BMW Is Powerful, Beemer Is Not: Nickname Branding Impairs Brand Performance. (Zhang et al., 2024)

Welcome to Revise and Resubmit. Have you ever noticed how some of your favorite brands go by nicknames? Like when Bloomingdale's became "Bloomie’s" or how McDonald’s is affectionately called "Mickey D's"? It feels casual, friendly, even endearing. But what if I told you this seemingly innocent shift in branding might actually backfire? Today, we’re diving deep into a fascinating study on nickname branding—a trend where companies adopt the street names consumers give them. On the surface, it sounds like a clever way to get closer to the customer, but this research reveals a surprising twist. Using nicknames could weaken a brand’s power, especially for brands that are known for their competence. So, does embracing the playful side of branding actually hurt performance in the long run? And why might warmer brands fare better than their competent counterparts? Let’s unpack the psychology behind this and find out. Could your favorite brand’s nickname be doing more harm than good? Reference Zhang, Z., Ye, N., & Thomson, M. (2024). BMW Is Powerful, Beemer Is Not: Nickname Branding Impairs Brand Performance. Journal of Marketing, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/00222429241266586 Thanks to Journal of Marketing to make this paper open access. Journal of Marketing is an ABDC A* and FT50 listed academic journal published by SAGE.