How many brands do you see described in a dictionary? Which parameters are set to put a brand on a dictionary instead of another? Or better, how a brand builds such a momentum that is able to be tagged within normal conversations to a point where it becomes part of a language?
Sher shows us splendid work on exemplifying the evolution within the Oxford dictionary and brands. Basically, there are a few brands that made it to the dictionary. From these, some made it more quickly to be part of the dictionary than others, like Google. Others with years of history still didn’t made it and probably won’t. The question here is how did they made it?
Generally, a brand as to create such a momentum that will be able to create amazing buzz and get tagged as the use of its ’word’ / brand for the significance of [for example] a product category. It is definitely not easy and probably will continue to be even more remote with the intensification of competition and higher demand for breakthrough innovation (from millions of brands only about 30 made it to the dictionary). Still, the developments we see in technology and the gradual use of ‘Internet words’ in our daily conversations might determine the opposite.
Sometimes a brand becoming a term can come in a form of innovation, such as Xerox at the time; from product development and solid category affirmation such as Jeep; or simply cutting the edge within the first players and being ‘great’ such as Google.
On the other hand, a brand that features an invention can bring troubles in getting it to be a trademark, as it passes to a term used to describe something. Aspirin was not registered as a U.S. trademark in 1921 by Bayer, because was determined to be already a general term used to describe acetylsalicylic acid.
These are the brands that Sher highlights as being in Oxford Dictionary and which became words of its own in current language:
1. Hoover [hoo-ver] –verb: to clean with a vacuum cleaner (Chiefly British)
2. Xerox [zeer-oks] -noun or verb: a name for a copying machine or the act of reproducing printed, written, or pictorial matter by xerography.
3. Thermos [thur-muhs] –noun: a vacuum bottle or similar container lined with an insulating material, such as polystyrene, to keep liquid hot or cold.
4. Prozac [proh-zak] -noun: a brand of fluoxetine hydrochloride.
5. Spandex [span-deks] –noun: a synthetic fiber composed of a long-chain polymer, used chiefly in the manufacture of garments to add elasticity.
6. Jello [jel-oh] -noun: brand of dessert made from a mixture of gelatin, sugar, and fruit flavoring, dissolved in hot water and chilled until firm.
7. Tampax [tam-pax] -noun: tampon used to absorb menstrual flow.
8. Band-Aid [band-eyd] -noun: adhesive bandage with a gauze pad in the center, used to cover minor abrasions and cuts.
9. Viagra [vahy-ag-ruh] -noun: sildenafil citrate, used to treat impotence.
10. Kleenex [kli-neks] – noun: a paper tissue.
11. Jeep [jip] - noun: a small, sturdy motor vehicle with four-wheel drive.
12. Sellotape [se-leu-tep] – noun and verb: transparent adhesive tape or the act of fastening or sticking with Sellotape.
13. Frisbee [friz-bi] - noun: a plastic disc designed for skimming through the air as an outdoor game.
14. Yo-yo [yo-yo] - noun and verb: a toy consisting of a pair of joined discs with a deep groove between them in which string is attached and wound, which can be spun alternately downward and upward by its weight and momentum as the string unwinds and rewinds; or the act of moving up and down repeatedly or fluctuating.
15. Vaseline [vas-si-lin] - noun: a type of petroleum jelly used as an ointment or lubricant.
16. Rollerblade [rol-ler-bleyd] - noun and verb: an in-line skate or the act of skating using Rollerblades.
17. Jacuzzi [je-koo-zi] - noun: a large bath incorporating jets of water to massage the body.
18. Land Rover [len-ro-ver] - noun: a strong motor vehicle used for traveling over rough ground.
19. Velcro [vel-kro] - noun: a fastener consisting of two strips of fabric which adhere when pressed together.
20. Hula hoop [hu-la-hup] - noun: a large hoop spun round the body by gyrating the hips.
21. Skidoo [ski-du] - noun and verb: a motorized toboggan or the act of riding on a skidoo, chiefly North America.
22. Allen key [el-len-ki] – noun: a spanner designed to fit into and turn an Allen screw.
23. Walkman [wok-men] – noun: a type of personal stereo.
24. Strimmer [strim-mer] – noun: an electrically powered grass trimmer with a cutting cord which rotates on a spindle.
25. Plasticine [plas-te-sin] - noun: a soft modeling material.
26. Lego [le-go] - noun: a toy consisting of interlocking plastic building blocks.
27. Loafer [lo-fer] - noun: a leather shoe shaped like a moccasin, with a flat heel.
28. Pyrex [pai-reks] - noun: a hard heat-resistant type of glass.
29. Yellow Pages [yel-lo-pae-jes] - noun: a telephone directory printed on yellow paper and listing businesses and other organizations according to the goods or services they offer.
30. Laundromat [lon-dro-met] - noun: a launderette.
31. Filofax [fai-lo-feks] - noun: a loose-leaf notebook for recording appointments, addresses and notes.
32. Dictaphone [dik-ta-fon] - noun: small cassette recorder used to record speech.
33. Teflon [tef-lon] – noun: a tough synthetic resin used to make seals and bearings and to coat non-stick utensils. Usually this word is also used before another noun especially of a politician having an undamaged reputation in spite of scandal or misjudgment.
34. Styrofoam [stai-ro-fom] - noun: a kind of expanded polystyrene, used especially for making food containers.
35. Google: [intr.] To use the Google search engine to find information on the Internet. [trans.] To search for information about (a person or thing) using the Google search engine.
36. Custard cream – noun: biscuit with vanilla-flavoured cream filling.
Other terms such as Podcast (a digital recording of a radio broadcast or similar program, made available on the Internet for downloading to a personal audio player) created by Apple, make another bulk related brand terms to consider.
The complete articles you can see it here and here. Have more explanation of where these terms came from and its ’brand’ origin. I added a couple of more brands which didn’t featured in Sher’s article and are already part of the dictionary according with other sources.
Also on the comments of some articles you realize that each term coming from a brand can vary from country to country, and maybe the American dictionary would be different from the English one. Same could happen with multiple other languages and its home country brands. Often brands identify a country’s determined product category due to its history. Not counting on the new Internet terms, there is a fact that at a time where not much competition existed, several terms/brands where blended among people in their local language.
Taking the best brands in 2008 ranked by Interbrand, only Google appears in the dictionary from the top 10. Therefore, is not about how valued a brand is, but how it is spoken and applied among communities which spread the terms within a society.
Other curious aspect I note was that from my Nokia cell phone smartwriting there are several brands which don’t come up as we write: BMW, Marlboro, Nescafe, Dell, Budweiser, IKEA, Kellogg’s, Nintendo, and many others. On the other hand, brands which btw, are not quoted in a dictionary, come up as we write - Microsoft or Gillette for example. How Nokia or other cell phone manufacturers set the standard for the smartwriting is unknown for now.
The importance of both these curiosities can be diminished or augmented. I believe that your brand should spread around every possible channels which can fit within its positioning and make it stronger. A brand ’smartwriting friendly’ or specially appearing in a dictionary can contribute to that and immortalize it. Though, if your brand definition or verb is not aligned with your vision or objectives, it can cause trouble.
Seems that the incorporation of your brand in a dictionary doesn’t really depends on the longstanding effort in advertising for example, as much as still many marketers might think and continue to do so. But yes on a multitude of factors involving brand strategy, product innovation and active engagement with your audience. The ability for spreading the idea with the help of your own ‘tribe’ is your goal, challenge and the key to develop your brand to a point where it can be immortalized.
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Often I read people or companies pushing the limits of their promises. Over promise something has a price: whether you or your company is able to keep your promises and fulfil what you brag about, or if you’re not able to keeping your promises the disappointment will turn bigger against you on and on.