| There is no secret formula but the Ford Motor Co. | | | | dependent on how people remember the brand. |
| intends to rekindle the old flame of its Ford Taurus | | | | "Taurus once stood for trend-setting design," Krebs |
| by reviving its name in the Five Hundred sedan. The | | | | added. "But that name is tainted. It really depends on |
| announcement was made by the automaker to | | | | do you have a good memory of the first Taurus or |
| analysts, journalists and executives alike at the | | | | do you remember the later versions?" Reviving the |
| Chicago Auto Show. | | | | Ford Taurus name is a compromise of sorts. It could |
| Naming vehicles is a big deal. It could either make or | | | | offer a number of advantages over creating a new |
| break the vehicle hence doing it is considered a major | | | | moniker. In addition, it could certainly abrogate the |
| undertaking. Each automaker spends a hefty sum to | | | | need to spend a fortune to create brand awareness. |
| create and nurture a particular moniker. So far, the | | | | Ford is not the only automaker to revive a model's |
| brand equity of the Taurus, the Honda Camry and | | | | name. DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group dragged |
| the Civic has gone beyond the value of pricey | | | | its old Avenger name this year for the replacement |
| promotion blitz. | | | | of the Dodge Stratus sedan. General Motors Corp.'s |
| The American auto market is crowded with a wide | | | | Chevrolet resurrected the Malibu name in the late |
| variety of choices. Some automakers entertained | | | | 1990s and Impala in 2000. The Chevy Camaro and |
| change of name but picking the right name is harder | | | | Dodge Charger vanished, but the Camaro is coming |
| and more crucial than other decisions to take. | | | | and the Charger is back in the arena. |
| "Naming is a big, big deal," said George Peterson, the | | | | Old names keep on coming and no sophisticated |
| president of consulting firm AutoPacific Inc., a Tustin, | | | | Active Brakes Direct could stop them from pouring in. |
| Calif. "You can always argue with the names they | | | | Part of the phenomenon is triggered when |
| use. But you can't beat a good name." | | | | automakers discovered that alpha-numeric titles used |
| Detroit's Big Three automakers have been criticized | | | | by luxury brands would not work. Nonetheless, other |
| for their habit of trying to introduce new names to | | | | attempts were terrible. Honda Motor Co.'s Acura lost |
| revive tainted brands rather than sticking with the old | | | | an estimated $1.5 billion in sales by renaming its |
| ones and improving the vehicles. "Even if the car has | | | | Legend sedan the RL, Peterson said. "The joke was |
| kind of run its course and started to wane, you're | | | | that RL stood for ruined legend." |
| better off investing in marketing the current product | | | | Brauer added, "You can bring back names from the |
| than coming up with a brand new name," said Karl | | | | past, but unless the product is good, it's going to be |
| Brauer, editor in chief of Edmunds.com, an online auto | | | | a short-lived run." |
| shopping site. | | | | More than 80 percent of consumers recognize the |
| Analysts say resurrecting the Taurus is a clever | | | | Taurus as a Ford product compared to about 9 |
| decision, but the name alone likely will not prompt a | | | | percent for those who know the Five Hundred. This |
| sales revival. "The bottom line is the product," said | | | | is according to research by Art Spinella of CNW |
| Michelle Krebs, an editor for Edmunds AutoObserver, | | | | Marketing Research in Bandon, Ore. "Ford did the |
| an online auto industry magazine. Analysts added that | | | | right thing reviving the Taurus and Sable nameplates," |
| brand name has a great value. Some believe that the | | | | he wrote in a note about his study. |
| impact of the name on the sales of the vehicles is | | | | |