The Naming Game.
A rose, by any other name, is still........!
A name is much more than a label. A name is a melody, a vibration. A name invokes an image.
A feeling. An impression.
A name can be a powerful influence. In fact, a name can mean the difference between success
and failure.
Henry Ford never realized that the name of the car that almost brought Ford Motor Company
to the brink of bankruptcy, spelled disaster: Ford Edsel.
The name Edsel might have been suitable for a cleaning product, it was a terrible name for
a car. No matter how well designed and competitively priced this car may have been, with
the name Edsel this product was doomed.
Today, we are much more aware of this phenomena. It was not a fluke that a highly successful
commercial, advertising a new kind of hamburger, compared anyone unwilling to try this product
to a nerd named Herb.
People in the advertising business know very well the impression the name Herb makes. After
all, who wants to be Herb?
Have you ever read a book where the macho hero is named Herb? Or Eugene?
Of course not. Writers tend to be very good at naming their characters. Heroes are named
John, Alex, Bill, Steve, Wayne. Strong names. Names that call up images of tough guys. Not
nerds.
Do you think John Wayne would have become the legend he is today if his name had been Herb
Wayne?
There is something mysterious and subtle about names.
Look at the names of things.
What better name for a pretzel than pretzel? No, your gut feeling that the name pretzel
is exquisitely suitable to the pastry has nothing to do with the fact that you have known
a pretzel to be a pretzel since childhood. It is the sound, the melody, and what it does
to your tongue when you speak the name pretzel that makes it so fitting. It just curls.
Or how about wool for wool, and cotton for cotton.
And look at words such as Love and Hate. The word love reaches out to you, wants to embrace
you, draw you into itself. The word is warm and protective. The word hate, on the other
hand, is hard and sharp. It bites.
None of this is coincidence. Language has evolved in perfect synchronicity with the people
who speak it. Names are initially applied to things with the help of intuition and a mental
and emotional relationship with the object. From there, they evolve. Spellings change, pronunciations
change. A fine-tuning takes place over hundreds, even thousands of years of evolution.
Today, if you need a name for a product or a business entity, you have neither the time
nor the resources to let the name evolve until it fits. It has to be right from day one!
Think of the power of a name as similar to a color, or a shape. The people responsible for
the design of a new product will devote large amounts of time and money to get the shape
and the color just right. Everybody understands that the wrong color can mean failure in
the marketing of a good product. The right color can mean success even for a mediocre product.
In order to be successful, you have to make the right impression. The name is the first
impression one gets.
A Texas-based energy business named Entergy, with their choice of company name, severely
frustrates its own business potential. The name is simply terrible. It is awkward and infantile.
Sometimes a slight adjustment can make a big difference.
A struggling Mall, not far from here, is named Mall of the Mainland. A bad choice. Change
it to Mainland Mall, and business will improve.
So what does it take to come up with a good name?
Naming Products and Business Entities
Let Hans Decoz advice you in the naming of products or business entities.
After familiarizing himself with the product and the company, Decoz will consider any names
you and your partners are considering. He will study the charts and apply his special expertise
to advice on these names or come up with alternatives.
Decoz will explain his reasoning and help you create the right impression for your product
or company.
Call 409 763 4639 or email decoz@decoz.com for appointment
and prices.
Name Changes for Individuals
The process is somewhat different for individuals.
As an individual, you already have a name. The challenge therefore is to find a way to improve
the current name or decide on an alternative.
Your original name at birth reflects who you are; your talents, strengths, weaknesses,
unique character traits, and so forth. Your original name at birth can not be changed. Your
birth has passed and you have been named.
Your date of birth represents the momentum of your life; the path you walk, the cycles,
the timing of events and influences, the direction of your life. Your date of birth can
not be changed either.
However, your current name, the way you introduce yourself can be changed. And the result
of a name change can be dramatic.
The way you introduce yourself shows how you feel about yourself; your self-confidence,
your self-image, your perspective of your own potential and short-comings.
When you introduce yourself, you do much more than simply label yourself as so-and-so. You
create an impression in sound and vibration. You influence your personal aura and, by extension,
the impression you make on others.
But there is more. Every time you introduce yourself, or even think of yourself, you confirm
an image, a range of qualities. You influence your own world, your immediate environment,
and the people around you.
This influence can be detrimental to the quality of your life and your ability to tap into
your true potential.
Most people are comfortable with their names. And rightly so. Parents tend to do a good
job naming their children. A combination of love, intuition, and many months of adjusting
to the upcoming event of giving birth, virtually guarantees that the child receives the
perfect name.
Of course, there are exceptions.
And people change. In most cases, the changes are reflected in the original name at birth
and in harmony with the individuals personal evolution. Even so, it is not uncommon for
a person to reach a stage in life where a certain discomfort is connected with the every
day name. A recognition of discordance. A deep inner feeling that the name is no longer
in harmony with the flow of life.
At that point, a name change may be in order.
Check out this really cool site about Famous
Name Changes!
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