Choose Longer Names for Luxury Brands

Most languages follow the brevity law: Frequently used words are typically shorter.

Turns out, the reciprocal effect applies to luxury brands: Longer names are less common, so luxury brands with long names seem exclusive (Pathak, Velasco, Petit, & Calvert, 2019).

Researchers generated hypothetical brand names of different lengths:

• Balm → Balma → Balama
• Blim → Bolim → Bolima
• Boond → Boonad → Boonado
• Kron → Karon → Karonia
• Loomb → Loomba → Loomaba
• Molb → Molib → Moliba
• Nord → Norda → Norada
• Plit → Palit → Palita
• Plat → Polat → Polata
• Rooks → Rookso → Rookoso
• Soork → Soorko → Sooroko

Participants were more likely to associate longer names with luxury brands, though the effect diminishes after 3-4 syllables.

• Pathak, A., Velasco, C., Petit, O., & Calvert, G. A. (2019). Going to great lengths in the pursuit of luxury: How longer brand names can enhance the luxury perception of a brand. Psychology & Marketing, 36(10), 951-963.