Pelican Parts Forums - Help me choose a new name for on-line bookstore!

Quote:

Originally posted by on-ramp
when you think of branding, you think of a proper noun used effectively associate with something else. Like "Xerox", "Macy's", "Staples", "Volvo", "Subway".

These are all made up proper nouns that stand for something in the consumers mind. ie. "Volvo" for safety, "Staples", for office superstore.

veryfinebooks is just too long, has an adjective and an adverb in there(?). i dont like it.
I need something different, a proper noun that people can associate with Very Fine Books!....similar to when you think of "Rolex", you think of quality watches, or "Miller", good beer!, "Volvo" reliable safe cars....

the name also breaks the "law of the generic". the name itself sounds generic, like "fine books" or if you names your beer company "very good beer", same to naming your tire company "High Perfomance Tires". of your sub shop, "Best Tasting Subs"..instead of "Subway".

am I making any sense?

No, you are not making sense. You are retailing existing products, not building a brand name for any new product. Your comparisons should be of retailers, not product brands.

Additionally, you are running a small business in a niche market, so comparing your name to those used by larger companies marketing and selling into a larger market is not a good comparison. I doubt you are going to reach the size of an amazon.com or other mass retailer where branding is important to send a message to the consumer in the crowded marketplace.

In short, a brand name is not that important unless you are heavily involved in a mass-marketed product field. When the consumer has "lots of choices" a brand name helps an individual product (or retailer) stand-out from the crowd. When you are in a niche market, the consumer doesn't necessarily need any strong brand name to identify you -- he just needs a name he can remember so he can find you when he needs you.

I think rather than trying to change or "fine tune" your company name, you'll do a lot better to stay focused on providing what your customers want. If you have the autographed book they want you'll make the sale; if you don't have what they want, no matter how "powerful" of a brand name you might have, they won't be shopping with you.

Understand the nature of niche marketing; it's all about meeting the specific needs of the customer that the big "brand-name" players don't. Pelican Parts doesn't exist because of its name, it is here because Wayne sells what one can't get at AutoZone or Advance Auto.

You appear to offer what one can't get at an Amazon.com, a Books a Million, or a Barnes and Noble. Keep doing what works and don't worry about things like the "generic" nature of the name.

Besides, if Kraft thinks "Veryfine" is good enough for a brand of juice, why do you think it's not good in marketing your books?