How important is a name? Important enough to influence the twists and turns of history. CNN brings us a stark reminder of the power of the names we use to present our ideas, and how nuance is everything:

If presidential elections were held today, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton would likely have a comfortable edge over Sen. John McCain, but take away her maiden name and McCain has a better shot of landing in the Oval Office.

So say the results of a CNN poll released Friday by Opinion Research Corp., which asked 506 adult Americans whom they preferred among potential 2008 presidential candidates. The margin of error for the survey is plus or minus 4.5 percent.

Asked if they preferred Hillary Rodham Clinton to McCain, respondents gave the Democratic New York senator and former first lady a 51 percent to 44 percent advantage over the Republican Senator from Arizona. Remove “Rodham” and McCain had a 1 percentage point advantage, 48 percent to 47 percent.

The best ideas do not always win, because it’s not what you say, it’s how you name it.

As of November 1, the U.K will have a new electric utility company called Spark. They describe themselves thusly:

Spark is an energy company. Seems simple enough, and it is. All we have to do to be a great alternative to the 6 major utility companies is deliver the best customer service, lower prices, innovative benefits and greener energy.

And from a branding perspective they are off to a great start. The name Spark works on multiple levels and demonstrates, rather than explains, several of their key positioning messages. The name immediately sets them apart from their competitors, conveys the start of something new (the spark of a new paradigm, the spark of a new idea), is active, enthusiastic, approachable, human and infinitely memorable. And in a literal sense, a Spark is all about energy, a Spark is energy. Well done.

For a different approach to naming a utility, we turn to the Chicago Tribune:

Peoples Energy Corp. has a new name coming, and like many corporate monikers it is not a word you will find in a dictionary.

The corporate parent of Peoples Gas soon will be known as Integrys (pronounced in-TEG-ris) after the completion of its merger with a Wisconsin gas and electric utility.

“Integrity was the core idea here.”, said James Uehling.

Actually, integrity was the only idea here, and Integrys fails to communicate that one idea. Or more accurately, Integrys fails to sell that one idea, because Integrys is trying to explain, rather than demonstrate, the idea of integrity. Integrys is trying to tell us they have integrity. But honest people don’t go around explaining how honest they are, dishonest people do. Just as interesting people don’t try and tell you how interesting they are, because at that moment they become suspect and uninteresting.

A key tenet of naming: Explaining doesn’t work, demonstrating does.

However, Integrys does demonstrate one thing. It’s a cold, technical looking and sounding construction that might as well be “Vast Uncaring Corporation, Inc”. That was not the intention, of course:

Peoples Energy has had serious run-ins with consumer advocates, the Illinois attorney general’s office and some members of the Illinois Commerce Commission, which regulates the company.

“It is an attempt to turn over a new leaf,” Uehling said of the new name. “It is a new day.”

The image they were attempting to overcome, has instead been reinforced.

Finally, a great name for a movie! From today’s Hollywood Reporter:

“Igor” centers on a mad scientist’s hunchbacked lab assistant Igor, who has big dreams of becoming a scientist and winning first place at the annual Evil Science Fair. It will be distributed domestically by the Weinstein Co., which also has secured rights in most foreign territories. Weinstein Co. will be selling “Igor” at next month’s American Film Market.

Piven will voice the role of Dr. Schadenfreude, Igor’s nemesis, with Shannon voicing Eva, a giant, indestructible monster invented by Igor. They join a cast that includes Steve Buscemi, John Cleese and Christian Slater.

Can “Interbrand, the Final Fury”, be far behind?

[ More posts about igor movie | More blogs about product names ] [ More posts about igor | More posts about movies | More blogs about igor ] [ More about company names ]