Naming Your Company?

IKEA: (eye-KEY-uh)

World’s leading home furnishings retailer, known for affordable design and function

Where does the name ‘IKEA’ come from?
(choose the one best answer)

a. Infamous misspelling of the word “idea” in founder’s business plan to investors.

b. A random letter-string, it was a short internet domain name that they could get.

c. Derives from the Scandinavian “ike hea” which means “some assembly required.”

d. Acronym trademarked in 1943 stands for Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd.

With more than 220 stores in over 30 countries around the world featuring over 12,000 products, it’s hard to imagine the original IKEA sold matches and pens – from a bike! But the world changed with the introduction of Danish Modern modular furniture, and flat packaging which sent that furniture home in a box. It all goes back to that cold day in 1926 when an enterprising young man named Ingvar Kamprad was born on the family farm known as Elmtaryd, in the south Swedish town of Agunnaryd -- so D is correct.

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About Steve Cecil: As a short-form copywriter and 9-letter novelist, I select only the choicest morphemes for my delicious verbal confections. So call or email now for the most succulent appellations this side of, well, the Appalachians. For example:

When First American Corporation wanted to signal their commitment to assisting non traditional homeowners in emerging markets, I listened hard and named the new credit scoring program ANTHEM (which stands for Assisting Non Traditional Homeowners in Emerging Markets). Sometimes it’s simple, but it’s never easy. Here’s another:

Recently I renamed popular ESL curriculum software publisher English, Baby! Now known as Versation, their new suite of recruitment and alumni management tools help leading international colleges and universities create new dialogue between prospective students, current students, former students and their respective academic communities.

You see, I work to discover the genuine ‘aboutness’ of your company (or product, or service), then translate that promise into authentic brand expression for the marketplace. A typical project takes about a week, delivers about 300 names and costs about $2500.

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Steve Cecil, Neologist
Manufacturers of Fine Ideas
Post Office Box 1484
San Carlos, CA 94070
phone: 650.595.2856
www.wherewords.com

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