• 0

Marketoonist | Tom Fishburne

Marketoonist is the thought bubble of Tom Fishburne. Marketing cartoons, content marketing with a sense of humor, keynote speaking.

  • Campaigns
  • Speaking
  • About
  • Cartoons
  • Contact
  • Book
  • 0

Brand Naming

October 9, 2022

Brand Name Alphabet Soup cartoon
  • Paid licensing options include high resolution download.
  • Presentation $35.00 Add to Cart
  • Newsletter or Website $100.00 Add to Cart
  • Corporate Blog/Sponsored Post $50.00 Add to Cart
  • Looking for other licensing options? click here
  • View Cart
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

This cartoon was partly inspired by reading someone described as the MD of EMEA at VMLY&R, part of WPP.  

I’ve always found it funny that some of the most successful ad agencies have some of the least imaginative names.  The alphabet soup names of many agencies are hard to tell apart, and could be easily mistaken for law firms.  And yet, their job is literally to help clients manage and grow their own brands with originality and creativity.

Many ad agency names are last initials of once pedigreed last names, with the notable exception of WPP (which I learned started as Wire and Plastic Products, before becoming one of the largest ad agency holding companies in the world). Many are also complicated by mergers, with initials bolted on to connect to the legacy of the past.

Yet, as Dave Droga put it recently in an interview about his own agency’s rebrand: “You either grow into the future or you’re shrinking into the past.” 

Most companies face this type of branding and rebranding challenge, whether for product names or the whole brand.  How to come up with a unique name that means something?  How much to hold on to the legacy of the past and how much to create new meaning?

The path of least resistance is often a peace treaty that leaves everyone dissatisfied. 

Here are a few related cartoons I’ve drawn over the years:

every brand onion - August 2021

Every Brand Onion cartoon
  • Paid licensing options include high resolution download.
  • Presentation $35.00 Add to Cart
  • Newsletter or Website $100.00 Add to Cart
  • Corporate Blog/Sponsored Post $50.00 Add to Cart
  • Looking for other licensing options? click here
  • View Cart
Share
  • Share this Marketoon
    • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
| Read Post

how to come up with a product name - March 2008

  • Paid licensing options include high resolution download.
  • Presentation $35.00 Add to Cart
  • Newsletter or Website $100.00 Add to Cart
  • Corporate Blog/Sponsored Post $50.00 Add to Cart
  • Looking for other licensing options? click here
  • View Cart
Share
  • Share this Marketoon
    • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
| Read Post

rebranding - September 2014

  • Paid licensing options include high resolution download.
  • Presentation $35.00 Add to Cart
  • Newsletter or Website $100.00 Add to Cart
  • Corporate Blog/Sponsored Post $50.00 Add to Cart
  • Looking for other licensing options? click here
  • View Cart
Share
  • Share this Marketoon
    • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
| Read Post

rebranding - May 2016

  • Paid licensing options include high resolution download.
  • Presentation $35.00 Add to Cart
  • Newsletter or Website $100.00 Add to Cart
  • Corporate Blog/Sponsored Post $50.00 Add to Cart
  • Looking for other licensing options? click here
  • View Cart
Share
  • Share this Marketoon
    • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
| Read Post
Your Ad Ignored Here
"If marketing kept a diary, this would be it."
- Ann Handley, Chief Content Officer of MarketingProfs
Order Now

Filed Under: agencies, brand positioning

Get a new marketoon each week:

Previous Post Next Post

Hybrid Work

Hybrid Work cartoon

Fear of Recession

Fear of Recession cartoon

Browse similar cartoons in: agencies, brand positioning

Browse By Category See All Marketoons
  • Paid licensing options include high resolution download.
  • Presentation $35.00 Add to Cart
  • Newsletter or Website $100.00 Add to Cart
  • Corporate Blog/Sponsored Post $50.00 Add to Cart
  • Looking for other licensing options? click here
  • View Cart
Your Ad Ignored Here Book Image

15 years of Marketoonist compiled for your marketing pleasure.

Order Now

About Marketoonist

tom_image

Marketoonist is the thought bubble of Tom Fishburne a career marketer and cartoonist. Learn More...

Subscribe

Get a new marketoon delivered to your inbox each week.

 

Browse Blog Posts

Most Popular Cartoons Browse Categories

Marketoon Campaigns

contentmarketing

Content marketing with a sense of humor.

Learn More

Keynote Speaking

speakingworkshops

Insightful, funny, and visual keynote talks and workshops.

Book Tom to Speak

Search Blog Posts

Interested? Let’s Talk!

Marketoons

Browse Categories

Get New Cartoons Weekly

About Marketoonist

Tom Fishburne is the Founder and CEO of Marketoonist, a content marketing studio that helps businesses reach their audiences with cartoons.

© 2023 Marketoonist