You are going to read an article about how companies name new products. Parts of the text have been removed. Choose the correct part (A–J) for each gap (1–7). There are two extra parts that you should not use. Write your answers in the spaces provided. The first one (0) has been done for you. Reading 2 Reading i i I can understand a text containing marketing terminology. The naming business There are really only a handful of businesses that deal exclusively in names, and their services can cost thousands of dollars. In addition to (0) , they also determine what names are available for trademark, which URLs are available, and they conduct linguistic checks to ensure that the potential names are pronounceable, unique, and appropriate in languages around the world. Linguistic checks can be vital. Product names frequently tap into popular culture, (1) and embracing the language use of the desired target audience. Thereby tricky pitfalls may arise: The naming company Catchword once came up with a name for a toy which turned out to mean “a small device that doesn’t work” in Japanese. So they ruled out that option. Types of product names At one end of the spectrum you have descriptive names, which just describe what the thing is – like RaisinBran and ShreddedWheat. Descriptive names can be great because they’re self-explanatory, yet, (2) . In fact, neither RaisinBran nor ShreddedWheat is trademarked. Anyone can make a cereal and call it raisin bran or shredded wheat. The other big drawback to descriptive names is that they can be limiting. Descriptive names contributed to the downfall of a lot of specific start-ups in the ’90s, like estamps.com, which had trouble (3) beyond its name. All the way on the other end of the spectrum are so-called arbitrary names, which don’t tell you anything about the product or service. Like Apple. Arbitrary names allow for flexibility – in Apple’s case, the name allows them to make anything. Arbitrary names can also be completely made up. These kinds of names are called ‘empty vessels’. Names such as Hulu, Exxon, and Kodak mean nothing on their own, and were largely chosen because they are short, unique, and sound appealing. Countless businesses have succeeded in (4) and empty vessels. Obtaining a domain name is easy, and they are usually effective in languages around the world. A major drawback, however is that they are hard to market as (5) requires a lot of money. You would have no idea what Amazon sells or does if it didn’t have the budget to tell you about all its services. Most names fall somewhere in between the two poles of descriptive and arbitrary names. These are ‘semi-descriptive’ or ‘suggestive names’ – like Microsoft, which kind of says ‘software for microcomputers’, but not explicitly. Microsoft is a ‘coined word’ – a word that doesn’t exist in an English dictionary. It is made up of familiar words, word parts, or sounds, thereby subtly (6) . Spotify, Nespresso, and Netflix are also coined words, which are globally recognised brands. Name taxonomy The naming company A Hundred Monkeys, for instance, doesn’t make coined words or empty vessels. (A Hundred Monkeys got its name from the idea that if you put a hundred monkeys in front of a hundred typewriters, you’re bound to get a good name. It’s a joke about the process.) They prefer to come up with names based around a narrative, inspired by anatomical charts, constellations, secret service code names, rundown theatres, types of wind, and ocean currents. The company aims at (7) that lead to conversation. For example, an online textbook company was named Inkling. Rather than a naming spectrum, A Hundred Monkeys sees more of a sort of name taxonomy in which classifications break down into 25 categories of names. Some examples: N ames of real people (Tesla Motors, Jack Daniels, Newman’s Own) N ames of imaginary mascots (Jolly Green Giant, Dr Pepper, Captain Morgan) A mericana names (Baby Ruth, Dixon Ticonderoga, 76 Gasoline) M ythical names (Nike, Pandora, Hermès) L ifestyle statement names (Forever 21, True Religion, Livestrong) The takeaway is this: If you have enough money, the name can be anything. When the iPad was about to come out, everyone thought it was a really silly name. You heard all kinds of sanitary napkin jokes. Now, through sheer force of will and advertising dollars, nobody seems to question the word ‘iPad’. 148 Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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