How Marriott successfully uses the power of a name

A group of youngsters stand in line.

A soccer ball lies at their feet.

Two boys, the strongest ones, stand out from the rest.

They begin sizing up the lot. Which one is the fastest? Who is the strongest? Which one will help our team win?

The captains abruptly, succinctly begin barking out names.

The candidates wait expectantly for their name to be called.

When they hear their name (Bob, Gary, Jose, Ahmed), a small smile appears on their face. “Yes, I wasn’t the last to be picked,” they think, hiding a smirk. Their name means acceptance, belonging, affirmation.

There’s another, more sinister story around the power of your name.

A group of troublemakers make a mess of the classroom while the teacher is out of the room. Papers are strewn across the floor, desks are bunched together, a backpack fight ensues.

The startled teacher returns and bellows a name: “Billy!!!! Are we making good choices? Young man: you now have a date with Principal Hughes.”

In both of these cases, your name holds your immediate attention. Everything else becomes background when your name is heard.

During a recent car rental experience, the following tag hung on the rear view window when I entered the vehicle:

Now, my name isn’t Frank, but I was immediately drawn to the ad. Other ads have been immediately removed from my rear view window without a second’s thought.

This ad for Marriott’s TownePlace suites, however, stood out because it got my attention with Frank.

Because of this attention-grabbing name, I browsed the benefits:

• Spacious Suites
• Full Kitchens
• Free Breakfast
• Friendly Service

It may seem common sense to use a person’s name when interactions happen. You might be surprised, though, at how often we as marketers, business owners, friends miss this opportunity.

Follow Marriott’s lead and find creative, eye-catching places to weave a name.

Your customers won’t forget you.

Until next time,

Dan Naden