Which ice cream
flavor is smoother and creamier, Frosh or Frish?
Contributed By:
Guest Writer
Founder of
BusinessNET
Source: Entrepreneur
Take a look at the two shapes
below. One of them is a kiki, whereas the other is a malouma. Can you decide
which is which?
If you described
the shape on the left as the kiki and the shape on the right as the malouma,
you’re in the majority -- about nine
out of 10 people agree with your judgment.
But why
is this the case? Given that neither “kiki” nor “malouma” are real words,
why does it seem so clear which shape corresponds to which word? The answer
lies in a phenomenon called sound "symbolism," which is the concept
that certain sounds inherently convey certain associations -- even if they
don’t actually mean anything.
Related: What Is In
The Brand Name?
For
instance, vowels like “ee” and “i” are associated with smallness, whereas ones
like “o” and “uh” generate a sense of largeness. This is why we say words like
“itty bitty” or “teeny tiny” describe very small things, and words like
“humongous” to describe really big things.
But
sound symbolism is more than just a fun factoid to mention at cocktail parties.
As noted by Michael Rader, founder of .com brand name marketplace Brandroot, sound symbolism can bear huge
consequences for startups deciding on what to call their brand. Here’s why
-- it shows that we make judgments about words before we know what they
mean, simply based on how they sound. A “kiki” is sharp and jagged. A “malouma”
is soft and round.
Rader
explains: “Sound symbolism means that people are generating associations with
your brand name before they even know what you sell -- so it’s crucial to
choose a name that fits your brand.”
The
effects of sound symbolism go way beyond kikis and maloumas. To demonstrate
this, let’s do a quick experiment. Suppose there are two cars -- a Braddo and a
Briddo. One of them is a large SUV, and the other is a sporty convertible. But
which is which?If you’ve identified the Braddo as the SUV and the Briddo as the
convertible, you’re in good company, according to research
done at UT San Antonio.
That
2004 study found that front vowels (linguistics jargon for sounds like the “a”
in Braddo) are judged to be quicker and more lightweight than back vowels
(sounds like the “i” in Briddo).
The same
study found that people thought Nillen was a better name for a knife than
Nallen, whereas just the opposite was true when the product in question was a
hammer. Again, this is sound symbolism in action. People simply have an
intuitive feeling that certain sounds match certain characteristics, like
weight or or sharpness.
In fact,
Rader cites an entire
chart of sounds and what they symbolize, which he uses when advising his
clients on which brand name best suits their company’s goals. “For instance,
the Z sound is associated with quickness,” Rader notes, “which is one of the
reasons why ‘Zumba’ is such a good name for a high-energy aerobics program.”
Research
about sound symbolism in brand names is still in its infancy. But the work
that’s been done thus far suggests that it can affect far-reaching and specific
domains, such as speed, thickness and even creaminess.
A recent experiment
found that participants rated a hypothetical ice cream brand called “Frosh” as
more likely to be smooth and creamy than one called “Frish” -- without ever
having tasted either of them.
Indeed,
certain sounds carry certain associations, even when we don’t know what the
words mean. And this is wildly important for startups deciding as a brand.
Imagine how disastrous Kiki Mattresses would be (or, even worse, The Malouma
Razor Blade Company).
Names matter. Especially in
an increasingly competitive market, it’s important for startups to make sure
that their brand name consists of sounds that are congruent with their message.
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