French Fries, or not really?
Belgians love eating fries, especially during the summer time when people go travelling, go to festivals and parties or when doing other kind of activities. However, foreign people still call them ‘French Fries’. But how do you create a brand name for a through and through Belgian product?
Creating a strong product name
For a long period of time, Lutosa was known as the preferred brand for fries, the ‘schatjes van patatjes’ in almost every frozen food section. After the takeover of McCain, the Lutosa name could not be used anymore after an order of the European Commission to quarantee fair competition. No big deal for McCain, who operates in more than 45 countries and who always focuses on its main brand. A couple of years later, Nomad Foods (Iglo) bought Lutosa’s production units and started to look for a strong product name.
Searching for Belgian gold
At the beginning of the name development, 3 creative directions were explored, focusing on Lutosa’s core values as a ‘Local Belgian Potato Expert’. Local origin, cultural conviviality and, of course, the potato as the main ingredient were taken into account.
A shortlist had been drawn up after a creative round of linguistic, cultural and brand researches. With the customers, the name ‘BELVIVA’ was chosen, which refers to the origin and social aspect of Belgian Fries.
Lutosa becomes Belviva
To create a smooth brand transition for consumers and to avoid unpleasant surprises as much as possible, we used the packaging as the medium of choice to communicate the change. We advised the brand to implement the changes gradually and to take enough time for it. This allowed loyal Lutosa fans to discover the new name, to familiarize themselves with it and to love it as much as Lutosa; The same applied to the accompanying new packaging that gradually changed into the Belgian flag – an indispensable symbol of heritage and tradition.
What is a strong product name?
Linguistic, cultural, marketing, legal and many other studies are taken into account for the creation of a brand and a product name. The choice between a descriptive, associative or a fantasy name has also an important role in this.
When you choose for a descriptive name, it is likely that it will also be legally descriptive and therefore cannot be protected. For instance, you will not be able to register ‘Apple’ for a fruit shop, but it will be registrable for a tech brand. An associative name such as Belviva is legally stronger and retains sufficient association with the underlying aim.
The chances of legal obstacles are minimal with fantasy names, but then again, you will have to invest more time and money in communication. For the creation of Nalu, we chose for the associations surf, style, fun and joy. A Hawaiian fantasy name that refers to wave motions, and which is also legally available worldwide!
There is a lot to think about when creating a product name with an inhouse brainstorm. For questions regarding product names, from creative to legal, contact Remarkable Europe as a brand specialist.
