Lexicon News
Lexicon develops popular brand names
Jessica Mullins, Marin ScopeMarch 18th, 2009
How brand names such as "Mac PowerBook," "Intel Atom" or "Blackberry Curve" were developed is usually a behind-the-scenes mystery, but residents might be surprised that those prominent products were named by Sausalito's Lexicon Branding.
Founder David Placek started the company, which specializes in developing brand names, in San Francisco 17 years ago. Three years after it began, Lexicon moved to Sausalito, where it currently resides at 30 Liberty Ship Way in the Marinship.
Placek, a Mill Valley resident, said Lexicon helps companies understand what consumers are looking for and incorporates that information into a name that will capture the interest of its target, whether it be news seekers browsing the CNN Pipeline, Nissan Versa drivers, home cleaners making use of Swiffer wipes or those craving some Dreyer's/Nestle Dibs.
Placek said choosing a brand name is a fundamental decision for a company. "It's a very cluttered and competitive marketplace, almost without exception. That name works hard for you to get attention, to generate interest and to have something different from what's already in the category. If you don't take it seriously enough, it tends to be an ineffective vehicle for you."
The company, with 27 employees in Sausalito, has clients all over the world, including Japanese clients such as Toyota, Subaru and Nissan. Lexicon named the Toyota Venza, Nissan Rouge, Subaru Forester and Subaru Outback. On average the company works on one product for three months.
After working for the U.S. Senate in Washington, D.C., Placek put in six years at an ad firm in San Francisco. He saw a need in the marketplace for a specialized service all under one roof that would develop brand names for today's interconnected global economy.
"The brand name is going to be permanent. It's not like the colors on your logo or your logo itself," Placek said. "It's something you won't change. A strong brand name will make a strong trademark and it's the foundation of your communication strategy."
Lexicon has several teams to accomplish the brand-forming process, including a research team for gathering consumer insights, a trademark group that looks at words from a legal standpoint and a linguistic team that analyzes language and creative issues. "It's the development of this under one roof that makes us a distinct and successful company," Placek said.
The company is expanding internationally - last November Lexicon opened its second office in London.
Placek said the business focuses on problem solving. "Clients come to us and they have a communication problem or an opportunity with a new product. I think everybody who does well at Lexicon understands the problem-solving aspect of the business."
Some of the company's most famous names, including PowerBook and Swiffer, were the most challenging products, and are now among Placek's favorites.
The company's current projects include developing a car name with Toyota, naming a Microsoft product, branding household products for Procter & Gamble and working with Nokia in Europe.
Placek said he enjoys Lexicon's variety of projects more than working in advertising on the same account for years. "It gives you an interesting and exciting perspective on what's happening in the world of marketing."