Subscriber Discussion

Are Buyers Really Influenced By The NLE - Name Lettering Effect?

TC
Trisha (Chris' wife) Dearing
Apr 24, 2015
IPVMU Certified

The NLE or name letter effect is described by Wikipedia as:

...a person's tendency to favor the letters in their name over the other letters of the alphabet and it is one of the widest used measures of implicit self-esteem. Discovered by Jozef Nuttin, the name–letter effect has been the subject of much research over the last few decades, shedding light on subjects such as implicit egotism, academic and financial success, and even the idea that people gravitate to cities that resemble their names....

more detail from a Rady/Yale paper

People like their names and initials (Nuttin, 1987). In fact, this name-letter effect (NLE) is influential enough to encourage the pursuit of name-resembling life outcomes and partners. For example, Toby is more likely to buy a Toyota, move to Toronto, and marry Tonya than is Jack, who is more likely to buy a Jaguar, move to Jacksonville, and marry Jackie...

If true, perhaps manufacturers should consider branding choices based on regional name distribution statistics...

But although statistically confirmed by numerous studies I'm having a hard time believing it.

I mean just because someone's name happens to be Alex, would they really be biased towards Avigilon? Or would an Ethan really prefer Exacq? Or if one just happened to have a last name of Dillabaugh could that really attract them to Dahua? Or even if one had a name of say, Lindgren, why would that mean one might be predisposed to indigoVision? ;)

Ridiculous.

But that's not to say it's not useful. In my case:

It was shown that students with names that started with the letter C or D were more likely to have lower grade-point averages, thought to be due to the students being less averse to the lower grades because the signifying letters of those grades corresponded with their initials. Wiki

They say only C or D but I'm imagining the effect can only be worse with C and D, which allowed me to blame my parents for my poor scholastics due to naming negligence and failure to provide at least a offsetting middle initial. Which was awesome...

Thoughts?

Avatar
Brian Rhodes
Apr 24, 2015
IPVMU Certified
TC
Trisha (Chris' wife) Dearing
Apr 24, 2015
IPVMU Certified

Correlation does not equal causality...

True. On the other hand it typically does mean either

  1. A causes B
  2. B causes A
  3. C causes both A and B
  4. Coincidence

I would say that it's more likely that our name causes us to like similarly named brands, #1, than we adopt a similar name of the brands we like, #2.

but I'm intellectually open, what do you think?

Correlation is not causation but it sure is a hint...

TC
Trisha (Chris' wife) Dearing
Mar 08, 2016
IPVMU Certified

I'm imagining the effect can only be worse with C and D, which allowed me to blame my parents for my poor scholastics due to naming negligence and failure to provide at least a offsetting middle initial. Which was awesome...

Forget lower grades in school, now I get to die sooner too. ;)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1240174/Why-Ant-live-longer-Dec--A-beginning-D-wipe-10-years-life.html

Avatar
Ari Erenthal
Mar 08, 2016
Chesapeake & Midlantic

Explains why I like Samsung cameras so much.

(2)
TC
Trisha (Chris' wife) Dearing
Mar 08, 2016
IPVMU Certified

Well, now that you brought it up, the obvious question is how do you feel about that much maligned multi-imager manufacturer to whom your entire first name is embedded within?

Now I am not accusing you of actually preferring or liking Arecont in any way; let's be clear if it exists at all, NLE is a minor effect, it's not gonna make Donald Trump buy a Daewoo Truck or anything...

But, have you ever felt a strange pang of empathy, however fleeting, when they repeatedly end up as the punch line for every amateur comic on IPVM, (see above).

I have not, at least not like I do with Canon and Dahua oddly.

;) and :)

U
Undisclosed #1
Mar 08, 2016
IPVMU Certified

Take a look at Uniview, they're #1

Avatar
Jon Dillabaugh
Mar 08, 2016
Pro Focus LLC

So does Dearing have an attraction to Dahua?

TC
Trisha (Chris' wife) Dearing
Mar 08, 2016
IPVMU Certified

Da.

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