14
de Setembre
de
2015
Act.
15
de Setembre
de
2015
Choosing a brand name is a basic requirement when starting any new project. Some are satisfied with using the family name. There are those who have to change the name at a later date. Yet, there are many who put more thought into it, and even appeal to experts to help them find the ideal term. However, there are also those who simply transmit a clear message of commitment with their homeland.
A clear decision
This is the case of VamCats, the trainers that sport an estelada (the Catalan lone-star flag). Its creator, Guillem Soldevila, explains to VIA Empresa that they went ahead with the project "because people asked us for trainers they had seen on a poster of the Assemblea Nacional Catalana (ANC) in 2012". Soldevila says: "We had to find a name very quickly and so we came up with a blend of Vamba (trainer) and Catalana: VamCat."
The campaigning origin required the name of Catalonia to appear in the brand. Even though the company considered the option of using the term 'quets', a popular way to refer to this type of footwear in Lleida, Soldevila says "I like the word 'vamba' a lot because it is a word that is very much ours."
Bringing the term CAT to the brand "was everything to us," says Soldevila. While never considering the brand to be merchandise, as they are part of the fashion market, "we were convinced we had to associate the product with the country from the outset."
Nevertheless, Soldevila points out that over the months they have worked "to link the Catalonia brand with that of Barcelona to make a joint brand that takes advantage of the Barcelona brand, which is very strong." Moreover, positioning the product in the market as a Barcelona fashion brand also helps.
KeyCat is an example along the same lines. Mariano Lalana, one of the people behind this Catalan keyboard app, tells VIA Empresa that "from the moment you make a keyboard in Catalan, you are searching for a name that reflects the idea well." Thanks to KeyCat, the letter 'Ñ' on the keyboard can be substituted for 'NY', or 'áé' for 'L·L'.
"We wanted a Catalan name, but none were forthcoming," Lalana admits. "One idea was 'TeclaCat', but it sounded too cacophonous. However, we were convinced that the term CAT had to be included because it is a Catalan product." In the end, they chose to use the English word 'Key' for "a new and innovative product that is 100% Catalan."
Commitment to a limited market
While recognising that such a clear identification with Catalonia limited their market, VamCats' Guillem Soldevila insists that "we knew we were bringing out a very exclusive and campaigning product." In fact, he admits that the business has lost momentum: "We experienced a significant boom in 2013, which has since eased off."
Yet, the direction of VamCats allowed the company to launch a new project for personalising footwear: Brand your Shoes. "It was born out of a totally international commitment with a longer-term and wider objective than that of VamCats," says Soldevila, who adds that "we would never have done it without the experience of VamCats".
For his part, KeyCat's Mariano Lalana insists that his objective is "show the world beyond Catalonia that there is a linguistic community of some 10 million people, who speak a language that is not represented on computer keyboards." Thus, apart from in Catalonia, the product is also targeted at the wider Catalan linguistic community: Valencia, the Balearic Islands, Catalunya Nord and Franja de Ponent. "Our target is here. Because having 'L·L' on the keyboard is fantastic!".
A clear decision
This is the case of VamCats, the trainers that sport an estelada (the Catalan lone-star flag). Its creator, Guillem Soldevila, explains to VIA Empresa that they went ahead with the project "because people asked us for trainers they had seen on a poster of the Assemblea Nacional Catalana (ANC) in 2012". Soldevila says: "We had to find a name very quickly and so we came up with a blend of Vamba (trainer) and Catalana: VamCat."
The campaigning origin required the name of Catalonia to appear in the brand. Even though the company considered the option of using the term 'quets', a popular way to refer to this type of footwear in Lleida, Soldevila says "I like the word 'vamba' a lot because it is a word that is very much ours."
Bringing the term CAT to the brand "was everything to us," says Soldevila. While never considering the brand to be merchandise, as they are part of the fashion market, "we were convinced we had to associate the product with the country from the outset."
Nevertheless, Soldevila points out that over the months they have worked "to link the Catalonia brand with that of Barcelona to make a joint brand that takes advantage of the Barcelona brand, which is very strong." Moreover, positioning the product in the market as a Barcelona fashion brand also helps.
KeyCat is an example along the same lines. Mariano Lalana, one of the people behind this Catalan keyboard app, tells VIA Empresa that "from the moment you make a keyboard in Catalan, you are searching for a name that reflects the idea well." Thanks to KeyCat, the letter 'Ñ' on the keyboard can be substituted for 'NY', or 'áé' for 'L·L'.
"We wanted a Catalan name, but none were forthcoming," Lalana admits. "One idea was 'TeclaCat', but it sounded too cacophonous. However, we were convinced that the term CAT had to be included because it is a Catalan product." In the end, they chose to use the English word 'Key' for "a new and innovative product that is 100% Catalan."
Commitment to a limited market
While recognising that such a clear identification with Catalonia limited their market, VamCats' Guillem Soldevila insists that "we knew we were bringing out a very exclusive and campaigning product." In fact, he admits that the business has lost momentum: "We experienced a significant boom in 2013, which has since eased off."
Yet, the direction of VamCats allowed the company to launch a new project for personalising footwear: Brand your Shoes. "It was born out of a totally international commitment with a longer-term and wider objective than that of VamCats," says Soldevila, who adds that "we would never have done it without the experience of VamCats".
For his part, KeyCat's Mariano Lalana insists that his objective is "show the world beyond Catalonia that there is a linguistic community of some 10 million people, who speak a language that is not represented on computer keyboards." Thus, apart from in Catalonia, the product is also targeted at the wider Catalan linguistic community: Valencia, the Balearic Islands, Catalunya Nord and Franja de Ponent. "Our target is here. Because having 'L·L' on the keyboard is fantastic!".