The Creation of Appropriate Product and Brand Names

The entire Matrixx Initiatives, Inc., product line uses the Zicam brand name. Company management believed that Zicam was a good name because it was unusual, and therefore memorable. The name actually came from the technical features of the product. ˜˜Z is the chemical designation for zinc, and ˜˜icam was included because the product is effective in blocking the icam receptors in the body. These are terms that are recognized only by medically trained people and were not intended to be known by the consumer.

As line extensions were added under the Zicam brand name, names were created that simply described the functions of the product. The allergy relief products were called Allergy Relief, and the cold remedies were called Cold Remedy. The swabs were simply labeled Cold Remedy Swab and Cold Remedy Kids Size Swab. The nasal decongestants were labeled Extreme Congestion Relief and Sinus Relief. The nasal moisturizer was simply called what it wasNasal Moisturizer. The idea was to use the Zicam brand for all the products, then clearly tell the consumer the purpose of each specific product.