Assessing How Your Brand Name Will Perform Globally
Coming up with the perfect brand name is no easy task.
It should have instant impact. It should connect with your target audiences. It should project your desired tone of voice, identity and values. And, if possible, it should indicate the industry or sector you are operating in.
But that’s not all. If you’re also looking to go global with that brand or product, there’s the added element of ensuring it works in multiple markets.
There are many famous examples of brand names being adapted internationally – and for good reason. What may be seen as catchy and disruptive in one market could easily be seen as confusing, tough to pronounce, or even offensive in another.
This is where a naming audit can help. This specific type of cultural consultation looks at your current or proposed brand or product name – or a shortlist of potentials – and assesses its suitability in overseas markets.
Why Brand Names Are Adapted
As mentioned, there are many famous examples of brand names being adapted in different overseas markets – think Lay’s crisps, Axe deodorant and Heartbrand ice creams.
There are various reasons for this, ranging from legal, to linguistic and cultural, to commercial.
Take Axe – it was launched in France, but due to trademark issues had to change to Lynx in certain markets, including the UK.
As for Lay’s, when its parent company acquired already established brands in the UK and Australia, those popular names were maintained – hence we have Walker’s in the UK and Smith’s in Australia.
Perhaps the best example of how a brand has made strategic choices on its global naming is Heartbrand ice cream (that’s Wall’s in the UK), which goes by different names across numerous markets, such as Frigo, Ola, Tío Rico and Streets. This shows how it can make commercial sense to use locally recognizable names to better resonate with local audiences.
For established brands looking to expand into new markets, a naming audit can assess the suitability of your brand name from a linguistic and cultural perspective, while also offering key market insights on usability, such as the competitor landscape – to help gauge the tone and sentiment in the sector locally – and whether the name, or similar names, are already in use.
A naming audit can also highlight any legal red flags – something KFC faced in Quebec, where strict naming laws required the brand to go by PFK, the acronym for the French Poulet Frit Kentucky.
But What About New Brand Names?
This is where a naming audit really comes into its own.
For any company looking to establish a new brand name, a naming audit can assess whether the proposed name – or list of potentials – will work globally, or whether adaptation is needed.
Take the Spanish brand Danone, which due to pronunciation issues in the US (people mispronounced it as “Dan One”) ended up adapting its name in that market to Dannon.
By highlighting any pronunciation – or other – hurdles from the start, a naming audit can save time and money in the long run by highlighting the suitability of a name in major markets.
What Can a Naming Audit Cover?
A naming audit can look at various elements around suitability and usage. Here we look at the most common questions a naming audit can answer.
Is it easy to pronounce? This may sound like a simple one, but it’s something that’s often overlooked. A name that is difficult to pronounce in, for example, Latin or Asian markets will fail to resonate. In other words, tongue twisters (no matter how unintended) could be a real turnoff.
Are there any negative linguistic associations? While made-up words and portmanteaus can be fun and creative, they can also unwittingly sound like negative words in other languages. It’s essential to check whether a proposed name could be misunderstood as a negative, slang or – worse – offensive word in the local language.
Does it project the right tone? Formal or too stuffy. Informal or too playful. Disruptive or can’t be taken seriously. Different cultures interpret tone in different ways. Understanding these local nuances can make a big difference.
Does it represent the product or sector? When using English-rooted names in other parts of the world, it’s important they give at least an indication of the product or sector they represent, to avoid confusion and help audiences make an instant connection.
What does the competitor landscape look like? Knowing what the popular brand names within your industry are can help gauge whether you’re hitting the mark with your target audiences.
Is the name already in use? Having a clear view on whether the name – or a variation of the name – is in use and who is using it can help to decide whether it makes business sense to find another option.
Are there any legal red flags? As highlighted in the case of KFC in Quebec, many markets have specific naming laws, as well as wider laws and regulations regarding the translation of marketing materials, which can have a big impact on your chosen name.
How Mother Tongue Can Help
Naming audits are a key part of Mother Tongue’s research and insight offer. If your company is looking to develop a new product or brand name for international audiences, our market-based strategists and linguists put your proposal through its paces to ensure it fully resonates with consumers all over the globe.
We have three levels of naming audit available.
Complete – a local strategist and copywriter provide a detailed report on the suitability of the names, looking at language, culture, target audience, sector, and brief. They give an overview of the competitive landscape, brand perception, and naming insight, call out any red flags and provide an audio recording of the names with local pronunciation.
Standard – an in-market strategist, or copywriter, assesses the suitability of the names, focusing on language, culture, target audience, sector, and brief. They highlight any sensitivities and provide an audio recording of the names with local pronunciation.
Basic – an in-market strategist or copywriter works independently to call out any linguistic or cultural red flags.
You’ll receive a polished report for each market, plus an executive summary, giving you an overview of the key findings across all markets.
Get in touch to see how we can help you ensure your brand name hits the mark globally.