Look at the follow brand/product/business names, and tell me what you would imagine the brand/product/business sells or produces and what impression you would gather from the company from the name. Try to imagine that you have not heard of the name before, basically what I need to know is what impression an English speaker gets of a product from the product's name. If you haven't heard of the name before that's even better, just think about what you think it could be selling. Try not to look them up!!
For example:
Directline. This name implies that you get straight through directly over the phone line, or it could also come across as a travel company, implying that you get straight to your destination via the quickest possible direct route or line.
Here are the brand/product/business names I need you to help with.
- Nescafe
- Addictionary
- Powerade
- Red Bull
- Calgon
- Talk Talk
- Easyjet
- National Express
- Mothercare
- Fanta
- Utterly Butterly
- Netgear
- Playdough
- E-harmony
- HMV
Thank you so much!!
Nescafe: They provide coffee that is nice
ReplyDeleteAddictionary: Helping people overcome their addictions in an easy way (like a dictionary is easy to use)
Powerade: Helping to give power and strength and energy
Red Bull: To give you as much energy as bull has when it charges after something red
Calgon: Getting rid of something bad so it's gone
Talk Talk: A service where people can talk to eachother and have a conversation
Easyjet: A plane service that is easy to use
Nation Express: A transport service that is fast and goes all over the country
Mothercare: Looking after mothers and helping them look after their children
Fanta: Something that is fun to drink
Utterly Butterly: Completely butter and it's got nothing else in it
Netgear: Something that boys like that is technical
Playdough: Fun to play with and it's like dough
E-harmony: An electrical device used to make music?
HMV: Electronics
Nescafe: The "cafe" part of this name immediately conjures images of coffee. This implies that this company either produces, sells, creates coffee based products.
ReplyDeleteAddictionary: Sounds like a cross between addiction and dictionary. Left me puzzled at what the product could be but I really want to google it and find out!
Powerade: Seems like it would appeal to a male audience, the use of "power" is appealing. Again, if I was unaware of what the product was, I may not assume it was a beverage from that name alone.
Red Bull: Similarly to powerade, a bull is a powerful symbol, suggesting strength of some description.
Calgon: Sounds like something boring... If I didn't know the product, I doubt I would care particularly to find out.
Talk Talk: Obvious links to communication. Most definitely a form of social contact, possibly telecoms or online instant messaging would be the first ideas I thought of.
Easyjet: Like a jet, but easy! Clearly about plane travel but appealing in the sense that airtravel is generally rather tedious, easy makes it sound straightforward.
National Express: Used all over the country, must be good! Express suggests a fast service, whatever that may be.
Mothercare: Sounds like some sort of children's shop, mothers care for their infants/babies. The use of the family friendly image would be appealing to the demographic.
Utterly Butterly: Rhyme makes it easy to remember and the colloquialism may be appealing to some people. If it is utterly butterly, it infers that the product is good!
Netgear: Something internet related. Again, slightly boring name... The gear part suggests possibly hardware rather than software, routers, ethernet etc.
Playdough: Play is childish, easy going and fun. Dough suggests what the product is: Something with the consistency of dough that is played with. Gets straight to the point, no cryptic ideas.
E-harmony: If something is harmonious it flows as one. The "e" suggests the product is internet based and the name flows off the tongue. Sounds appealing as no particularly strong hints to the actual product are present in the title.
HMV: Must stand for something... Quite catchy and easy to remember but other than that, the meaning is hard to know until you know the shop.
Nescafe - Either a coffee or cafe. The 'Nes' prefix would suggest that it's trying to appear foreign as a way of making the product seem more desirable or unique.
ReplyDeleteAddictionary - A dictionary consisting of terms relating to addiction.
Powerade - An electricity company or anything that is made from, inspires or creates power.
Red Bull - The name reveals little about the product. It suggests there's a heavy dependance on an image or logo to support the visual name. It's strong branding, but inferes very little about products.
Calgon - Implies very little. 'Cal' reminds me of calpol.
Talk Talk - To do with telecommunications.
Easyjet - Instantly you think of planes and airlines and compounding 'jet' with 'easy' immediately encourages consumers to believe that using this service will be easy. Whether this is actually the case will require the consumer to become a customer to discover.
National Express - Something National that gets you (or something) somewhere quickly.
Mothercare - Could be read as Mothers caring for something or Something that cares for mothers. Definitely implies the product is for parents.
Fanta - Implies little about the name. "Fant" could be deemed to relate to fantastic.
Utterly Butterly - A Butter which is utterly... delicious, disgusting, average. The consumer has the freedom to attribute their own adjectives to the product unlike 'Easyjet' who seemingly forces an opinion on consumers.
Netgear - To do with technology. Probably equipment.
Playdough - Dough you play with? Sounds fun. Could be edible.
E-harmony - 'E' suggests product is internet based. Harmony infers love. Therefore it can be deduced that it is Internet Dating which is being marketed.
HMV - Implies nothing about brand or product. Yet you assume it is an acronym for a longer brand name.
Nescafe - When I hear "café", I hear coffee, so I'd assume it was coffee anyway. I'd have no idea about the "nes"..
ReplyDeleteAddictionary - I'd assume this was some sort of online dictionary that you can ADD to yourself, so like a Wiki.
Powerade - The "ade" would imply to me that this is a drink, probably a soft drink, and the "power" would imply some sort of energy boost from it.
Red Bull - If I hadn't heard it before, I'd probably think this is the name of a pub.
Calgon - I would instantly think toothpaste, but I don't know why. Maybe because of the "cal" like "calcium". Although "gon" sounds like "gone".. So would be a bit of a misnomer.
Talk Talk - Phone company (I knew this already, but the repetition makes me think talking over and over, as one would on a phone..)
Easyjet - Travel company that prides itself on being easy to understand.
National Express - A trainline (like an express train), that goes everywhere around the country.
Mothercare - I'd probably actually think this was a support group for new/upcoming mothers. But a shop for infantwear and things also makes sense.
Fanta - I have absolutely no idea. I wouldn't have the foggiest.
Utterly Butterly - A brand of butter/margarine, or even some kind of sweet snack-cake type thing that was made with butter. Something very buttery.
Netgear - I'd know the "net" was internet related, and I'd deduce the "gear" wasn't referring to clothes, so I'd assume it was some sort of internet tool.
Playdough - Dough you can play with. Probably for children - adults don't generally play. Especially with dough.
E-harmony - the "E-" gives me "electronic", and the "harmony" implies some sort of ease, and so I'd probably think it was a computer software or something that made your computer easier to use/smoother.
HMV - I'd have no idea. I have no idea what it stands for anyway.. I'd probably think some sort of building company because shop names rarely are just initialisms.
Nescafe - Some kind of product for a cafe, namely coffee
ReplyDeleteAddictionary - a dictionary of different kinds of addictions and how to deal with them
Powerade - power supplier. Commercial kind of name so more common than an energy company so would go for consumer product like a drink or energy bar/food
Red Bull - manly. Mens clothing brand? or car oil?
Calgon - medicine because it sounds like Calpol
Talk Talk - phone company
Easyjet - flight company suggesting easy booking and travel etc
National Express - express delivery springs to mind so a postal/delivery company
Mothercare - vitamins/supplements for expectant/new mothers
Fanta - drink aimed at young people
Utterly Butterly - butter
Netgear - possibly something about internet use so a virus detector programme?
Playdough - dough to play with
E-harmony - online musical instrument suppliers/musical forums/advise etc
HMV - large commercial company possible financial advisers or something like that
Two things: I haven't read previous comments for fear of being swayed, and I make no excuses for how my brain works.....
ReplyDeleteNescafe: The name implies coffee. The 'nes' makes me think of 'nest' (esp if misheard), which makes me think of trees, which makes me think of planet earth.. so I deduce that Nescafe is an environmentally friendly, fairtrade coffee.
Addictionary: More than one dictionary, multiple dictionaries, possibly multi-language. May also lean towards some sort of company for people who have a compulsion with the English Language :-D
(I have no idea what this company is/does)
Powerade: despite the spelling, when said phonetically I think "aids power"; so a foodstuff or drink to give you a boost physically.
S says a glue or DIY equipment!
Red Bull: Something that causes, or calms anger. A bull charges at a red flag when waved: may indicate speed/strength.
Calgon: Cal being short for calories, I always think that this should be a slimming aid ('calories gone').
Talk Talk: a company that facilitates people talking; a communications company or product.
Easyjet: a simple way to fly.
National Express: a mechanism to travel the nation quickly (oh, the irony!)
Mothercare: a postnatal support function for mothers. May also suggest:
a supplement for new mothers
a magazine for new mothers
Fanta: a fan keeps you cool, ta is thanks. So a fan that you are thankful for.
Utterly Butterly: something that is completely butter and nothing else.
Netgear: suggests a collection of 'gear', possibly for a goalkeeper.
Playdough: dough stuff you can play with.
E-harmony: something harmonious by email. Harmony suggests music or peace; so an email music service or an email counselling service, possibly.
HMV: Sounds like a banking group, a car manufacturer or an illness! (the latter supplied by S)
Sorry - didn't do the company impressions but I can if I get more time!!
Nescafe -- I think cafe would imply it's a coffee or coffee machine brand.
ReplyDeleteAddictionary -- Possibly a brochure or other publication containing information about addictions?
Powerade -- Sounds like power aid -- I'd guess it's a product aimed at athletes.
Red Bull -- Could be a beer/alcoholic beverage brand.
Calgon -- Cal would connect with calcium, gon = gone? Perhaps a solution on how to get rid of limescale?
Talk Talk -- Either a name for a telecom offering cheap phone calls or a lame name for a band ;)
Easyjet -- Travel company that does all of the formalities and paperwork connected with visas, insurance, etc. for you.
National Express -- A good name for a daily newspaper.
Mothercare -- Line of products designed for mothers.
Fanta -- Could imply something fantastic and something that cools you like a fan. Probably some kind of a beverage or ice cream.
Utterly Butterly -- Suggests a kind of margarine which tastes just like butter. The name is quite confusing as it could easily be misread as Utterly Butterfly
Netgear -- I'd guess it's software designed to speed up one's internet connection.
Playdough -- I'd say it's dough for children to play with.
E-harmony -- Either an electronic harmonizer or a dating website for people wanting a long-lasting relationship.
HMV -- The letters M and V might stand for music and video so I'd guess it's a big store (which small shop has an acronym for its name?) selling music and DVDs.
Nescafe - cafe implies some kind of cafe chain, and nes reminds me of 'nestle' and chocolate.
ReplyDeleteAddictionary - makes me think of a type of dictionary which you can add words to.
Powerade - I'm guessing some kind of drink (because it sounds like Lemonade) - an energy drink which makes the drinker quite powerful (because it also sounds like power-aid).
Red Bull - Again, I think of power and strength with this name- strong products, and a strong company perhaps?
Calgon - Removal of something. Not sure what. Sounds like Calpol, so could be a similiar, but more powerful medicine which gets rid of headaches and the like?
Talk Talk - Some method of communication, like a phone network or something similiar.
Easyjet - An easily-accessible and cheap plane company.
National Express - Makes me think of a national train service.
Mothercare - I think this probably relates to childcare; a shop chain which sells useful items for young mothers?
Fanta - bit ambigious - but makes me think of the word 'fantastic', which means the product is probably good.
Utterly Butterly - A type of butter that is entirely authentic, with no preservatives, artificial colouring etc.
Netgear - Makes me think of two things; 1, a service that helps somebody use the internet; or 2, a service that supplies hunting tools (like nets).
Playdough - Makes me think of some kind of Gambling website where you 'play' with 'dough'.
E-harmony - Harmony makes me think of music,and suggests to me that the company is well structured.
HMV - Doesn't tell me much - but sounds like a boring company - something to do with finance?
Nescafe - the name of a coffee shop
ReplyDeleteAddictionary - an online service that ties in with another site (like Wiki) and gives info on words and their meaning
Powerade- energy drink (sorry that's all I can think of)
Red Bull - Something to do with Spain
Calgon - Sounds like some kind of medicinal cream
Talk Talk - Telephone company
Easyjet - Airline, making flying easier
National Express - Courier company that delivers nationally
Mothercare - A company that helps look after old people
Fanta - Impossible to not know this one! Sounds frivolous, fun
Utterly Butterly - A gay organisation
Netgear - A company that hires out gear (any kind of 'stuff' on the internet
Playdough - This one pretty much spells it out: dough that you play with (sorry I can't do better)
E-harmony - Online music
I hope this has been of some help!
HMV - Finance, insurance