Latest / The Marketing Funnel Podcast with Fexingo: Awareness, Interest, Decision, and Action Stages / How Trader Joe's Builds a Marketing Funnel on Product Names
Transcript
- Lucas: Trader Joe's spends basically nothing on advertising. Zero TV, zero radio, zero paid social. Yet their stores have lines out the door. The question is — how? And I think the answer is hiding in plain sight on every shelf. Luna: The product names. You're going to say it's the product names. Lucas: Exactly. Trader Joe's entire marketing funnel is built on how they name things. It's not just branding — it's actually a complete funnel from awareness to decision, all driven by a few words on a label. Luna: So let's walk through it. How does a name create awareness? Lucas: Think about 'Two Buck Chuck' — that's the nickname for their Charles Shaw wine. The name itself is so memorable it becomes a piece of pop culture. People who've never set foot in a Trader Joe's know that name. It creates curiosity. If you hear 'Two Buck Chuck' and you don't know what it is, you want to find out. Luna: And it also tells you the price point, which is a value proposition baked into the name. That's efficient marketing. Lucas: Right. And they do that across categories. Their frozen Indian food is branded 'Trader Joe's' but with regional flair. They have 'Trader Ming's' for Asian, 'Trader Giotto's' for Italian. These names signal authenticity without being generic. Luna: It's almost like they're borrowing the equity of those cuisines. Even if you've never heard of the brand, the name 'Trader Giotto's' sounds Italian, so you assume it's legit. Lucas: Exactly. That moves you from awareness into interest. At the interest stage, the name does the work of positioning the product. For example, they have a cookie called 'Speculoos Cookie Butter.' The name 'Speculoos' is specific — it's a Belgian spice cookie — so it sounds artisanal. But it's in a jar, spreadable. The name creates intrigue. Luna: And it's also fun to say. People share the name with friends. That's word of mouth marketing built into the product. Lucas: That's the decision stage. When you're standing in the aisle, the name has to tip you over. Trader Joe's names often include a descriptor that answers 'what is this?' For instance, 'Mango & Cream Yogurt' is straightforward. But then they have 'Cinnamon Schoolbook Cookies' — the word 'Schoolbook' evokes a nostalgic shape. You picture it. Luna: So the name is doing the job of the packaging image. And they keep the packaging itself very simple — mostly white labels with black text. So all the weight is on the name. Lucas: That's the key insight. Most retailers use packaging design, images, and slogans. Trader Joe's strips that away and puts the investment into copywriting. Every name is a tiny headline. And it works because their customers are educated and appreciate the wit. Luna: I remember seeing a bag of 'Ghost Pepper Chips' — the name alone tells you it's spicy. But they also had a 'Scorpion Pepper' version. The names create a hierarchy of heat. You know what you're getting. Lucas: And that decision stage is also driven by scarcity. Trader Joe's is famous for limited-time products. They'll introduce 'Pumpkin Spice Everything' in fall, and the names change. 'Pumpkin Spice Pretzels' — you know it's seasonal. The name itself creates urgency. Luna: So they're using the name to signal both the product and the window of availability. That's clever. Lucas: And then the action stage is the purchase. But the name also drives repeat purchase. If you loved 'Chile Lime Chicken Burgers,' you remember the name. You go back looking for it. The name is the anchor in your memory. Luna: So it's a closed loop. The name creates awareness, generates interest, helps you decide, and then becomes the recall cue for the next purchase. Lucas: Exactly. And the beauty is that this costs them nothing additional. They're not buying ads. They're just naming products well. But it's harder than it looks. Think about how many products on grocery shelves have generic names like 'Organic Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce.' Trader Joe's would call theirs 'Tomato Basil Fresco' or something with a twist. Luna: They also use names that tell a story. I bought a frozen meal called 'Palak Paneer' — that's fine. But they also have 'Butter Chicken with Basmati Rice.' It's descriptive but somehow sounds more appetizing than a generic brand. Lucas: And they avoid negative associations. They had a product called 'Everything but the Bagel Sesame Seasoning' — the name is playful and tells you exactly what it's for. It became a cult hit. That name is a full sentence. Luna: So if we're applying this to other businesses, what's the takeaway? I think it's that your product name should do multiple jobs — inform, intrigue, and be memorable. Lucas: Right. Most companies treat naming as an afterthought or a creative exercise. But Trader Joe's shows that naming is your entire marketing funnel if you let it. Every time someone picks up a product, the name has to sell it. Luna: And if you're a small business, you can't afford TV ads. But you can afford a good name. Lucas: That's exactly the point. A single great name can generate more word of mouth than a billboard. And Trader Joe's has thousands of them. Luna: It's also worth noting that they have a unique advantage: they control their own store brand. So they can name products however they want without a retailer pushing back. Lucas: That's true. But any business with a product can apply the same thinking. What's the one phrase that would make someone stop and pick up your product? That's your name. Luna: Alright, so we've covered the funnel. But let's talk about the action stage more — how do they convert that into loyalty? Lucas: The loyalty comes from the experience that matches the name. If you buy 'Cinnamon Schoolbook Cookies,' they better taste like the ones you remember. Trader Joe's delivers on that. So the name creates expectation, and the product meets it. That's repeat business. Luna: And they use names to create a sense of discovery. Every visit you might find something new with a clever name. That keeps the shopping trip exciting. Lucas: That's the awareness stage working continuously. The names themselves are mini billboards in your cart. You're carrying their marketing home with you. Luna: Honestly, if today's episode made you think about how you name your own products or just sparked an idea, that's exactly the kind of value we aim for. And if you'd like to support the show — we keep this podcast ad-free — you can do that at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Lucas: Yeah, it's a small gesture that goes a long way. And it helps us keep digging into fun case studies like this one. Luna: Exactly. So back to Trader Joe's — one more underrated thing: they rename products that are essentially the same as commodity items. Their 'Organic Peanut Butter' is just peanut butter, but the name 'Organic' shifts perception. They're selling the attribute. Lucas: And they avoid jargon. You won't see 'high-fructose corn syrup' on their labels because they don't use it. But they also don't say 'no HFCS' — they just call it something like 'Creamy Salted Peanut Butter.' Simple. Luna: So the lesson is: your name is the first and sometimes only ad you have. Make it count. Lucas: And if you want to see a real-world library of great names, just walk into a Trader Joe's. They've built a whole business on it.