A Moniker Could Make The Five Hundred

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. Theadded. "But that name is tainted. It really depends on
announcement was made by the automaker todo you have a good memory of the first Taurus or
analysts, journalists and executives alike at thedo 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 oroffer a number of advantages over creating a new
break the vehicle hence doing it is considered a majormoniker. In addition, it could certainly abrogate the
undertaking. Each automaker spends a hefty sum toneed to spend a fortune to create brand awareness.
create and nurture a particular moniker. So far, theFord is not the only automaker to revive a model's
brand equity of the Taurus, the Honda Camry andname. DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group dragged
the Civic has gone beyond the value of priceyits 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 wideChevrolet resurrected the Malibu name in the late
variety of choices. Some automakers entertained1990s and Impala in 2000. The Chevy Camaro and
change of name but picking the right name is harderDodge 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, theOld 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 theyPart 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 criticizedby luxury brands would not work. Nonetheless, other
for their habit of trying to introduce new names toattempts were terrible. Honda Motor Co.'s Acura lost
revive tainted brands rather than sticking with the oldan estimated $1.5 billion in sales by renaming its
ones and improving the vehicles. "Even if the car hasLegend sedan the RL, Peterson said. "The joke was
kind of run its course and started to wane, you'rethat RL stood for ruined legend."
better off investing in marketing the current productBrauer added, "You can bring back names from the
than coming up with a brand new name," said Karlpast, but unless the product is good, it's going to be
Brauer, editor in chief of Edmunds.com, an online autoa short-lived run."
shopping site.More than 80 percent of consumers recognize the
Analysts say resurrecting the Taurus is a cleverTaurus as a Ford product compared to about 9
decision, but the name alone likely will not prompt apercent for those who know the Five Hundred. This
sales revival. "The bottom line is the product," saidis 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 thatright thing reviving the Taurus and Sable nameplates,"
brand name has a great value. Some believe that thehe wrote in a note about his study.
impact of the name on the sales of the vehicles is