What is sustainable naming?

Neue Marke

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One of the most common briefing requirements throughout the last couple of years for the development of new brand names has been — probably not just for us —”sustainability“. Well, how would one develop a sustainable brand name? And above all: How do you combine credible names with a credible USP?

In 2017 Germany alone, over 7,000 brands with the main component “green” or “grün” and around 750 brands with the “sustainable” or “nachhaltig” component show just how difficult the latter is. This not only presents companies with trademark law challenges, but in general perception, “green” brands quickly have an inflationary effect.

Ecological goals don't have to be part of the brand name — but the brand language.

This makes it particularly difficult to appear authentic and credible. Because the allegation of “greenwashing” outweighs no green image at all. Representing your ecological responsibility through the brand requires care and sensitivity. Your own ecological goals do not always have to be part of the brand name. A sustainable positioning can just as easily be conveyed through the slogan or the brand language.

Logo Lumenion

For example, we named a heat energy storage system LUMENION. Here, positioning is primarily based on the slogan ”the terawatt hour of truth“. Similar dramaturgy has been expressed by the American industrial company YOUNICOS (now aggreko) with our support and the corporate claim ”Let the fossils rest in peace”.

Sustainable naming: “different from others” in the long term

Brands from all industries that do not have to be constantly relaunched or renamed are of course also sustainable in themselves. Names contribute to this, radiating a certain timelessness and deliberately ignoring trends — and setting ones at best, such as the decades old TV channel VOX.

In principle, the same success criteria apply to environmentally conscious brands as to any environmental offenders; in particular: “be different from the others.” However, credibility is more important for eco-brands than for others. It cannot be supported exclusively by brand communication, but must also be reflected in brand action.

Brands that ride on trend waves usually have a short life. We can therefore be curious to see how many of the 25 "Greta" brands registered in 2016 in environmental contextwill survive in the long