Facebook announced the release of Facebook Camera today, as part of what’s expected to be a continuing process of app proliferation: trying to deepen connections with mobile users and solidify a presence in the world they’ve thus far struggled to captivate.

The name Facebook Camera is of note, as it may give a glimpse into the way the company views naming as part of this plan. Facebook’s naming is largely descriptive: Messenger, Pages, etc. Timeline caused significant delays, purportedly due to trademark conflicts with another owner of the very straightforward product name. Camera follows suit, and, in doing so, it does little else to create advantage for the brand.

COMPETITIVE DISTINCTION: 1/5

“Facebook  Camera” is too many characters for an iPhone app name – meaning that the app icon reads “Camera” – the same as Apple’s default, factory-installed “Camera” app. And, aside from the color difference, the icon is barely distinguishable as well. If the goal is confusing users into selecting their app, then they may find success.  But if the goal is to create a new entry in the extremely crowded camera app space (even against their own Instagram product) they do little to distinguish the product. Mashable reported the release with the headline Facebook Releases Instagram Clone. The name does little to combat the “clone” connotation.

CONSUMER IMPACT: 2/5

Well, who cares if the name distinguishes from the competition? you might ask. Pop up a link on 900 Million users’ streams (as they did with the Messenger app last month), and they’re bound to get an influx. Resting on the laurels of Facebook’s ubiquity and massive brand awareness, the name really only needs to say “Facebook Camera” and people will be motivated to try it.  There are two issues here: (1) as mentioned, the name can’t say that on our icon dock, meaning every time we go to select an app to take a picture, nothing about the name is compelling us to select this one. And (2) the name does very little to add value to the photo feature built into the Facebook app – leaving all of the work to marketing to build enthusiasm around a product with little intrinsic interest. As an app-geek, I downloaded it out of pure curiosity, and it IS pretty slick. Easy to use, a definite step up from their previous product. And sure there are a lot like me whose curiosity will lead them to this as well, but we’re all likely to already be Instagram – or Path – or Hipstamatic – or you name it – users. If the goal is to motivate the more casual of Facebook’s bazillion users to jump into the camera app space, the name could do a lot more to provide a reason to do so…and inspire that curiosity.

BRAND EXPRESSION: 3/5

Facebook is in a place where the brand needs to start expanding what it can mean to its loyal users. With 1/7 the world using your product, and investors anxiously awaiting incredible profit growth, it’s time to shift towards growing the contexts in which Facebook occupies our mental real estate. That’s the point of this app in the first place, right? Product innovation is great, but without a complementarily innovative vision for the articulation of these advances, it will likely fall flat. Companies like Apple are companies like Apple because they made leaps in product development AND the way they expressed it. Facebook’s naming strategy is, to date, a missed opportunity to add that interest and deepen engagement. But for now, with all that in mind, the name does follow Facebook’s neutral naming strategy. So the impact is really minimal on how we think of the brand. It won’t confuse anybody, and it wont change our understanding of what “Facebook” represents. But given the timing of the release – and how important photos are to the Facebook experience – this is probably not be the time to aim for neutral…

NAME GRADE: 6/15 (D+)

How are NAME GRADES calculated? Read about our 3 axes of evaluation here.

Fifth & Pacific was formally announced today as a replacement for the well-known Liz Claiborne moniker, naming the company that owns fashion brands including Lucky, Kate Spade, and Juicy Couture.

More than the name itself, we’re impressed by the way in which it was introduced to employees and shareholders: via a video revealing the name with well-articulated strategic rationale, and mood-setting footage to bring the story to life with confidence and enthusiasm. It’s this type of treatment that gives names more depth. Of course, to accomplish that in the first place, you need a name with depth.

BRAND ARTICULATION: 5/5 (Leader)

We start where this name excels. This part of the review is practically written for us by the company’s release, the accompanying video, and subsequent interviews with the CEO, Bill McComb.

As they put it, the name suggests an intersection of styles that reflects the diversity of brands and customer segments their holdings represent. The geographic breadth and  tone of style and worldliness create an expansive backdrop for their company to expand and grow – while staying relevant to the current brands that define them. In short, the name is flexible and dynamic, while at the same time evocative and true to their core personality. McComb confirmed that the name was not focus grouped prior to the announcement: indicative of the confidence and internal alignment around a name – which tends to come from names that feel more true to the corporate vision. (Unless they were just…Lucky.)

AUDIENCE IMPACT: 4/5 (Creates Advantage)

Naming a holding company presents a unique set of circumstances, as the core audience is not the end consumer but the investors and employees that fuel the growth and evolution of the business. So while consumer motivation is not the core focus, motivation of a different kind is still vital. Fifth & Pacific clearly imparts size and strength – as well as the defining tone as a lifestyle brand: motivating themes for investors seeking growth in the fashion retail space. The evocative image of an intersection – a visual of waves and palm trees colliding with bustling Manhattan sidewalks – positions the brand in dynamic fashion. And the URL and ticker symbol clarity only strengthens that ease of association.

Linguistically, the name is a bit of a mouthful – something that Daffy Duck might have a fun time saying – but is unlikely to pose any significant negative, given the ubiquity of the words themselves. Overall, it’s the tone of this name that gives it its motivating impact. As McComb put it, “There needed to be some chic-ness to it, and not in a contrived way. We didn’t want it to sound like a hedge fund, a Silicon Valley high-tech company or a law firm. Fifth & Pacific is not a consumer brand, but it’s a brand to investors and we wanted it to feel consistent with our consumer brands without stepping on them or overpowering them.” The name accomplishes this goal in…Spades.

COMPETITIVE DISTINCTION: 3/5 (Neutral Impact)

While reflective of the bi-coastal heritage of its collection of brands, Fifth & Pacific does use rather broad, undifferentiating language. Both words appear in other well known retail/fashion brand names from Saks Fifth Avenue to OP to PacSun. And Brandchannel was quick to point out the name’s structural similarities to Forth & Towne, Park & Bond, and Treasure & Bond. Throw in names like H&M and Abercrombie & Fitch…the ampersand is a staple of “style.” Again, it’s important to remember that competition is in the eyes of investors more than customers, yet the name may have benefitted from something a bit less expected. Something a bit more…Juicy?

NAMEGRADE: B+

How are NAME GRADES calculated? Read about our 3 axes of evaluation here.

Quartz was announced today as the name for Atlantic Monthly’s forthcoming online business news platform. In an article discussing the decision with Atlantic’s editor and chief, Kevin Delaney, Forbes framed the decision as counterintuitive. While we agree that the name is category-atypical, the underlying strategy presented by the decision-maker helps the name feel quite fitting.

In fact, the language used in the article by Kevin Delaney in the article is in many ways a template for how a name should be introduced: with tactical rationale, with messaging foresight, and, most vitally, with confidence.

CONSUMER IMPACT: 4/5 (Creates Advantage)

Quartz is familiar in the sense that we know what it is; it’s used by brands in other categories, and it’s easy to say and spell. But unlike more descriptive competitors (from Businessweek to the Wall Street Journal) and heritage-named pubs (Forbes, Bloomberg, Barron’s) it uses a suggestive concept to define the brand. As such, we agree with Mr. Delaney that the name does take a road less traveled, though it may not

have the breakthrough element of “surprise” he suggests. Nevertheless, the brevity, the attractiveness of the word and the image it evokes – and the complementary URL that further accentuates its use of atypical Q and Z letters – does create an alluring name that promises memorability and social friendliness. It will be interesting to watch how the connection from Quartz to QZ.com is articulated – be it graphically or with written explanation. (Oddly, the current twitter and tumblr icons are a simple ‘Q’ – sans ‘Z’.) There may be some concern about reverse linking QZ to Quartz (instead of the more likely Quiz.) But this is the type of learning that comes quickly to the average

consumer, and – once understood – the convenient mnemonic will greatly benefit the brand which benefits from being born in an age when shortened URLs were relevant (a transition that Overstock, for example, struggled to make mid-life.) Other likely associations of timekeeping and/or crystal (suggesting both clarity and transparency and prismatic color) are all positive.

BRAND ARTICULATION: 4/5 (Creates Advantage)

Here’s a great example of the importance of a vision. On the surface, Quartz can seem out of left field. It does not readily harken back to the name “Atlantic” in any thematic or structural way. It does not embody any surface-level meaning that we associate with the Atlantic brand either. What it does do, however, is tell a more sophisticated story that helps to advance brand values, especially in the way it’s presented as “… a metaphor for our intent to cover obsessively the tectonic shifts in the global economy.” No, this wont be the first association of a passive reader, but it embodies a brand vision that one would expect will carry through the visual and tonal spirit – and actions – of the brand. When launched with purpose and vision, names have the capacity to rally these types of ambitions: self-fulfilling prophesies that create built-in benchmarks for “is this in the spirit of the brand we’re building?” at every juncture. Quartz could just be a unique, pretty name, but when attached to a vision statement of this nature, it becomes something more meaningful: a brand-empowering concept.

COMPETITIVE DIFFERENTIATION: 5/5 (Leader)

When thinking about the broad and cluttered competitive field of online journalism, Quartz clearly claims a very unique space in tone and meaning. Slate comes to mind as a similarly short, simple (and mineral) name, though its secondary associations are relevant for very different reasons. Salon (which sounds so nice to say when followed with “dot com”) is another noteworthy name in the online news space – with a name that’s brief and category-differentiated. But in the same way Quartz can come to define a brand spirit internally, it clearly has the potential to carve a distinct competitive position as well in its uniqueness.

In short, Quartz is a nice example of how an abstract name – when chosen for smart reasons – can quickly come to embody something strong and memorable.

NAMEGRADE: 13/15 (A-)

How are NAME GRADES calculated? Read about our 3 axes of evaluation here.

Uppleva, Ikea’s name for its new TV/console platform, is brilliant. Here’s why:

The nature of the consumer electronics market puts Uppleva in new territory – beyond the walls of the Ikea box. Shoppers are savvier about specs, they pay more attention to features, price, reviews and competitive comparisons, consumer reports and advertising. Buying a TV is more involved than a more aesthetically driven lamp or end-table purchase.

Ikea’s new answer to the flat screen TV is unique, because it is distinctly on-brand: all about saving space, clean design, hidden wires and compact components. Rather than create a name that blends with other competitors in the space, they’ve mirrored their product development with a branding decision that is equally them.

CONSUMER IMPACT:  4

To most Americans, “Uppleva” means nothing. And yet, in the context of this media console, it means many things. First and foremost, it means: “IKEA.” It says “Skandinavian” which Ikea has helped champion as clean, modern, and aesthetically refined. In that sense the name motivates for reasons other than those of the competition (which emphasize resolution, brilliant color, etc.) and accentuates what is uniquely theirs: space-efficiency and smart design. As we have blindly embraced Ikea’s Swedish names in the past, any name that confuses us but accentuates that Swedish heritage would suffice. What’s extra special about this name, though, are the subtle suggestions within. The “Upp” prefix hints at the elevated screen, a subtle and motivating mnemonic for the user experience. It also reminds of “uplift” or “up-level” – nice concepts of improvement and benefit. And for the Swedish-speaking ultraminority, the literal definition: “see, experience” is perfectly relevant, serving as a nice hidden meaning for those who take the time to Google Translate. Through the many ways it suggests the experience and benefit of the product, the name is brilliantly motivating.

COMPETITIVE DISTINCTION: 5

This is a no-brainer. No mainstream manufacturer of electronics has ventured anywhere near the Ikea brand voice or promise. And from a naming standpoint, Uppleva would be a crazy choice for any other brand. IKEA is one of the greatest examples of an invariably different brand experience. The name holds true to this uniqueness.

BRAND EXPRESSION: 5

As we’ve argued above, Uppleva is perfectly consistent with the Swedish roots of all Ikea product names. It takes the brand into new market space, while continuing to advance the distinguishing and motivating heritage. In some ways, we might write off Ikea’s naming convention as a cop-out. How simple to repeatedly introduce names that mean nothing to Americans? But it is in that daring boldness that Ikea has built an instantly recognizable and meaningful platform that exemplifies their promise of Skandinavian design at every touchpoint, again and again. Any other brand could only hope to pick such a distinctive namescape strategy and adhere to it with such discipline. Uppleva is just another smart step in a long line of brand-reinforcing choices.

How are NAME GRADES calculated? Read about our 3 axes of evaluation here.

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Forced synergy (or, what we might call TryingTooHardergy) is taking Bank of America by storm. Normally, we’d applaud a brand’s effort to build a consistent, brand-centric convention into naming. It’s why Ikea’s uniform convention of Swedish names is so smart. Or why platforms like TJ Maxx’s Maxxinista or StateFarm’s Get to a Better State are creative ways of tying compelling ideas back to otherwise hollow brand names.

Bank of America’s new program, BankAmeriDeals is an example of these good instincts gone bad.  Yes, it clearly and potently reinforces just where the Deals are coming from, but the compressed “BankAmeri” prefix does nothing but repeat the obvious – and with bulkiness that does little to tell a compelling or relevant story.

BRAND EXPRESSION: 3 (Neutral Impact)

The awkwardness of the advertising for “Bank Americard Cash Reward Credit Card” (perhaps the biggest mouthful of blandness ever) has long pained me. Interestingly, BankAmeriDeals fits within the same painful namescape convention, proving that the simple existence of a convention is not enough to accrue the true benefit of a strong namescape strategy. Other products like Add It Up and Keep The Change had once promised a nice naming convention of personable, memorable phrases to capture the benefits in relatable ways. It’s sad to see the bank take a turn for the stilted.
 

CONSUMER IMPACT: 2 (Poses Hurdle)

“Deals” are great. We all want them. And the word is, though ubiquitous, less so than “Rewards.” As such, this name gets to the heart of the benefit quickly and clearly. But whether it’s memorable, or whether it emerges from a sea of other deals, is unlikely. The BankAmeri beginning is both bulky and decidedly impersonal, which doesn’t help.

The program itself is ingenious, merging the Groupon-like experience of deals delivered to your inbox within the more convenient realm of a checking account. That the name doesn’t capture that personalized, customized, and turnkey benefit is a huge miss.

COMPETITIVE DISTINCTION: 3 (Neutral Impact)

Though bulky, it’s tough to argue that this name could be confused with any other financial institution. Probably why BofA chose to extend their name-repetition naming strategy into this new offer. Still, the basis of their distinction is quite shallow, when only in name. To make a truly memorable distinction – Bank of America must go beyond picking a unique name, and pick a unique name that advances a unique personality and promise.

How are NAME GRADES calculated? Read about our 3 axes of evaluation here.

Starbucks recently released a new beverage platform: canned, sparkling energy drinks combining fruit juice and green coffee extract as the source of caffeine. The idea is clearly to capture share of the rapidly growing energy beverage category, while reinforcing their coffee wheelhouse in an expanded capacity. Whether the name Refreshers accomplishes just that is the basis of our Name Grade.

BRAND EXPRESSION: 2 (Poses Hurdle)

The Starbucks namescape has long made a powerful, albeit divisive, statement about the brand and what it represents. From packaged product brands like Via and Frappuchino and (acquired) Tazo to named in-store experiences: the oft-bemoaned, but always identifiable Tall/Grande/Venti sizing convention, and Italian-named Mistos and Dolce Lattes…the brand has created a voice that captures a foreign flare and an unabashed pursuit of sophistication that sets them apart from other mainstream coffee chains. This heritage of Euro-inspired naming has faded with more recent choices like Double Shot espresso drinks, Pike Place and Blonde roasts, but a connection to coffee culture has always reigned in the Starbucks namescape.

Refreshers, though, feels out of place. It not only breaks a namescape convention, but also brings further question as to just what Starbucks stands for. With every new addition of names that lack the tone for which they’ve long been known, the cohesive brand culture is weakened.

CONSUMER IMPACT: 4 (Creates Advantage)

Refreshers is the name equivalent to the 4-chord popsong: a guaranteed people pleaser, but one that blends in among the other songs on the radio. Perhaps a welcome contrast to the lush array of coffee drinks, it speaks to cool, crisp, hydration, in a familiar and accessible way. The concern: is it memorable? Will it be sought by name? Talked about lovingly? Much less likely than, say, Fizzy Lizzy whose sticky name is endearing as much as it is communicative. Nevertheless, albeit forgettable, Refreshers is still an enticing promise sitting on the shelf.

Another question is just how “energizing” the word “refreshers” can be. Sure, refreshment is a pleasing and revitalizing experience – but it also lacks the charge of energy that one might seek from a caffeinated drink. Red Bull, Monster, or Full Throttle may exemplify this to the extreme, but even less muscular brands like Steaz say “energy” in how the word sounds to the ear.

COMPETITIVE DISTINCTION: 3 (Neutral Impact)

A common mistake made when considering competitive uniqueness is the idea that “if nobody else is using the name, then it’s unique.” But beyond being different from competitive names, it’s important to distinguish from the competitive vernacular: wield language that isn’t hackneyed in the competitive space. “Refresh” falls into this category, as everything from juice to soda, beer to bottled water uses “refreshing” ubiquitously. To own the word as a unique offering is a tall, no, venti, order.  And a look at the trademark application shows a lengthy debate between Starbucks and the US Patent & Trademark office over whether the name is even unique enough to merit protection. Initially, the USPTO asserted that it was too descriptive of the beverage – i.e., a word too commonly applied to the product category ­– to even be ownable. A more distinctive name would’ve been easier to own and protect – and it would’ve distinguished the product in the way that other Starbucks names, from Frappuccino to Venti, have in the past.

How are NAME GRADES calculated? Read about our 3 axes of evaluation here.

The first thing to realize is that Maxxinista is a name. A trademarked name. But it is not a product, nor an offer. It is a person. A customer of TJ Maxx. And not just a customer, but a savvy, fashion-forward customer.

TJ Maxx, like many retail brands (Marshalls, WalMart, Ross, Kohls, Macys, JCP, etc., etc.) is saddled with a name that does nothing for the brand. It captures no benefit, tells no story. Maxxinista changes that.

CONSUMER IMPACT: 4 (Creates Advantage)

Maxxinista is a challenge. It’s someone that you want to be, because she’s smart, she’s stylish, and she’s proud of the fact that she found a good deal. It implies a person that doesn’t just walk into the door and buy something, but someone who transforms her wardrobe and dresses confidently because she’s loyal to the store that makes it possible. And by attaching the concept of “fashionista” to the TJ Maxx brand, it builds these associations right into our brand perceptions.

COMPETITIVE DISTINCTION: 4 (Creates Advantage)

We sometimes caution against using brand names as descriptive terms. Google, for example, risks the loss of trademark protection for fueling the use of its name as a verb – an action that you might perform on any search engine, not just theirs, thanks to its prolific use in the vernacular. But while Maxxinista is used in similar fashion – describing something that they don’t themselves own (their customers) there’s little concern for genericization, because their name is built right into the word. A Maxxinista doesn’t shop at Ross. Beyond motivating customers to venture into their stores, the moniker defends against competitive purchase. It promotes loyalty and fuels a culture that exists only within TJ Maxx.

BRAND EXPRESSION: 5 (Leader)

This is where Maxxinista is most brilliant. It gives that empty name meaning. Puts the TJ Maxx name in a new context of something meaningful and motivating. And that they didn’t stop at building it into a tagline; they use it in number of meaningful ways, to describe their customers, Facebook fans and the guest-blogging designers on their website. We’ve written before about brands that have turned empty names into meaningful mnemonics, like the Geico Gecko or Aflac as the sound of a quacking duck. Maxxinista is another effective use of this strategy – but in an even more personally-relevant way for their customers.

How are NAME GRADES calculated? Read about our 3 axes of evaluation here.

We’re kicking off a new series of posts, grading the effectiveness of new and noteworthy brand names.

There are countless ways to evaluate a name’s success. And there are countless names that – in spite of any expert’s best prediction – have overcome clear negatives to become brilliant brands. Without an accompanying vision, the greatest name can’t singlehandedly build a brand. And, conversely, few names are so disastrous that they can singlehandedly destroy an otherwise brilliant brand vision. In short, the name is only the beginning of the story.

That said, names DO vary greatly on the amount of initial – and sustained – support they provide the brands they define. A great name will continually deliver a greater brand advantage than a weak one: giving the brand a leg up, rather than a hurdle to overcome.

THE EVALUATION CRITERIA

Our mission with Name Grades is to inspect names and then predict the strength of their intrinsic advantage: the amount of assistance or detriment the names themselves contribute to their brands’ futures. We look at it across three axes, the most important ingredients of a name’s inner strength. The best names reflect the strategic intersection of all three:

BRAND EXPRESSION

• Does the name support the corporate namescape? Does it work alongside other names in the portfolio to advance a cohesive, and future-focused brand message?
• Does the name ring true? Does it honestly capture the personality and spirit of the brand it defines?
• Is it telling a clear story? Whether descriptively, suggestively, or spiritually, does the name communicate the attributes and benefits of the brand?

CONSUMER IMPACT

• Does the name motivate? Does it offer value with enough emotional resonance to change behavior and/or compel action?
• Is the name error-free? Can consumers comfortably talk, write, or tweet about the brand – without confusing or distracting associations?
• Is the name sticky? Does it disrupt and challenge consumers enough to engage a deeper thought process, spark an “a ha” moment, and provide a memorable mnemonic (a visual or aural association, a catchy hook, etc.)?
  

COMPETITIVE DISTINCTION

• Is the message differentiated? Does the name accentuate a USP that no other competitor has claimed?
• Is the name differentiated? Beyond the story it tells, does the construction of the name itself break category conventions (of name type, tone, structure, etc.) and stand apart from the competition?

THE GRADING METHOD

Names are rated on a 1-5 scale for each of the three categories above (BRAND EXPRESSION, CONSUMER IMPACT, and COMPETITIVE DISTINCTION), representing the spectrum from disastrous to category leadership.

Scores in the three categories are then totaled, and assigned a respective letter Grade – i.e., our report card for the brand.

E.g.,

These grades will help us as a naming agency, our current and future clients, and all brand thinkers better understand the characteristics of a strong name. And in a world with greater appreciation for strong names, our objectives will be clearer, more focused, and name decisions will be smarter.