Strange Bundt Clever

The other day a new business opened nearby called Nothing Bundt Cakes.  It’s a national franchise that makes – you guessed it -- cakes.  I’ve known about the business for a while, having seen one a few years ago in a larger metropolitan area.

This got me thinking about clever names or taglines that businesses come up with to promote their brand, and whether it was effective.  There’s probably no long-term reason to believe a catchy name makes a big economic impact.  In the end, and a business isn’t going to grow without providing good value, no matter what the business name might be.

Regardless, this led me on a quick Google search that resulted in other great examples.  Here are just a few more related to food:

• Award Wieners  (Includes an even more clever tag line of “Best Wiener In A Supporting Roll.”)
• Pita Pan
• The Codfather
• Planet of the Grapes (wine store)

There are undoubtedly many other local food / retail stores that have punny names, some that may use more colloquial terms.  However, you don’t find many clever names outside of those industries.  I suppose those who work in ‘more serious’ trades such as finance or health care are as likely to lose consumers by doing that than they are to add them.

Years ago I came across a consulting business that had an incredibly coincidental, if not clever name.  It was an energy consulting firm that specialized in alternative energy, especially wind energy.  The firm, which still exists today, is called Wind Utility Consulting.  It’s headed by its owner – Tom Wind.

He didn’t have to think very hard about what to name his company.

What's In A Name

Years ago, one of my kids was talking to a friend, who was trying to remember my name.  She couldn’t come up with it, and eventually she said that it was "some old guy’s name.”  And so it was that I first recall ‘Bill’ being called an old guy’s name.

For reasons unknown, I always remembered that story.  My given name is William, and I certainly have other options for an everyday nickname, including Will, or the more contemporary Liam.  (But not Billy, I already went through that phase as a child.)

So in the past year or so, after reading that the name Liam was the #1 name for newborn boys in Iowa for the past two years, I’ve been jokingly(?) asking folks to call me Liam, because Bill is an old guy’s name and I’m still a young guy.

This Liam thing is starting to catch on.  So I'm telling people.

If I simply don’t respond to Bill, by chance or by choice, I can always correct the person by saying I don’t recognize Bill anymore, only Liam.  Of course, this isn’t entirely true – because I’ll also go with Will.  I often use Will instead of Liam when asked for a name at a casual/fast food restaurant.

Name versatility.  It allows you to go from a young guy to an old guy and back to a young guy.