7 Keys to Marketing Genius: The Numbers Game
The following is an excerpt from The 7 Keys to Marketing Genius by Michael Daehn
Would you like a V, 500 or 505 today? Not sure what I am talking about? These are the names of different personal digital assistants (PDA) made by Palm. I have worked in retail sales since I was a teenager. I had the opportunity to sell Palms for a while. It was difficult for me as the salesperson to keep it all straight, and the customers were very confused by all the numbers. It is easier for people to remember names than to remember numbers (another reason to attach products to a personality). Eventually Palm came out with a new line of products. The high-end PDA was called the Tungsten T, and the low-end PDA was called the Zire. I was excited that Palm had learned from its mistake and now was using names that people could remember. But then Palm added the Tungsten C, the Tungsten W, and the Zire 71. If you are wondering what the 71 meant, nobody seems to know. These PDAs were all different prices with different features. This is even more confusing than just using numbers. At least in the past, each Palm had its own number; now different Palms had the same name too.
Do not name your product a number. Numbers are not attractive and do not have the ability to build relationships with people like actual names can (Key 5). Here is another tip: do not mix numbers and letters. Ever notice that it is harder to remember your license than your phone number? That is because our brains are made to handle either numbers or letters. Mixing the two only adds confusion. Stay away from names like Marketing4U. Besides being confusing and causing problems when creating a web address, they do not look professional.