Alexandra Watkins’ slim little book contains a wealth of information. Watkins worked for ad giant Olilvy & Mather for five years before she started her own product naming company. She’s named products for Proctor & Gamble, Disney, Microsoft, and Wrigley. Coming up with a good name for a product is a key to success. I thought I’d share this book because many of you are writers and coming up with a great title for a mystery or short story parallels the process of coming up with a good product name. The same principles apply. If you want to learn a practical approach to coming up with great names (and avoiding Bad Names) Hello, My Name is Awesome delivers. GRADE: A
The title is certainly eye-catching, George. As a content writer for a PR firm, I’m sure I will find this book interesting.
Prashant, Alexandra Watkins’ little book contains plenty of wisdom.
Whoever comes up with the brand names for pharmaceuticals (at least the ones that get tv advertising) needs to go sit in a corner! Never have I heard so many sounds that seem to imply something but signify nothing (although, possibly, that’s the idea).
Deb, most of the pharmaceutical companies use a computer name-generator to come up with those goofy drug brand names. I agree the names are always strange and unusual.
Deb, get out of my brain! That was my first thought too. Half the time I see one of those “ask your doctor” ads I’m laughing at the ridiculous names. The rest of the time I am enjoying the list of “we are required by law to tell you this” side effects – “may cause drowsiness, cancer, explosive diarrhea, death…”.
Jeff, it’s the “thoughts of suicide” side-effect that troubles me.
Exactly. And that is a product for depression!
Jeff, when medication for depression has a side-effect that might increase the changes of suicide that’s worrisome.
Titles are hard. I am rethinking SHOT IN DETROIT right now. I am afraid I will lose whatever women I might have attracted with the title CONCRETE ANGEL. However, it completely describes a book about a photographer. I just don’t know. I wonder what Barbara Robinson and Jackie Meyerson would think. Does Diane read mysteries, George?
Patti, Diane reads mysteries in addition to fiction with strong women characters. Titles are hard. HELLO, MY NAME IS AWESOME might help you with that.
Today’s drug ads are tomorrow’s class action lawsuit ads. I thought the FDA was supposed to vet these potions before they were released to the public.
Bob, what the FDA is supposed to do and what actually gets done are miles apart.
That’s my point. Why isn’t someone exposing this fiasco?