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Does your product name resonate with your target audience?

The naming of products and businesses is a key aspect to business branding. The name reflects the product, but also the culture and demographic of the target client group.

Examples From Children's Publishing
These examples from the children's book world, give some insights about the difference even slight changes can make in resonating with the target client group. 

Naming Harry Potter
J. K. Rowling's first Harry Potter book was released in Britain, Australia and New Zealand as Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone.

Renaming Harry Potter For The American Market
The title was changed to Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone for the American market. The cover illustration was also changed.

This was at the insistence of the book's American publisher, Scholastic. They were concerned that the American readers would not immediately associate the phrase "Philosopher's Stone" with magic.  

In that case, the renaming of the book actually strengthened the Harry Potter brand for the American market.  

Eric Carle
Other examples in the children's book world are the very popular Eric Carle picture book titles. Many of these are available in over 39 languages.

Very Grouchy Ladybug or Bad Tempered Ladybird?
In the British, Australian and New Zealand versions, The Very Grouchy Ladybug became The Bad Tempered Ladybird.

Reflecting Local Nuances With Product Naming
Of course, British, Australian and New Zealand readers know exactly what "The Very Grouchy Ladybug" means, but "Bad Tempered Ladybird" reflects the local idiom more closely, and resonates as natural language with the reader (both adults and children).

One Size Does Not Fit All
When naming or renaming your products or services, you may intuitively target your audience, whether it's a specific niche, local or global, but it's good to keep these factors in mind.

What If You Have A Local, Regional, National or Global Audience?
What are the implications for naming your products and services and for the terminology and nuances you use? This is an interesting question which I'll explore in more depth in future articles.