Hello, readers. That is AdExchanger Senior Editor James Hercher coming to you from paternity depart by way of the magic of evergreen content material.

This week’s Commerce Roundup might not have a information hook, however it’s well timed for anybody launching a shopper model – or for entrepreneurs fearful about generative software program like ChatGPT consuming their lunch.

David Placek, founder and CEO of Lexicon Branding, is aware of how essential the best title is within the new shopper economic system. Lexicon focuses on inventing product names, together with Dasani, Swiffer, Unattainable Burger and Febreze, to call just some.

A product title performs a component in serving to create the model’s voice or its vibe, if you’ll.

After only some minutes of poking round Entire Meals just lately, I noticed startup soda manufacturers OLIPOP, Poppi and Tradition Pop. And also you received’t discover Fortunate Charms, however Basic Mills is there with its Cascadian Farms natural cereal model. Orgain and Califia Farms, two almond milk makers, compete with the nondairy substitute Oatly.

Which is to say, a sure type of title works in Entire Meals, whereas others don’t – or can’t? – make an look.

AdExchanger: Lexicon has been round for 40 years. What’s modified most in regards to the means of arising with model names?

DAVID PLACEK: The primary problem is clearing logos. With the digital economic system constructed on environments just like the Apple App Retailer, names should be distinctive and clear.

Each enterprise can also be instantly international. If a startup in Reno, Nevada doesn’t know its title is a slur in Portuguese, they’ll discover out instantly.

For us, addressing these wants has meant investing in software program, together with Python programming that digested languages, Wikipedia and our personal proprietary linguistics and uncooked materials. We are able to seek for one thing associated to a “promise” or for a wrinkle cream in Japan. We are able to ask for Japanese phrases related to “clean” and “fluid.”

The best way you describe that – like digesting the Japanese language and Wikipedia to course of a question – appears like a ChatGPT use case.

We’ve performed with it and there’s little question you may ask ChatGPT to, say, develop a reputation for a brand new sailboat that’s quick and modern, proper? It’ll generate names for you. However at this level they’re pretty awkward.

For that immediate, it will be placing issues collectively to create a reputation like “Slim Sails.” It wouldn’t provide you with a reputation like “Swiffer” or “Sonos.” Not but, no less than. However I anticipate it is going to get there.

Say you desire a title that additionally sounds “fluid” and “clean.” Would ChatGPT perceive what you imply?

You’re asking the identical questions on ChatGPT that we’re.

Proper now, prompts like that aren’t getting correct responses. However ChatGPT can scrape present data. Should you ask ChatGPT to give you a reputation for an natural product to be offered at Entire Meals, it will probably ingest details about Entire Meals, its commitments and the manufacturers it carries.

Let’s think about an actual instance: Unattainable Burger. Lexicon got here up with that title. What was the method?

It at all times begins with a dialogue of obstacles and what a model is attempting to realize.

For Unattainable, we introduced a number of inventive instructions and perhaps 40 names over a interval of six weeks. “Unattainable” got here from assembly the problem head-on – the problem being the unbelievability of claiming this tastes like a beef burger.

They may have gone in a path of sustainability and even referred to as out the trade of killing cows. However these are usually not as distinctive. They’d sound like another model in Entire Meals that customers are probably skeptical of.

The sting comes from addressing the skepticism by saying, “We all know this appears inconceivable.”

Is there a distinction working with a startup in comparison with a giant model?

Coca-Cola or P&G are at all times going to conduct analysis. We do analysis for any main firm rebrand or product with over $100 million in gross sales.

However startups are extra fast-moving. They prioritize chopping the timeline they usually have extra confidence in their very own judgment.

Any merchandise that ended up within the graveyard however you actually favored the title?

We created the title Scion for Toyota – chances are you’ll keep in mind the car – and I believed it was an important title and an important automobile. However two years in the past they determined to drop the road.

One other one in all ours I beloved is Zima, which is the Russian phrase for “snow,” and is an alcoholic beverage created by Coors. Zima continues to be round, with a cult following in Japan, however it’s fallen off the chart.

If Zima hadn’t already been invented by us and you place it on one in all these new glowing soda drinks – I believe it will nonetheless be a improbable title.

This interview has been edited and condensed.