The Taurus is Resurrected

One thing I don't understand about American car manufacturers is why they churn their model brand names so frequently. Think about how hard it is to get the attention of consumers and to build name recognition. Why would you want to throw that away?

Toyota and Honda have marketed the Camry, Corolla, Accord and Civic for decades. Everyone knows what these brands stand for. Can anyone keep Chevy's models straight? 

I've linked to a good article from the Name Wire that discusses the rebirth of the Taurus brand at Ford. For some unknown reason, Ford phased out this well-known model a few years ago and replaced it with the 500. Got that? Just throw out 20 years of brand equity and start over with a number that no one gets.

The new CEO has brought the old nameplate back and the car has been redesigned for 2010. What's interesting is the car has been pushed up market rather than positioned as an alternative to Camry and Accord. I think this actually makes sense given the current automotive climate and the success of Ford's Fusion in competing in the mid-size segment.

Back from the Auto Naming No-Man's Land, The Taurus Is Back!: Name Wire: The Product Naming Blog.