Name for a new specialist plant nursery business

Interesting comments. I can see your points for the goods you mentioned for that specific target market but not really for the scenario we are looking at.

 

Perhaps my friends and I are not typical of most people then L00b. I will tell him he has at least one person who thinks its a good idea. None of his target market who regularly buy these type of goods agree with the two of you though.

 

The word doesn't sound aspirational to me due to the reasons I have explained. Its to do with other words derived from the same latin word that are used on a daily basis in my industry.

 

I wouldn't look for a brand either as I think brands are for chavs who try to copy or keep up with the Jonses ....If I do happen to buy a brand it would only be something specific like a cosmetic or a bag from that particular manufacturer, nowhere else and there are no other brands I would look for.

 

Having said that to do with this scenario I would look for a plant name or type of plants as I have already explained. I understand your comments about website key words etc but this person doesn't want to use any of those words....he thinks he can get sales just from the name without needing to explain anything about what they specialise in. I would search a company name if I heard of a good supplier. It has to be something you can easily remember unless I remember to make a note of it somewhere. I know people who have tried to search for a specialist supplier (not just gardening) with a silly name and been unable to find them again to buy from them a second time.

 

Are his target market aspirational? Perhaps some untapped could be but what about people already clamouring for these type of goods? Avid gardeners are looking for a specific plant, quality and price....they already have clear ideas about what they want. Sometimes we wish we didn't. On a specialist forum where we discuss growing and sourcing these plants every single person has been turned off by the name. Perhaps we aren't shallow enough to desire 'designer' goods?

 

We suggested he needed to add a few words if he intended on using the name Incendium eg Incendium.....adding wording in leaflets or website such as tropical or unusual plants. He doesn't want anything other than incendium. I'm not even sure hes intending to have an e commerce website. He was dead set against mail order until all the gardening forum told him how many of their plants are bought from distant specialist suppliers, sometimes even abroad.

 

Edit - how can blaze or fire sound aspirational? Blaze also sounds horsey - the white pattern down the front of their face is a blaze. Incendium...incendiary...Aspirational? Really?!!!

 

Some of the biggest event companies I know don't have the word event in their name - some of them just seem to pick two words out a hat but are multi million pound companies. Incendium sounds slick and interesting if Im honest.

Interesting comments. I can see your points for the goods you mentioned for that specific target market but not really for the scenario we are looking at.

Well, I used 'aspirational' as, in my mind, I could picture people in e.g. Dore, Bramley or Hillsborough discussing the merits of "Incendium"'s range of tropical offerings, rather than "South Yorkshire exotic plants"'s range...perhaps too much imagination on my part, and in any case immaterial to the more fundamental points I've tried to put across.

 

The most fundamental of which being that the name of a business does not a success make

I wouldn't look for a brand either as I think brands are for chavs who try to copy or keep up with the Jonses ....If I do happen to buy a brand it would only be something specific like a cosmetic or a bag from that particular manufacturer, nowhere else and there are no other brands I would look for.

Ah, hang on: we are talking about the market origin-identifying function of a mark ('brand', interchangeably), not a meritocratic or subjective judgement on its adopters (nor, indirectly after a while, the 'attributes' of the mark/brand).

 

At the very beginning of a business, or range of products/services, a mark ('brand') only ever does only one thing: it tells the public who supplies the products/services under that mark ('brand') in the marketplace, as opposed to who else (competitors) supplies competing products/services (under different marks).

Edit - how can blaze or fire sound aspirational? Blaze also sounds horsey - the white pattern down the front of their face is a blaze. Incendium...incendiary...Aspirational? Really?!!!

Blaze, to me, instantly recalls third party PC and console peripherals (keyboards, joypads, etc). Not aspirational in the least.

 

Fire, to me, instantly recalls Amazon's electronic devices. Not very aspirational either.

 

Just musing/FYI for context/trivia

Well, I used 'aspirational' as, in my mind, I could picture people in e.g. Dore, Bramley or Hillsborough discussing the merits of "Incendium"'s range of tropical offerings, rather than "South Yorkshire exotic plants"'s range...perhaps too much imagination on my part, and in any case immaterial to the more fundamental points I've tried to put across.

 

The most fundamental of which being that the name of a business does not a success make

Ah, hang on: we are talking about the market origin-identifying function of a mark ('brand', interchangeably), not a meritocratic or subjective judgement on its adopters (nor, indirectly after a while, the 'attributes' of the mark/brand).

At the very beginning of a business, or range of products/services, a mark ('brand') only ever does only one thing: it tells the public who supplies the products/services under that mark ('brand') in the marketplace, as opposed to who else (competitors) supplies competing products/services (under different marks).

Blaze, to me, instantly recalls third party PC and console peripherals (keyboards, joypads, etc). Not aspirational in the least.

 

Fire, to me, instantly recalls Amazon's electronic devices. Not very aspirational either.

Just musing/FYI for context/trivia

 

I think I'm up to speed with you L00b but not quite got what you were explaining in the two sections I have put in bold.

 

Initially we were talking about brand as in company (unless I misunderstood you). You then mentioned brand as in a particular item or items as in trainers. That is how I replied to you anyway.

 

Blaze and fire is what the word incendium means and it says this to me due to my line of work. Others I have spoken to think it sounds like a tacky Scifi series or similar comments.

 

I suppose this thread demonstrates the importance of understanding his target market(s). I think he might be going for the younger market not currently interested in gardening who might be swayed my something trendy and possibly missing out on people in my category (older avid gardeners) who spend upwards of £1,000 per annum and often much more than that seeking out specialist plants.

I think a non-traditional business name is a very good idea indeed, but I'd think again about 'Incendium'. It sounds like the name of a rather naff 90s club aimed at the student market, where the owners have a fondness for chrome, and decorate the place in monochromatic greys and the occasional splash of orange.

 

While they might not want to go down the typical plant nursery route, something in a similar ball park might be a good idea; something that at least conjures up a hint of a botanical atmosphere and which will complement the rest of their branding.

I think I'm up to speed with you L00b but not quite got what you were explaining in the two sections I have put in bold.

Alright, no problem :

 

Initially we were talking about brand as in company (unless I misunderstood you). You then mentioned brand as in a particular item or items as in trainers. That is how I replied to you anyway.

There are companies with no specific brands for their products/services.

 

There are companies with respective brands for their different lines of products/services.

 

Company name and product brands are an identical concept, in the "trade mark" sense: in either case, the core function of the company name/product brand is to uniquely identify the origin of a product/service in the marketplace.

 

If a company name (Burberrys) or product brand (Nike Air) of a company (Nike, Inc.) then goes on to develop certain negative connotations (inferior quality, poor service, not good value for money, liked by chavs, <etc.>) then these are relevant to the "image" of the brand, the "values" conveyed by it, <etc>

 

But the company name and/or the product brand still performs their original, fundamental function of uniquely identifying the company as the origin of its specific services/products in the marketplace, just the same.

Blaze and fire is what the word incendium means and it says this to me due to my line of work. Others I have spoken to think it sounds like a tacky Scifi series or similar comments.

OK, thanks for the etymology/explanation.

 

As a non-gardener/not in your or their line of work, Incendium never even suggested "blaze and fire" to me. It now does though, in hindsight: I'm French and the French word for a blaze or a fire (as in 'call the fire brigade') is "incendie". Yes, I did 'duh!' myself and slapped my own head

 

I doubt that it would suggest "blaze and fire" to Joe Average who's looking for tropical plants, though - unless of course they have a specialist interest/background in gardening/your or their line of work.

 

I do get the sci-fi (and Hecate's nightclub) references, though.

I suppose this thread demonstrates the importance of understanding his target market(s).

Absolutely Edited June 9, 2016 by L00b

Loob....I keep chuckling to myself rather loudly......I can see you going duh! Slap. :hihi: Incendie.....your comment is brill!

 

I fully appreciate what you say. I do know businesses who have done very well after a re brand with a barking mad name. Personally, I tend to give them a bit of a wide birth (unless I know them) as it smacks of trying too hard / desperation to me. It makes me physically cringe and shiver. I suppose a lot of this has to do with my day job which is quite straight laced and serious. I might not be quite so uptight if I hadn't got my business head on.

What sort of name or phrase would you put into a search engine if you were looking for a specialist or tropical plant nursery?

 

I ask as I know someone starting a nursery and they want to use a name which I think will be detrimental. They think horticulture has a bad image so want to be different and think a different name will help.

 

They are very well qualified both on an experience and theoretical level having just finished uni and exhibited at Chelsea. The name they are thinking of calling their business is Incendium They don't want to add anything about plants, unusual, specialist nursery or mention tropical.

 

Comments please.

 

Cheryl, Google provide a tool for this very purpose (not surprisingly!) https://adwords.google.co.uk/KeywordPlanner

Thanks Steve