A Symbol That Resonates Deeply

Branding Begins with the Name: The Name as a Message

It is said that there are approximately 290,000 different surnames in Japan. While most ethnic groups have systems to distinguish households, the number of family names within any one culture rarely exceeds a few hundred — making Japan’s naming structure uniquely complex.
Why is this the case? According to cultural historian Makoto Takemitsu, this reflects a deep-seated respect for surnames as messages passed down from ancestors. Though the tradition of surnames was once interrupted during the Edo period, the current system dates back to the Kamakura era — meaning that, for centuries, Japanese people have inherited not only names, but meaning and identity.

In branding, too, the name — the brand name — serves as the smallest unit of recognition and the most powerful signifier of a brand’s characteristics and history.

There is no brand without a name.

Behind every name lies the enterprise’s background, its activities, and its story — all distilled into a single word. For brand owners, the critical challenge is how to embed meaning and messaging into the name and symbol so that they resonate with stakeholders. A strong name and logo are often more effective than any amount of advertising — powerful tools for shaping consumer perception and internal alignment alike.

This approach is not new. Since the 1970s, many Western companies — including Coca-Cola, Kodak, and Olivetti — have adopted corporate branding strategies that treat symbols as strategic instruments of marketing and management.

Now, let us consider the case of corporate branding in Japan.

In earlier years, there existed a massive government-run telecommunications entity known as Denden Kōsha (the former Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Public Corporation), which had annual revenues of ¥5 trillion and over 320,000 employees.

In 1985, following the enactment of the NTT Privatization Act, this organisation was restructured as Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT), marking the end of 115 years of public ownership. This transformation was part of a broader, national-level strategy — a shift from monopoly to competition, from bureaucracy to industry, and from traditional telephone services to next-generation communications.
The branding initiative that accompanied this transformation began with the development of the corporate brand “NTT.” The three letters — along with the blue Dynamic Loop logo — rapidly gained social recognition and became a unifying symbol for internal renewal. It stood as an emblem of the company’s transition into a future-oriented enterprise.

While today “NTT” may feel like an ordinary, established brand name, at the time it was a bold and controversial move. Public reactions were mixed. However, the brand laid the groundwork for further transformation.
Later, the organisation’s various divisions began to operate independently under distinct brands — NTT Data for data communications, and NTT DoCoMo for mobile communications. These transitions were smooth and successful, thanks in large part to the strength and clarity of NTT’s original brand communication. It would not be an overstatement to say that the brand enabled and empowered the organisation’s decentralised evolution.

Symbolic Output: Transforming a System of Meaning into a System of Expression

In 1992, seven years after the privatisation of NTT, its mobile communications division was spun off to form an independent entity — NTT Mobile Communications Network, Inc. — launching under the brand name NTT DoCoMo.
At the time (with capital of ¥15 billion), the primary products were still pagers (a trademark of NTT) and car phones. The notion that mobile phones would become so widespread was virtually unimaginable.

When the brand name DoCoMo was first unveiled, it drew widespread scepticism. “Why choose such a frivolous name?” “That sounds ridiculous. Will it even work?” Even within the company, a majority opposed the idea. Yet for the founding members, the name carried a profound intention and symbolic vision.

They believed that to grow beyond its origins, the brand needed to stand independently — ultimately shedding even the prestigious NTT name. They had learned from the 1988 spin-off of the Data Communications division, branded as NTT Data, that once the parent name was removed, what remained — “Data” — was simply a generic term. It lacked the distinctiveness required for a future corporate brand.

With this in mind, the team sought to create a name that was easy to read, accessible to all generations, and capable of conveying their vision. They wanted a brand that would carry meaning and intent for decades to come.

While the name DoCoMo is commonly interpreted as a play on the Japanese word dokodemo (“anywhere, anytime”), it is in fact an amalgamation of the phrases “Do Communications” and “Communications over the Mobile.”

The former, Do Communications, reflects a social and cultural perspective — advocating for a new “access culture” and a society where personal identity is affirmed and expressed. It captured the company’s intent to contribute to the evolution of communication culture itself.
The latter, Communications over the Mobile, articulated DoCoMo’s role as a provider: building mobile communications infrastructure, driving technological innovation, and delivering new, convenient services.

These dual perspectives — one oriented toward society and the market, the other toward technological provision — were unified in the development and deployment of the new brand, DoCoMo.

Symbolic Output as a Brand Communication Framework
Brand communication can be understood as the following sequence:
1. Condense the intended structure and meaning of the brand into a core promise.
2. Translate the value promise into symbolic elements — the brand name and logo.
3. Use these symbolic expressions as the core of an integrated brand communication strategy across appropriate media.
4. Develop tailored expressions that match the characteristics and triggers of the target audience.

This symbol-driven approach to communication is known as symbolic output. It lies at the heart of effective brand communication.
But symbolic output is not about translating a message literally — it is about triggering a schema change. By altering how something is perceived, you can shift the audience’s entire worldview, even when the objective reality remains unchanged.

So, what exactly is schema change? The next example — DoCoMo’s i-mode — will illustrate this further.

Schema Change: Awakening the Dormant Mind

The evolution of mobile telecommunications accelerated rapidly with the shift from analogue to digital technology. Mobile phones transitioned from being mere voice communication tools to becoming versatile media for data transmission. Beyond emails, users could now enjoy music through mobile streaming services, play games via downloads, and even make purchases — all from their phones. Mobile devices with built-in kettles or cameras soon became common, and it’s only a matter of time before such technology is embedded in fridges or pets. The day when one can cast a vote via mobile is likely fast approaching.

The mobile phone has ceased to be simply a phone. It has become a computing device, surpassing even the number of fixed-line subscriptions offered by its parent company, NTT.
One of the key drivers behind this exponential growth and diversification of mobile services was the advent of the service brand i-mode. It would not be an exaggeration to credit i-mode with reshaping the perception and use of mobile devices.
Had these services been positioned merely as “NTT DoCoMo’s internet access via mobile terminals,” their growth and market penetration might have been far slower and less extensive. Instead, by naming the service i-mode, a distinctive world of associations and a unique service personality emerged. The phrase “DoCoMo’s i-mode” evoked an immediate, accessible image — even for individuals with no prior interest in computers or the internet.
Although the technical reality was the same, changing the way it was framed and presented altered its perception. This is known as a schema change — a shift in how information is interpreted, akin to the Gestalt psychology example of a black vase: when viewed differently, the negative space reveals two white profiles.

Such schema changes trigger curiosity and unlock engagement from previously disinterested or dormant audiences, sometimes even prompting purchasing behaviour. In the case of DoCoMo’s i-mode, this conceptual reframing enabled even technically indifferent consumers to adopt advanced internet technologies via mobile.
As a result, i-mode became a symbolic output — a signature service that encapsulated the essence of the DoCoMo brand and was instrumental in propelling its growth.

Brand Voice and One Voice: Experience and Emotion

In July 2000, following the merger of KDD, DDI, and IDO, the brand “au” was launched as a challenger to NTT DoCoMo’s dominant position in the mobile phone market. While DoCoMo had long been the leader, advancing technology demanded that mobile phones become ever more human-centred and approachable.
Building on this philosophy, au positioned itself one step ahead of DoCoMo by centring its brand around Mobile & IP (Internet Protocol) technology, setting a value proposition of “I’m at the centre of the world.”
From the customer’s perspective, au stood for “access to universe” — a gateway to a multitude of worlds. From the supplier’s perspective, it meant “access to you” — a personalised connection.
The brand’s symbol and identity were designed around the theme of “wisdom and joy created through relationships with others.”

The Power of a Strong Symbol

At the core of any powerful brand lies a singular, piercing symbol.
Today’s world is inundated with information — so much so that, according to telecommunications reports, only about 9% of corporate communications reach their intended audiences. The rest simply dissolves into the digital sea.
In this fierce battle for attention, a clear and potent symbol is indispensable. Such symbols enable efficient and effective brand communication.
Yet, having a symbol alone is not enough. Many projects fail because the symbol is created but never fully deployed. Without consistent activation and exposure, even the best symbols might as well not exist for the audience.

Beyond the Symbol: Managing the Full Brand Expression
To deepen brand recognition and associations, it is essential to manage not only the symbol but also related elements — such as visual style, messaging copy, colour palettes, and typography — ensuring sustained, targeted communication.
All elements of expression must be integrated, delivering a consistent message in a single unified voice — commonly referred to in recent Western marketing practice as One Voice.
Increasingly, brands are striving to unify their communications — including digital experiences and in-store interactions — under this cohesive brand voice.

A brand must engage not only the left brain — the realm of recognition and understanding — but also penetrate deeply into the right brain, where emotion and empathy reside.
This holistic ensemble of expressions is what we call the brand voice.
In our next issue, we will explore this process further, tracing how brand awareness and associations develop through these communications.
(As a side note, the symbol for “OilliO” was developed by the same creative team behind “DoCoMo” and “au.”)