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Old Rule:
| Only Hollywood types changed their names.
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New Rule:
| Your name is an asset so you need to avoid "Generic Name Syndrome".
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Excerpt from Chapter 7
Harness the Power of Names, Signature Words,
and Sound Bites to Lock in Your Message
Avoid Generic Name Syndrome
Some people change their names to rid themselves of an overly ethnic, difficult, or ugly-sounding name. But many people have the opposite problem. If you have a name like Mary Jones or Bob Smith, you have generic name syndrome. You will likely find it more difficult to build a self-brand identity than you would if you had a more distinctive name.
Having a different name that is ownable in the category is critical. Brands trademark their names so that they own those names. That way, a competing brand can’t use the same name or one that could be confused with it.
Here are some ways to make your name a better asset:
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Take on a middle name as your brand name: Ray Charles Robinson became Ray Charles. Thomas Cruise Mapother IV became Tom Cruise. Angelina Jolie Voight became Angelina Jolie (Jolie means “pretty” in French, which gives the name a foreign flair as well.)
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Use a quirky nickname: An unusual or descriptive nickname is a great branding device. Think of Tiger Woods, Tipper Gore, and Topher Grace.
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Use your middle name with your first name: A middle name often makes a generic last name stand out. Sarah Jessica Parker, James Earl Jones, and John Fitzgerald Kennedy are good examples.
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Use a double-barreled last name: This works best if the last names are short, for example, Catherine Zeta-Jones.
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Use initials: Initials help you stand out: Jennifer Lopez is a fairly common name, but she also has the brand name J-Lo to set herself apart. The poets T. S. Eliot and e. e. cummings successfully employed this device, as does J. K. Rowling today.
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Spell a common name in an uncommon way: Tune up a common name with a simple spelling change. Examples are Barbra Streisand and Suze Orman.
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Hang your hat on one name: This tactic is used mainly in entertainment, sports, or the arts but can be the ultimate in branding, such as Cher, Bono, and Oprah.
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Modify to add flair or a foreign accent: Simply changing a few letters often makes an important difference. Gary Keillor changed his name to Garrison Keillor.
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Simplify your name: Many people have chopped off part of a name that was long or difficult to pronounce. James Baumgarner became James Garner, Antonio Benedetto became Tony Bennett, and Jennifer Annistopoulos became Jennifer Anniston.
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Totally make it up: This is the favored route of rappers and some entertainers. They give themselves names that are radically different from traditional standards, such as Ice Cube.
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Make a “bad” name work: Today it’s easier to break the rules and still succeed, especially if the name has a quirky quality, such as Renée Zellweger.
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