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Feb. 8, 2003. 01:00 AM

Ford plays name game with popular Windstar minivan
Auto maker says new moniker fits redesigned vehicle Critics contend it's confusing for consumers

TONY VAN ALPHEN
BUSINESS REPORTER

One naming expert calls it the "Ford Fiasco."

Others say Ford's move to rename the Windstar minivan, a key model in the auto giant's lineup, with a word starting with the letter F is just foolish.

"It's dangerous and a recipe for disaster," says Naseem Javed, president of ABC Namebank International. "It will cause confusion and chaos for consumers."

But the company, whose slogan at one time was "Ford has a better idea," thinks changing the familiar Windstar name now makes a lot of sense.

Ford says dealers in Canada and the United States promoted the idea of a name change. The company listened, conducted its research and concluded that the timing was right.

They say it fits perfectly with a $600 million redesign of the Ford minivan. The company will unveil it at auto shows in Toronto and Chicago next week. The new model will arrive at dealer showrooms in the fall.

"When you drop a name like Windstar, it's a big decision," Ford of Canada president and chief executive officer Alain Batty said yesterday. "It's not that Windstar is not a good name. It's a question of what is the best for marketing the product which has significantly changed."

Ford won't officially reveal the new name of the minivan, which is built exclusively in Oakville for a worldwide market, until the auto shows. But insiders say the company has selected the moniker Freestar from about three or four contenders.

The company also picked that name because it conforms with a strategy to badge new vehicles entering the market for the first time with words that start with the letter F. It won't apply to some of the company's so-called "legends and icons" such as the Thunderbird and Mustang or its main roster of sport-utility vehicles. They all begin with the letter E.

Joe Greenwell, vice-president of marketing and operations for parent Ford Motor Co., said the company believes the new name will draw attention to the changes in the minivan and that, in turn, will help drive sales.

"The name will stimulate interest in the product and allow us to answer the question, `what's new?'" he said.

It's unusual in the auto industry to change the name of a vehicle. An auto maker will spend millions of dollars every year promoting and nurturing a name to build awareness with consumers and sales.

Industry watchers say a change is a gamble since the elimination of a brand means the company has to rebuild that identity with consumers. That takes more time and money and can cost sales in the process.

But company officials expressed confidence that their decision will work and noted the changes and improvements in the minivan alone should boost demand. Those improvements include a bigger engine, a significant overhaul in the interior and more safety features.

But Javed, author of Naming for Power, said Ford is heading for trouble by ditching the successful Windstar name, which hit the road nine years ago.

"It's stupid for them to sacrifice that brand for nothing and then spend money to explain the difference," said Javed, who has created corporate names such as Telus and Celestica. "Removing a successful brand is like taking the head off a personality."

Javed noted that conforming to the F nomenclature is the primary reason for the change.

"It traps the company under one letter for no legitimate reason," he said. "It's a trend these days of getting everything under the so-called umbrella of master branding. They might as well call this the Ford Fiasco."

There have to be more compelling reasons to change a brand name, such as trademark issues and consumer difficulty in identifying the product, he said.

Chris Yaneff, a veteran design and marketing consultant, said going to an F letter for a Ford model makes some sense phonetically to improve identification with the main brand but he wouldn't change the Windstar name.

"It's a good name," said Yaneff, whose credits include Square One in Mississauga, and The Beer Store.

Windstar sales have slumped in the last year in North America. It competes in a market loaded with entries including industry leader Dodge Caravan from DaimlerChrysler. Despite some criticism, Ford spokesperson John Arnone said the company has done its homework on the name change.

"Consider this: We may know what we're doing," he said.

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