There's More To Naming A Product

A critical core competency is required to develop, create, test and execute a name. There were two main phases of naming the most recent flagship of Corning Gorilla Glass: The Qualitative and Quantitative.

The Qualitative Approach to Naming: Tapping into Your Core Values

We embarked on the journey of creating a product name that would truly fit and capture attention. It’s not easy. To achieve this, you must have a very clear vision of what your product, brand and business are all about. It means truly internalizing and being able to articulate what you stand for as a company. For our brand, we have a relentless focus on innovation, durability/toughness of the products, a focus on integrity of information/scientific method and the beauty and elegance of glass. We also have a fun, but slightly goofy, side of the brand as represented in a Gorilla mascot named Victor.

Before arriving on a name for our new product, we needed to be clear on who we are and, almost more importantly, who we are not. There was exciting creative tension to explore in that we have a very tough and durable product that we present in both a scientific and fun way. The fact that we were naming a new product with attributes very different from prior generations was the cornerstone of the creative brief. Finally, we had to factor in the moment in time. We are at such a profound moment in human history, ignoring that moment as an opportunity for this brand was simply not an option. 

The Quantitative Approach to Naming: Consumer Testing

While the naming process itself cued our right-brain creative thinking, we also had to dial up the left-brain scientific part of the naming journey. We did this through extensive consumer testing to validate that the name would resonate, have impact and be meaningful. First, we tested the viability of the name with consumers using a monadic approach.  Testing names through a monadic approach means that you research each name against the attributes that you want you brand to communicate, as opposed to testing names against each other. That way, you end up with data that tells you which of your finalist names best communicates the brand attributes, not which name consumers like better than another.

We also researched whether the name had negative connotations in any culture. It was eye-opening to run these two types of validation research.

In the end, research and our marketing intuition led us to the name “Victus” for our new product. Victus means “to live.” To me, it couldn’t be more fitting. At this moment, more than anything else, we are being called on “to live.” More importantly, the words “to live” have an even deeper meaning to me — they evoke the notion that we are all interconnected to one another. For us to truly live, we must be able “To Live” in harmony with one another. Take this one step further, I’d say that our ability “To Live” means we need to be part of — not separate from — all living things. We are all part of a planetary ecosystem. Its ability “To Live” will impact our ability “To Live,” in harmony, balance, and happiness. Finding that balance is a journey we are all on. It’s an essential part of our lives. And for me Victus is a reminder of that need to live in connected balance.

What does Victus mean to you?