Picking a new name for your company or organisation may seem like a simple task... but it isn't.
Here's an example of where it can all go a bit amiss.
The student union of my alma mater, the University of Adelaide in Australia, decided to undergo a rebrand. In 2022, the Adelaide University Union (AUU) adopted the name YouX, but the university's own student newspaper On Dit (disclaimer: I was the paper's news editor in 1996) pointed out that the rebrand evoked X-rated content, including a website with the same name.
The rebrand proceeded on the shaky premise that dropping "union" from the association's name will reverse the drop in its membership (members of the youth wing of Australia's main conservative party, the Liberals, dominated the Student Union's board at the time). Apparently 18 months of "extensive work" and the engagement of "professional marketing staff" went into the rebrand, but focus groups found the name "AUU" to be the favourite over the other two options on offer: "Adelaide University Union" and our porn-alike "YouX".
Regardless, YouX was selected and still applies. Union President at the time Oscar Ong defended the change by describing it as "part of the normal rebrand cycle". But really, is having your organisation named the same as a porn site "normal"?
Do you know what smart companies and entities do when they want to do a rebrand in a particular market?
They consult an appropriate cultural expert and linguist.
Some names may work in one country or market but could have a completely different, and rather brand-destroying, meaning or connotation in another.
When clients have consulted me with rebrands for Australia, the process has often involved being presented with a huge list of names, slogans, symbols and even colour schemes, and then reporting back with a thorough description of what could possibly go right and/or wrong with each option. Trust me, I've seen some doozies!
Here's a tip: best avoid initialisms or acronyms.
How come?
A worldwide phenomenon, but Aussies too can be inventive in giving alternative, and often disparaging, interpretations of initialisms. Not a good look, especially if this unofficial alternative takes off. For instance, and I'll keep it tame here, you'll get Aussies say that BHP, the Australian mining giant, really stands for "big huge profits" rather than "Broken Hill Proprietary".
On one occasion, there were a number of initialisms as options for a rebrand but within seconds I was able to think of some pretty cutting alternatives for each of them. If I could do that so quickly, then what about the general public.
Another quick tip: best avoid colour schemes matching that of polarising sports teams (Collingwood anyone! 🏈)
Do you know of any names of companies, organisations or even product names that just didn't hit the mark?
.%20A%20day%20of%20campaigning%20%E2%99%80%20%E2%80%A6%20or%20a%20day%20to%20buy%20flowers%20%F0%9F%92%90.jpg)
