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Need advice/help with product name

friendsfirlifefriendsfirlife subscriber Posts: 4
edited August 2006 in Marketing
Hello SuNnies -
We are in need of all your creative minds to see if we can come up with a better name for our product.  Our company name is "Friends FIR Life" and our tagline is "Far InfraRed Health for Your Best Friend".  Our product is a far infrared (FIR) radiant therapy device for pets.  We are trying to figure out what to actually call the device.  (we are just going to market and are in the process of designing packaging, but aren`t committed yet).
In a nutshell what our product is and does: it is a two panel far infrared emmiter for home use; far infrared, also known as radiant heat, is the only kind of heat that is safe and beneficial for dogs, cats and other pets; far infrared is great for arthritis, skin problems, great for health in general; healing, safe, healthy heat for pets.  If you what to see what if looks like, see website www.friendsfirlife.com</A> .
So the question regarding name: we have been using Radiant Therapy Device (RTD), but are not sure that it works for marketing.  Doesn`t seem very catchy and doesn`t exactly roll off the tongue.  We would like to find some word other than "device" but have come up with nothing - already checked thesaurus, etc.  We have played around with "Healthy Heater" or just "Healthy Heat" , but are not sure either of these work - maybe too cheesy. Also, not sure that we want to call it a heater.
Should we stay with RTD?  Since it is something new that people have never seen before anyway, it will require explaining, no matter what.  And not too many years ago, no one new what a PDA or a PC was either.  Also, our company name and tagline give some explaination.
So, SuN community, what do you think???
Thanks in advance - can`t wait to hear all your great ideas!
Lisafriendsfirlife2006-8-28 1:57:24

Comments

  • keyconkeycon subscriber Posts: 34
    Lisa,
    Great idea! Good luck with it. As far as the name goes ... the FIR is cute but just doesn`t roll off the tongue and is a little confusing to me - IMHO. I like Friends FIR Life, too - but not as the product name. Is this the name of your company? If so, keep it on the packaging somewhere - good name as the parent of the product.
    How about InfraPet as the product name? Tagline: Radiant Heat Therapy for Your Pet. I believe trying to incorporate "FAR" and "FIR" into the name and tagline is a bit much to explain to your average consumer.
    Your site does a good job of describing the product - the whys and how, etc. I`m assuming you`ll hit the important features, benefits and advantages on your packaging, too. Maybe even enclose a "usage" booklet or something along those lines.
    I did not see any testimonials or endorsements from any vets. I would think some endorsements from vets would be beneficial to your marketing efforts. Maybe even include a vet`s photo and his/her endorsement on the packaging.
    Hope this helps.
    R@ 
    PS - Your pet sauna is pretty cool but the price seems a little high to me. Have you done any market research on what the market will pay for such an item? Just wondering.
     keycon2006-8-28 16:13:18
  • friendsfirlifefriendsfirlife subscriber Posts: 4
    Thanks for the feedback, keycon.
    To answer your questions:  yes,  Friends FIR Life is the company name, with Far InfraRed Health for Your Best Friend as the tagline or maybe it is more of a slogan or logo.  In our materials (and as you can see on website) the FIR in the co. name and the F, the I and the R in the tagline are in orange with the rest in blue in order to make the connection in the name.  We will definitely have this on the package, but as you say, it doesn`t work as the name of a product.
    InfraPet is actually something we considered when we were looking at names for the company, so we can revisit that.  But isn`t it a lot to have both the slogan under the co. name, and then also have a tagline under the product name?  Or are you suggesting dumping the slogan with the co. name?
    Also, at the beginning you talk about the FIR being confusing and not rolling off the tongue - did you mean RTD? Guess I didn`t quite get what you were saying here, since you said you liked Friends FIR Life.
    Thanks!
    Lisa
  • keyconkeycon subscriber Posts: 34
    Lisa,
    Bottom line - simplify the "technology" verbiage behind your product. I see the technology jargon as a drawback - unless, of course, maybe you have plans for a more targeted market and less appeal to mass consumerism of the product. I believe Friends FIR Life works well as the company name but does not have to be so prominent on the website or packaging, etc. That is the job of the product name. People who wish to "dig down" will connect the company name to the product technology. Maybe even a product name like Pet Sauna is better. In essence, this is what it is - an unenclosed radiant therapy sauna for pets.
    I know a little about infrared technology as it relates to curing fresh paint in a collision repair shop but I`m betting only a very small minority of consumers would. Not until your product and site caused me to do some research on human FAR saunas and more on the technology and uses and benefits, etc - had I ever heard of FIR or FAR saunas. It appears it is big on the west coast. I have to admit, I learned a lot today on the subject.
    Is the average consumer going to understand the technology behind this product or maybe look at it as "voodoo" or something? Believe me, I get it and although I have never experienced a FIR sauna, I can believe the material I have read about the benefits of using one. Ergo, I can see where the same results could be expected in a portable model for animals. This is why I say simplify everything about this product you can so the average consumer can get past the FIR and FAR, etc. I don`t believe this is something the majority of people will "get" on first blush.
    It appears you have positioned this product as a high-end market product - I am basing this on the price listed on your website. Maybe you feel - and have plans to target just that niche. If so, the market plan might be different as I am looking at this on the idea you wish to get your product out to as many people as possible. Maybe we`re not on the same page - if so, we`ll drop back 5 and punt and try again.
    R@ 
  • ladderlessladderless subscriber Posts: 3
    I`m not a big fan of worrying about the product name... Especially for a proprietary product.
    Catchy names are needed only to stand out in a crowd of similar products.
    Assuming your product doesn`t have a pile of competitors, I wouldn`t worry too much about the name.  "Radient Therapy Device" works for me.  I believe that it should have a hint of "clinical" in it (as yours does).  Many of the people who will want it will already be working with a vet (are you going to market through vet`s offices? -- Those folks are always looking for additional revenue streams... I bet many of them would want to rent them out to clients).
    Check out the current lines of products that vets sell... Very few have catchy names, and most just describe what they do.
    Go get `em!
  • friendsfirlifefriendsfirlife subscriber Posts: 4
    Thanks for all the great responses so far.  You have all brought up lots of great points.
    A big part of the challenge that we face is the fact that we plan to market both to/through vets and other animal health professionals (chiropractors, kennels, etc) as well as directly to the consumer at pet shows, though websites (ours and others), stores, etc.  So while for a vet "radiant therapy device" works very well, it may not be so appealing when we are talking to a potential customer at a cat show or on a box on a shelf in the doggie boutique.
    Eric,  you are right that we are very immersed and comfortable with the technology;  we are also extremely aware that this is not only a new product, but also a new concept in health care for pets so it definitely takes explanation.  And I totally agree that we have to market the product, benefits, etc.  So the challenges are  how to explain what it is and does, and what to call "it".  Is 10 words possible on a product like this???
    Richard, on the question of price, we are not just targetting the high-end, although it may seem that way at first look.  Compare our price to the cost of Rimadyl (commonly prescribed med for arthritis in dogs): an average daily dose for a golden retriever costs appox. $700 a year.  At least half of older dogs take more than one type of medication so it goes up from there.  And all the drugs have side effects and are basically toxic.  So it is more a question of how people want to spend their money and convincing them that our product is the better way - better for their pet and their pocketbook.
    So back to name...Pet Sauna is actually taken.  One of the FIR sauna manufacturers has just come out with a product with this name.  (theirs is apparently priced in the $800 and up range, depending on size; also not really a design that is best for animals, IMHO...well, actually based on our research). 
    One of the names we considered early on when we were thinking about business name was Fauna Sauna. (we hadn`t yet differentiated between bus. name and product name) We ended up discarding it, but are now thinking of using it for the product name.  I would love to hear peoples reactions.  As Richard had suggested, it would probably need a tagline like "Radiant  Heat Therapy for Your Pet" or "the only safe heat for your pet".
    Maybe it is time for a poll....
    Lisafriendsfirlife2006-8-29 17:0:14
  • ladderlessladderless subscriber Posts: 3
    You have an opportunity do differentiate your serious product from "pet sauna" (Which, IMHO, sound like a toy gimmicky product - Price notwithstanding).
    Resist the temptation to call your`s something like "Critter Cooker"(!)
    Again, give your customers the idea that they can choose a gimmick like the "Pet Sauna" or a serious therapy product like the "___________" -- Insert your name there.  I do not think "Fauna Sauna" will provide your serious message. 
  • friendsfirlifefriendsfirlife subscriber Posts: 4
    Thanks, Eric.  This is very helpful. 
    So far we have done some informal market research and survey, but maybe it is time for something more formal like what you are suggesting - I`ll definitely check it out.  And I totally agree that we need different marketing plans for industry and consumer.
    But whether marketing B2B or B2C, we still need to have one name for the thing, since we are already selling through local vet referrals, shows, etc.  So for name I guess we just have to go with our gut, and then continue to develop out the different marketing strategies.
    Thanks!
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