An Interview with Zhe Zhang
Mickey D’s Has More Street Cred Than McDonald’s: Consumer Brand Nickname Use Signals Information Authenticity
How would you describe the overarching concepts behind your article, "Mickey D’s Has More Street Cred Than McDonald’s: Consumer Brand Nickname Use Signals Information Authenticity," in the most simplified way?
You might have gotten coffee at Timmies, eaten at Mickey D’s, bought something from Crappy Tire, and driven a Chevy. Brand nicknames have been around for years. However, little academic research has paid attention to this phenomenon and marketers do not know much about what to do with their popular nicknames. For example, brand managers seem to hold different perspectives about the value of brand nicknames. Some brands embrace the nickname while others restrict their use. McDonald’s, for instance, “officialized” its nickname Macca’s in Australia. In contrast, the CMO of Chevrolet tried to ban the use of the popular brand nickname “Chevy” and even had a “Chevy swear jar” in the company hallway to “accept a quarter every time someone uses ‘Chevy.’
My research found that the inclusion of a nickname in user-generated content signals that the user has a genuine relationship with the brand, making the information provided as true and credible, and increasing potential buyers’ confidence in the testimonial. In simple terms, brand nicknames demonstrate street cred, especially in the digital world. The findings suggest that brand nicknames reflect genuine consumer language and resonate well in conversations among consumers. Therefore, brands should rely on consumer use of nicknames to communicate trustworthy brand information.
In addition, given the prevalence of brand nickname use in consumers’ online communications, the research highlights the importance of nickname protection. Considering the legal battle Canadian Tire had with a consumer (who is actually from London, ON!) over the nickname “crappy tire,” it is important for brands to take necessary actions to trademark their popular nicknames and protect possible nickname domains. Meanwhile, brand nicknames provide promising opportunities for marketers to strategically utilize popular nicknames to maximize brand presence in the digital landscape, such as the inclusion of nicknames in search engine optimization (SEO) and social media profile management.
What was the motivation to speak specifically to this matter?
It is very popular and interesting phenomenon. And I am especially excited about the useful insights this research could offer to managers.
Who are your collaborators?
Vanessa Patrick from University of Houston in Texas
Do you have future plans for this research? If so, what are they?
Yes, brand nicknames is a fascinating phenomenon but not enough academic attention has been paid to this area. And practitioners are left with little guidance about what to do with their popular street names. My future research plans to provide more practical insights for practitioners.
Did you have any particular influences with this specific content/article
The different approaches marketers take about their nicknames (e.g., how McDonald’s and Chevy did it differently) motivated this research.
Read more about the article here