What's in a name?

The October issue of The New Yorker explores the importance of a strong brand name in today’s cluttered marketplace. “Famous Names” contrasts the creative origins of BlackBerry, PowerBook, Google and even Coca-Cola – brand names that launched and came to define industries – with the failure of Ford’s Edsel vehicle, whose $50 million launch in the 1950s was a spectacular flop due arguably to the forgettable name. Entire shops are now dedicated to brainstorming/free association naming techniques to give products and services an edge.
Meanwhile, a recent Ragan PR article defines the next step to a successful product launch – hiring PR experts to communicate the right brand message to the right audience. According to a new industry forecast, public relations and word-of-mouth campaigns will be the fastest-growing marketing-related segments over the next four years.