What can the origin of language tell us about brand names?

by Tom Hord

Is it possible to hear “luxury”? Can you speak “speed”?

Here’s something you might not know about brand names: there’s actually a scientific reason why we love the sound of certain brands over others, and it dates back to when our early human ancestors walked the earth. Certain sounds can enrich the positive connection a brand has with specific qualities — an important component of brand equity—just by how they resonate and feel in your mouth when you say them. But how?

Welcome to the world of phonetic symbolism, the idea that specific vowel and consonant sounds (individually called phonemes) have been associated with different perceptions (hard vs soft, small vs big, fast vs slow, light vs heavy) since the first humans began crafting language.

The connections between the origins of specific sounds and their meanings, well known to etymologists, are so deeply rooted that some date back to the dawn of language itself.

If you’re still following me, consider this: of all the sounds in the English language, a high correlation exists between words beginning with the sound ‘fl’ and movement (like flee, fly, flip, fling, flicker, flutter) and roughly half of all English words that begin with gl- have a visual connotation (e.g., glance, glitter, gleam, glow). This makes sense if you think about it: the connections between the origins of specific sounds and their meanings, well known to etymologists, are so deeply rooted that some date back to the dawn of language itself.

There’s also a physiological component of this phenomenon. As Steven Pinker outlines in Language Instinct, there are some vowels that are considered to be high, like the sound ‘i’ (as in “tweet”) while other vowels are “low” as in the sound ‘o’. High vowels actually require you to raise your tongue inside your mouth, and are usually associated with small, quick, or delicate things. Low vowels, on the other hand, involve making the inside of your mouth larger and are associated with big, slow, and substantial things. Think about it: birds tweet while hippos bellow. This also applies to consonants: sibilant consonants (which make use of a constant flow of air like the sound ‘s’) are also perceived as “small”, while stops (where the air is blocked, like ‘b’) are perceived as “large.”

So how does this relate to the name of a soda, a clothing brand, or a smartphone app? An article in the Journal of Consumer Research details two experiments which found that consumers “preferred brand names more when the attributes connoted by the vowel sounds (e.g., small, sharp) were positive for a product category (e.g., convertible, knife), but they preferred the same names less when the attributes connoted were negative for a product category (e.g., sport utility vehicle, hammer).” So the sounds that reinforced the specific attributes that make a product desirable (high vowels and sharp knives, low vowels and heavy hammers) were more effective than the sounds that didn’t.

So does this work in the real world? Looking at the Forbes 100 list, let’s see how a few brands stack up to these linguistic theories. And before you attack me on any of this: like most correlative studies, there are bound to be exceptions to the rule; these are just some trends our use of language has happened to follow.

Attribute: Speed, Lightness

Associated sounds:

High Vowels [a, e, i] and Sibilant Consonants [soft c, f, s, x]

Brands:

Nik[e], R[ee]bok, Ad[i]das, Peps[i], Tw[ee]t, N[i][ss]an, Le[x]u[s], Mer[c]ed[e]s, [S]on[y], [S]am[s]ung

Do these lighter, crisper sounds evoke certain brand identities in your mind?

Attribute: Luxury, Substance

Associated sounds:

Deep Vowels [o, u]

Brands:

G[u]cci, B[u]rberry, L’[O]real, A[u]di, P[o]rsche, C[o]ach, R[o]lex

What tastes do you think of when someone says “Budweiser,” vs “Heineken?” One has deeper, richer vowels and the other jumps off your tongue excitedly. My fingers are getting tired. What are some other sound and product attributes / associations you can you think of?

Even if it’s not entirely scientifically sound, it’s interesting nevertheless. We haven’t even gotten to another phenomenon: the difference between Common Noun brands (CBs) constructed of existing words, and Invented brands (IBs) constructed from entirely new words. That’s in Part 2!

Tom Hord is a freelance brand / account strategist in Chicago looking for a full-time gig, and obviously isn’t above saying that every chance he gets.

Ask him questions or let him know you liked this article at @hordlove on Twitter.