Social:Nia effect

Short description: Marketing theory

The Nia effect is the preference of consumers for shortened brand names over long ones and their tendency to trim long brand names into short ones.

In marketing

The Nia effect was first noted by Georgian marketeer Giorgi Pirtskhalava, who suggested that consumers might prefer short brand names over long ones and might shorten brand names. He noticed that short names are often used by couples in love to express their affection and close emotional bond, so it would be more profitable for companies to promote shortened versions of brand names.

Shortened brand names include acronyms and abbreviations, for example, GE for General Electric and Chevy for Chevrolet. Others include EA (Electronic Arts, GM (General Motors), IBM (International Business Machines Corporation), and Beamer or Bimmer for BMW.

Other examples include:

• Coke - Coca-Cola
• Bud - Budweiser
• Moto - Motorola
• Mac - Macintosh
• Amex- American Express

Companies often register brand nicknames and short forms as trademarks, as a way to avoid misleading use and cybersquatting and of generating goodwill for their brands at the same time.