A name is the core indicator of a brand. It is the “face of the brand”, the basis for all awareness and communication efforts. Ideally new names are designed to create an immediate impression and sustain the key values and personality traits associated with the brand. Today brevity, clarity and emotional messaging have become essential for successful marketing over the internet. A good example is how President Trump flavors his constant twitter messages with catchy nicknames that disparage his political rivals.
Trump’s Obsession with Name Calling
In today’s polarized environment, Trump has been consumed with sustaining a distinctive “counter culture” brand image for himself. This includes mocking his political “enemies” with derogatory nicknames. In our over saturated world of data and the openness of social media, these silly nicknames create instant images that certainly appeal to Trump’s base. Here are a few examples:
- “Crazy Nancy” and “High Tax, High Crime Nancy Pelosi”
- “Shifty Schiff” and “Sleazy Adam Schiff”
- “Crazy Bernie” Sanders and “The Nutty Professor”
- “Pocahontas” and “Uber Left Elizabeth Warren”
- “Sleepy Joe” and “Quid Pro Joe” Biden
- “Cheatin’ Obama
- “Crooked Hillary” and “Lyin’ Hillary” Clinton
- “Slimeball James Comey”
- “Fake Tears Chuck Schumer”
- Anyone who disagrees with Trump – “Never Trumpers”
- Trump himself – “Your Favorite President”
Archetypes That Define A Brand Personality
Describing the characteristics of a brand by referring to the appropriate archetype is another way to cultivate a desired brand image. An archetype is basically a personality profile that helps marketers distinguish a brand from competition, and is based on consumers’ (or voters’) perceptions and expectations (see book: “The Hero and The Outlaw, Building Extraordinary Brands Through the Power of Archetypes”). The concept of archetypes was originally developed by Carl Jung based on feelings and symbols found in historic stories and mythologies across cultures. Each archetype is a composite of special values, passions and behavioral patterns. These archetypes provide a clearly defined image which is used to guide advertising, especially on social media. Here are likely archetypes for notable public personalities:
- Donald Trump – known for his anti-establishment style, disdain for political correctness and being a Washington outsider, he would be considered an “Outlaw”, which has the typical traits of rebelliousness, being outrageous, disruptive and powerful. (Interestingly, the brand most often cited as a good example of “Outlaw” is Harley Davidson, which most likely has a very similar customer base as Trump’s.)
- Hillary Clinton – her personality is characterized by her links to the Clinton dynasty and as a member of the Washington elite, so her main archetype is a “Ruler”, which is known for organizational skills, efficiency, confidence, being responsible and exerting control. Another archetype that could fit Hillary’s personality is a “Caregiver” in light of her populist views on education, healthcare and the economy.
- John Kerry – is seen by many as self-contained and scholarly, characteristics that don’t always encourage warm, engaging feelings, so his archetype would probably be a “Sage”, known as a thinker, philosopher, expert and somewhat reflective.
Engaging Emotionally
The underlying theme in all these examples involves brevity and establishing an emotional connection. Neuroscientists have proven that emotions have a far greater impact on behavior and decision making than cognitive thinking. Our five senses receive millions of pieces of information every minute, which are transmitted to the subconscious part of the brain that determines thought and learning.
Another approach for leveraging these emotional connectors is the science of “phonologics”, a discipline recently developed by brand consultants and professional linguists. Their research found that there is a subconscious relationship between speech sounds and emotions for all languages. For example, the letters “X”, “Z” and “C” all imply power and innovation. In particular, “Z” is fast and daring, while “X” connotes hi-tech action. Pharmaceutical companies frequently fabricate names with these letters for new, advanced drugs.
All three of these tactics, Trump’s name calling, concise archetype profiles and phonologics, are trending because of the dominant influence of digital media in our lives, especially as it leverages our limited attention span, instant image creation and gratification, and sharing immediately online with others. Nicknames and short emotional messaging has become the essence for today’s communications.
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