Christmas is definitely
around the corner. All our local businesses
are festooned with Santas, twinkly lights and the occasional rendition of
Christmas songs. There is something
special about independent shops and their decorations – something more honest
and personal that I love. I think the
best decorations are the ones which have been bought out year after year as
they have a history to them and mean so much more than the mass produced
branded stuff you often see in chain stores.
What make me chuckle
a little is the English way of giving shops strange and often irrelevant
names. Ever heard of Damon’s Motel? No? It’s
on the road to Lincoln, a really lovely location and quite a nice building but
the oddest of names. Do we know who
Damon is? Don’t get me started on the
name motel.
What about
Just Jackie for a women’s boutique business in Knighton, Leicester? A place
when women brunch, shop and go on expensive holidays. The clothes in Just Jackie look lovely and
are excellent merchandised. I’m just not sure the name does it
justice. It doesn’t reek of tailored, exclusive
clothing, and I’m never sure if the name means that only Jackies can
enter? Or if only Jackies work there?
What if
Jackie or Damon move on or sell out the business? Do they take the names with them? As branding goes, it is a strange one. If you were Jackie O the name would make
sense, and women would flock. Or if the
owner was Damon Hill and you owned a motel – that makes more sense too. But Damon Smith (for want of a better name) from
Lincoln just doesn’t do much to promote the place. I’m more in favour of names which stand out
from the crowd.
In January, I’ll
be blogging about how to get a great name for your business – don’t miss it.
Kate
