What’s in a name? Millions of dollars if you try to lead not follow. Rob Morrison shares his treasure trove of earned understanding about that:

It’s no secret I hate “naming stuff”. Most creatives I know struggle with briefs which vaguely ask for, “A punchy name for our new brand/business/product/offer”. Partly because you can’t cram 7 benefits into a 7-letter name. Eventually you reach the end of the English language. But mainly because, until you start using a name, it doesn’t really mean anything.

Recently, it struck me there might just be a special sauce which can help. A smart short-cut. Let me explain with a couple of examples.

First, the bank who tried to lead and failed.

In the early 2000s I was creative director on the “National Australia Bank” in Melbourne. Usually, this long, clunky name was shortened to its 3-letter acronym “N.A.B.” Or made even shorter to the phonetic “NAB”. You’d hear the bank called “NAB” in news reports, stock prices, even inside the agency.

But then, I suspect, the consultant arrived. Some overpaid bright spark decided “nab” was akin to “steal”. Admittedly, not a great synonym for any bank making millions from fees. So, the edict was sent from on high, “Henceforth we shall refer to ourselves as The National.”

They changed everything. Signage. Stationery. Uniforms. ATMs. Advertising. The MCG fence.

Even the Adland rookies could see the problem. The new name failed the first rule of branding – be memorable. “The National” sounded like a government department. Or sounded unfinished “The National… what?”.

This was a multi-million-dollar failure. And the decision was ultimately (and correctly) reversed.

Secondly, the burger barn who decided to follow.

Contrast that with this.

We keep getting told the world is a global marketplace. That everything must look, sound, smell, touch and taste the same everywhere. It’s not true. As long as you hang onto the right parts of your brand, you can be playful.

For example, if you’ve travelled overseas since COVID you’ll know McDonald’s uses a different nickname in different markets. In Australia and New Zealand, they’ve embraced “Macca’s” – taken directly from the vernacular. Similarly, in the US and Canada, they’ve been called “Mickey D’s”. It’s “Mackie D’s”, “Mc Do” even “Mak Dak” in other markets.

Importantly, this is not just used in word-of-mouth. There’s plenty of examples of each name being used in advertising. Even signage.

When in doubt, trust the locals.

In Australia, you see Woolworths promoting themselves as Woolies. The Commonwealth Bank now using CommBank. And Bundaberg Rum calling themselves Bundy.

See, smart marketers know there are some brand elements which are sacred. But brilliant marketers know those sacred cows are different for each brand. It’s not cookie-cutter, one-rule-fits-all thinking.

So, what’s the lesson? As ever, put your audience at the centre of what you do. Insights. Experience. Feedback. Yep, even research (with a grain of salt).

But always try to be more burger and less bank.

Rob Morrison is a rarity in advertising – a grey-haired working creative. His consultancy, ‘morro’, is dedicated to curing businesses laryngitis. Giving companies back their human voice. 

Here are two more opinion pieces from Rob Morrison: