The name Rolex

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by George58

I second that.

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[ol' Rex]

Originally Posted by RTG

A name that was to be no more than five letters. A name that was pronounced the same throughout all of Europe’s wealthiest languages. A name that could not be claimed or associated to any one nation or culture. IT WAS MASTER CLASS MARKETING that created more wealth and success than any rooted name you could have come up with. What matters is where you are, and what you can do with what you have right now. Roots are worthless. Hans Wilsdorf knew his name would’ve sucked on watches, regardless of his roots. It was perhaps the biggest part of Rolex success.

With exception of low IQ individuals who will buy and wear uncomfortable shoes for the sake of style, people don’t buy products they can’t read or pronounce. They also don’t buy products from people they believed to be their enemies. A name like Wilsdorf would’ve reeked of Germany, and destroyed the brands potential in the first half of the 20th century.

Originally Posted by RTG

Your instincts are correct. In marketing, it’s less important to know what’s right, and more important to know what’s wrong. Hans Wilsdorf knew the importance of a name, he took a logical, educated approach to choosing one. It should be taught in businesses 101, and probably is in many schools.

People use AP, PP, RM, JLC, etc. because many don’t know how they are pronounced or spelled, and don’t want to embarrass themselves if they speak or write them incorrectly. That has negatively affected each brand. They succeeded in spite of their names, because they have made great products or do other things incredibly well. There names have not helped them one bit. The name Rolex did help, and is part of an amazing success story.

I recently turned down the opportunity to invest in a company because they’re stuck on stupid and insist on using a name that nobody can spell, and nobody knows how to correctly pronounce. Their business plan is solid, but they will fail, and their name will be a big part of it. When someone wants to buy a product, but can’t figure out how to find it in the search bar, they end up buying something else.

Very insightful and 100% correct.

[drhr]

Originally Posted by RTG

Your instincts are correct. In marketing, it’s less important to know what’s right, and more important to know what’s wrong. Hans Wilsdorf knew the importance of a name, he took a logical, educated approach to choosing one. It should be taught in businesses 101, and probably is in many schools.

People use AP, PP, RM, JLC, etc. because many don’t know how they are pronounced or spelled, and don’t want to embarrass themselves if they speak or write them incorrectly. That has negatively affected each brand. They succeeded in spite of their names, because they have made great products or do other things incredibly well. There names have not helped them one bit. The name Rolex did help, and is part of an amazing success story.

I recently turned down the opportunity to invest in a company because they’re stuck on stupid and insist on using a name that nobody can spell, and nobody knows how to correctly pronounce. Their business plan is solid, but they will fail, and their name will be a big part of it. When someone wants to buy a product, but can’t figure out how to find it in the search bar, they end up buying something else.

Great information, and makes a lot of sense

[INC]

I always wondered where the name Rolex came from. And I think, I figured out a plausible reason:

ReLaX > move "a" to the second position, add "o" the the fourth, and you get an Alpha to Omega inside the relax which last "e"ternety. The perfect five letter word, which is full of emotions, even if you don't think about it. But if you say it, you will feel all of this in one.

What do you think about it?

[RyanJ]

Originally Posted by Cwillis0001

And the vast majority of higher end watches have never been heard of by anyone outside of the watch space. Rolex does not have that problem. Rolex one hundred percent set itself apart with a great, universal name. It's amazing to me that anyone can't realize that.

They are not famous because their name is so good. They are famous because for a very very very long time Rolex spent more money on advertising than every other watch brand combined.. I mean it is a nice name but marketing is what makes things famous. With that said, I am happy that having a Rolex makes you happy. I wish there were more happy people in this world.

And guess what.. Rolex was originally named Wilsdorf & Davis when it was a British company.

[Old Expat Beast]

Originally Posted by brandrea

I always love to sit back and wait for Adam to chime in.
Well done

Originally Posted by White Collar Boy

x2! Interesting photos and new information to me, thank you Adam.

The other thing… Leave Ralph alone! (JK)

Originally Posted by George58

I second that.

Thank you