Typo Disasters: When Bad Fonts Cost Fortunes
Can a font choice really cost a company millions? From a single misplaced letter that nearly bankrupted a business to a logo redesign that sparked global outrage, typography is a…
Tag: branding
The Science of Phonaesthetics
Why does "cellar door" sound so beautiful to English speakers, regardless of its meaning? This is the central question of phonaesthetics, the fascinating but little-known field that studies the inherent…
The Billion-Dollar Word: Naming Products for the Globe
What's in a name? For a global brand, it could be a billion dollars. This post explores the high-stakes world of linguistic consulting, revealing the phonetic and semantic traps that…
The Linguistics of ‘Google It’: When Brands Become Verbs
Ever wonder how "Google" went from a company name to a common verb in our dictionary? This article explores the fascinating linguistic journey of brands that become household words, from…
Lost in the Supermarket: Brand Name Linguistics
Why did the Chevy Nova supposedly fail in Spanish-speaking markets? This cautionary tale, though likely a myth, highlights the high-stakes world of global branding where linguistic blunders can be costly.…
The Character with a Secret History: How a Roman Scribble Became the Ampersand
The ampersand (&) is more than a simple stand-in for "and"; it's a linguistic fossil with a secret history. This ubiquitous symbol began as a quick ligature by Roman scribes…