Branding for Businesses

What's in a name? Yeah, a rose may be a rose but a rose is not competing with the business or shop or restaurant down the street. Businesses rise and fall on their names. That is why we have trademark law. To protect business from illegitimate use of their names. What would be your reaction to drinking from a Coca-Cola bottle and tasting Pepsi?

So, I found a blog today on branding. NameWire, the product naming blog. Lot to learn from the blog and a lot of fun learning it, too. (Like I did not know Prell and Ovaltine were zombie brands. Wasn't there a commercial for Ovaltine on just last week? Geez, maybe I am spending too much time working.) If nothing else, read the post on Brand Naming: Characteristics of a Band Name. Oh so true, if you ever were in a band or hung around bands. More importantly for us nowadays, a very good illustration of why brand names are about money and business.