In Romeo and Juliet, the hero famously says: “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” The message is that a name is meaningless; it’s the quality of the thing it’s attached to that matters. However, an ugly fish has this week reminded us that the Shakespearean notion isn’t completely true. Brand naming matters – and it influences consumer behaviour.
The megrim sole made its way back into the headlines this week. It was first renamed a decade ago. Radio 4’s Farming Today programme mentioned the rebrand this week… and suddenly the story was everywhere again. You can’t blame news organisations for looking for news that isn’t Covid-related – and it’s always fascinating to look at the power of brand naming.
From megrim to Cornish Sole
The short story is that the megrim sole started to be rebranded as Cornish sole about a decade ago – and as a result, it has become highly desirable.
The longer story is that as a nation, we love cod and haddock, but fishing stocks are dwindling and so it makes sense – and is more sustainable – to market other species. Megrim sole is plentiful and tasty too.
But consumers didn’t want to buy something called megrim, which sounds like a Harry Potter spell for bringing about boils. Its appearance can be off-putting too. In 2011, the Guardian called it, “one seriously evil-looking fish”. More recently, the Fish Society said: “Megrim is not a good looker to start with. But after a couple of days in ice, it looks a nightmare. The fins always go spikey and the colour fades away.”
Its make-over came in the form of a new name, Cornish sole. It’s a name that feels wholesome and reminiscent of holiday restaurants with views of the sea. And it’s not the only fish that has been rebranded.
From pollock to colin
In 2009, Sainsbury’s rebranded pollock as colin (the French word for hake), and had packaging for it designed by Red or Dead founder, Wayne Hemmingway. At the time, the supermarket said customers were sometimes embarrassed to say the word “pollock”.
The Atlantic wolffish – another scary-looking creature – is often called Scotch halibut when it’s sold to consumers (though please don’t buy it, it’s becoming endangered). The Patagonian toothfish is sold as Chilean sea bass. The spider crab is sold as the Cornish king crab – and famously, pilchards were renamed as Cornish sardines – resulting in the popularity of the fish booming.
Whether you’re selling fish, a digital platform, professional services or a holiday resort. Names need to be memorable, invoke good feelings, be easy to say – and work across geographies and languages.
If you’d like to talk to us about naming – or renaming – your offer, here are some FAQs you might find useful.