I was browsing around the Advertising Age website today when I came across a post on the AdAges blog that led me to the Car Lust Blog. I may not have stumbled on this blog otherwise, and I'm glad I did. First, I really like the author, Chris Hafner's, writing style, and second, I really enjoy his creative posts.
This week, he wrote a series called "Innapropriately Named Chrysler Products (INCP)" which is very amusing. I love that Chris gave the series its own acronym.
As of today, Chris pointed the finger at five Chrysler car names as just being plain wrong. Let's take a look:
- Dodge Sprinter: I have to agree with him on this one. I just don't associate the word "sprinter" with a van.
- Dodge Avenger: Again, Chris is spot on here. "Avenger" seems more appropriate for a truck than a sedan.
- Plymouth Champ: Chris nails it again. It's hard to think of a hatchback as a champ.
- Dodge Rampage: This one is just plain funny. Chris makes a great point that "Rampage" sounds more like the name of a monster truck than the Chrysler version (see the picture above).
- Dodge Dynasty/Chrysler Imperial: This boxy eye-sore was sold as a piece of luxury but that was a glaring misnomer.
What does this funny wrap-up of Chrysler's failed product naming tell us as marketers?
Make sure the product names you choose match customer expectations for that product as well as what the product can actually deliver. The product name you choose is an extension of your brand promise. Don't disappoint your customers by not living up to your brand promise or not delivering what your product name suggests. In other words, don't offer an "Avenger" and deliver a "Yugo."
What do you think? Any other lessons we should take away from this?
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