10
NAMING 3: NAME YOUR COMPANY AFTER YOURSELF
One traditional way of naming a company is to call it by the name of its founder, or to name it after the place it originated from. Mars, the food company that is well-known for its chocolate bars, is named after its founder, Frank C. Mars. Renault and Mercedes Benz were named after their owners. BMW, Bayerische Motoren Werke, is named after its location of origin. Other established brands that were named after their owners, and are still going strong, include Harrods, Selfridge’s, Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s and John Lewis. Now, with many brands created with the intention of going worldwide, their founders rarely use their own names but search for—or invent—words that are pronounceable and unoffensive to various cultures. Some combine the two, like Nick Dyson and his eponymous vacuum cleaners.
The idea Paul Smith, the British designer, has built an international reputation for his clothes and accessories. His name, as I’m sure he would be the first to admit, is a very ordinary one. Smith is the most popular British surname but because of its popularity it has an innate Britishness. Paul is a straightforward, no messing, common
100 GREAT BRANDING IDEAS • 23
100 Great Branding Ideas 14dec.indd 23
12/14/11 11:14 AM