We well, Be well, Bhi Well, on second thoughts give me plain ol’ LUX anytime. (Or, why the right brand name is very, very important)

A new range of beauty soaps is launched. The advertising is strictly middle-of-the-road, safe formulatic as patented over the years by P&G and Unilever. Nice soft focus, a glittering diva (Kareena Kapoor) looking gorgeous endorsing the soap.

Nothing is wrong. Yet everything is.

What is in a name? A writer of repute once asked. In marketing, everything.

Vivel.

Roll it off your tongue. Imagine yourself as the end user a mid-30’s, middle-class house wife. How do I say this name, she thinks: We well, Be well, Bhi Well, Vee Well…will the smart looking shop assistant snigger if I get it wrong.

Why take the chance? Lux, please!

Sometimes, companies spend zillions of monies on research, R&D, retail.

And forget something as basic as the phonetics of a brand name.

After all, there is a reason why Reema Lamba changed her name to Mallika Sherawat, Yusuf Khan to Dilip Kumar, Alwarpettai Aandavar became Kamal Haasan.

Because, if the name ain’t right. Nothing is.