Why Having a Cool Brand Name is Now More Important Than Ever

Photo: Dude Wipes/Amazon

Have you ever experienced the taste of a flavorful, sweet, and somewhat tangy Chinese Gooseberry? No, you say? Are you 100% sure with absolute certainty you’ve never tasted this awesome fruit before? 

Well, this may come as a surprise, but if you’ve truly never tasted a Chinese Gooseberry before, you’d actually be in the minority of people who haven’t. In fact, the fruit is so in-demand—4,000,000 tons of them are estimated to be harvested each year. 

In full disclosure, the reason why you may not have ever even heard of a fruit called a Chinese Gooseberry; let alone tasted one—is because the fruit is no longer labeled as a Chinese Gooseberry. Today, the fruit is labeled throughout the world as a Kiwi (although the name isn’t sexy, you gotta admit that a Kiwi does sound more delectable than a Chinese Gooseberry). 

The renaming of the Chinese Gooseberry is a perfect example of the power that a name could have on the way a brand, item, or product is perceived in the market. 

For those who have them, a cool brand name has always given brands an unfair advantage in the marketplace. Nonetheless, today, more so than any time in history–it is absolutely imperative that your brand has a dope name that connects with consumers. 

These are the primary reasons why. 

Attention is a scarce commodity 

Remember the famous line by Will Ferrell’s character Chazz Michael Michaels in the cult-classic film Blades of Glory? It’s provocative, it gets people going! Although in the film, Chazz was an excessively conceited champion skater—the way he understood the power of provocation—you’d think he was a marketing expert. 

Provocation definitely does get people going. Which is a good thing if your objective is to command the next best thing besides a sale that a brand could ask for from a consumer these days—their undivided attention. 

With all of our attention spans seemingly becoming shorter by the day thanks to the abundance of digital distractions at our fingertips, today’s brands only have a finite amount of time to capture their audience’s attention. 

Provocative copy. Provocative advertising. And especially having a provocative brand name—are some of the most effective ways that your brand could capture a commodity that has become a scarcity these days—consumers’ attention.

Cool names attract sneezers

Sharks, are you still wiping the old fashioned way with just toilet paper? If so, you’re a chump and your ass probably hates you for it. Those were the opening lines delivered by co-founder & CEO Sean Riley during his company’s pitch on the hit television show Shark Tank.

As an avid viewer of the show, I can recall watching Riley’s presentation (who appeared alongside the company’s co-founders Ryan Meegan & Jeff Klimkowski) and saying to myself, Whatever product these guys are pitching—it’s going to be edgy. And boy, was I right!

The trio was on the show seeking an investment in their business. A business which is the parent company of a brand with one of the coolest names I had ever heard pitched on Shark Tank since the show’s debut—Dude Wipes.

Although the utility of the product could best be described as being a cleanup hitter to toilet tissue (or the masculine alternative to baby wipes), the product captured the sharks' attention instantly. 

After having just landed a 2-3 million-dollar contract with Kroger to take their product nationwide prior to their appearance on the show—the trio’s pitch was so impressive—they they were able to receive offers from three sharks. Eventually accepting an offer from the show’s wealthiest shark Mark Cuban.

Besides having astute executives at the helm of the brand, as well as a brilliant marketing strategy, I believe that a significant reason why Dude Wipes became a brand that is now so successful—it generates over $1 million in sales each week—is due to the fact the brand’s name has the “Wow Factor,” which caught the attention of sneezers.

If you're unfamiliar with the term, in his book, Unleashing the Ideavirus, author and marketing legend, Seth Godin, describes who sneezers are and what it is that they do. “Sneezers are the ones who when they tell ten or twenty or 100 people—people believe them.” 

Another benefit of having a cool brand name is that it goes a long way towards compelling sneezers to effectuate word-of-mouth marketing for your brand. A gesture which cannot be emphasized enough—could be invaluable for your brand.

They’re easier to remember

Each year, brands allocate billions of dollars towards ad spend with hopes of achieving a single objective—to get consumers to remember their brand so that when the occasion arises—their respective brand will be top of mind when the consumer has to make a purchasing decision. 

But much like your smartphones and laptops, the human mind doesn’t have unlimited memory storage. Therefore, to get people to remember your brand and what it has to offer—standing out from other brands that have similar offerings is essential. 

Having a dope brand name would assist in that regard by helping your brand stand out from the crowd; and consequently, making it much easier for consumers to be able to recall your brand. 

How could you not love that? 

Having a tough time coming up with a cool name for your brand?

If so, allow us to remove that stressful burden for you. At Decryption, not only will we help you create a cool name for your brand that’ll resonate with your target audience—we’ll also devise a custom brand strategy that’ll ensure your audience will have absolute affinity towards your brand. 

Be sure to contact us today to schedule a complimentary client consultation so that we can get started on taking your brand to the top!