Definition | Meaning:
- A word having a very similar meaning to another.
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synecdoche
Definition | Meaning:
- A brand name which uses one example of its category to stand for the entire category.
Example | Illustration:
- Staples is a synecdoche for office supplies.
- Red Lobster is a synecdoche for seafood.
Compare | See:
- metonym
symbol
Definition | Meaning:
- Any distinctive element of the brand identity which calls to mind the brand as a whole.
Example | Illustration:
- The name ‘Google’ is a symbol of the Google brand.
- The ‘swoosh’ design is a symbol of the Nike brand.
- The unique design of its gass bottle is a symbol of the Coca-Cola brand.
Compare | See:
- brand identity
suggestive name
Definition | Meaning:
- A brand name which suggests or refers to the category of the good or service in question, but which does not actually describe it.
Compare | See:
- descriptive name
- allusive name
- metaphoric name
sound symbolism
Definition | Meaning:
- The semantic qualities a given sound or combination of sounds suggests in and of itself.
Example | Illustration:
- The high vowel /i/, as in the word ‘pea’, sounds small.
- The low vowel /a/, as in ‘father’, sounds large.
sound pattern
Definition | Meaning:
- A permissible combination of distinctive sounds or phonemes in a given language.
Example | Illustration:
- ‘Sl-’ (as in the Slurpee slushy soft drink brand) fits the English sound pattern and is therefore considered not difficult for an English speaker to pronounce.
- ‘Sb-’ (as in the Sbarro Italian restaurant brand) does not fit the English sound pattern and is therefore considered by English speakers to be foreign and/or difficult to pronounce.
sociolinguistics
Definition | Meaning:
- The study of the sociological factors involved in the use of language, including differences in gender, race, class, etc.
Compare | See:
- linguistics
sociative morpheme
Definition | Meaning:
- An element of a compound brand name which does not normally occur outside of that compound.
Example | Illustration:
- Ocean Spray Cran•Apple brand juice
- Ocean Spray Cran•Cherry brand juice
- Ocean Spray Cran•Grape brand juice
- Ocean Spray Cran•Mango brand juice
- Ocean Spray Cran•Raspberry brand juice
- Ocean Spray Cran•Strawberry brand juice
- Ocean Spray Cran•Tangerine brand juice
Compare | See:
- morpheme
slogan
Definition | Meaning:
- A catch phrase typically developed in support of a short-term advertising campaign rather than a longer-term brand-building program.
Example | Illustration:
- ‘Must See TV’ was a slogan of NBC in the 1990s.
Compare | See:
- catch phrase
- strap line
- tag line
- brand line
slang
Definition | Meaning:
- The non-standard vocabulary of a given culture or sub-culture, typically consisting of coinages and figures of speech.