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