Berlin, April 2023
Have you ever found yourself saying, "I'll Google it" or "I need a Band-Aid"? These brand names have become so ubiquitous that we use them to replace generic terms. From the old guard like Kleenex and Band-Aid to the tech giants like Google, Uber, Airbnb, Netflix. What does it mean when a company becomes synonymous with its product or service?
I've unilaterally decided to call this linguistic feat the "Synonym Company" phenomenon. Let's find out why!
TL;DR: Synonym Companies like Google, Band-Aid, and Uber have achieved a level of linguistic ubiquity that has made their brand names synonymous with their respective products or services. These companies have created a new language and changed the way we talk about the world around us.
The Old Guard
Synonyms we know and love:
Before the modern tech industry ushered in a new age of Synonym Companies, there were already plenty of household names that had become synonymous with their product categories.
Kleenex, for example, is used as a generic term for facial tissues, and Band-Aid has become synonymous with adhesive bandages. Post-it notes have even earned a place in the Oxford English Dictionary as a term for any small piece of paper with an adhesive strip on one end.
Other examples of Synonym Companies include Xerox for photocopiers and Velcro for hook-and-loop fasteners. These companies have become so iconic that we use their names without even thinking about it.
The Innovators
Creating a new language:
Fast forward to today, and we're seeing a new crop of companies perform the same kind of linguistic feat.
Take Uber, for example. The company's name has become synonymous with ride-hailing, to the point where we say "let's take an Uber" instead of "let's get a ride." Similarly, Airbnb has become shorthand for home sharing, and Netflix has become synonymous with streaming entertainment. Google has become a verb, with people saying "I'll Google it" instead of "I'll search for it online." Zoom has become the go-to term for video conferencing.
These companies have created new language and changed the way we talk about the world around us. But it's not just tech companies that have become Synonym Companies. Coca-Cola is often used as a generic term for any type of soda in some parts of the United States. People may also say "I'll FedEx it" instead of "I'll send it by express mail."
Here are a few more examples of phrases that show how these companies have become synonymous with their respective product categories:
“Let's book an Airbnb for our next vacation.” 🏖️
“I'm running late, so I'll just take an Uber to the meeting.” 🚘
“I'm going to Netflix and Chill tonight.” 🍿
“Hang on, let me Google that and find out.” 🔎
“Let's hop on a Zoom for our team meeting tomorrow.” 📞
“I need to go buy some Kleenex for my runny nose.” 🤧
“Can you pass me a Post-it for this note?” 📝
“I'll grab a Coke from the fridge.” 🥤
How Synonym Companies Emerge
Linguistic mechanisms:
Synonym Companies can emerge through various linguistic mechanisms, called antonomasia and synecdoche.
Antonomasia occurs when a brand name becomes a generic term for a product or service. For example, Kleenex and Band-Aid are both examples of antonomasia, as their brand names have become synonymous with facial tissue and adhesive bandages, respectively.
Synecdoche is when a part of something is used to refer to the whole, or vice versa. For example, "wheels" can refer to a car, or "sails" can refer to a ship. In the case of Synonym Companies, the brand name is used to refer to the entire product or service category. For example, "Google" is used to refer to any kind of online search, even if it's not done through Google. "Netflix and chill" has become a popular phrase to describe an evening with a streaming service, even if the actual service being used isn't Netflix.
🚨 Language Nerd Corner 🚨🤓
Since, we’re already in the weeds, let’s jump into the deep end:
Metonymy is a similar mechanism, where a brand name is used to refer to something associated with it, rather than the product or service itself. For example, "the crown" can be used to refer to the monarchy, or "Wall Street" can be used to refer to the financial industry.
Why We Say Airbnb Instead of Home-Sharing Service
Have you ever found yourself saying "let's book an Airbnb" instead of "let's find a home-sharing service?" You're not alone. Using brand names as substitutes for generic terms has become so common that it's almost a language of its own. But why do we do it?
For one, it's simply more convenient. Using brand names as substitutes for generic terms requires less effort and time to communicate an idea. It's easier to say "let's Google it" than to say "let's search for it online using a search engine." And when it comes to finding a place to stay, it's easier to say "let's book an Airbnb" than to explain the concept of home-sharing services.
But there's more to it than just convenience. These companies have tapped into our desire for simplicity and ease of use. They created products and services that were so intuitive and user-friendly that they quickly became the go-to option for people. And through clever marketing and branding, they ingrained themselves in our cultural landscape.
By becoming synonymous with the products and services they offer, these brands have become a part of our daily lives and the way we communicate. They're so widely used that they've become part of our everyday language, making them more convenient to use than generic terms. This has allowed them to stay top-of-mind and maintain their dominance in their respective industries.
So the next time you catch yourself saying "let's Uber there" instead of "let's take a ride-sharing service," remember that it's not just a matter of convenience. It's also a reflection of the power of branding and marketing in shaping the way we think and talk.
Conclusion
The Synonym Company phenomenon is a testament to the power of branding, marketing, and innovation. From Band-Aids to Ubers, these companies have become household names that we use interchangeably with their products or services. But as we've seen, each Synonym Company started with an innovative way of doing things and quickly discovered that there were no words in the dictionary for it.
So innovation often precedes and then defines language. The next time you find yourself saying "I need to Google that" or "I'll Uber there," remember that these words weren't always in our lexicon.
It's fascinating to think about what new words and phrases will enter our everyday lexicon in the future, and which companies will be behind them. One thing is certain: the phenomenon of the Synonym Company is here to stay.
It‘s interesting that all these Synonym Companies are of American origin. Will we expect Synonyms created by of Chinese Companies soon?