How to Make a Brand More Appealing: Give It a Feminine Name

The article's primary focus is brand names and how their connotations are related to how the brands are viewed and associated with by the clients. The author presents information from different research findings that exemplify how feminine names are associated with trustworthiness, sincerity, and other desirable values that brands would like to associate with (Ward, 2021). While there is a positive association between clients and brands with feminine names, the author posits that it is the opposite for male products associated with brands with famine names. The author also says that according to research carried on actual brand names, top brands such as Coca-Cola and Honda, and Ikea incorporate an element of linguistic into their names. Fewer brands have masculine-sounding names and even much less have neutral names. 

The article is published by Dow Jones & Company in New York. This impacts credibility by showing the company's affiliations, ideologies held by the company, and possible bias in publishing. At the same time, it signifies whether the publishing is done by a non-partisan entity or a neutral entity. Also, through such information, it is possible to know other entities the firm publishes for, analyze the extent of the authenticity of the information published, and probably how the company scrutinizes the information presented before it is published. The article was published on May 21st, 2021. This shows the information is current and relevant to today's audience. While bias is not apparent, there is increased analysis and emphasis on feminine names, hence, possible indirect bias. This is because the author does not give a balanced analysis of feminine and masculine brand names and their advantages. Besides the above, another concern is the lack of citations and references. The author says research was conducted but does not cite the research sources from which the information is derived, and neither presents factual information on the process, outcomes, and research implications. This matters because the audience cannot ascertain the truth of the information presented. Since source materials are not used, it is hard to understand whether the information presented is facts or opinion. Therefore, the credibility of the author is questionable, especially in carrying out research and presenting evidence-based findings. 

References 

Ward, L. (2021, May 21). How to make a brand more appealing: give it a feminine name. https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-to-make-a-brand-more-appealing-give-it-a-feminine-name-11621620001