That’s a great question Shakespeare! It’s one I’ve often pondered. Exactly how much does a name affect the perception of a particular item, product or service?
We all have those phrases and words we either love or abhor. There are hundreds of marketing and psychology studies with evidence to indicate that a solid name has great impact – just type “name study” or “branding study” into your search engine for the latest.
Marketing professionals spend months and thousands of dollars conducting focus groups and research to gain the competitive advantage of a good name. However, I’m not always convinced that it changes the actual perception of the product once you get it home and use it! Nonetheless, a name can subtly move you to select one item over another.
In Minneapolis, there’s one item that I’m pretty sure I’d try, but if only the name existed (or if I knew it did). I’ve been searching for it for years – it’s the perfect “Minneapolitian.” I’m not sure exactly what it is. Perhaps a fantastic new item of apparel created just for us, a sandwich? Perhaps a car? Or, better yet, a cocktail? Whatever it is, as a fan of Minneapolis I know I’d give it a try. Please someone, show me that great Minneapolitan!