In Wordcraft, Alex Frankel, a business writer who once briefly worked as a namer, tells the story of how five major brands got their names: BlackBerry, Accenture, Viagra, the Porsche Cayenne, and IBM’s “e-business.” Behind each name is an account of how words and language infuse the products we use every day with meaning, and how great words actually succeed in changing people’s behavior. The book is filled with stories about words that come from every corner of our world: technology, health, sports, food, business, and more.
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Frankel has managed to crack open the world of professional namers, a highly guarded group of specialists who focus exclusively on coining brand names. A winning name is crucial to the success of any product, and large companies may spend half a million dollars or more for a cadre of wordsmiths to craft just the right one. A successful name--think of Viagra or FedEx--will leap beyond mere brand recognition to enter the public lexicon. Professional namers don't just sell a name, they craft a complete story to go with it, one that companies will expand on when marketing to the public. Frankel explores the details of the creation of five brand names: BlackBerry, Accenture, Viagra, the Porsche Cayenne, and IBM's e-business, revealing industry-level insight into the characteristics of a good name, and the difficulties involved in finding one that is catchy yet functional. Frankel, a business writer for magazines such as Forbes, Wired, and the New York Times Magazine, briefly worked as a namer himself. A mind-opening examination of image, perception, marketing, and manipulation. David Siegfried
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
“Enlightening, engaging, and entertaining.” —Newsweek
“A thoughtful and engaging exploration of how companies and products get their names nowadays, as well as the function of brands in a global culture . . . Hilarious and revealing.” —Wall Street Journal
“Words always matter, but they really matter to a corporation trying to make its brand the one we remember out of the thousands we see daily. That’s why the stories behind the creation of names like Viagra or Accenture are so surprisingly rich. With the outsider perspective of a journalist, plus insider perspective gained by crossing over into the ‘synthetic language’ business himself, Alex Frankel knows the name game like nobody else.” —Rob Walker, “Consumed” columnist, The New York Times Magazine
“Informative, overdue . . . fascinating.” —San Francisco Chronicle
“Wordcraft is a rare peek inside organizations making enormous decisions about their identities and futures—struggling to develop a brand name that captures what they want to be when they grow up. Journalist Frankel talks his way into situations most of us never see. The book is both vivid and lively.” —Chip Heath, professor of organizational behavior, Stanford Graduate School of Business
“A thoughtful and engaging exploration of how companies and products get their names nowadays, as well as the function of brands in a global culture . . . Hilarious and revealing.” —Wall Street Journal
“Words always matter, but they really matter to a corporation trying to make its brand the one we remember out of the thousands we see daily. That’s why the stories behind the creation of names like Viagra or Accenture are so surprisingly rich. With the outsider perspective of a journalist, plus insider perspective gained by crossing over into the ‘synthetic language’ business himself, Alex Frankel knows the name game like nobody else.” —Rob Walker, “Consumed” columnist, The New York Times Magazine
“Informative, overdue . . . fascinating.” —San Francisco Chronicle
“Wordcraft is a rare peek inside organizations making enormous decisions about their identities and futures—struggling to develop a brand name that captures what they want to be when they grow up. Journalist Frankel talks his way into situations most of us never see. The book is both vivid and lively.” —Chip Heath, professor of organizational behavior, Stanford Graduate School of Business
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
It's official... there's no secret formula.,
By
This review is from: Wordcraft: The Art of Turning Little Words into Big Business (Hardcover)
Alex Frankel, (a true journalist by nature), delves into the murky waters of brand naming to uncover its hidden mysteries. As a former freelance brand namer himself, Frankel set out to interview the top naming firms in the world, to see if there was any systematic method to the madness of naming. What he discovered instead was an odd assortment of colorful characters, each claiming to possess the "gift" or the "method" to creating great brand names. His insights into expensive "top down" umbrella names and viral "bottom up" organic names I found insightful. Some of the quotes by the people he interviews also merit consideration. It was worth the read just to reaffirm that no one can ever corner the naming market with a system or formula; and that good branding requires more than technical, linguistic ability.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
great view to how companies name,
By A Customer
This review is from: Wordcraft: The Art of Turning Little Words into Big Business (Hardcover)
After spending more than ten years in the branding and naming industry, it is great to see a good book about how we do what we do. Frankel's book is funny and true to life. Don't approach it expecting to find succint lessons on how to name things but if you pay attention you'll find yourself picking up some insights into the craft along the way.
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Language in the Information Economy,
By A Customer
This review is from: Wordcraft: The Art of Turning Little Words into Big Business (Hardcover)
Frankel is a journalist and also an insider. The result is a fascinating and authoritative look into an industry that most people dont realize exists: the naming industry. The output of course surrounds us in the form of the brands that have become the new vocabulary of our society and our economy. Well worth the read!
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Inside This Book
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Citations (learn more)
2
books
cite this book:
- The Making of a Name: The Inside Story of the Brands We Buy by Steve Rivkin in Back Matter
- Writer's Digest Handbook of Magazine Article Writing by Michelle Ruberg on page 177
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