brand awareness

Number two in our miniseries of “What’s In A Name” deals with popular brand names and their etymology. While some names are easy to figure out—Ford cars are named after Henry Ford—other brand name origins are a bit more complex, or in some cases, convoluted. Nike Nike refers to the Greek winged goddess of victory as well as a tactical missile of the 1940s. As …

Kraft Foods just announced its new global snack business: Mondelez. According to the company, it’s pronounced “mon-dah-LEEZ”. If this sounds unfamiliar or simply odd, don’t doubt yourself: it is an invented word based on the Latin for world (mundus) and delicious. Despite that clever origin, the word still sounds funny, and it has not been well received. Brand names are tricky, slippery things. Some famous brands …