—Mark Prus, Principal, NameFlashSM Name Development If you have kids, you know that they all pass through the “Why Phase,” where they keep asking “Why?” until you ultimately resort to the conversation-ending phrase “Ask your Mother (or Father).” You probably are also familiar with the “5 Whys” technique of asking “Why” at least 5 times… Continue Reading
Tag Archives: Mark Prus
When it Comes to Guest Blogging: Fine or Just Fine?
Posted in Branding, False Advertising, Food, Guest Bloggers, Marketing, TrademarksIn many contexts of our life experience, "fine" sadly seems to have drifted toward embodying mediocrity. Consider this all too common dialogue: "How are you?" "Oh, I’m fine." Or, perhaps, "Just fine." Translation: "O.K.," "average," "acceptable," "passable," "satisfactory," "I can’t complain," "I’ve been better," or maybe "could be much better" . . . . After all, how interested or… Continue Reading
Sonic Bimbo
Posted in Branding, Guest Bloggers—Mark Prus, Principal, NameFlashSM Name Development Sonic Bimbo…the name of a new exotic dancer? A new punk rock band? A roller derby team from Seattle? While those are great uses for that name (and don’t bother to check, I’ve already registered the .com domain name!), I’m not talking about that…I’m talking about the outstanding use… Continue Reading
How Do You Know?
Posted in Guest Bloggers—Mark Prus, Marketing Consultant at NameFlashSM I received a lot of terrific feedback on my recent Duets Blog post “When Should You Change Your Name?” Consider this Volume 2 in the series. After you have decided to change your name, “How Do You Know When You Have Identified a Great Name?” This could also… Continue Reading
When Should You Change Your Name?
Posted in Guest Bloggers—Mark Prus, Marketing Consultant at NameFlashSM In my NameFlashSM name development business, I sometimes get asked by clients, “Should I change my brand name?” From a purely selfish standpoint my answer should be “YES!” because I get paid to generate names! But the reality is that there are times when you should not change your… Continue Reading
Good Name, Bad Name? It Depends.
Posted in Guest Bloggers—Mark Prus, Principal, NameFlashSM Name Development There is a local furniture store in Pittsburgh called Colonial Modern Furniture. Its slogan is “It’s Colonial. It’s Modern. And everything in between.” This demonstrates one of the biggest mistakes people make in picking a name—developing a name that tries to speak to everyone. I’m sorry, but apart from… Continue Reading
Trademark Bully Baloney?
Posted in Branding, TrademarksIn the wake of all the discussion and debate over "trademark bullying," NFIB (National Federation of Independent Businesses), the self-proclaimed Voice of Small Business, recently offered its members and followers "5 Steps to Avoid Corporate Trademark Bullying": Do Your Homework; Choose a Descriptive Business Name; Use Common Sense; Consider Buying Intellectual Property Insurance; and When in Doubt,… Continue Reading
What Is P&G’s “Secret of Seven”?
Posted in Advertising, Branding, Guest Bloggers, Marketing—Mark Prus, NameFlashSM A few years ago, Procter & Gamble launched the Olay Total Effects line, and introduced us to “Anti aging skin care products that moisturize and fight seven signs of aging.” In case you don’t know, the “seven signs of aging” are “look of fine lines and wrinkles, rough texture, uneven skin tone,… Continue Reading
Is the iPad Name Going Generic?
Posted in Branding, Famous Marks, Genericide, Guest Bloggers, Loss of Rights, Marketing, Search Engines, Trademarks—Mark Prus, Marketing Consultant at NameFlashSM Like many professional name developers, I opened 2010 by making fun of the Apple iPad name. Steve Jobs gave a strong case for naming the “tablet pc” in a way that was consistent with previous Apple naming conventions (iPod, iTunes, iPhone), but many of us poked fun at the… Continue Reading
Wary of Trademark Infringement?
Posted in Guest Bloggers—Mark Prus, Marketing Consultant at NameFlashSM I am a professional name developer. As part of my naming service, I employ a trademark attorney to give me advice on the availability of the names I develop. If there is any question about the availability of a name, I either strike it from the client submission or… Continue Reading
The Color of Confusion
Posted in Branding, Guest Bloggers, Product Packaging—Mark Prus, Marketing Consultant NameFlashSM I do a lot of branding and naming work…and so when I see an issue that confuses me, I usually assume it confuses consumers as a whole. In this case, having done some work in the artificial sweetener category, I can assure you that people are confused. The artificial sweetener… Continue Reading
Name Development Faux Pas, a.k.a. What Were They Thinking?!
Posted in Guest Bloggers—Mark Prus, Marketing Consultant at NameFlashSM As a professional name developer, I am often amused by the decisions companies make when naming products. Here are just a few of the naming faux pas I have observed. 1. Poor Visual Communication – Naming is an emotional decision and you often get caught up amongst the trees… Continue Reading
Sharing Accolades
Posted in Branding, Guest Bloggers, Marketing, TrademarksWe are humbled to share some more exciting news with you. Invesp’s list of the Top 100 Branding Blogs includes DuetsBlog, here. Thank you very much! OnlineDegree Blog has named the 50 Best Blogs for Creative Thinking, and ranked DuetsBlog as #10 on the list. Many thanks for the kind words and the strong vote of confidence!… Continue Reading
What Has Happened To Car Names?
Posted in Branding, Guest Bloggers, Marketing, Trademarksby Mark Prus Marketing Consultant at NameFlashSM As a professional name developer, I think about names all the time. One of my favorite times to think is when driving. No, I am not “texting while driving.” But when I pull up behind a car at a red light, I notice the name on the back… Continue Reading
The Long and Short of Name Development
Posted in Advertising, Branding, Guest Bloggers, Keyword Ads, Marketing, Search Engines, Social Networking, Trademarksby Mark Prus of NameFlashSM Some of my name development clients are fans of long, keyword-rich names. Obviously the appeal of a search engine spotting your website is driving this approach. Some of my naming clients are fans of short names that can be easily shared on Twitter. Which approach is better? I will confess… Continue Reading
Naming the Store Brand
Posted in Guest BloggersEvery Sunday I go through the circulars in the paper looking for new products. I usually spend a lot of time with the ads from the national drug store chains (Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid). Recently, I observed that each chain seems to have a radically different philosophy on store brand naming. And while this observation isn’t… Continue Reading
To Google® Or Not To Google®
Posted in Advertising, Branding, Genericide, Guest Bloggers, Marketing, Search Engines, TrademarksFull disclosure…I own Google stock. I like their products and their potential. However, I am more than a bit concerned about how they use their names and trademarks. Microsoft® names its products in a traditional fashion. Microsoft is the company; names like Windows, Silverlight, Bing are clearly the products. A very logical naming architecture that makes it clear where… Continue Reading
How David Can Beat Goliath in Naming OTC Medicines
Posted in Advertising, Branding, Guest Bloggers, Marketing, TrademarksAfter 25+ years in the highly competitive world of OTC medicines, I’ve learned some things about naming products. One thing I’ve learned is you have to understand the “Goliaths” of the category and zig when they zag. Many OTC categories are dominated by brands that have been building equity for 50+ years. Brands like TUMS® (75+… Continue Reading
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Duets Blog Authors
Steve Baird
Just so you know, I'm all about brands and the law, both professionally and personally. I regularly annoy family and friends in retail stores by focusing on product labels—not to buy the product, but to read the fine print and ask, "Who owns these brands" and "Did they really register those marks?" More...
Dan Kelly
You can call me a “non-traditional” attorney, which is a polite way of saying that I did not attend law school straight out of college. I spent five of my first six years after college as a junior high school teacher. The other year I worked as an engineer for a large corporation. More...
Sharon Armstrong
Voted most likely to become an actress while in pre-school, I don’t think I surprised anyone by becoming a lawyer, the steadiest professional gig open to those with a flair for the dramatic. More...
Brent Lorentz
Although I wish I could say my path to the law was the result of a lifelong dream or calling, it was more the result mere curiosity and an affinity for leather-bound books. More...
Catlan McCurdy
Having long been told by my parents that I could do or be anything I wanted, I chose at the age of 10 to become an attorney, as it was the career that would most likely lead me to my goal of becoming the first woman POTUS.More...
Tiffany Blofield
Although my initial career path was to be one of the Supremes (not the musically talented ones with platform shoes and sequins, but rather, the nine wearing sensible shoes and pressed black robes in DC), I will likely stay in Minnesota as I have never lived anywhere else. More...
Brad Walz
My law career started on the ice…as a defensive hockey player (we’re not talking professionally…and if I were, I probably wouldn’t have gotten into law). More...
Susan Perera
Born into the world with an aptitude for science and an affinity for art I found my career path quickly chosen for me. More...
Joy S. Newborg
When I took a personality/career test in high school to determine which path in life I should follow, I was told I should either be in broadcast journalism or law. So after I went to undergraduate school for broadcast journalism and film/television, I went on to obtain my law degree from the University of Minnesota. More...
Laura Gutierrez
An attorney I am not. Though told to become one, I don't possess those qualities needed to be an effective one (I lack confrontation skills, and although I can write a great argumentative essay, I can’t argue outside a sheet of paper). More...