Mickey D’s you say…?

Last summer, a Z-Files focused on brand nicknames – “Tar-zhay” instead of Target.  “Mickey D’s” instead of McDonald’s. Brands often fight these consumer-inspired nicknames but resistance is usually futile. Once they are in place, there is no turning back.

New research in the Journal of Marketing puts a new spin on this idea. When consumers use a brand nickname, it is a signal to other consumers that that individual has a close attachment to the brand, and therefore imbues what that individual says about the brand with increased credibility.

That doesn’t hold true if the communication is coming from the brand itself.  In other words, if McDonald’s calls itself “Mickey D’s,” it doesn’t affect how people perceive the message.  If you call McDonald’s “Mickey D’s,” then what you are saying about the brand carries more weight than if you had said, “McDonald’s.”

The authors offer several implications. Encouraging consumers to use brand nicknames in referral programs might be a good idea.  Consumer reviews that employ a brand nickname could be placed near the top of a list of reviews.  Plus, on the legal front, brands should aggressively protect those consumer-inspired nicknames because they are a benefit to the brand – whether the brand likes it or not.