The Lane Bryant catalog, which sells plus-size women's clothing, recently renamed itself Woman Within. The new brand name had been a sub-brand name for fifteen years, used only for the catalog's underwear line. Tate Linden at Stoked Brands admires the new name for "taking risks" and expressing "empowerment."
I'm not so sure.
My reflexive response on seeing "Woman Within" was to think of the old, maligned chestnut: "Within every fat person there's a thin person longing to get out." Maybe that's intentional: after all, "thin" is the second syllable of "within."
My second thought: "Woman Within" is too similar to Inner Self, a shopping-mall lingerie chain owned by Sara Lee. (Yes, the baked-goods maker--which thanks to its Hanes, Playtex, and Bali brands is the biggest underwear retailer in the U.S. Synergy is a strange, strange thing. And while we're disclosing, let me add that I played a small role in the name-development process that eventually led to Inner Self.) "Woman Within" is being used only for the catalog division of Lane Bryant, which is currently owned by Redcats USA, a division of a bigger French retail brand; it won't come under the general Lane Bryant umbrella--parent company: Charming Shoppes--for another year.
Yes, it's all very confusing. And yes, Charming Shoppes should change its own name. Please.
Aside from its meaning, Woman Within is an unlovely four-syllable name that forces your mouth to do awkward calisthenics. Seems to me a smarter option would have been to build on the existing equity of the century-old Lane Bryant brand and modernize the original name to appeal to a new generation of savvy large-size customers. I'd have preferred to see a name like "Lane"--"Lane Bryant" on a diet, if you will--that suggests (a) one of those genderless modern female names and (b) a pretty street that invites strolling and window-shopping.
Meanwhile, just to be really confusing, Lane Bryant has launched a new retail concept specializing in plus-size underwear: Cacique. Cacique--pronounced kah-seek--occupies the opposite end of the naming spectrum from Woman Within: soft, romantic, evocative, and elegant. Never mind that cacique was the Spanish name for a tribal chief in 16th-century Brazil--doesn't it sound Frenchy? And just look at those curvy letterforms--c, q, a, e, and u. So voluptuous. So womanly. So on target. The only skinny letter in the word is "i," as in "it's all about me." Dave Young of Branding Blog and American Small Business points to this excellent article in the Philadelphia Inquirer about the opening of a Cacique store in the King of Prussia mall. Don't miss the slide show, which beautifully captures the happy excitement of shoppers and store staff. This is a brand that gets it.
My prediction: Woman Within will wither on the vine until Charming Shoppes, or some other absentee owner, comes up with a better identity and strategy. And Cacique? It sounds like big, big money.
cacique (ca-SEEK-ay) is CHEESE! que unfortunate crossover (?!) for underwear!
Posted by: cb | November 19, 2006 at 07:14 PM
Thanks for another link, Nancy!
Just to clarify... I'm not entirely won over by the name. I do encourage companies to take risks with their names - but I would also suggest that risking a name that is so easily twisted into an insult against the consumer is not a tried and true business practice.
How many plus-sized women do you know that would willingly wear a shirt emblazoned with "Woman Within" in huge letters?
The name almost actively prevents discussion of the brand outside of the intended audience because those that wear it don't want to open themselves up to the comments about the name (or the connotations.)
I'm not a fan. I am, however, intrigued. With so many issues this one is fun to watch.
Posted by: Tate Linden | November 20, 2006 at 06:53 AM
CB--Well, darned if you aren't right (as always!). I checked it out: yup, a brand of Mexican cheese called Cacique(r). Maybe they're the tribal chiefs of queso, quien sabe?
Tate--Thanks for your comment and clarification. I think the "T-shirt test" is a great one for any brand name...right up there with the "receptionist test" ("Hello, you've reached ____, how may I direct your call?"). If you can't say it 200 times a day without a tongue cramp or mortal embarrassment, or aren't willing to emblazon it on your chest, it's not a viable name.
Posted by: Nancy | November 20, 2006 at 07:57 AM
Cacique was already an underwear name once before: a sub-brand of The Limited, which had its brief heyday (pun only slightly intended!) 10-15 years ago.
Posted by: ksh | November 20, 2006 at 03:03 PM
KSH--The Limited used to own Lane Bryant (along with Victoria's Secret and several other brands), so that explains the Cacique connection. I was going to mention it in the post, but the genealogy was already pretty convoluted.
Posted by: Nancy | November 20, 2006 at 03:20 PM