to our language. Harry Potter fans know well that a muggle is a non-magical person. The wizard world tries its best to keep magic a secret from most muggles, as they would not be able to handle it.

Today, the word wizards and esteemed editors of the Oxford Dictionary of English are publishing a revised edition, the New Oxford Dictionary of English, adding 3,000 new words officially to the English language. "Muggle" is now in the dictionary: a person who is not conversant in a particular activity or skill. We are more comfortable blogging about this today, as "blog" is now a word in the dictionary, too, not just netlingo.

Speaking of muggle language and other codswallop, another site worth checking out is the annual list of banished words. These words are banished, not by the wizards and witches of the Hogwarts Academy, but by the Lake Superior State University, which publishes some very nice Banishment Posters that are offered free to all muggles.

Posted by abnu on Thursday, August 21, 2003 @ 5:11 AM [ + ]

Elvis has not left the building: On this 26th anniversay of the death of Elvis (no last name necessary) we continue to feel his presence through the phenomenal marketing power of his name.

Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. (EPE) is the business entity created by the Estate of Elvis Presley/The Elvis Presley Trust and is the modern-day evolution of the company identity under which the late Elvis Presley conducted business. EPE's board chairperson and sole owner is Lisa Marie Presley, daughter and heir of Elvis Presley. Her mother, Priscilla Ann Beaulieu Presley, as Executor of Elvis Presley Estate and president of Elvis Presley Enterprises 1979-1998, took an estate with a market value of about $3 million and virtually no income and built an enterprise with yearly revenues of an estimated $75 million and an estimated value of at least $250 million. That's quite a story, but the business of Elvis is worth even more now that he consistently tops the charts as the highest earning dead celebrity.

Today, Lisa Marie Presley controls the Elvis brand, which continues to be one of the most successful marketing properties worldwide through licensing arrangements. Elvis Presley Enterprises works with corporations and advertising agencies all over the world to incorporate Elvis Presley and Graceland into their marketing messages.

Before you consider naming your firstborn Elvis, you might want to consult a trademark lawyer. Elvis Presley Enterprises is very serious about "protecting and preserving the integrity of Elvis Presley, Graceland and other related properties" and it does so by judiciously selecting licensed products consistent with the Elvis brand, and making mutually beneficial agreements to share in the profits ensured by the positive value of this brand integrity. Such was the costly lesson learned by The Velvet Elvis nightclub.

Well, I've learned my lesson and now I know
The sun may shine and the winds may blow.
The women may come and the women may go,
But before I say I love you so,
I want
Money, honey.
Money, honey.
Money, honey,
If you want to get along with me.

Sessionography:
January 10-11, 1956, RCA studios, Nashville
producer: Steve Sholes
guitar: Scotty Moore
guitar: Chet Atkins
guitar: Elvis Presley
bass: Bill Black
vocals: Elvis Presley
drums: D.J. Fontana
piano: Floyd Cramer
back-up vocals: Gorden Stoker, Ben Speer, Brock Speer
words and music: Jesse Stone

For current news about Elvis, and to find out where he's playing these days, you might want to check out the not-for-profit fan magazine at Elvis News.

Posted by abnu on Saturday, August 16, 2003 @ 7:35 PM [ + ]

Sloganator Too | Rise of the Voting Machines: Need a slogan for Governor of California? No problem. I am a machine. Hasta la Vista, Baby. I'll be back. It is time. Arnold Schwarzenegger one liners are hitting the campaign trail, from Leno to Los Angeles. A new advertising medium is emerging - the campaign trailer.

Not since Carmel California Mayor Clint Eastwood's Make my day, California Congressman Sonny Bono's I got you babe and California Governor turned President Ronald Reagan's That was for the Gipper, has a politician delivered such memorable lines. "Politics is just like show business. You have a hell of an opening, coast for a while, and then have a hell of a close," said Ronald Reagan to aide Stuart Spencer in 1966.

Today, every "with it" politician also has a weblog, or blaaaahg as Arnold will undoubtedly call his. Californians for Schwarzenegger registered his political Internet domain on January 10, 2002. Surprise! Join Arnold dot com. It's so... Californian. Bring jobs back to Silicon Valley.

Thanks to this former Mr. Universe, California has become the center of the Political Universe. Schwarzenegger is "sucking the oxygen" out of the political arena, they say. Equal time regulations do not legislate equal attention for all political candidates.

That's where the Internet comes in handy for politicians, according to web savvy Bloggerheads. Unable to get a soundbite on national television these days, politicians like Howard Dean, John Kerry, Gary Hart, and Travels with Tom Daschle all rely on the Internet to connect with the people, the average Joe. This must have been what Al Gore had in mind for the Internet when he invented it. But not all these blogging politicians really get it, as noted recently by columnist Maureen Dowd writing this in The New York Times.

And, in the Wordlab, political aspirant Joe Williams, the future voice for the people of the State of Michigan, finds a campaign slogan that speaks directly to his constituency:

I am your average Joe.

Inspiring words that immortalize politicians... from the creative imaginations of humble writers.

Posted by abnu on Wednesday, August 13, 2003 @ 9:28 AM [ + ]

Somewhere between my ass and Texas: What is the first words you think of when hearing the term "fair and balanced?" Is it Fox News? Faux News? Al Frankin? Daily KOS has some great smack regarding Fox's lawsuit aimed at Al Frankin's upcoming book: Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right

Posted by Michael Davey on Tuesday, August 12, 2003 @ 9:35 AM [ + ]

If you start me up I'll never stop: With our focus on words in naming and branding, it's worth noting that words set to music are often the most powerful expressions of a brand.

Start Me Up has struck gold twice as an advertising theme. Microsoft paid the Rolling Stones a reported $4 million for the use of the song to launch Windows 95, which introduced the "start" button to the computer interface. And this year, Ford hopes to start up sales using Start Me Up again in an ad campaign for the brand's entire line of cars, trucks and sport utility vehicles .

In advertising, cars and rock music seem to go well together. Sadly, Chrysler learned, to the tune of $14 million, that Celine Dion does not rock. Happily, Hummer rolled out a very creative commercial based on Happy Jack by The Who. Cleverly, Toyota set its brand to Sly and the Family Stone's Everyday People. And, Chevrolet really got a rock solid hit with Bob Seger's Like A Rock, which has become more strongly associated with Chevy Trucks than with the original recording. Perhaps, this rock anthem remains the most enduring association of a brand with a previously recorded lyric.

Other brand advertisers have taken note. Microsoft tapped Madonna for Ray of Light to launch Windows XP, and this year, GAP matched Madonna's Get Into The Groove with Missy Elliott to reach a broad demographic with this commercial. Increasingly, major corporations are turning to recording artists for memorable branding statements using their hit music to make a connection with customers.

Is the advertising jingle dead? If you're interested in questions like this, and everything else about music in advertising, there's always good stuff to see and hear at Adtunes, the ad music weblog. For those who refer to commercial messages as adverts, there's also Commercial Breaks and Beats.

Posted by abnu on Monday, August 11, 2003 @ 9:13 AM [ + ]

Attitude Adjustment: Relationship over? Day not going exactly as planned? Sit down and have a big cup of coffee with Demeter Fragrances new anti-aromatherapy line. Jilted? Have a Gin & Tonic. Fed up? Enjoy a Sugar Cookie. Bitter? You want Honey. Crabby? Have a Mint Chocolate. Never happy? You need a Brownie. Each 2 oz. bottle contains a blend of luxurious lotion scented with a food fragrance that may just make you feel better, or maybe not.

Demeter Fragrances starts with great names, and designs authentic scents for room sprays and candles, bath soaps, body products and perfumes. Memory triggers are what branding is all about.

Which ol' factory scents trigger your memories?

Almond, Angel Food, Apple Pie, Bamboo, Basil, Beet Root, Birthday Cake, Black Pepper, Blueberry, Bonfire, Bourbon, Brownie, Cappuccino, Carrot, Cedar, Celery, Chamomile Tea, Champagne Brut, Chocolate Mint, Christmas Tree, Cinnamon Bun, Cinnamon Toast, Condensed Milk, Coriander Tea, Cosmopolitan Cocktail, Cranberry, Crème Brulee, Croquembouche, Crust of Bread, Cucumber, Cypress, Damask Rose, Dandelion, Daphne, Devil's Food, Dirt, Dregs, Dulce de Leche, Dust, Earl Grey Tea, Earthworm, Espresso, Fig Leaf, Firefly, Fireplace, Flower Show, Frankincense, Fraser Fir, Freesia, Fruit Cake, Funeral Home, Gardenia, Geranium, Gin & Tonic, Gingerale, Gingerbread, Glue, Golden Delicious, Graham Cracker, Grape Leaf, Grapefruit Tea, Grass, Green Tomato, Greenhouse, Heather, Heliotrope, Hibiscus Tea, Holy Smoke, Holy Water, Honey, Honeysuckle, Hot Toddy, Humidor, Iris, Ivy, Jasmine, Kiwi, Laundromat, Lavender, Leather, Lettuce, Licorice, Lilac, Lily of the Valley, Lime, Linden, Lobster, Madeleine, Mahogany, Malaga Cooler, Mango, Martini, Mayer Lemon, Mesquite, Mildew, Mint Julep, Mulled Cider, Mushroom, Myrrh, Neroli, New Leaf, New Zealand, Ocean, Olive Flower, Orange Juice, Orchid, Paint, Paperback, Parsley, Patchouli, Peach, Peony, Pipe Tobacco, Poison Ivy, Popcorn, Privet, Prune, Pruning Shears, Pumpkin Pie, Punch, Quince, Rain, Raisin, Riding Crop, Rose, Rubber, Russian Leather, Rye Bread, Saddle, Sambucca, Sandalwood, Saw Dust, Scottish, Sex on the Beach, Shortbread, Snow, Spring Break, Stable, Steam Room, Sticky Toffee Pudding, Stringbean, Sugar Cane, Sugar Cookie, Sushi, Sweet Orange, Sweet Pea, Tangerine, Tarnish, This is not a pipe, Thunderstorm, Tiger Lily, Tiramisu, Tomato, Tomato Seeds, Turpentine, Vetiver, Vinyl, Violet, Waffle, Wet Garden, Whiskey Tobacco, Wisteria, and Ylang Ylang. No shit; although, there must be a hint of it in Stable.

New Zealand, was designed at the request of the Prime Minister of New Zealand for the New York premier party sponsored by the government of New Zealand for The Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers. Let me guess... it makes you smell like a Kiwi?

Posted by abnu on Tuesday, August 05, 2003 @ 12:29 PM [ + ]

Strong medicine: Igor has posted an extensive taxonomy of company names in the biotech / pharmaceutical industries, classified by category and by level of engagement. On this chart, note that few companies have broken away from the pack; nearly all of them are heavily clustered in the lower levels of engagement.

The names that rise to the top do so because they are different, but most importantly because they are different for a good reason. These companies are using their names to distance themselves from the negative baggage that exists in their industry in the same way that Merck and ADM are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to assure the public that they are working with nature rather than against it, and that they are not cold, uncaring, profit-mad corporations. Further, these names help distance these few companies from the "GenGen"* names that conjure memories of lost investments.

* "GenGen" is Igor's term for all of the "me too" company names that begin or end in "gen" in the biotech / pharmaceutical sector. (Courtesy Snark Hunting)

Posted by Jay on Friday, August 01, 2003 @ 4:58 PM [ + ]

BLOGROLL