San Diego Business

Should You Change Your Company’s Name?

Not if you can help it!
By Laura Walcher
Posted on Fri, Nov 6th, 2009
Last updated Fri, Nov 6th, 2009

In the last half-century, the bank currently known as Union Bank, has changed its name approximately a half-dozen times. From 1^st National Bank of San Diego, to Southern California 1^st National Bank, California 1^st Bank, Union Bank, Union Bank of California – and just recently, back to Union Bank.

I’d like a nickel for every hour I’ve spent discussing the pros and cons of name changes with clients – and a dime for each that didn’t heed my advice! Because, while there is tremendous excitement and creativity around a potential new name, I more often find the rationales for doing so avoidable - if not basically weak. Often, too, companies lack a corresponding commitment or know-how to effectively drive a new name home in the marketplace.

A Bloomberg News report noted an Anspach Grossman Enterprise survey that said the number of name changes among U.S. corporations recently broke long-time records. Of those changing their names, 52 percent changed because of mergers or acquisitions; about 44 percent wanted to better define themselves.

These may indeed be viable reasons to change. Others may include:

1. A change of ownership (yet many still choose not to change names for this reason. Consider the l00-year old law firm of Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps ... where only one “name” partner is involved.)

2. Declining business. Often, a fresh name and graphic look can jump-start a company - but not in and of itself. It must be accompanied by announced philosophical, directional, product (etc.) changes as well.

3. Changing marketplace. When fried foods came to be regarded as unhealthful, Kentucky Fried Chicken changed to “KFC.” This enabled them to re-define themselves but still retain their fried product. (An extreme example of a product suffering from this, as well as the next point, you may remember, was the diet candy called “Ayds.” Uh-uh.)

4. Tarnished name and reputation. A product recall, a crime, an accident. Sometimes the only way out is to erase history is by re-inventing yourself altogether. However, the Tylenol tampering case of l989 demonstrated that effective crises management can actually strengthen the brand name. Tylenol has remained a strong brand.

5. The name does not describe your company’s business. When Boston Chicken added other meats to their menu, they chose an easier path with a version of their existing name, to Boston Market.

While these may be compelling reasons to change, avoid it - if possible - for these reasons:

1. You give up marketing equity. Most companies spend years driving recognition of their name, hoping to develop their brand or niche, and become strongly “top of mind” with their buyers and clients. If you have succeeded in this, changing your name will throw away all that you’ve achieved and force you to begin the process all over again.

2. You often create confusion - not clarity - in the marketplace. I recall some old saying about how difficult it is to become memorable. The task: get people to remember you; then, get them to remember why they remember you; get them to care why, etc. Even if you’ve achieved parts one and two of this; you can lose it fast when you insist they remember something new altogether.

3. Re-marketing your company name is expensive. Unless you are prepared to underwrite the re-design and printing of collaterals (logo, cards, letterhead, brochures, etc.), plus, implement outreach such as direct mail (name change announcements), advertising, and media and web publicity (to explain the rationale, which may be of interest), the change may take a very long time to solidify.

IF YOU DECIDE TO CHANGE

Your choice of a new name is another - and exhaustive - subject altogether. But, evaluate for yourself the decisions that led to the following changes - and I guarantee that the decisions cost countless hours and dollars!: the merger of Coopers & Lybrand with Price Waterhouse became “PricewaterhouseCoopers,” really (check out lack of spacing and sudden caps!) In San Diego, the Centre City Development Corp. proposed changing The Embarcadero to ... the Waterfront, (yawn). (This subject miraculously - and sensibly - evaporated.) Some changes may have substantive rationale, but to the consumer are gratuitous and unintelligible - Datsun to Nissan, Lidak Pharmaceuticals to Avanir Pharmaceuticals, and the most unexplained of all: The National Conference of Christians & Jews (NCCJ), to The National Conference, to The National Conference of Community & Justice (still called NCCJ!) Lately, Radio Shack, which by now pops easily into our consciousness, is reportedly considering changing its name to “The Shack.” Years of marketing will tumble down the tube, and the only rationale to imagine is that it’s a “shorter” name, or that they imagine the word “radio” to be passé.

ResearchWorks (a San Diego -based company), whose president Dr. Moshe Engelberg developed an Identity Touchstone System to help organizations capitalize on the marketing equity in their names, says, “Ideally, a name should distinctively position an organization, product or service based on what makes it most unique to its target audience. “

Engelberg often advises clients that “if you can¹t fix it, feature it!” as Smucker¹s has so successfully done with its tag line, “With a name like Smuckers, it has to be good!” Most important, he says, don¹t risk guessing or acting on what you think internally. Undertake research to understand the perceived value of your name.

Consider:

• the reasons you wish to change. Can your problem with your current name be solved through re-marketing? If so, you will have only image to change, and not both name and image.

• is the name you’ve chosen available? Your attorney’s search can answer this, or you can find help and resources through the Patent and Trademark Office website: http://www.uspto.gov. .

• is the name memorable? Test this rigorously with representatives of your various target markets. Test both internally and externally.

• 

  can the name be presented graphically, in an attractive, clear and interesting way? Can it be reproduced in both color and black & white? (It may be too expensive to print all your collaterals - such as order forms, etc. - in color.)

• how does the name work in a sentence? As a possessive?

• how does the name stack up against its competitors? Is it easily distinguished? Does it convey your unique message?

The process of deciding not to change may also be exhausting, but in most cases, it ís reinforcing, inspires marketing creativity - and, at least from here, comes highly recommended!

And, the very latest change of Union Bank of California to Union Bank? The Bank now has branches in numerous other states. I’ll buy that change.

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Comments

Posted by randy t.	Fri, Nov 6th, 2009
This article contains some memorable examples of companies that have successfully changed their name, their image, or both, and companies that have not done this so successfully. Laura does a great job of contasting the pros and cons of a name change before you spend the time and money on it.

Posted by Dropping By	Fri, Nov 6th, 2009
While you make some good points, I think your main general point is somewhat undermined by the rule within THE BANKING industry. Strawberry jam preserves are one thing. But over the past 30 years especially, there has been so much consolidation and internationalization within the banking industry that Union Bank's name change -- even if it perhaps failed on other grounds, which I don't think it does -- is a non-event. And not only (as you say) is Union Bank pushing into other states besides California, but its Japan-based parent is trying to position Union Bank as a major American brand. A simple "Union" is, in fact, a great way to do this. Thanks!

Posted by michael salkind	Sun, Nov 8th, 2009
I'm on the Board of what was the Northeast Ohio regional NCCJ. You should know that the National NCCJ expired about 2 years ago due to fiscal failure and no longer exists. About 20 healthy regionals still exist around the country and have formed a confederation called THE NATIONAL FEDERATION FOR JUST COMMUNITIES, www.federationforjustcommunities.org. In Ohio, we are called THE DIVERSITY CENTER OF NORTHEAST OHIO, www.diversitycenterneo.org. The reason for the name change is that the expiring national NCCJ brought suit against all the healthy regionals that bolted to not use its name or logo (NCCJ).

Posted by Aaron Ellis	Wed, Nov 11th, 2009
Laura Walcher has once again proven her mettle as a professional public relations practitioner by bringing this issue to the forefront. Changing the name of an established brand has to be considered and weighed very carefully against the many downsides of doing so. Any name changes to an established brand have the effect of communicating to your audience that the product or service has changed. If that is your goal, then don't forget that change can be perceived as either a good thing or a bad thing. For those who already use the product or service, the change will most likely be perceived negatively, thus causing you to lose at least some existing customers. Unless you are sure you can add more than you lose by changing the company's or product's name, Laura's advice of caution is well heeded.

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