and secure names
References
Case studies
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Test for effectiveness
How does the target group evaluate new names?
In 2007, the insurance company AXA planned to introduce a new comprehensive consultancy and service concept that was intended to answer the key questions of the 50+ generation and provide every customer with information and clear recommendations for action to plan most effectively for their retirement. Suitable names were sought for this concept.
NAMBOS put the names developed through a comprehensive research and target group survey. The results were then evaluated by the naming specialists. On the basis of the results of the surveys and the evaluation, AXA was able to reach a reliable brand decision in favour of the name plan360° and use the name with the necessary peace of mind.
With plan360° AXA was one of the first financial service providers to develop a comprehensive consulting concept that met the needs of the 50+ generation and went far beyond the conventional offers for retirement provision. This is also confirmed by the German Federation of Senior Citizens' Organisations (BAGSO) that gave plan360° a 'consumer recommendation' as the first financial consulting concept to receive such an accolade.
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Research
Walt Disney Studios requires interesting but legally sound film titles for its film productions on the German market. As there are over a million registered trademarks in Germany, including IR and EU trademarks, and a large number of protected working titles, Disney relies on NAMBOS research specialists.
The new titles for Disney films are thoroughly researched by NAMBOS before they are used for the German market. Title, film, book and magazine databases are searched alongside substantial trademark databases. A meta online search completes the investigation that documents all the research results in a detailed report.
We have NAMBOS carry out our research on film titles before they are launched on the market. NAMBOS produces very comprehensive reports that are very clearly laid out. We are able to get an idea whether our titles will be usable in a very short space of time and reach a decision accordingly.
Anke von Graeve
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Germany GmbHNAMBOS has researched the following titles for Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Germany GmbH. Here's a selection of the English titles for which NAMBOS has found suitable German titles:
'Pirates of the Caribbean At World's End'
'Die Chronicles of Narnia'
'Eight Below'
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Name development
Deutsche Bahn planned to introduce an innovative car sharing product in 2008. The offer was aimed principally at people who live in the city but who still want a cost effective way of being mobile whenever they like but who do not own their own car.
Together with the features that every brand name has to meet, including appropriateness for the target group, distinctiveness, the name also had to demonstrate some contradictory features. For example, the name had to be capable of being used internationally, though at the same time be 'typically German', i.e. not along the lines of 'Call a Bike'.
Deutsche Bahn was quickly able to decide in favour of the name 'Flinkster' after the name strategy and creation, international trademark research, comprehensive linguistic checks and test for effectiveness were complete.
After a successful introduction the name 'Flinkster' will replace the name 'DB car sharing' as from 2011.
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Claim development
RWE and its staff operate successfully on various voluntary initiatives. To pool the extensive activities of the various companies within the RWE Energy Group, an international volunteer organisation was set up, for which a succinct and appealing name with an appropriate claim was required. At the same time, the name had to be capable of being used internationally, whereas the claim was only intended for use in Germany.
After RWE had opted for the name COMPANIUS, a variety of claim alternatives were developed for use in Germany. All the claims created were then researched in detail by the NAMBOS research department in the specified target area. Alongside the relevant trademark registers comprehensive titles, slogans and claim directories were checked during this research, as a claim is only good if it is backed up by thorough research to ensure that its use will not breach any previous rights.
After all the work was successfully carried out RWE was able to use the claim 'Menschen machen's möglich' [People make it possible] alongside the organisation's name with complete peace of mind.
The organisation already had 3,150 active members just one year after it was founded and was able to handle over 2,400 charitable projects during the first year.
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Linguistic analysis
The Mini Countryman launched in 2010 is the fourth model the BMW brand has brought onto the market. There were already various name alternatives for the four-wheel drive even months before the product launch.
BMW played it safe with the name selection and placed its trust in the linguistic checking services and consulting of NAMBOS, as the name to be introduced had to be suitable for global use and not demonstrate any problems.
This required extensive language analyses in the target areas and evaluations by the linguistics at NAMBOS.
For the names devised NAMBOS checked whether they could be pronounced in the target markets, evoked the right associations and did not give any cause for embarrassing confusion and had a pleasant sound. The linguistic checks were carried out solely by native speakers and evaluated by linguist experts at NAMBOS. The results delivered a clear and unique 'language picture' and a reliable basis on which to reach a decision.
The linguistic analysis provided the peace of mind to introduce the new name internationally. It was therefore possible to bring the four-wheel drive onto the market under the name ALL4 with peace of mind.
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Workshop
Anyone who has ever asked the 'creative minds' from their own company to create names for new developments or new set-ups will be only too familiar with typical problems with implementation. There are many ideas and many subjective opinions.
This was the situation in which the Helmholz community and Hanover Medical School found themselves. They wanted to set up a new centre for experimental and clinical infection research under an international name, but were initially unable to find any name solution.
The NAMBOS naming workshop was able to find an exact and secure name for the company with which all workshop participants and founding companies were able to identify. The name TWINCORE that was developed jointly clearly reproduces the partners of the two companies in 'twin' and 'core', that is the basic research.
The experienced moderation was able to tap into the participants' creative potential, stimulate and successfully complete a decision-making process. The moderation was able to translate the participants' emotional know-how into creative power when finding a name. There were supporters for the jointly found name solution among the participants.
Nambos understood how to tease out input effectively from our internal participants involved in the process, to evaluate the ideas put forward in this way and to filter out the final name. The moderation through Nambos struck exactly the right chord, was creative and constructive. If a process is moderated in such a way externally, it simply runs much more rapidly than if the person selecting the name in-house tries to force through their opinion.
Hannes Schlender
Head of the Press Department at the Helmhotz Centre for Infection Research
