How do manufacturers choose model names?
Discussion
I have been wondering this for some time.
How do manufacturers decide upon model names. Why is the Mondeo called the Mondeo? Is it all through focus groups and committee? Of course it often varies from continent to continent, but how do they decide that their latest saloon is going a Passat or a Vectra or dare I say it a Belmont or a Jimny.
Who decides this kind of stuff, because, lets face it, not many people in this island would willing choose to drive their little kids around in a Nissan Cedric.
How do manufacturers decide upon model names. Why is the Mondeo called the Mondeo? Is it all through focus groups and committee? Of course it often varies from continent to continent, but how do they decide that their latest saloon is going a Passat or a Vectra or dare I say it a Belmont or a Jimny.
Who decides this kind of stuff, because, lets face it, not many people in this island would willing choose to drive their little kids around in a Nissan Cedric.
Marketing people, with surveys and focus groups.
Mondeo came from "monde", the French for world, as it was supposed to be their "world car". Insignia came from a 1980s man's shower gel. That and the naming consultants are obsessed with putting "ignia" on the end of random words (ref Consignia etc).
Japanese naming tends to be what they like the sound of. Even if it isn't true, I still like to think that the Starion was originally a Stallion, to compete with the Mustang.
Mondeo came from "monde", the French for world, as it was supposed to be their "world car". Insignia came from a 1980s man's shower gel. That and the naming consultants are obsessed with putting "ignia" on the end of random words (ref Consignia etc).
Japanese naming tends to be what they like the sound of. Even if it isn't true, I still like to think that the Starion was originally a Stallion, to compete with the Mustang.
k right off. The names alone make me rage, before i see the fOystercatcher said:
The problem, especially these days, is they need to find a name that isn't going to offend somebody, or mean something rude in an obscure language. So they invent a non-word and hope...
And also it depends on what has been used before, registered by competitors or has different meanings in different languages - which doesn't leave a lot of choice. Also, having invested a lot of money in getting a name known they will tend to stick with it - unless a previous model with the same name has been a dog.SV8Predator said:
'Elise' was the name of the Project Director's daughter.
Close, it was Romano Artiolio's granddaughter Elisa.I am led to believe that Ford car names were the result of internal polls from the work force, until they came up with "Mondeo" as the result of a focus group.
carl_w said:
SV8Predator said:
'Elise' was the name of the Project Director's daughter.
Close, it was Romano Artiolio's granddaughter Elisa.I am led to believe that Ford car names were the result of internal polls from the work force, until they came up with "Mondeo" as the result of a focus group.
The Morris Marina was almost called the Morris Machete; the Montego had a working name of Monaco...
Meanwhile, in the 1980 News, the BL Cars workforce were asked for suggestions for names for the new car later known as miniMetro at its launch; they were then balloted on the results... It was almost known as the Maestro!
The late Russell Bulgin of CAR magazine occasionally ruminated on when the Ford Razzle would be launched
...I'll get me coat
!carl_w said:
I am led to believe that Ford car names were the result of internal polls from the work force, until they came up with "Mondeo" as the result of a focus group.
I have a feeling that following that success, they went back to the focus group for the replacement for the Escort. It seems that group was not quite as imaginative as it might have been. Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff