The Naming Game

In this issue.

• ON STRATEGY: THE NAMING GAME
• FAMILY RESOURCE GUIDE AT THE OHIO STATE
• MEDIA CULTIVATION TOOL FROM STETSON LAW
• RESEARCH AT PENN
• BY THE NUMBERS: DEBT ON PLASTIC

ON STRATEGY: THE NAMING GAME
by Becky Morehouse, Associate VP for Research & Marketing

Think about the following name-brand companies who are known for their shoes—Nike, Columbia Sportswear Company, and Manolo Blahnik. Although the companies sell dissimilar lines, they are all an excellent representation of organizations who thoughtfully consider the importance of a name and what it can accomplish. They fully understand a name is much more than a label. A name invokes an image. A feeling. An impression. It's a lesson in nomenclature that colleges and universities should consider in naming programs and majors.

Guess what shoe goes with which company:

But shoe companies aren't the only ones in the naming game. Another corporation has taken product nomenclature to the highest level. Pepperidge Farms has an amazing naming architecture that works. Think about the Sausalito, the Santa Cruz, the Tahoe, the Nantucket, and the Sedona. Pepperidge Farms chooses its cookie names for the positive images, intimations, and aspirations they summon from our collective consciousness.

You may ask how important is a good name and, even more so, why should it be important to me? It should be important to you because your institution's "products" are typically its programs and majors, and the nomenclature for majors at most institutions is, quite frankly, not all that great. While there are products and services with great names that don't succeed, and products with bad names that do, why set out at a disadvantage when a good name can help in so many ways: establishing a new program, jump starting an existing one, making a program memorable, exciting, prestigious, interesting to the media, influential, innovative, and more. If colleges and universities took the type of care, attention, and marketing intent to naming majors as Columbia and Pepperidge Farms do for shoes and cookies, the resulting monikers could accomplish some of these worthy marketing objectives.

A quick Web search uncovered a three-page procedural outline for changing names of majors at a U.S. university. The evaluation criteria for the proposed names were consistency with administrative structure, accurate representation of the discipline, clear communication to those outside the discipline, and differentiation from other programs at the school. No where did I find discussion about invoking an image, eliciting a feeling, or any nod to marketplace or audience orientation. We know that names do matter, and they could matter for our majors. A more extensive search on several Web engines and numerous college sites was even more discouraging. Even seemingly interesting majors—based on the description—had correspondingly uninteresting names. In my quick search I had no success finding out-of-the-box names for old (or even new) majors.

What is a good name? A great name is one you remember, like to say, and want to buy from the moment you first hear about it. Truthfully, few names can accomplish all this. But, there are ways to go about coming up with a good name.

The ABC's of Small Business outlines a four-step approach (modified for this discussion) to naming a product or service.

Step 1—Describe: Sit down and explain it simply to someone who has no idea what it is. The process of talking about it is invaluable at distilling out the most important aspects of your product. Jot down a concise description and use it as a framework.

Step 2—Expand: Look at your description, and come up with a list of other words that come to mind and describe your product. The longer the list, the more creative ammunition you will have.

Step 3—Create: Look at your notes and play with the words. Combine words into created words or combine features of your product to create new (coined) words. Use alliteration, rhyme, vowel harmony. Use the thesaurus to find words equivalent to the ones you've written. Write the names you create. Go for volume. Try to come up with 20, or 50 if you can. If one of the names strikes a chord, your instinct may be telling you it's a winner.

Step 4—Pick and Test: Find the 10 best names from your list. Then the top five from there. Make sure the finalists you choose please you. Test each one. Conduct some research, or just buttonhole people to help. Is it easy to pronounce? How will it sound on the phone? Look in print? Does it connote what it is directly? Is it distinctive (not confused with other names or programs)? Is it easy to remember, spell, pronounce? Does it sound like anything unpleasant? Will you outgrow it? Is it so trendy that it will become passé? Definitely consider these questions and others, particularly those more specific to your institution.

Keep in mind that in order to be successful you have to make the right impression. The name is the first impression one gets. If naming programs/majors at your institution is initiated and regulated based on a desire to limit paperwork and increase efficiency, now is the time to direct an internal focus outward to your primary audiences. Don't be afraid to join the naming game!

Note: I'd love to hear from those of you who have taken a marketing-oriented approach to naming majors and how you went about it. The results could appear in a future edition of QuickTakes to prove that it can be done. Please e-mail me at becky.morehouse@stamats.com

FAMILY RESOURCE GUIDE AT THE OHIO STATE

I love talking about a client, especially when that client is also my alma mater (yes, another story about OSU).

Dr. Mabel G. Freeman, assistant vice president for undergraduate admissions and her staff (and likely drawing on others at the University) developed a really nice three-ring binder they distribute to students and their families at orientation.

The beautifully organized binder includes tabbed sections on:

• Academics
• First-year experience
• Beyond the classroom (housing and campus life)
• Registration and financial information
• Student support (services)
• Wellness and safety
• Miscellaneous/glossary
• Policies

There's also a great index, a detailed campus map, and a list of oft-needed phone numbers. The guide goes a long way to shrinking a big campus down to a manageable size for new students and their families.

ADMINISTRATIVE GUIDELINES

I'm finishing up an article on how important it is for senior staff to publicly and privately support and execute decisions once they are made. Several presidents have forwarded guidelines they use to help encourage these behaviors. If you have a similar document, and don't mind sharing, please pass it along. Thanks. Bob Sevier (bob.sevier@stamats.com).

MEDIA CULTIVATION TOOL FROM STETSON LAW

The folks at Stetson University (the College of Law and the main campus) developed a topical experts list—Election 2004: A Journalist's Guide to Political, Legal, & Campaign Experts to help increase regional exposure of the College. The guide was developed to take advantage of the media's interest in our nation's upcoming election.

Thus far, Dr. T. Wayne Bailey, Political Science Professor has received the most media attention. In stories concerning the Florida Primaries, alone, Dr. Bailey was interviewed by CBS Network Radio News, The Philadelphia Inquirer, USA Today, Los Angeles Times (not yet reported), Tallahassee Democrat, Florida Today, Associated Press, Investors Business Daily, The Weekly Reader (for elementary school age kids), and of course, local papers, and local radio shows, as well.

In addition to all things political, Frank Klim, the executive director of communications, mentioned that the College has received a number of calls related to the Iraq prison abuse issue and John Kerry's presidential campaign. Says Klim, a secondary goal was to increase Stetson's visibility among editors and outside of the region. For a copy of the guide, contact Klim at (klim@law.stetson.edu).

RESEARCH AT PENN

While there are a handful of ways to highlight the impact a college or university has on a community, two stand out. First, an economic impact study. And second, a compendium of research. Research at Penn is an outstanding example of the latter. Published annually (they are now working on volume 3), the current issue contains such articles as:

• Hold the Carbs or Cut the Fat?
• Addiction to Smoking May be Partly Genetic
• Body's Immune System May be Key to Cancer Survival
• Do Roller Coasters Really Harm the Brain?
• Nurse Staffing Linked to Patient Mortality
• Male Sweat Eases Women's Tension
• World's Oldest Written Language Goes High-Tech

Says Deni Kasrel, director of Web and Publishing Services at Penn, "The brochure has been well-received both internally (some schools use them as recruiting tools for instance) and externally (they are sent out to guidance counselors at our top feeder schools). We have also received letters from local CEOs who received the brochure.

"One of the reasons for its success is that it's aimed at a lay audience, as opposed to an academic or scientific audience. The stories are written in an accessible manner. Also, the lively design is quite engaging."

Beautifully written (with often intriguing titles) and lavishly illustrated, the publication includes a link to an award-winning Web site (www.upenn.edu/researchatpenn) that includes more timely research updates.

BY THE NUMBERS: DEBT ON PLASTIC

There's just no getting around it. Students love to spend. Consider the following stats from USAToday, (August 12, 2003) and Sallie Mae.

The article implies that many of these charges are for lifestyle purchases. However, because more and more colleges accept credit for tuition payment, we suspect that VISA and MasterCard are being used to pay for tuition and books as well. While this is a convenient option for students, it makes no sense economically with card interest rates 4-5 times greater than student loan interest rates.

STAMATS JOB OPENING

Stamats, Inc. is looking for a client consultant to sell and manage research, planning, and communication projects for colleges and universities. This person should have at least 10 years of higher education marketing or sales experience. A graduate degree is preferred. This position requires someone with exceptional sales, phone, interpersonal, writing, and group communications skills, and the ability to juggle multiple projects and meet deadlines. Compensation will include a base salary, commissions, and a bonus based on sales, profitability, and client retention and satisfaction. Ideally, this person will work out of our Cambridge office. For more information on Stamats, please check our Web site at www.stamats.com.

To submit a confidential resume or to request further information on this position, please contact: Jo Ann Binzen, Human Resource Manager, Stamats, Inc., PO Box 1888, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 52506-1888; joann.binzen@stamats.com.