Spot the difference between these two boxes of Teapigs tea.

They look the same; they taste the same. The only difference is their names.

Once upon a time this ‘Everyday Brew’ was called ‘English Breakfast’. After all, this is Teapigs’ signature blend and their tea is fancier and tastier than PG Tips. But some of their customers didn’t know that. They kept asking them why they didn’t make a regular, everyday tea. Which was probably all the more galling because once upon an even earlier time (we’ve been drinking Teapigs since they were born), this tea was called ‘Morning Glory’. But no one had the foggiest what that was either.

When brands name their products they often jump straight to the creative, interesting names first. This is their name, their baby, and they want it to stand out. When Molton Brown asked us what we thought of ‘candelas’ (what they used to call candles) and ’emporias’ (shops), you can guess what we said. Swapping them back to everyday names swiftly cleared up a lot of SEO headaches they were having – no one types ‘candelas’ into Google. And with fewer brand-y names flying around, it’s easier for Molton Brown to showcase the names they want customers to remember.

So next time you’re coming up with a name for, say, a fancy gardening brand, remember it’s often best to call a spade a spade.