What's in a Brand Name? In 2021, It Depends Who You Ask

In addition to freedom of speech and the press, the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution ensures Americans have the right to peaceably assemble and “to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” This is what is known as freedom of assembly. When Walmart launched a private label clothing brand in September, the retailer chose the name Free Assembly. The apparel line contains “timeless and versatile wardrobe staples that are easy to mix, match and assemble freely,” hence the name, a spokesperson told Adweek. “The word ‘assemble’ is about piecing together looks, not about a gathering of people,” she added. Yet after the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, which left five people dead, resulted in $30 million of damage and led to charges against 275 people so far, the term “free assembly” may have a different connotation now than it did five months ago. The retailer isn't concerned about potential backlash, however. And analysts say the connection shoppers make—if any—won’t likely impact Free Assembly’s burgeoning relationship with young consumers. And that’s increasingly true as we move further away from Jan. 6. “I think some consumers may call it into question," said Zach Weinberg, vp of ecommerce at performance marketing network Reprise Digital. "But I think if it was, let's say, the week after everything happened, it would most definitely conjure up an idea of, ‘What are they trying to say here?’” The possibility that some shoppers could still associate the brand with the riot illustrates what a minefield branding can be in 2021. The branding minefield of 2021 Lindsey Roeschke, an analyst specializing in consumer and cultural insights at research firm Gartner, said Free Assembly as a brand name didn’t ring any alarm bells for her, but she noted that the potential connection underscores how carefully branding has to be approached now—at least while U.S. society remains so polarized. “For example, we just ran a consumer panel on the idea of cancel culture,” she said. “The result is one of the most highly politicized, polarized results we've gotten about a term … and everybody had a very strong responses to it.” That’s because “there are so many things that go into the way people perceive language and how polarizing and political it can be when everybody feels so on edge about politics,” Roeschke said. As a result, brands need to be thinking about language—and preparing for potential backlash—now more than ever. "I don't think we need to advise brands to be so careful as to water down any of the language around branding. However, understanding that anything can even unintentionally draw a negative response these days, it is incredibly important to be prepared to respond to that consumer reaction." Brands are often unprepared for negative consumer response and “the cracks show a little bit,” Roeschke added. This could perhaps include Gap’s post-election tweet with a red and blue hoodie, which was quickly deleted, or even Kraft Mac and Cheese’s Send Noods campaign, which was criticized as inappropriate and also removed. The pancake brand changed its name, but retained some familiar packaging elements. Evolving identities This sensitivity about language and divisiveness on meaning comes amid a wave of rebrands of long-standing names, including the Potato Head Family, Pearl Milling Company, Ben’s Original, Edy’s Pies and, of course, the Washington Football Team and the baseball team soon to be formerly known as the Cleveland Indians. But a newly arrived private label like Free Assembly faces a different challenge than a brand that has existed for decades. While one is seeking to establish and grow brand equity, the other has plenty—and risks losing it. But even as social changes prompted these rebrands, many of the examples above nevertheless elicited mixed reactions from consumers and fans. So did Jeep’s call for unity from Bruce Springsteen during the Super Bowl. And now Jeep has to consider language and meaning even further after confirming it’s open to dialog with the Cherokee Nation about changing the name of its Cherokee and Grand Cherokee models. Well-established brands have one huge advantage, however: history. When talking about the Pearl Milling Company, which was previously known as Aunt Jemima, Roeschke said, “I think what's interesting there is they're still leaning into their heritage as a brand because it is a heritage brand.” Indeed, Pearl Milling Company was a Missouri mill that produced the self-rising pancake mix branded as Aunt Jemima in 1889. “If they named it something that just completely ignored their history, I think it would not have felt like such an appropriate move,” Roeschke added. “For me, it doesn't raise any alarm bells. But, again, I think for them, anything would have been better than something that raised a history of racism or tokenism or anything like that." Roeschke said it comes down to "understanding the impact words have and language has and being sensitive to that and listening to it when people push back." Brandweek Sports Summit Masterclass: Lessons in Sports Rebranding

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What's in a Brand Name? In 2021 America, It Depends Who You Ask

Language and meaning in an era of polarization and rebrands

Lisa Lacy

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Lisa Lacy