Question

Topic: Taglines/Names

Is The Company Name A Problem?

Posted by Anonymous on 11/9/2008 at 9:58 AM ET 125 Points
I'm in the UK. A friend has recently set up a service restoring and modifying classic cars. He named his business "Cheese Tuning". He's got his business listed in Yellow Pages, but he's not getting business.

Anyway, can anyone here tell me whether or not there is a possibly a problem with the business name? Or could it be much better? Any advice about naming, considering the business that he's in?

I do wonder myself whether the name could be putting people off. Thanks.
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Frank Hurtte on 11/9/2008 at 11:32 AM Accepted
    Uhless Cheese is a slang term for classic car in the UK, I believe he has errored in name selection.

    Unless you have massive dollars or considerable time to spend creating a brand, I believe the name should say something about the business. Lets say your friend goes to a sporting event and drops a pile of business cards, would anybody be able to identify what he does based on those cards?

  • Posted on 11/9/2008 at 1:00 PM Accepted
    I agree with Frank. While we don't know enough about the business to tell you the name is the only problem, I can tell you the name is a problem. The name of a company is a reflection of the company and "cheese", with all the images it creates, is not the image I would want to be getting across to potential customers.

    I too am a believer in calling a business "what it is"--why leave people guessing. This can be in name or tagline, but say what you do. It should also project the kind of image that will create intreast and a level of confidence in the company. "Cheese" dosen't pass the "smell test" (had to say that).

    Good luck and change the name.
  • Posted by Mikee on 11/9/2008 at 3:49 PM Accepted
    I too think that the Cheese part is a problem. My father collects cars and motorcycles in the US and have never heard the term cheese in realtion to classic vehicles. Where did he get the "cheese" idea?

    Hopefully the name would let people know what he does. I would change names. I think he may also need to be more proactive and advertise at some of the car shows (Concours).

    If he has done any cars that get shown be sure that he has a flyer or something made that can be displayed at the show and for sure something interersted parties could take with them.

    Mike
  • Posted on 11/9/2008 at 3:56 PM Author
    Okay, I think we are getting somewhere here, and I'm glad I asked the question.

    Tuning cars is sort of "souping them up" and he does that. But his business is suppossed to be classic car restoration with modification if someone wants some modern parts integrated into a classic car.

    What you are saying, is that the name he has chosen for his business is not showing the reader that his business is classic car restoration.

    Although, of course, he is under the classic car restoration classification in Yellow Pages. So people shoud know he does classic car restoration. Despite this, perhaps the name is still problemmatical. Perhaps customers just don't quite believe he does classic car restoration despite his Yellow Pages listing being in the correct classification. That would be a psychological thing I think.

    So, still a problem despite his listing in Yellow Pages being in the classic car restoration classification?
  • Posted by Mikee on 11/9/2008 at 10:01 PM Accepted
    The name is still a problem and does not create in confidence or give any great connotation.

    I would also think that he needs to find people in some better way than the yellow pages. I would not look for a restorer for my classic car in the yellowpages. I would talk to other car buffs. Ask some historic car clubs who they would reccomend, look at people's work at some car shows. Your friend needs to get in with some car clubs, shows, museums, etc. He needs people to see his work. This sort of thing is too big a deal for people to randomly look in the yellowpages. He needs to generate referrals in some way.

    Mike
  • Posted on 11/10/2008 at 4:19 AM Author
    Okay, thanks guys. Despite the Yellow Pages listing, it seems a fair bet that my frind has chosen a bad name for his business and it's holding back business.

    My friend knows he should go to car shows with a restored car showing his work, but he's been slow to get the show car finished, so he's not done that. He knows he needs to do some legwork, but he's been tied down, but unless he exposes his business to classic car people, he's going to find it very hard. I think, like you say, he needs to be become, as it were, one of the classic car enthusiasts, not merely be a professional restorer distanced from this crowd. He needs to join some clubs and online forums. Thanks all.
  • Posted on 11/10/2008 at 9:53 AM Accepted
    You've received great responses. There is no question that that business name in the US would not garner business (except if it was in Wisconsin - where the cheese heads live!).

    I would add - there are many classic car buffs who would shudder to think that their "classic" wasn't all appropriate parts. In other words when you "soup" up a classic it loses much of it's classic status.

    It appears as though your friend might be in a "limbo" type of business. Which can be okay. Can he advertise to let people know that he can modify classics as well as restore classics?

    Good Luck!

    CVN
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 11/10/2008 at 12:52 PM Accepted
    The name may or may not be the problem.
    A Yellow Pages ad alone won't cause people to call.
    It's about their reputation, who they're targeting, and how they can help them - their name is only one (small) piece of the marketing puzzle.
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