The name of a product can have a big impact on how people perceive it and its quality. A good name can be one of the best marketing tools available.
A name needs to be memorable, but not too catchy that it loses its meaning. It needs to represent the quality of the product and what it does, but not too seriously.
For example, if a coffee was made extremely strong so that it was almost like drinking alcohol, then a good name for it would be Coffee-tox. This is memorable, represents the quality of the coffee, and is playful on the word “coffee”.
Naming products is a skill that requires some thinking outside of the box. Here are some names of well-known products that were originally marketed with different names.
Pepsi
In love with the cola, PepsiCo tried to buy Coca-Cola in 1998 for $150 million. When that failed, they made a deal with Coke to market each other’s products.
They teamed up to sell more soda by putting the other brand’s logos on their cans and bottles and advertising each other’s products. They also offered a variety of mix-ins for their sodas, something that had not previously been done by the company.
The collaboration was so successful that it continues today, almost 20 years later. The two companies now share enough resources that there is an entire department dedicated to managing the partnership.
However, this collaboration was not done for the sake of the consumer – it was done to benefit the companies themselves.
7-Up
In 1929, a man named Charles Grinner created a delicious lemon-flavored soft drink and called it “Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Sodas” or “7-Up” as we know it today. the
Grinner marketed 7-Up as a healthy alternative to soda due to its use of vegetable extracts instead of dairy and sugar instead of high levels of fructose. the
However, this was not the success story we know today. People were not too keen on the word “lithiated,” which refers to the lithium ion in the drink. And frankly, people thought it tasted like medicine!the
In 1952, two lawyers bought the rights to 7-Up and rebranded it as “The Un-Cola” by marketing it against Coca-Cola.
Dr. Pepper
In its early years, Dr. Pepper was marketed as a brain tonic and intellectual beverage. Its advertising campaign featured slogans like “A Brain Tonic &Amp; Intellectual Beverage” and “a taste that’s fascinating, a thrill that’s refreshing.”
During this era, people believed that certain foods and beverages had health benefits. So, the makers of Dr. Pepper marketed it as a healthy drink that would sharpen the mind and boost energy.
However, none of these claims were true. According to Mental Floss, the original recipe for Dr. Pepper didn’t even contain any caffeine! However, in the 1950s, they started to add caffeine to match the growing demand for it as a stimulant.
Even though it is now known to be simply a soft drink with no special health benefits beyond hydration, Dr. Pepper still maintains its nostalgic appeal.
Root Beer
Root beer has its origins in the middle ages, where a mixture of ginger, honey, and birch juice was called root beer. This was because the roots of birch trees were used as part of the composition.
The name stuck even though the new drink no longer had roots or birch juice in it. By the 19th century, bartenders were making a drink called bar-root beer, which was made with sassafras root.
Sassafras root had many health benefits at the time, including improving blood flow and being an anti-inflammatory. By adding it to your drinks, you were getting a mild caffeine boost and improving your health.
However, in 1983 scientists discovered that safasfras root also caused HIV to proliferate in test tubes, making it ineffective as a treatment. Due to this discovery, safasfras root was banned from all drinks by the Food and Drug Administration.
Sprite
In its early days, Sprite was marketed as a product that would help revitalize your brain and enhance your thinking skills.
In fact, it was originally marketed as an “esteemed brain tonic and intellectual beverage.” That’s pretty bold marketing, even for the 1950s!
Sprite was first introduced to the market in 1961. It wasn’t a huge success at first, but it did gain some popularity among kids and teens. This is probably because of its very mild citrus flavor and bright color (which makes it look fun).
It wasn’t until the 1980s that Sprite really took off. This is most likely due to an advertising campaign that focused on fitness and refreshment after physical activity. These ads were very successful and helped make Sprite one of the most popular soft drinks on the market.
Mirinda
In the late 1800s, a man named Charles Grincove created a sugar-free citrus-flavored beverage that he marketed as a brain tonic and intellectual beverage. He called it Mirinda after the famous actress of the time, Mirinda Smith.
He created this new drink by mixing lemon and orange juices with sugar and then carbonating it. He patented his creation and sold the rights to marketing and distribution to Coca-Cola in 1888.
Despite being marketed as a healthy alternative to soda, Mirinda was not very popular and was pulled from the market just six years after its introduction. It seems people just weren’t ready for a non-sweet citrus drink!
However, this early attempt at creating a healthier beverage wasn’t all for nothing — Coca-Cola took some of their cues from Mirinda when developing Sprite, their first dry lemon-lime beverage.
Fanta
In 1940, Coca-Cola created a new soft drink called Fanta. Not to be confused with the iconic orange soda, Fanta has been produced in many flavors throughout the years.
Initially, Coca-Cola sold surplus produce to restaurants and bars. When the demand for Coke grew, they had to find another way to use all of the surplus sugar. Thus, they started producing Fanta!
Surprisingly, one of the original flavors of Fanta was pineapple and lime. Unfortunately for those who love this flavor combination, it was later replaced with oranges and limes. Maybe someday we’ll see a return to this original flavor? Only time will tell!
If you’re looking for some fun facts about Fanta, check out this article: Fantastic Fun Facts About The Classic Soft Drink.
Vitaminwater
Vitaminwater was one of the first mainstream bottled beverage products to hit the market. It was created by Glaceau, a company that manufactured premium bottled waters.
Glaceau’s original vision was to create a tap water solution that had added vitamins and nutrients. They marketed this product as a way to increase your intake of vitamins and hydration.
The marketing strategies used to launch Vitaminwater were very successful. Glaceau used celebrities such as LeBron James, Will Smith, and Justin Timberlake to promote the product. They also created limited edition bottles with special designs that people wanted to collect.
Glaceau effectively marketed Vitaminwater as a healthy alternative to other beverages such as soda or juice. By doing this, they convinced many people to buy the product because they thought it was good for them.
