“When a brand name is crowdsourced by consumers rather than chosen by the company, the backfire effect is eliminated,” Prof. The study also found no such backfire effect when a company’s motive for selecting a uniquely spelled name was perceived as genuinely sincere.

“Our studies suggest that, while marketers may choose unconventional spellings for new brands with the goal of positively influencing consumers’ perceptions, doing so may backfire.” (Credit: Openverse) Misspelled names can cut into your profits “Consumers perceive unconventionally spelled names as a persuasion tactic or a marketing gimmick, leading them to view the brand as less sincere,” says lead author John Costello, assistant professor of marketing at Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business, who researches consumer behavior with a focus on psychological response to marketing communications and prosocial behaviors, in a university release. While there are some likely advantages to using an unusual name for companies, such as memorability, there are few facts showing how this strategy impacts consumers’ beliefs about brands and their willingness to support them. One recent article from Crunchbaseeven named odd spelling as the most popular brand naming trend for recent startups. Study authors say consumers are less likely to support unfamiliar brands with unique spellings, especially when they have the option to go with products that use the conventional spelling of the same word. While some companies like ride-sharing app Lyft find success by adopting unconventional spellings - something many brand strategists actually recommend - researchers from the University of Notre Dame are offering up a different perspective.

Choosing the right name for a new brand is incredibly important.

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