The Origins of Famous Brands

Every day in our live we use lots of trademarked products with brand names. Although many brand names are simple acronyms(首字母缩略词)or come from their founders, some of the companies we are in favour of actually have fascinating and surprising back stories.

Starbucks

It seems fitting that the most famous coffee brand in the world would take its name from one of the world’s greatest works of literature. The inspiration for the name of the coffeehouse came from Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. The founders’ original idea was to name the company after the Captain Ahab’s ship—Pequot, but they eventually decided that Pequot wasn’t a great name for coffee, so they chose Ahab’s first mate, Starbucks, as the name instead.

Google

Google was originally called BackRub, for it searched for links in every corner of the Web. In 1997, when the founders of the company were searching for a new name showing a huge amount of data for their rapidly improving search technology, a friend suggested the word “googol”. When a friend tried to register the new domain(域)name, he misspelled “googol” as “google”.

Nike

Originally founded as a distributor for Japanese running shoes, the company was originally named BRS, or Blue Ribbon Sports. In 1971, BRS introduced its own soccer shoe, a model called Nike, which is also the name for the Greek goddess of victory. In 1978, the company officially renamed itself as Nike, Inc.

The right name is essential to a company’s success, and a great origin story is just as significant as a great product. An attractive origin story is one more thing that keeps customers guessing, wondering, and buying its products.

【小题1】Which book inspired the name of the coffeehouse?

A．Herman Melville	B．Starbucks.
C．Herman Melville’s Moby Dick	D．Pequot.

【小题2】Why did the founders of the Google want to change its name?

A．The company’s search technology was improving rapidly.

B．They wanted new customers.

C．The company’s original name was too long.

D．They mistook their name.

【小题3】Why is the right name essential to a company’s success?

A．It can change the company’s image.

B．It makes customers imagine and purchase its goods.

C．It explains the development of the company to customers.

D．It can add myth to the company.