Nespresso Chinese Product Naming - Creating Intimate and Memorable Brand Names
Challenge
Nespresso faced difficulties in the Chinese market due to the complexity of its official product names, which hindered brand recognition and recall among consumers. Specifically, the pronunciation and spelling of the Lattissima One posed a communication barrier, limiting the brand's reach to a wider audience. Nespresso needed accessible and memorable Chinese product names to overcome these challenges and establish a stronger brand presence in China.
Solution
In early 2022 based on rigorous creative research into coffee culture, usage experience, and social buzzwords to amplify the unique selling point, Labbrand successfully created product names respectively for 3 capsules and Lattissima One: 小啡象[xiǎo fēi xiàng] little coffee elephant. The name is a play of phonetic association by replacing 飞 [fēi]with 啡, producing the same sound as the fixed phrase 小飞象 little flying elephant, giving a visual impression of the elephant-shaped machine, keeping the product association. The metaphorical expressions increase customer intimacy while bringing the machine a sense of pet-like intimacy.
Results
The Chinese product naming for 小啡象 has made the brand’s message appear more intimate and authentic to consumers which confers valuable “street cred” onto Nespresso. The product name has been used for a variety of online and offline touchpoints, including the official Chinese website, Weibo, RED, and significant E-commerce platforms like Tmall. It has also been promoted in the popular reality show "毛雪汪" which, according to media reports, has been viewed more than 180 million times online.
In 2022, we continued collaboration with Labbrand who created the product names for 4 hero products in Chinese. Among these, Lattissima One is the first coffee machine that owns a unique product name – playful, memorable and iconic. The whole creation process was enlightening as always. Today, with the launch of 小啡象, we look forward to sharing the distinctive yet enjoyable experience with all coffee lovers.
