Latour's law illustration
Marketing / Branding / Business Strategy
Marketing / Branding / Business Strategy

Latour's law

Naming matters, but asymmetrically.

Popularity
Usefulness
Aliases
Product-name principle
Domains
Marketing, branding, product naming, business strategy

Definition

  • Latour's law holds that a good product name cannot rescue an inferior product, but a bad name can sink a good one.

Core Idea

  • Naming matters, but asymmetrically.
  • A great name does not fix a weak product.
  • A poor name can hold back even an excellent product.

How It Works

  • A strong product with a poor name struggles to be noticed or trusted.
  • A weak product with a clever name still fails on its merits.
  • So naming protects downside more than it creates upside.

Usage Example

  • An excellent product saddled with a confusing or off-putting name sells poorly, while a catchy name cannot save a product that disappoints buyers.

Famous Example

  • Example: Cited as Latour's law on product naming.
  • Why it fits this rule: It captures the asymmetric power of a name.
  • Verification status: A marketing maxim; specific attribution is not well verified, but the principle is common branding wisdom.

Use Cases / Situations Where It Applies

  • Product and brand naming decisions.
  • Avoiding names that undermine good products.
  • Branding strategy.

When Not to Use or Common Misuse

  • Do not assume a good name alone drives success.
  • Do not neglect product quality in favor of clever naming.
  • Do not ignore cultural and linguistic naming pitfalls.

Rule Invention / Origin

  • Invented by: Attributed to "Latour"; provenance uncertain.
  • Year of invention: Unknown.
  • Country / context of origin: Popular marketing literature.

Evidence / Research Basis

  • Consistent with branding research on the effects of product names and the primacy of product quality.