Best Buy is a successful, multinational retailer, but have you ever wondered how the company got its name? A name is an essential part of any brand, having the power to make or break the company. In the case of Best Buy, the name contributed to the company’s ability to grow and flourish into the household name it is today.

About Best Buy

Best Buy is a multinational supplier of electronics based in Minnesota, USA. It currently operates in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, as well as the Chinese market as part of Five Star. The company has experienced significant success over the past 55 years and remains a strong player in the consumer electronics space. It has 125,000 employees, 1,600 stores throughout North America, and an annual revenue of over $40 million. 

The beginning of Best Buy

Founded in 1966, Best Buy was initially called ‘Sound of Music’ like the iconic movie. It began as a single store in Minnesota that specialized in the sale of high fidelity stereos. The store was opened by Richard Schultz, who took out a second mortgage on his home to personally finance the store, and a business partner. The risk paid off and by 1967 Sound of Music expanded rapidly with the acquisition of Bergo Company and Kencraft Hi-Fi Company. Incredibly, the company made $1 million in revenue. 

In 1969, the company had increased to a collection of three stores and its financial success meant that Richard Schultz had the means to buy out his business partner. The company continued to grow over the following years, reaching a total of 9 stores across Minnesota by 1978.

How Best Buy got its name

In 1983, the company underwent a rebranding exercise and the Sound of Music chain was given the new name of ‘Best Buy Company Inc.’ Before this strategic change, the company had one clear audience: 15 to 18-year-old males. The rebrand and decision to expand its product range to include VCR machines and other household appliances meant that Best Buy was able to expand its target market. 

The company also adopting a business model that focused on low price and high volume. It wasn’t long before Best Buy established a strong reputation as a provider of affordable electronic products. 

While several strategic decisions contributed to the company’s ongoing success, the name change facilitated this progression. Had the organization retained the Sound of Music name and brand, it would have faced significant challenges as it tried to appeal to a broader market. Changing the name of the company as part of the rebranding exercise provided clarity for consumers and helped the brand to solidify their new direction.

The Journey of Best Buy

After the rebranding, Best Buy went from strength to strength. It became a public company in 1985 and was on the New York Stock Exchange by 1987. In 1992, the company hit an exceptional milestone, making $1 billion in annual revenue.

The company continued to expand over the next decade, with various acquisitions. They began operating across the USA and even entered international markets as a reputable supplier of electronic goods. 

Today, they remain a hugely successful retailer operating in a number of international markets. With the number of people working from home rapidly increasing, Best Buy has experienced spikes in sales. The future appears bright for the longstanding company and it certainly doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.
There’s no denying Best Buy has had some serious triumphs since its inception, however we can question whether it would have experienced the same level of success had it not rebranded in the 1980s. While it is impossible to know the answer, it is not unthinkable to assume its ability to transition to a wider audience so seamlessly was strongly supported by the name change. It sure does demonstrate the importance of choosing the right company name!

Without a doubt, one of the major benefits of technology is its ability to make our life much easier. We’ve gone from horses pulling carts, to cars and airplanes. But besides transportation and communication, nothing personifies convenience like credit cards.

Just a century ago, if you liked something at a store and wanted to get it, you’d need to either have a stack of cash, or a pile of coins—No kidding, that’s how it actually happened. We can’t even imagine how stressful life must’ve been for anyone planning a shopping spree before the introduction of Visa cards.

Visa: The King of Credit Cards

Visa Inc. is an American global financial service corporation that pioneered the widespread use of cash access programs and services like credit, debit, and prepaid cards.

Since the ‘50s, Visa has led the world towards faster and safer electronic payment methods. The company currently stands as the leading card-based payment organization, second only to China’s UnionPay.

In 2019, Visa Inc., a leader in its industry, had over 1.14 billion Visa cards in circulation around the world, customers used these cards in over 142 billion transactions that generated an amazing $2 trillion. And MasterCard, one of its closest competitors, only brought in $910 billion that year.

To understand how Visa became the King of credit cards, we need to revisit and discover what triggered the emergence of Visa cards.

Visa In The Beginning

Back in the ‘20s, the financial sector was experiencing a major shift, and it was all because of the introduction of several card payment systems by independent bodies.

Although major oil companies, hotel chains, department stores, and gas stations had used payment methods like the air travel card, charge coins, and charga plates, there was a problem.

What problem? For one, every business had created a payment system customers could only use in their store and nowhere else. This resulted in customers having to carry multiple cards whenever they needed to patronize multiple stores.

There was a need for a central card that could handle all transactions, irrespective of the business. Organizations like Diners Club, Carte Blanche, and American Express all tried to solve this problem, but none of them could successfully establish a robust system.

But it all changed in 1958 when the Bank of America made a powerful entrance with the BankAmericard, an effective system that revolutionized the sector and provided the much-needed boost the industry needed to grow to where it stands today.

So, why haven’t you heard of BankAmericard today? That’s because in 1976 both the local and international division of BankAmericard changed their names to Visa USA, and Visa International.

Why did this happen? Let’s take a look.

Why Is Visa Called Visa?

Understand that introducing BankAmericard to the credit card debacle by the Bank of America, a major US bank, went a long way to restore the faith of customers and merchants in the system. It assured them that their financial transactions were safe and guaranteed.

And it was this assurance that prompted customers to embrace the system completely. But it didn’t end here because the Bank of America took it a step further by distributing free BankAmericard to both customers and merchants.

This way customers were certain that their store supported BankAmericards, and merchants were sure their customers had BankAmericards.

The plan was a success, and by the end of the decade, BankAmericard had distributed over 100 million credit cards to the American population. But to achieve this success internationally, BankAmericard had to make strategic alliances with notable banks in Canada, France, Japan, UK, Spain, and several other nations.

And like you must’ve guessed, the alliance process wasn’t perfect. There were occasional overlaps in the system. Overlaps that had Dee Hock—a manager at the National Bank of  Commerce—brought in to resolve the issue.

Dee Hock convinced the Bank of America to allow BankAmericard to go independent. Hock became the first president and CEO of the National BankAmericard Inc., and in 1974, the NBI was restructured. 

It became the International BankAmericard Company (IBANCO) a multinational member corporation that had the sole duty of organizing the international BankAmericard program.

And it was under this premise that Dee Hock picked Visa as the new name of the company. According to Dee Hock, Visa was chosen because it was short, easy to recognize and understand in multiple languages, not to mention that it gave customers the perception of access.

Although Dee chose Visa, a powerful financial brand name, he wasn’t quick to divest the brand from its past. The new brand maintained the original blue, white, and gold flag of BankAmericard.

Visa worked perfectly and supported the growth and success of the company as a leading electronic funds transfer facilitator in the world. 

Although you may not be aware, Walgreens has made it their purpose to champion the health and well-being of every community in America, and yes, they’re doing a spectacular job.

Now, if there’s anything America’s sweet Golden Age of Capitalism brought to the world, then it’s great companies, one of which is a drugstore that rose from ashes to achieve a height—and history—only few can dream of, and that company is Walgreens.

Walgreens rose from being just a regular neighborhood store to becoming one of the largest pharmacy store chains in the country. Today, Walgreens has earned a solid reputation as the best and affordable destination for prescription medications.

The company operates over 9,000 drugstores in every state of America, not to mention that it serves an astonishing 8 million customers daily. The company’s vast network of shops employs almost a quarter-million employees.

But How Did It All Begin?

Understand that Walgreens wasn’t always the giant it is today. In fact, the store started as just a neighborhood store until Charles Rudolph Walgreen Sr., its founder, came along in 1901 and started the company.

But before Charles Rudolph started his company, he’d worked as a staff in Horton’s Drugstore in Illinois at the age of sixteen, a company that eventually failed. Charles Rudolph’s time with Horton’s Drugstore led him to take up a career in pharmacy.

He registered his company in 1893 and moved to Chicago, where he bought the drugstore he’d briefly worked in. It might surprise you to learn that Charles Walgreens original store was fourteen times smaller than the company’s stores today.

A New Dawn

Armed with his ambition, enthusiasm, and creative business mind, Charles Rudolph made a strategic move by venturing into drug manufacturing. And this strategic move was the very way Charles ensured he delivered high-quality products at lower prices to his customers. In 1916, with only nine stores, Charles R. Walgreen Sr. incorporated his company.

But it doesn’t end with the incorporation because in 1922, during the prohibition era, he took the non-pharmaceutical route, built an ice cream factory, and created his most iconic product, the malted milkshake. The malted milkshake performed so well with its target audience that in four years it helped the company secure its 100^th store in Chicago.

Why Is It Called Walgreen?  

To understand how Walgreen got its name, we’d have to travel back to the 9^th of October 1873 when Charles Rudolph Walgreen Sr., Walgreens’ founder, was born to the Family of Carl Magnus Olofsson, a Swedish-American immigrant.

And one of Carl’s Swedish histories was the Wahlgrens’ name. A name that’d first been used by Sven Olofsson, Charles’s third great-grandfather, during his military service in the 1790s for his homeland, something his family took great pride in.

So it didn’t surprise us that Carl Magnus Olofsson, on arrival to America—the land of freedom, and golden opportunities—took up his family’s prestigious name, Wahlgren. Perhaps to symbolize a conquest and a new beginning for his family.

Interestingly, the Walgreen name was borne by six families within 1880 and 1920 in the US alone.

And when the time came for Charles to name his e-commerce company, he represented his brand with his family’s reputable name and to prove how powerful the Walgreens name is; the company hasn’t undergone a rebrand over a century since it was created. Not to mention that it became the official surname of the family since the time of Charles.

The decision of Charles Rudolph Walgreen Sr. to use his family’s name as the name of his business was a step in the right direction because it made it easier for his business to stand out in the market. 

Today, Walgreens is a successful company worth billions because customers didn’t just see it as a company, they saw Walgreens as a person, a brand, they could trust with their health needs. 

Have you ever seen your favorite sitcom star wearing a dress that’s seriously irresistible? Maybe a hero from your favorite film has an iconic “look” that you can’t put together by visiting ordinary clothing stores. Wish you could just order an outfit as you see it on the screen? This is what Asos offers to the public, as a service. 

ASOS is an acronym for “As Seen On Screen”. Not many of their buyers are aware of this fact. It cleverly describes with great eloquence, exactly what the company does. They recreate the clothing and cosmetics seen in popular films and on TV, making these iconic pieces available to the general public to own. They have been called the ultimate e-commerce success story of Britain. 

Originally, the brand adopted the tagline: “Buy what you see on film and TV”. Some of the pieces that were most popular during their early days included the red leather jacket that Brad Pitt wore in the popular film Fight Club. 

ASOS: A brief history

The clever enterprise was started by two ordinary British men with a genius idea: To recreate the amazing clothing and accessories ordinary individuals see on TV and in films. These men are Nick Robertson and Quentin Griffiths. 

They were destined for success from their initial idea. Their creative service catered to a unique need by adding luxury and style to the must-have essential everyone needs – clothing. Added to that, they positioned themselves with trendy and slightly cheeky branding that aligns itself with the youth, their target market. 

Another event that cemented the company’s success was their admittance to the AIM (Alternative Investment Market) on the London Stock Exchange, meaning that their shares could be floated.

ASOS the brand

Asos has an established brand identity that is decidedly young and trendy, aligning itself with many of the issues that matter to the younger generations. They promote body positivity by making their fashion items available in over 30 sizes. They embrace the non-stereotyping of genders, seeing fashion as an opportunity for self-expression with no limitations. 

The brand further aligns itself with the issues that matter to their target market by implementing strict ethical practices with regards to the sourcing and manufacturing of their good: “We have 168 suppliers who use 713 factories around the world. We’re serious about making sure every single person in that supply chain is safe at work, respected, and earns a living wage.”

Research into consumer trends indicates that the most effective way to future-proof a brand is to build an enterprise that’s based n solid ethics around sustainability and empowerment of the people involved in service-delivery and manufacture. 

Asos has achieved this: “We developed a world-leading Ethical Trade Strategy in 2017 and priorities include transparency; improving wages; health and safety; addressing and reducing modern slavery risks, and identifying and stopping child labor.” 

The brand’s name plays a significant role in its success 

As Seen On Screen, shortened to Asos, is short and sweet. The name gives the brand significant room for creative ad campaigns, something that few people factor in when they first embark on choosing a name for the company. 

One example of a highly effective ad campaign that hinges on the theme of the name is their #AsSeenOnMe campaign. Instagram users are invited to upload videos of purchased ASOS products on or used by themselves. 

How effective was the campaign? Well, everyone wants their moment to shine, publicly. Over 3 million people interacted with the video in the UK and this gained the brand significant publicity. 

This brand emphasizes the importance of choosing the perfect name for a brand. The creative process is natural for so many, but a completely mysterious and elusive concept to others. If you’re the latter, it might help to use a brand name generator to help you. 

People have always adored this brand. Their apparel might be based on sportswear, traditionally, but they have risen to become a trendy brand. 

Adidas clothing, shoes and accessories are proudly worn by fashion-conscious individuals from every walk of life, particularly the youthful and active members of society.

Adidas is a sports apparel brand with a special focus on sports shoes. The brand is based in Germany but quickly became the second largest manufacturer of prestige sportswear in the world, after Nike which was rated number one. They claimed the title as the most popular sportswear brand across Europe. 

Adidas: A brief history

What started as a single company between two brothers, became two separate entities, each claiming its own crowning glory in the world of sports apparel. Puma and Adidas were the result of a feud between two brothers from the family Dassler. The family originally began manufacturing shoes when the first world war ended, as their family business. 

The first step to success for the Adidas brand occurred in 1936 when track-and-field star Jesse Owen wore a pair of shoes that were gifted to him by one of the brothers. Owens enjoyed a winning streak and the shoes he wore got significant attention. 

This cemented the brand into the minds of many sports fans and the brand enjoyed significant positive attention as a result. 

However, the brothers, Adi (Adolf) and Rudi (Rudolph) had a feud which saw them ending their business relationship when they were unable to reach a compromise. They each started their own endeavour, giving birth to the two brands Adidas and Puma. 

Both brands have gained significant popularity among consumers and both brands are considered an authority in the sportswear industry. 

The brand’s image

The simplicity of their branding has certainly played a significant role in their success. The iconic three stripes in a mountain-like slant in monochrome black and white are synonymous with an image of sportiness, trendiness, and practicality. 

Their decision to write the brand’s name all in lowercase was a bold move for its time. Ignoring the rules of grammar in favour of a trendy image with a rebellious streak further built their brand in the minds of their consumers as an authority with a mind of its own. 

Adidas is actually the combination of the founder’s name and surname. His name was Adof Dassler, although he was nicknamed Adi. He took his nickname and added the first three letters of his surname, forming the word Adidas. 

There have been rumours among fans over the years that the name is actually an acronym for the phrase “all day I dream about sport”,and while it fits the brand, its image, and the phrase perfectly, it’s unintentional. 

The power of a name

Adidas is a simple and straightforward name that’s easy to remember. The name is iconic and aligns with the brand’s simple and black and white text and logo design. 

The brand’s target market is predominantly people (especially males) with an interest in sport and practicality. The simplicity in the branding sells the name, and as powerful due, they sell the image which sells the products. 

For some brands, finding a simple and effective name like this comes naturally. For others, the perfect name is elusive. 

Fortunately, with today’s technological advancements and innovative inventions, there are many resources that simplify tasks like choosing a brand name. This is an important step in cementing the success of your brand at a foundation level. Using a tool, like naming experts, can yield the perfect name to enchant your audience and gain you lucrative attention.