What’s in a name?
Remember the line from Romeo and Juliet:
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.”
So what’s in a name? It’s an interesting question. For those of us responsible for branding, we take names seriously. Honestly, though, I’m more and more of the opinion that names mean very little. In other words, a brand by any other name would smell as sweet.
For example, do people buy Apple computers because they’re made by a company called Apple or because people know they’re going to get a quality computer from Apple? Do people go to Cirque du Soleil because the performance is presented by an organization called Cirque du Soleil or because people know they’re going to experience a phenomenal performance from Cirque du Soleil? Do people use Google search because the application is offered by a company called Google or because people know they’re going to get accurate search results from Google? Do you see my point?
It’s not the name. It’s the quality of the product or service or the experience that matters.
So, in our case, I don’t think people attend NewSpring Church because we’re called NewSpring Church. But, because people expect something unique on Sundays and know the impact of that experience, they attend NewSpring Church. Same principle holds for every other ministry or environment within our church. People don’t connect or participate or invite their friends because of the name of the ministry. Those results happen because of the experience and the life change those ministries and environments produce.
In other words, the name doesn’t matter until the brand is established. If the product or service generates positive results over a period of time, people will begin to associate the name with a perceived expectation of results. When that happens, the name matters. That’s the “Kool Aid” moment.
When people love the product or service enough based on previous experiences to “drink the Kool Aid,” the name matters. That’s when someone buys a computer just because Apple made the computer. But, even in this case, people didn’t arrive at the Kool Aid moment because of the name. They got there because of the quality of the product or service or experience.
Though names don’t generate new customers, they can filter out prospective customers. I’ll share more on that in a future post.
So, what do you think? Would that which we call a rose by any other name smell as sweet?
roses smell yucky.
I love it! It’s so true for bands as well. I remember when I would hear the band the “Jonas Brothers.” It sounded like they were the best group ever, but when I took a listen, it didn’t connect to my interest of music.
Great post Tony!!
I’m with Human3rror roses stink (my wife thinks so too). Anyway good post. I think sometimes a name can grab our attention but in the end it’s the experience that keeps us coming back.
By the way, how did Perry choose to name the church NewSpring?
This is true. You see it in companies who have made up words for their name. (i.e. Häagen-Dazs, Xobni, or Viewdle) These companies understand they’re not going to stand on their name alone.
They’ll also extend their brand reach because made up words carry little or no bias or predisposition. (that may actually be a reason why a name does matter…hmm)
I’ve always felt that we tend to do this process backwards. People come to me for logos and clever names before they’ve thought through what the ministry’s purpose is. Should a youth pastor really be worried about the look of a banner when the group only has 20 kids in it?
If we don’t invest in the ministry and strive to make a good experience for our people, they are just going to go elsewhere. If all that happens, everything we did to develop an identity was wasted time anyway, so we may as well “out our thing down, flip it, and reverse it.”
This helps me a lot. I am working on an idea and was having some trouble with the name. Really like the “Kool Aid” moment part!
I disagree! At least in part. Names carry enormous baggage and meaning — they acquire the baggage or meaning over time. In fact, the name, “Apple” means quite a bit to a music lover or graphics design computer user. The name acquired its value through years of hard work by Steve Jobs and others. During the early life of a moniker, before the name has had time to develop a reputation, you may be right — the name then is valuable valuable for marketing purposes. (“NewSpring”, for example — your church probably picked that name in part to invite people in, as a marketing tool, suggesting that something new is happening, springs from within, etc.) As time goes on, the name (NewSpring) will acquire real meaning (or it already has).
The phrase, “make a good name for yourself,” conveys what I mean. One has a choice — to make a good name, or a bad name. (“Your name is Mud[d],” after Dr. Mudd who was convicted as complicit in the Lincoln assassination.) In fact, one “honors” one’s family/parents by making a good name for oneself — doing so adds to the value of the parents’ names, gives their lives meaning.
In short — a name can have enormous meaning. A rose is not just a rose is not just a rose…
All the best,
Rob Gieselmann
Christ Episcopal Church
Sausalito, CA
rob, actually, if you reread my most, i think you and i actually agree with each other.
tony
There’s a great website called brandtags.net that deals with this very issue. You can see what people think of popu8lar brand images of major name brands.
Good post Tony. But just curious… if NewSpring were NewSpring Lutheran, or NewSpring Christian, or NewSpring Baptist, or NewSpring Methodist, or whatever, would the smell of the rose to the un-churched change? How would it affect connectivity and environment, if at all?
Thanks for all you do.
In Christ,
Dan
Several years ago we adopted two children from another country and changed their names. We changed their names for several reasons, 1) culturally more acceptable, 2) a new name gave them a new identity and a from the issues of their past. While at ages 5 and 4 they would not have understood these reasons, both symbolically and practically they have made a difference to us as their parents.
I am wondering if a church could change their name for the same reasons. What do you think?
dan, you’re jumping the gun. stay tuned.
tony
Right — you do bring it out nicely at the end. I’ve been toying with the notion of honor to parents and family, and the old-fashioned notion that one’s name DOES matter — in a much deeper way that we can imagine. Who one is, the reputation one develops, one’s reliability and honesty.
Best,
Rob
I guess I understand how this works once the brand has been established, but what about before the brand is established? Does a good name help to tell your story to those who have not heard it or experienced what you are offering?
Once a name/brand is established, it is VERY important, not intrinsically but as a referent for the item, product or institution named. But before the brand/name is established, it is neutral or negative (no one is likely to try Pig Snout anything).
So true man! When I was launching my blog last December I had a hard time coming up with a URL for it. I eventually came to gbrenna.com. My First name is Graham and my last name is Brenna (gbrenna). I wanted something a little more catchy but this is what I’ve gone by online since there were no interwebs… so I figured, why fight it. Everything I do online is by the name gbrenna right now. I figure people won’t come to my blog because of the catchy name but because someone told them I write good stuff… haha. That’s yet to be seen. :)