Question

Topic: Branding

Brand Confusion - Company Name Vs Product Name

Posted by Anonymous on6/27/2005 at 3:36 PM ET 125 Points
This is my dilemma: I am the marketing/creative director/brand manager, etc. for a niche medical lab that suffers from brand confusion. We offer a patented advanced nutritional test that no one else can offer and have spent a lot of money to promote the technology to physicians all over the US. Our clients strongly associate with the company name, but not with the name of the technology or the name of the blood test as we have chosen to brand it. After twleve years of no success with the trademarked name for our test should we give up and go with what the clients call it or should we keep trying with a different approach?
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RESPONSES

  • Posted byadammjwon6/27/2005 at 4:21 PM Accepted
    Melissa,

    I would dare say that whatever the reasons of no success with branding the blood test or technology you should definitely follow your customers.If they stick to your company brand name do the same and make it consistent brand policy.Twelve years is more than enough to spend your money on something which does not work and trying a different approach could not work either.Make the most of the brand your customers are loyal to- your company brand.

    Rgds

    Adam
  • Posted by年代tarsDieon6/27/2005 at 6:18 PM Member
    what if you try to combine the brand name of the test you're offering together with the company brand?
    like, for instance, "Lycra by DuPont".
    it will give your customers the opportunity to associate the test with the company itself and after that remember the test name finally as a separate brand.
  • Posted bymgoodmanon6/27/2005 at 7:30 PM Accepted
    I agree with the experts. Don't fight what you have, which is good customer awareness of your product -- by whatever name they think is right for it.

    Chances are your branding efforts over the last 12 years have included more prominent mention of the company than the brand, regardless of your intentions. Now that you "own" that "brand awareness," you'd be crazy to walk away from it.

    I'd even go so far as to say that if the company comes up with new/different products that target the same audience, you should minimize communication of the company name on those, lest they confuse the current brand (that is the company name) with the new brand.

    Remember, a brand image is what the customers think about the product/service. It doesn't matter what YOU think it is or should be. In this case, the customers think your brand is CompanyName, and it's unlikely you'll be able to shake that name unless you spend a lot of money and wait for a new generation of decision-makers to grow familiar with the new name. Certainly not worth it for a small company.
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