Too many have forgotten how to play the name game.(brand names)(Viewpoint essay)

Advertising Age, November, 2007 by Bloom, Jonah

Byline: Jonah Bloom

Let's see, what to call it? How about: The Great Naming Crisis of 2007?

OK, so it's a bit obvious and a touch melodramatic, but I'm trying to make a point. Agencies, marketers and media companies pay little heed to names anymore. Worse, many show a palpable lack of respect for the value of a key brand-building block.

This week, Publicis' shops Starcom, Leo Burnett and Digitas announced they were collaborating on a new agency that will go by the name ... Insight Factory. Sounds sort of familiar? Maybe you live in the U.K., where there's a company called The Insight Factory. Or maybe you're getting it confused with The Idea Factory in Pollock Pines, Calif., or maybe you're thinking of The Idea Factory from Singapore, which...