On the psychology of pharmaceutical trade names

28 Dec
2003

The Science of Naming Drugs (Sorry, ‘Z’ Is Already Taken)

It has often been noted that drug makers have favorite letters, and that they run the gamut from X to Z. Think Nexium, Clarinex, Celebrex, Xanax, Zyban and Zithromax. But why are these letters so popular?

“Some letters look better in print, make sounds people like saying and are associated with innovation,” said Steve Manning, the managing director of Igor, a San Francisco branding company. “X is associated with science fiction, high tech, computers, automobiles and drugs.” As in “The X Files” and “The Matrix,” Xerox, the Lexus and the Microsoft X-box.

James L. Dettore, president of the Brand Institute, a branding company based in Miami that has tested 8,400 drug names in the last seven years (its successes include Lipitor, Clarinex, Sarafem and Allegra), said the letters X, Z, C and D, according to what he called “phonologics,” subliminally indicate that a drug is powerful. “The harder the tonality of the name, the more efficacious the product in the mind of the physician and the end user,” he said.

And I just hate that he is correct. But he is correct. And that says something about marketing to physicians and patients. And it just should not matter. But it does.

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3 Responses to On the psychology of pharmaceutical trade names

Avatar

Dr. Kranky

December 28th, 2003 at 8:16 pm

Zithromax (ack, spit, ptooieee!)
Xanax
Zantac
Atarax
Lasix
Zyrtec

Avatar

LibraryGryffon

December 29th, 2003 at 12:10 pm

Could this be the real reason why the cillins and the mycins have fallen out of prescription favor? As much or more that they sound less effective as that they are less effective?
/tongue in cheek

Avatar

steve manning

January 4th, 2004 at 6:25 pm

I’m interviewed in that article and my final quote has me agreeiing with db that these phonologic constructions shouldn’t matter.

If anybody is futher interested in the brand and name strategies in this industry, I put together a taxonomy of bio / pharma names here: http://www.igorinternational.com/biopharmataxonomy.html

As well as an article about naming and branding in this space here: http://www.igorinternational.com/better-naming.html

And an analysis of the Avlimil brand here: http://www.igorinternational.com/avlimil.html

Thought they might be relevant. Keep up the good work.

Steve Manning