A (3:00)

Well, I think when you're trying to sound cool instead of be cool. Right. I think of Microsoft as a classic example of someone who in their past has tried to be like their opponent, Apple. And it's impossible to be as cool as Apple, but they would, like, formally try to be as cool. Like come up with the I'm a PC campaign going after I'm a Mac, and you just can't be cool like that. Better to embrace your inner nerd as what Microsoft is known for than trying to be the cool kid. So that one comes to mind.

B (3:34)

That's a good example. And I think Apple kind. I don't know if that was in response to that, but they've poked a lot of fun at PC for that reason.

A (3:41)

Oh, for sure. Well, I mean, they started off with the I am a Mac, I'm a PC campaign, which was just a total, you know, and then Microsoft, oh, we've got a I'm a PC campaign. It was just. It was horrible. One time they even took, like, the coolest comic of the time period, Jerry Seinfeld, and paired him with Bill Gates and had that be a campaign where they were just out, like, shopping for stuff, like, unrelated to computers. It was horrible. You know, it's just trying to adopt, like, Bill Gates can never be cool. That's just part of why you like him or hate him, whatever.

B (4:13)

But, yeah, you're right. It can appear inauthentic, like, hello, fellow kids.

A (4:17)

Like, we're really trying.

B (4:18)

Yeah, let's go a level deeper here. The researchers, they found that nicknames, they didn't just hurt performance. They also explored when and why this effect is stronger or weaker. So before I get into that, Rob, when do you think it's okay for a brand to use a nickname?

A (4:36)

Well, I. I feel like I'm already wrong based on what you've talked about because I was thinking like adopting something that was truly earned, like an organic name like Mickey D's. If you're McDonald's, like that's pretty authentic to then use it in your head versus coming up with a nickn for yourself or trying to amplify a little known nickname that you've heard in your client's social media posts. It feels like if it was earned or if there's a true strategy behind it. And I was actually thinking about Kentucky Fried Chicken. Back in the 90s they made the choice to start calling themselves and I at the time I felt like it was a horrible idea. But they started calling themselves KFC and kind of like a quicker handle for a name. But what they were really trying to do was get away from the use of the word fried. Back in the 90s fried was bad. So they really took a more casual approach to their name. I just thought it was horrible idea. Like this is just the brand equity of Kentucky Fried Chicken and the kernel and everything else. But it turned out to be the right choice for them. So in that case it seemed like adopting kind of a new, a new name, a new nickname, a new handle was strategically in the long run a good idea.

B (5:52)

You're really spot on actually with that. Oh yeah, you nailed it. We're going to get into that. But no, you should be confident. That's so funny. You're right on what the study says. But let's, let's back up a little bit and talk about one of their later studies. They looked at how a brand's image affects how nickname branding is received. So they defined competent brands as those that signal strength, intelligence and efficiency. So think Rolex, IBM, maybe a law firm. And then they defined warm brands as those that lean to friendliness, approachability and sincerity. Think charities or local cafes. So here we're looking at when could it be okay? And what they found is that nickname branding is especially damaging for competent brands. Not a huge surprise there. Those brands are expected to project control and authority. So when Rolex or IBM, if they started suddenly calling themselves Rollie, even Big Blue, and it clashes with what consumers expect. But for warm brands, that effect was smaller. It still though wasn't helpful. It just wasn't as harmful. Another nuance they explored was the type of message used alongside the nickname. And this part was pretty interesting. In one experiment, they ran real Facebook and TikTok ads that either framed the message as transactional, Come get your coffee now from Starbies or communal hey, we at Starbies support your community and when the nickname appeared in a transactional ad, performance dropped hard. But when it appeared in a communal message, that effect softened as a reference to the nickname felt more like a gesture of belonging. And here, one final note. This is what you were pointing out, Rob. The researchers made a really clear distinction between nickname branding and brand renaming. When Google became Alphabet, Dunkin Donuts shortened to just Dunkin, Kentucky Fried Chicken became kfc. Those were internal strategic moves, not so consumer driven, so they didn't carry the same negative implications. Nickname branding is unique because it starts with the consumer. When the brand adopts it, it shifts this power dynamic away from where it's supposed to be. So we'll wrap up with a robgpt. Letting your brand use its nickname is like showing up to your own roast and trying to tell the jokes. What made it charming was that someone else said it first. The minute you grab the mic, it stops being funny and starts feeling forced. Nicknames build connection because they're informal, off the cuff, and a little rebellious. When the brand co ops them, that power flips and the brand loses a bit of its edge. And I'll tell you what, I love that GPT, that Rob. GPT. And it reminded me of in the Office when Michael Scott has a roast. Remember, he goes up at the end and he, like, starts talking and roasting, and it's just. It's so sad. Do you remember that episode of the Office? Like, that's what this is like. It's like.

A (8:16)

It's not. Watch that one.

B (8:18)

Yeah, it just. It just ruined it. But anyways, kind of a fun one.

A (8:22)

So I know I'm old. Explain to me Starbies. What's Starby's?

B (8:26)

Starbucks.

A (8:28)

Starbies. But you said Starbies.

B (8:29)

Yeah, it's a nickname for Starbucks.

A (8:31)

Why do they call it Starbies? I think Arby's the youth.

B (8:34)

I don't know. Oh, I don't call it that.

A (8:37)

Oh, I was. Okay. There's some connection with RVs.

B (8:42)

Ask your daughter about it.

A (8:45)

I think that's why I heard it at one point with Starbies. What the hell's Starbies? Okay, if I'm Starbucks, I don't want to be called something that's, you know, akin to the meat. We gots the meats. I mean, that says there's a brand synergy there that doesn't work.

B (9:01)

But what do you think overall, though? Would you have guessed that? I thought this was surprising.

A (9:04)

I. I was really surprised. I thought that, really, that if you're loved enough by your audience to earn a nickname, that it would at least be net neutral. It wouldn't be bad. I do think if you're trying to give yourself a nickname, then that's just a horrible idea.

B (9:22)

That's it for this episode of the Marketing Architects. We'd like to thank Taylor de Los Reyes for producing the show. You can connect with us on LinkedIn. And if you like the podcast, please leave us a review. Now go forth and build great marketing Marketing Architects.