Laughing Orange

Paints with two-word names outsell those named with one word or three words, reports Sanette Tanaka in The Wall Street Journal (3/8/13). At least that’s true of the 1,500 paints marketed by Sherwin-Williams. The two-word paint names (e.g., Laughing Orange, Jitterbug Jade, Messenger Bag) “make up roughly 61 percent of paint colors and 61 percent of gallon sales, according to Sherwin-Williams, which has more than 3,500 stores nationwide.”

Paints with one name (e.g., Bagel, Swimming, Vegan) “represent 35 percent of colors and 26 percent of sales.” Three-word names (e.g., Cut the Mustard, Toasted Pine Nut, Dollop of Cream), account for just “three percent of colors and two percent of sales.” Jackie Jordon, director of color marketing for Sherwin-Williams, does all the naming, and says the name’s word count “is less important than the meaning it evokes.”

Jackie keeps a database of “over 10,000 names” which she matches to colors as they are developed. She “draws inspiration from … books, song lyrics, foods and places.” Some fun facts: “Thirty-percent of blue colors have a water reference in the name” and “28 percent of pink/red colors have a flower reference.” Twenty-five percent of greens reference food and 13 percent of browns reference chocolate. Real-estate agent Sandra Salander says that good paint colors not only help sell a home, but also at “a higher price.”