What’s in a name? Everything. My parents named me David after President Dwight David Eisenhower, who they admired and trusted. (I guess they liked “David” more than “Dwight.”)
From the time I was given a name, it has been my responsibility to carry that name in a way that would make my family proud. To this day, some people like me and others do not, but so far, they can say my name without it triggering a connection to something awful. This is why you have not met anyone named Adolf Hitler Smith, Al Capone Jones, or Charles Manson Johnson. If your daughter told you she was engaged to a guy named Ted Bundy, you would insist on a serious background check.
In 1961, a child was born in Hawaii, named Barack Hussein Obama. In Arabic, the name Hussein means “good” or “beautiful.” But in 2003, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was convicted of crimes against humanity and was sentenced to death by hanging. Obama’s political opponents would often refer to him by his full name, hoping the “Hussein” baggage would influence voters. Apparently it did not.
Back when the United States of America was still somewhat united, parents would frequently name their child after a popular president. My grandfather was Grover Cleveland Norris. I knew some men named after Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Roosevelt. That trend has faded over the years. I can’t say that I’ve met anyone named after Lyndon Baines Johnson, Richard Milhous Nixon or William Jefferson Clinton. Nor does it seem that are very many Georges or Baracks these days. According to recent surveys of popular baby names, Joe and Donald are not high on the list either.
Names are also important if you are selling a product. USA Today recently surveyed consumers, and compiled a list of the most trusted brand names. Not surprisingly, the top-ranked brands are generally believed to be the actual product, and not just a brand name.
For instance, how many times have you asked for a Kleenex instead of a facial tissue? I’m sure the company that makes Puffs fights that battle every day. Kleenex is said to be the most trusted brand name in the nation. Customers believe they can always count on it. Never a lapse in quality, and never a controversy.
The same goes for Vaseline. My dermatologists have recommended Vaseline for healing skin for many decades. I’ve never heard them use the term “petroleum jelly.”
The pain relievers ibuprofen and acetaminophen come in various forms and brand names. But some marketing geniuses have done their jobs. We are far more likely to ask for an Advil or a Tylenol. Those names are easier to say, and much easier to remember.
Forty years ago this month, Coca-Cola committed one of the most notorious marketing mistakes in history. The company basically trashed one of the most successful, trusted brands in the world and tried to convince us that “New Coke” was better than the original. We voted “NO” with our taste buds and within months plain old “Coke” resumed its rightful place on top of the cola world. To this day, especially in the south, we just want a Coke. Not a soda, not a pop, just a Coke. Sometimes I have a craving for a grape Coke, even though there’s no such thing. You know what I mean.
Also high on the trusted brands list are Band-Aids, Scotch tape, and Q-Tips. Most of us know Band-Aids are bandages, and Scotch tape is transparent adhesive tape, but a Q-Tip is absolutely a Q-Tip. If I asked one of my kids to bring me a cotton swab, they would be stumped.
At the low end of the trusted brands list, we find various insurance companies, automakers and airlines, plus Comcast. In the heyday of cable television and internet sign-ups, Comcast earned a reputation for frequent price increases, unreliable quality, and cranky customer service. As a quick and easy fix, they re-branded as “Xfinity.”
For a person or a product, here are some words to live by. Do the right thing, and you’ll never have to change your name. Just ask Q-Tips.
