Naming a car with true character
When
you hear a product name and immediately recognise the underlying brand, you know you're witnessing a highly effective naming strategy. That's how it is with a sports car beginning with the letter 'E': it's a Lotus. It has been so for decades and it was central to Nomen's brief to create a name for the first new Lotus model since the Elise in 1995.
But the strategy's longevity is a double-edged sword and presents two significant naming challenges. Firstly, a lot of the really good 'E'-words have been used, so it's harder to find the right one. Secondly, it is becoming increasingly difficult to effect a differentiation of the new model from the other names in the range.
This was particularly relevant in the case of the new car because, while it retains the agile, fun-to-drive feel of all Lotuses, it is a higher-specification addition to the range. The name needed to reflect this extra sophistication and modernity as well as the traditional Lotus sportiness.
Names come in all shapes and sizes and can even be custom-made. When a dictionary word does not suit, an invented name might be called for. This was the case for the new Lotus: the Evora.
The driving experience and personality of the car are reflected in the sophisticated-sounding name. The Evora is as visually elegant and technologically superior as the name implies.
So far the Evora has been a huge success and was crowned "Britain's Best Drivers' Car 2009" by Autocar magazine. The first car has been handed over to its new owner this month.
But the strategy's longevity is a double-edged sword and presents two significant naming challenges. Firstly, a lot of the really good 'E'-words have been used, so it's harder to find the right one. Secondly, it is becoming increasingly difficult to effect a differentiation of the new model from the other names in the range.
This was particularly relevant in the case of the new car because, while it retains the agile, fun-to-drive feel of all Lotuses, it is a higher-specification addition to the range. The name needed to reflect this extra sophistication and modernity as well as the traditional Lotus sportiness.Names come in all shapes and sizes and can even be custom-made. When a dictionary word does not suit, an invented name might be called for. This was the case for the new Lotus: the Evora.
The driving experience and personality of the car are reflected in the sophisticated-sounding name. The Evora is as visually elegant and technologically superior as the name implies.
So far the Evora has been a huge success and was crowned "Britain's Best Drivers' Car 2009" by Autocar magazine. The first car has been handed over to its new owner this month.