What's in a Name

At EPCON Communities, we have 11 different floor plans (as far as I know) and each floor plan is given its own name. We have Aboreta, Bramante, Colonnade, Ducal, Abbey, Canterbury. We have Villa and Chateau and Portico and Promenade. Did I mention the Palazzo?

So, I was thinking. What's the point of all of these exotic and hard-to-spell names and why does every other brand marketer do the same thing?

Pulte (Sun City Carolina Lakes) has 23 different plan names! They have Kenwood, Brookside, Muirfield, Pine Spring, Copper Ridge, Surrey Crest, Willow Bend, Crestwood Meadow.............you get my point.

Actually, what is the point?

Take a look at General Motors (er, Government Motors). They have 8 different brands and each brand has its own model names. Chevy alone has the Aveo, Cobalt, Colorado, HHR, Silverado, Malibu, Camero, Impala, Equinox, Traverse, Avalanche, Tahoe, Suburban and Corvette. What the heck is a Traverse?

How much time (and energy.......and money) is spent coming up with these silly names when the same amount of time (and energy........and money) could be spent on product efficiency and quality control? I'll bet you GM (and Pulte) have employees whose main job description is naming each of the products they build.

I don't drive a BMW, but they've got cool car names: X6, Z3, 750, M5.

So, what's in a name?