Do you remember your uncle JG341? No? Then you might remember your Uncle Joe.
I bring this up because we sometimes overlook the importance of a name.
Take the internet for example, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) manages all the names assigned to all the numbers. Many people don't realize that website addresses are actually numbers, but it's too hard to remember strings of numbers so we needed something more personal, easier to remember, and something to which people could relate. So we gave our websites names.
When Starbucks, takes a coffee order, they write your name on the cup instead of a number. They understand the value of treating a customer like a person, not a thing.
Numbers are extremely impersonal, but they have their place. One place that clearly defines you as a number is prison. Prisons immediately strip you of your identity and plaster a number on your back. It's demeaning and it's meant to be.
People respond to names. This appears to be especially true when we talk about our cars. A name lends a personality and fosters a psychological connection. In 2012, Automotive.com did a survey and found 61% of people surveyed personally name their own vehicles. Those people endeavor to give their vehicle a character that they relate to because it makes their vehicle more personable.
Product designers strive to create an emotional connection between the customer and the machine, and it shows up in some of our cars. Sometimes we find the exact vehicle that speaks to us on that personal level, and it usually has a name. We do have a love affair with our vehicles.
The top name in the automotive world that beats all the rest is simply the Mustang. The pony car is the all time favorite car name according to askmen.com's contributor, Thomas Bey. The "stang" has "evoked thoughts of freedom and the open road for generations of drivers."
It's true that names can add the flair and romance we want. In contrast, the alphanumeric naming of product that gained traction in the 70’s with Mercedes has just about run its course. Consumers are tired of soulless numbers that say nothing. They want to identify with their cars, and in some instances they want their cars to identify them. Besides, it's no secret that keeping numbers and letters straight remains a mental challenge to the best of us.
Witness a perfect example. Back in 2007 Mark Fields, then Ford's Executive Vice President flubbed a line when he was on stage at the L.A. Auto Show. While speaking about the the Lincoln MKX, the flagship sedan…oops, he made the common mistake. (Who can remember all of those alphanumeric derivatives) The MKX was the luxury SUV, not the sedan. He corrected himself and finished his introduction of the new sedan, the Lincoln MKS.
Beginning years ago with the accepted course of using an alphanumeric system for product identification, bean counters have continually favored the system because it saves on all that costly research and the worrisome possibility of litigation. Besides, bean counters would contend, that it’s usually enough for someone to explain the type of vehicle they own by relying on the brand name and not the model.
Bean counters need to stand aside.
Brand names boast of the company, they say nothing about the personality of the driver, the brand only hints at how much the owner paid.
On the other hand, a model name reflects the combination of characteristics or qualities that form or embody the individual and distinctive character that brought the customer to that specific vehicle.
Offering a number to a customer only signals that he’s standing in line and waiting to be recognized. Recognition comes easier with a name.
So, when you consider identifying your product remember that the name isn't about the brand. It isn't about the vehicle. It's about the person behind the wheel.
