Question

Topic: Taglines/Names

Shelley Mack As Name For My New Design Webite?

Posted by Anonymous on 11/27/2007 at 1:16 PM ET 250 Points
I am starting my own internet based design business, starting out with jewelry and accessories and branching out to art, clothing, cosmetics and decor as I grow, as well as into the home party, wholesale and retail market. Yes I want to be a style maven like Martha Stewart style, but funky, artsy, urban, and with color.
I make handmade one of a kind jewelry using beads, semi precious gems, and stones currently but dont want to limit myself to that as I have worked with other media My styles vary from thick, chunky bold pieces, to classic elegance to fragile delicate romantic looks and would like to market them within my brand as such. My target market is urban women from teen to babyboomer, middle to upper class demographics, prices ranging from $20-$200. I know I need more work and research on my target market though.
I live in California, and my name is Shelley Mack, so I thought KaliMack Designs would be catchy. However people love, remember and always think they have heard my name before for some reason I can't quite figure out. I am not attached to it (it is my ex-husband's who I would like to divorce again several more times) but people always tell they think they have heard it before and try to place me like I am some famous person and tell me what a great name it is when I tell them I am not yet. In fact a year before I met and married my husband I told a friend who wanted to use it for the name her line of cosmetics that it sounded like a pimps wife. Not a good move, a year later it was my name. I think it is that Mary Mack song that people cannot resist signing to me. Can I get some opinions on what is it about my name people like and connect with? and whether you think it would benefit me to use it in my business or go with something more specific to what I sell, or my style (which varies)? Mack or "to mack" in urban slang connotes expertise. I had thought about using my real name and then using variations of it for my different lines of like;
Shelley Mack.com
Culture Mack- for art
Design Mack- for clothing
Make Over Mack- cosmetics
Jewelry Mack- jewelry
Too ambitious?
Ideas, Opinions, Insights Please? Thanks in advance! You guys have been great!
Shelley Mack
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RESPONSES

  • Posted on 11/27/2007 at 2:30 PM Accepted
    There's general branding rule taught in marketing 101 that 'the more descriptive a name, the less valuable and the more resources have to be put into the brand to compensate.'

    Examples of this are with Pepsi, Sony, and Google. These names don't mean anything (as far as I know) and they are obviously some of the most well known. Generic and descriptive names such as American Wholesale Company would be a difficult brand to build equity.

    There are exceptions, and I would say that people's names are around the middle of the scale- Richard Ellis, etc.

    So Shelley Mack, I would say is on the positive side. There is another major factor- if you are the brand, you live it and it speaks to you the audience will sense that and respond. I also agree with John, it does sound feminine and tough. It sounds like the brand found you. Best of luck!

    KB
  • Posted by mgoodman on 11/27/2007 at 3:20 PM Member
    Your question is very research-able. We've done similar studies for clients (even some very small companies and start-ups) in which the variable we're testing is the name, in the context of the right target audience and the right industry/product category.

    In fact, just within the last year we researched a company name and a product brand name for the same company. Found some results that were counter-intuitive, and led us to an interesting tweak in the product line to target a specific sub-set of the target audience. You never know where this stuff is going to take you!

    My personal feeling about the name is that your name is probably a 6 or 7 on a 10 point scale. It's good as names go, but it doesn't communicate anything about the emotional benefit or payoff for your customers. You COULD do that with a tagline, but then you're asking people to absorb and remember TWO ideas instead of ONE.

    You might want to check out a seminar in the MarketingProfs archive titled Positioning, Naming and Taglines. It deals with the 5 kinds of names most commonly used, and it covers the pros and cons of each, with examples and comments on both the "rules" and the exceptions. There's also a How-To Guide that accompanies the seminar that you can download and use on your own.

    If you need/want more help, contact me directly by clicking on the screen name and then using the email address given there.
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 11/27/2007 at 7:28 PM Member
    There's an actress named Shelley Mack (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1659522/) who people might be remembering.

    Shelly Mack Designs or Shelley Mack Jewelry are both good names (you can then create Shelly Mack Art, Shelley Mack Cosmetics, etc.)
  • Posted by SRyan ;] on 11/28/2007 at 12:53 AM Member
    How can you go wrong with SHELLEY in that name? Oh, wait... I might be a little bit biased.

    I'm also wondering if Mack reminds people of Bob Mackie. Not a bad visual/mental association if you're designing jewelry and accessories.

    Go for it, Shelley Mack! ;]

    ~ Another Shelley
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 11/28/2007 at 9:15 AM Member
    There's another famous person that sounds like Shelley Mack - Shelley Hack (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0352379/)(she was the 4th Charlie's Angel).
  • Posted by easyE on 11/28/2007 at 9:28 AM Member
    With all things considered and despite all that has happened, Martha Stewart (LIVING) did just fine and is as strong as ever. She just appeared on the scene and was an instant success. Another one is Rachael Ray. In less than 10 years she has become a household name.

    Personality and a strong design concept will be important to incorporate into your Mack Art, Design Mack, Mack Make Over, and Mack Jewelry. Branding is everything!

    Stay focused and good things will come.
    Good Luck!
  • Posted on 11/28/2007 at 5:15 PM Member
    You're obviously intelligent, creative, and funny (you'd like to divorce your ex-husband a few more times... brilliant!), so using your own name is conducive to the types of design you described in your question/summary.

    Your personality and your product are definitely in line, so use your name to sell it.

    Good luck to you Shelley Mack!


  • Posted on 11/28/2007 at 7:50 PM Author
    Did I forget to say I love this site!! ;0) You guys have provided great ideas, help and given me the confidence to go with my name Shelley Mack, maybe Shelley Mack Designs as the url isnt taken, and launching similiar Mack lines ( i.e. cosmetics, clothes, bags, decor) as growth allows. Every post helped me in some way either confirming my gut instincts or offering ideas why my names has the effect it does on people. It does match my style being a bit of a fashion diva at 5'10" with wet hair and bare feet, 38DDD and with 3-5 inch heels, and an agressive, confident saleswoman/collector, I come across as both feminine and tough, and have always been a billboard for my jewelry. Let's say I dont fade into a crowd, so I have to work it, and I am always on stage wherever I go.
    It was a hard choice but I like karlpboehm's response best and he seemed to articulate what I had been thinking. When I am brainstorming and trying to be a concise about what I am selling, my jewelry, my art, my cosmetics, my creations, it's my style I am selling, not just product, which is what fashion is about, your stylo. My name seems to connote all the suggestions made here to be honest, all of them positive, including my personal style which I plan to carry accross in my creations as well as branding. Feminine, tough, bold, daring, cutting edge fashion expertize. People are always stopping me to compliment my jewelry or attire. I would like to capitalize on that and be able to tell them "Here's my card, here's my website, come buy, bring your freinds."
    It's great getting unbiased opinions from professionsals in the industry. I do have a strong and persuasive personality. It can be hard to get honest critical opinions from freinds, relatives and colleages for this reason. I tend to talk people into my ideas which is not really what I am looking for when asking their opinion. I am looking for honest critical thought, which you folks have provided, not encouragement and enthusiasm which is what I usually get. Not that I dont need it like everyone, just not always like now.
    So it seems karlpboehm is right, my brand Shelley Mack found me, even before I was a Shelley Mack. ;0) Next I need to develop the brand and a line of products that live up to the name.
    So, okay then, though I hate to admit it... I guess there are 2 things I have to give my ex credit for. My son and his last name, Mack. Forget Happy Aniversary Cards, has anyone out there invented "Happily Divorced" cards yet so I can send one each year to thank him? ;0)
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