Marketing Manna

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What’s in a name?

What do these 5 brand names have in common?

Coca-Cola

Kentucky Fried Chicken

American Express

Mercedes-Benz

Harley Davidson

 

Hardly anyone calls them by these names because they’re mostly known as:

Coke

KFC

Amex

Benz

Harley

 

1 has been summarized.

2 has been abbreviated.

3 has retained the first syllable of each word.

4 has lost its first name.

5 has lost its last name.

 

These brand names are 4–7 syllables in length but people have naturally shortened them to a couple of syllables.

Other brands that similarly got ‘rebranded’ are Hewlett Packard, Federal Express, National Geographic, Dunkin’ Donuts, Polo Ralph Lauren, etc.

The best brand names that roll off the tongue are 2–3 syllables long. Test this with popular brand names and see for yourself.

We know this to be true for ourselves because even though our brand name is 40 Parables, we (and others too) refer to us as 40P!

Takeaway

Short is sweet.

Which shortened brand name caught your eye recently? Click here to share.

P.S. This Throwback Thursday post was published a year ago in June but is just as snappy today!

Brevity is the soul of wit.

William Shakespeare

Kurian Babykutty

CEO, 40 Parables

Kurian's a steward of storytelling and a keen observer of people, which is why he geeks out on making marketing meaningful.

Manna is tastiest when shared together.
Share this with someone who needs it today.

Manna is tastiest when shared together. Share this with someone who needs it today.