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“Google it.” “Can you pass me some Kleenex?” “Let’s take the Jet Ski out.”

These are just a few examples of how brand names have been worked into our common vocabularies. When people ask for a Kleenex, they usually just mean they want a tissue, but because the Kleenex brand is so popular, we’ve started conflating the popular brand name with the object itself.

It’s every brand marketer’s dream for their product, service, or website to become so ubiquitous it replaces the name of the original concept. In this blog post, we’ll dive into the stories of four brands that turned product names into verbs that then replaced the generic terms, along with lessons for marketers on how it was done.

What Is Verbification?

Anthimeria is the rhetorical term for what we’re discussing here: It’s the linguistic term for when we use one part of speech as another part of a speech, such as a noun for a verb. When it comes to branded words, there isn’t an exact formula to explain why some brands become “verbified” and others don’t. For example, why has Super Glue been “verbified,” but Gorilla Glue hasn’t?

Lots of brands have cracked the code for becoming a household name (or verb), and we’re diving into how we think a few technology brands accomplished it in this blog post.

Four Brands That Replaced Product Names

1) YouTube

What it Replaced:

Video streaming website YouTube replaced phrases like “search for a video” or “watch a video online.”

Used in a Sentence:

“You should YouTube the latest Saturday Night Live monologue, Kate McKinnon was hilarious in it.”

Why it Caught on:

A huge part of YouTube’s widespread popularity is its first-mover advantage — it was one of the first video hosting sites ever founded, and after Google purchased it in 2006, it started growing rapidly. Today, YouTube has more than 1 billion users worldwide, and it accounts for more than 15% of all internet traffic globally.

YouTube has maintained its popularity over more than 10 years with a variety of innovative advertising techniques. Because YouTube is a subsidiary of Google, the biggest search engine in the world, it has the advantage of being one of the first search results when users conduct Google searches for videos. Check it out: When you conduct a Google search for “cooking tutorial videos,” YouTube is the first search result:

Instead of only advertising YouTube online and on social media platforms, in the past several years, YouTube started advertising video creators with billboards, TV ads, and print ads to broaden its reach.

Another factor that’s played a role in YouTube’s popularization is the decline in cable TV subscriptions, especially among younger video viewers. Now that so much video content is available for free online, more viewers are heading to sites like YouTube, Netflix, and Hulu to consume videos, TV shows, and movies they enjoy.

Takeaway for Marketers:

Mix up your advertising strategies to keep exposing your brand to new audiences. A healthy blend of advertising on social media platforms, search engines, and print publications could help generate more interest and recognition of your brand. Here’s our guide to getting started with social media advertising if you need inspiration.

2) Photoshop

What it Replaced:

Adobe Photoshop software replaced any and all terms related to photo editing and manipulation.

Used in a Sentence:

“That picture was definitely Photoshopped.”

Why it Caught on:

Like YouTube, Adobe Photoshop benefited from first-mover advantage: It was one of the first digital photo editing software programs of its kind when it was released in 1990. Because it was first on the scene, other photo editing software created later were judged against Photoshop, which helps spread word-of-mouth recognition further.

Additionally, as other Adobe software was created, the new products were integrated seamlessly with Photoshop, making it easier for designers and visual content creators to do their jobs within the Adobe Creative Suite of products. It’s easier to use a product that works well with others you need to use for your job, rather than piecing together a system that requires multiple programs and types of documents to work together.

Takeaway for Marketers:

Help make it easier for your audience to get things done during the workday. Could you integrate with larger companies, social media platforms, or APIs to make customers’ lives easier? It could be something as easy as partnering with a video hosting company to embed high-quality videos in blog posts, or providing easy links to embed social media sharing buttons on your website that could make the difference in your brand’s stickiness and popularity. Try our Website Grader to see where you could improve the health of your site.

3) Google

What it Replaced:

Search engine Google replaced generic terms for searching for information online.

Used in a Sentence:

“Just Google it.”

Why it Caught on:

Unlike YouTube and Photoshop, Google wasn’t among the first of its kind. There were numerous search engines already available, such as Yahoo! Search, Ask Jeeves, and AltaVista, which Google Search has since come to dominate. 

Its simple homepage is easy to use and navigate and doesn’t bombard visitors with a ton of ads or images. Here’s a comparison of how Yahoo! Search and Google Search homepages appear to see what we mean. Which site would you prefer to use?

Google’s algorithm delivers arguably superior results for searchers with the help of different ranking tools and signals. Because search engine optimization (SEO) has become a must-have part of any content marketing strategy, more marketers are trying to get content to rank in Google Search. This helps searchers find the information they’re looking for faster when brands optimize website content according to how people try to find information.

Like other search engines, Google built an array of complementary apps and services, such as Gmail, Google Maps, and others. Google also made sure to do it right and launch a successful rollout of these newer products after its technology had been completely nailed. Google scaled when it was ready, which resulted in great products people loved to use and share with their friends.

Takeaway for Marketers:

Two lessons marketers can implement from Google? Design a simple, easy-to-navigate website, and don’t start scaling up too quickly. We have a guide for redesigning your website the right way here. As for the second piece of advice, don’t grow too quickly if your brand starts expanding its scope. In 2011, the Startup Genome Report determined premature scaling was one of the biggest predictors of startup failure, so make sure your primary product — software, goods, or advising — is perfected before you start growing your business further.

4) Skype

What it Replaced:

Video calling and chatting app Skype replaced the term “video chat.”

Used in a Sentence:

“Skype me when you’re in Europe.”

Why it Caught on:

One of the most appealing aspects of Skype is how affordable it makes an essential thing (phone calls). Skype eliminated the need for calling cards or international phones — with one app, Skype made phone calls cheaper and video calls easier.

A less scientific reason for Skype’s success is the name — it’s catchy and easy to say. Let’s face is, “make a video call” or “call someone internationally” are unwieldy to say, Skype has the advantage of having a short, pithy brand name that is easier to say than the generic term. Shorter names are also easier to remember, which likely helped Skype gain a foothold in the crowded world of messaging apps.

Takeaway for Marketers:

Marketers can learn from Skype that it’s important to have a clear value proposition for your brand’s product or service. If your brand makes something cheaper, easier, or more efficient for people, make sure your audience knows about it so they can start using it. Make the value of your product clear and easily understood in all messaging, from your website to your social media posts. We’ve even designed templates to create your own calls-to-action (CTAs) to add to your web assets to get the ball rolling.

Everyone Wants to Be Popular

There are varied opinions on if brand names becoming verbs is good or bad for business. There’s potential risk for the terms becoming generic as time passes, or for product copyright to be infringed upon. Even Google specifically warns against using the trademark term as a noun or a verb on its website. But isn’t all press good press?

We’re not saying if you follow by Google or Skype’s example, your company’s brand name will become the next big verb. Let’s face it — that’s pretty rare, and it’s especially challenging unless your brand is the first of its kind in a particular industry. For now, until your brand becomes the next big thing, try some of the strategies that made these brands so successful for greater brand visibility and recognition. If you’re looking for ideas how to get started, check out our guide to social media and public relations branding.

Do you have a lot of brand names in your vocabulary? Share with us in the comments below.

Video is crushing it on social media. Videos on Facebook are shared 7X more frequently than links, Snapchat users watch 10 billion videos each day, and video ads on Twitter are twice as memorable as other ads on the platform.

So, how can brands take advantage of high levels of video engagement on Twitter?

Adweek analyzed Twitter’s Online Video Playbook and distilled meaningful statistics and suggestions for brand and content marketers to leverage the power of video ads. One statistics stands out: 82% of Twitter users interact with brands on the platform. That’s a huge segment of Twitter’s 800 million monthly visitors with which brands can share unique and engaging video content.

Check out the infographic below for more statistics, trends, and suggestions for how to drive engagement with your next video ad on Twitter. 

Taking on a branding project for a small business can be a valuable opportunity for agencies and freelancers to develop experimental creative work without the intense pressures and restrictions associated with larger accounts.

While big businesses often have multiple decision makers with very specific ideas and guidelines to keep their existing brands consistent, smaller companies are usually more open to exploring new creative directions, and can move faster to implement them.

If you need some more convincing that working with small businesses can result in some stunning creative work, we’ve put together a list of 15 small business branding examples to get you inspired for your next project.

15 Examples of Small Business Branding

1) Elo Soap

When traditional Greek soap manufacturer Elo needed a fresh look for their new Greek god-inspired line of olive oil soaps, they turned to designer Mike Karolos at Smirap Designs to create something that would stand out in a sea of touristy Greek gift shop items. 

“The biggest goal was to be different, unique, and eye catching,” Karolos said in an interview with The Dieline. “Although the Greek god theme in tourist shops here in Greece is very common, by using my illustration signature style we managed to give a different take on an overused theme. The result was a modern, fresh, and at the same time kind of traditional packaging due to the theme we chose.” 

Images via Mike Karolos on Behance

2) AND UNION

These craft beer cans from German brewery AND UNION balance minimal design with a complex, unexpected texture. The team at AND UNION designed the unique cans in-house with the goal of breaking through the idea that only cheap beers come in cans.

“There is still that stigma, even though many craft brewers before us have done such a great job in educating the consumer, we want to do our bit too,” co-founder Rui Esteves said. “We wanted to create a can that you hesitate to throw away after you’ve had the beer. I end up leaving stacks of these empty cans in my kitchen because I feel bad throwing such a beautiful thing in the recycling.” 

Images via The Dieline

3) Folklorious

Barcelona-based designer Quim Marin developed this stunning branding for online accessories boutique Folklorious. Marin incorporated excerpts of classic artwork, illustrated design, and photography with modern graphic elements and typography. The end result is an eclectic, stylish, and truly unique brand identity. 

Images via Quim Marin on Behance

4) EAT MY SHORTS!

EAT MY SHORTS! (Yes, that’s an intentional Simpson’s reference) is an independent, gender-neutral clothing line by fashion designer Malena Blas, who worked with Mexico City-based designer Tomás Salazar to create a contemporary brand identity and packaging solution.

The company’s shirts are packaged in pastel-colored metallic pouches with no reference to gender, and the trendy cotton candy hues are used throughout the brand’s promotional materials.

Images via Tomás Salazar on Behance

5) Zonzo Estate

Swear Words, an Australian design firm, was tasked with creating a sophisticated, energetic rebrand for Zonzo Estate, a winery, restaurant, and popular wedding destination in Melbourne’s Yarra Valley. 

The redesign is surprisingly modernistic for a rustic winery. The work is centered around a versatile, floating-letter logo that looks classic in gold foil, and youthful and fresh when printed in outline on a menu cover. 

Image via Swear Words

6) Qoñi

This small artisan community in Peru was branded head-to-toe by Leo Burnett Design, the design department of Leo Burnett’s Canadian branch.  

“We created the brand’s identity from top to bottom, giving it a name, wordmark, brand story, lookbook, promotional material, and retail tags,” the Leo Burnett team writes on their website. “Qoñi, meaning warmth in the region’s native language, was perfectly suited to the brand’s line of cozy alpaca goods.”

Image via Leo Burnett Design

7) Lune Croissanterie

Lune is a futuristic bakery with a serious, scientific commitment to perfecting their signature pastry. It makes sense then that their branding — developed by Melbourne-based agency A Friend of Mine — combines science and baked goods in the form of a croissant-tailed spaceship logo. 

“The packaging we designed features diecut ‘hyperdrive’ ventilation slots in a galactic theme (taking cue from the name Lune) which acted as ventilation for the pastries, paired with a subtle glitter print for a further cosmic touch,” writes the team from A Friend of Mine on their website. “We also redesigned their much loved rocket motif, and we couldn’t resist adding a little croissant in our update.”

Image via A Friend of Mine

8) Tenth Muse Botanical Fragrance

Thanks to Studio MPLS, this botanical fragarance startup has a charming, Victorian-inspired brand identity that still manages to look modern. Tenth Muse creates custom perfumes from natural, sustainably sourced ingredients, and their packaging and promotional materials elegantly “combine[s] clarity and beauty with intrigue and mystery.”

Image via Studio MPLS

9) Bombay Electric

Bombay Electric is a upscale fashion select store located in Mumbai, and their vibrant, kaleidoscopic new branding was created by Paris-based designer Michael Thorsby.

“When approaching the work to put a new image on the company I knew that there was no way around colors and vibrancy,” Michael writes of the project on his portfolio website. “Framed by a rather minimal typography and grid, the intense color gradients are drawn to look like blurry abstract photographs, as if taken inside an Ann Veronica Janssens installation.”

Image via Michael Thorsby

10) Glorioso Super Nutrients

These seed packet-inspired supplement packages from Spanish superfood company Glorioso Super Nutrients are simple but delightfully whimsical, each featuring an abstract circle motif representative of their contents. 

Glorioso’s entire brand identity, which includes a range of colorful business cards, was developed by Barcelona-based agency Requena. The circle motifs are used throughout the brand’s website and other promotional materials. 

Image via Requena Office on Behance

11) Notel

This decidedly unconventional hotel demanded some especially bold branding choices, and agency Self Titled definitely delivered. Notel consists of six reconditioned Air Stream trailers parked on a roof, and Self Titled was brought in to provide art direction and develop a strong brand concept for the entire operation. 

As the agency explains on their website: “The name and logo explicitly express the idea that this is ‘not a hotel’, with a subtle nod to the slashed ‘no symbol’. Celebrating the best of Melbourne, reframing both high and low culture, Self-titled created the brand positioning — ‘reflecting and reframing Melbourne’. This helped inform the reflective surfaces, cut-out logo and a website design which reveals and reframes layers of content.”

Image via Self Titled

12) Marte Estudio

Classical art, bright colors, and modern design elements come together in the branding for this Mexican hair and makeup studio. Created by design agency Bienal, the eclectic physical space and promotional elements were developed to reflect the bold, vibrant personality of Marte Estudio‘s creator, Mariana Abraham.

Image via Bienal

13) Robinson’s

When you think of an auto body workshop, great branding probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. But thanks to agency Parallax, Robinson’s Accident Repair Center has a sleek, retro-inspired logo, minimal branded materials, and interiors to match. 

Image via Parallax

14) Sneaky Veg

Mandy Mazliah created her blog Sneaky Veg to chronicle her family’s experiences eating healthy food. When she needed some clever, stand-out branding for the blog, designer Vicki Turner cooked up these designs.

“I was asked to create Sneaky Veg’s brand identity that captured the sneaky yet good intentioned methods of making wholesome fruit and veg recipes into firm kid favourites,” said Turner on her website. 

Image via Vicki Turner

15) Doctor Manzana

Doctor Manzana is a technical support shop for smart phones and tablets located in Valencia, Spain. They wanted a way to attract a new audience for their services and products, so they reached out to the folks at Masquespacio Design to create a new brand identity.

The Masquespacio team explains on their website: “A brand was designed to attract different kind of customers from fashionistas to geeks, traduced here into several kinds of colors through a brand image that plays continually with the angle of 54 degrees formed by the reflection of the mobile phones’ screen.”

Image via Masquespacio Design