Author Archives: Beth Gerber
When it comes to wordplay, I’m as big a fan of the portmanteau as the next person. (For those of you who don’t know, a portmanteau is a word formed by squishing parts of two other words together.) Snapple (snap … More »
Today marks day 27 of the movement known as Occupy Wall Street. Initially conceived by the Canadian group Adbusters as a modest protest on Wall Street (and heralded with the hashtag #OccupyWallStreet), it has morphed into a “people powered movement … More »
In general I’m not a fan of initialisms in product and company naming. Unless they form real words (acronyms), they usually convey nothing at first blush and they make the customer work too hard. Of course, if you’re a world-renowned brand … More »
So David & Victoria Beckham had their first baby girl Sunday, and named her Harper Seven. As an ambisexual name, Harper certainly works. But what’s with the 7? Apparently, the Beckham infant weighed 7 pounds 10 ounces, was born on the seventh … More »
If my dad had carried the day, I would probably have been named Bethesda. As it was, my parents came to a workable compromise, and my proper name is Beth Linda. Not as memorable as Bethesda, but probably not as … More »
Sometimes I may laugh or shake my head at a brand name that misses the mark, but it’s rare that a brand name actually gets my goat. Then the other day I ran across Honeys and Heroes in San Francisco. … More »
Typically, I approach reading a book about a scary global problem with about as much enthusiasm as going to the dentist. (Necessary, but can’t we do it later?) So a book title that actually makes me want to read about the … More »
If you ever asked me for evidence of how far good brand naming can take a company, my Exhibit A would be Spanx. For those of you who live under a rock or aren’t women (or both), Spanx is the … More »
OK, I’ve been whitening my teeth lately, so I’ve been paying more attention to the naming of tooth whitening products. Take the (extremely) pricey little ampoules I got at my dentist’s office. Brand name? Opalescence. Good naming choice. Fancy-sounding coinage … More »
I love running across great brand names, and this week it was Naked Pizza. Here’s a name that not only sparks my interest, but starts a conversation about what makes this brand different. (10 whole grains and other natural stuff, … More »