In one of our latest articles, we have talked you about the idea of predicting your future products architecture. If your product portfolio launch plan includes creating more than three different names, that means that you must take into consideration to forecast a possible naming architecture which will link all the products under the same “mother brand”. How does it help?  

• Establishing a consistent naming architecture and a set of naming rules inside of your company, will make the entire branding process more homogeneous and appreciated by your target audience
• Name development should be always part of a larger vision which influences your branding and marketing processes.
• Having a consistent naming architecture helps you to create a unitary system, system which on long term will generate a homogenous brand and marketing meaning.

Examples of powerful naming architectures?

1. Audi's linear naming systems based on a numbering model: Audi A1, Audi A2, Audi A3, Audi A4, Audi A5, Audi A6, Audi A7 etc...)
   Do you see the main picture? The focus is on the mother-brand: Audi. Audi remains the star, the models are just empowering the "last name" of the family. Audi sends an important message to the target audience: Audi is the foundation of our naming architecture. The heart of our brand which beats in every car model.
2.  Apple's "i". The most powerful letter:). I from innovation? At the beginning. Now it is known as "i" from iPod, iPad, iPhone, iTunes. It’s like Apple has bought or has“stolen” the “I” letter from the alphabet and every other competitor who is trying to use this letter in the same way, is punished by the potential customers. Everybody knows that a gadget which starts with “I” must belong to Apple. Just one letter used constantly and wisely has created a strong naming architecture.
3. DuPont uses a naming architecture formed only by invented names: Teflon, Tyvek, Corian etc. due to the main vision of the company: We are innovative. We are pioneers. We were the first here. This naming architecture seems more difficult to be understood, but in fact it shares a very powerful statement: Invented names for innovative products and new inventions on the market. Innovative from the manufacturing process to the name. Always unique.
4. Volkswagen’s Winds naming architecture: They have used the winds and air currents theme for almost all their car models. Bora was bought from Maserati but it’s the name of a Mediterranean wind. Scirocco is also a Mediterranean wind. Passat is the German term for a trade wind. Jetta comes from Jetstream. A confusion was created with the names Polo and Golf. Many people think that names were inspired by the sport games, but they have used the same naming theme. Polo comes from the Polar winds. And Golf comes from gulfstream which is a warm ocean current that flows from the Gulf of Mexico parallel with the US coast toward Newfoundland.
5. Lamborghini’s Bullfighting naming architecture: Miura, Islero, Espada, Jarama, Estoque, Countach, Jalpa, Diablo, Murcielago, Gallardo, Aventador, Urus, Veneno, Asterion, Huracan. These are all the car names from Lamborghini.

           What do they have in common? They are all derived from the world of bullfighting. For example, Diablo and Murcielago are both names of famous bulls. Estoque is the style of sword that Matadors use. Aventador was named after a successful fighting bull from the early 1990s. Veneno is the name of a bull who has killed a matador in 1914. Asterion is a hybrid powered concept car named to the minotaur creature in Greek Mythology: part man, part bull. Huracan? Seems a Spanish word for hurricane? For Lamborghini is the reference to a particular bull that fought in Alicante in 1879.

           This bull saga has begun in 1962 when Ferrucio Lamborghini has visited Don Eduardo Miura's cattle ranch in Sevilla.

How many types of naming architecture may we encounter?

• Homogeneous naming architecture
  In this case the naming pattern is pretty clear. We have a mother brand and all the other sub-brands have names that contain the main name plus an extension. It's a very common naming architecture for the luxury hotels. For example: Ritz-Carlton, Radisson and Marriott. Risky? Of course. If one of the brand screws something, all the brand's imagine is damaged.
• Hybrid naming architecture
  You can have a mother brand, homogeneous sub-brands but also independent brands that can serve as endorsers or completely independent brands for the entire portfolio of brands. This naming architecture is encountered especially in the automotive industry. For example: BMW and MiniCooper. Most of the cars from the portfolio are names BMW followed by an extension. MiniCooper is the hybrid factor.
• Independent naming architecture
  The names do not have a common sound, but they still have a common value or story. Each brand is completely independent. Each of them has its own positioning, story and values. The risk of compromising the entire portfolio is closed to 0. Examples: DuPont’s naming portfolio, Volkswagen, Lamborghini etc.

Important hint:

Not everything needs a completely new name, if you develop a coherent naming architecture based on a specific set of rules. A naming strategy with logic and true meaning will give you a clearer view upon the entire products portfolio. By creating a naming guide, which contains a strong set of rules for building new sub-brands, line extensions and alternative products, will give you the chance to find the future names in a simpler way, not to create them from scratch.

Need to build a naming architecture and you don’t know for sure where to start from? Drop us a line and let’s discuss more detailed your situation: