To find or create a name for an organization, product or service is a very challenging and exciting task. Naming is a very important Branding tool. A product name should represent an important feature, an advantage, a value or a good feeling. It should represent something positive to the consumer; it should have a significant meaning. A name should be easy to be understood and pronounced by the target market –
a name that will be memorized.
As time goes on and markets, environment and scenarios change, companies may adapt their names or the names of what they offer. In the 90s, due to the globalization of markets and production supply chains, some companies changed or standardized names to gain economies of scale in packaging, promotion and logistics. Furthermore, since then, people have been more “globalized” as well. More people started to have more access to travel worldwide and yes, it is important to see your favourite brands when you are outside your home country. I still remember how strange was to see the global Milkybar name on one of my favourite Nestlé chocolate bars, which used to be called Lollo - a name that was present in my mind since my childhood in Brazil.
A few days ago, when I saw the Açaí Berry juice Bom Dia on the supermarket shelf here in Toronto I asked myself: Have I read it right? Am I reading words in Portuguese? How Canadians and all other people with international background present in this country would read it? Usually people who speak English do not pronounce nasal sounds like “Bom”. Well, what a challenge to consumers. What a challenge to promote it! There is the authenticity aspect, as the origin of the açaí berry is Brazil, and Brazilians speaks Portuguese – which is interesting. Also, many foreign products here in Canada have foreign names and many of them are – like Bom Dia – not targeted to a niche market segmented by cultural origin.
Let’s see how people will get the message from Bom Dia – which means both ‘Good morning’ and ‘Nice day’. What I know is that açaí gives a lot of energy to spend hours working and/or having fun!
