The Nameless Brand

There are two perfumes I love. One is the Creed Aventus and the other is the Calvin Klein Euphoria Gold for Men. I like the way they smell. Their scent are pretty much alike but I know the difference. I know little about perfumes but these two caught my attention and I feel good when I use them. From using them I have learnt a little about perfuming, the art of making them (Chanel 5 comes to mind. Believe it or not, I have watched a documentary on the making of Chanel 5) and what it represents to the human race. Let me have a go at it.

A good perfume gives you confidence when you “wear" it. They evoke a presence. There are perfumes that when we use them, they lift our spirits and boost morale. Some of us, so use a specific perfume and they have become our signature scent. People know when you are around, when that aroma hits the air. In a way, that perfume becomes an extension of you. You have basically given personality to that perfume.

People have said that you can simply get attracted to someone because of the way they smell. Perfumes are rich in pheromones and makes fellas attractive. I am sure once in a while, you have talked to someone simply because they smell nice. It has happened to me once. I need to get to something urgently. Mrs Omin had given me a list of things to get and I quickly left the room and “anointed” myself with her flowery perfume. The easiest way to get there fast was using a keke (some call it Tuktuk or rickshaw in other climes). There was one lady in the vehicle but I negotiated with the driver to take me directly to where I would get what I wanted since she was to be dropped off in about a kilometer from where we were. When I boarded she could not help but notice my perfume. She passed me several glowing compliments within a short space of time. I was chuckling, which was awkward. When she finished her speech, I told her why I was giggling all the while. I had worn my wife’s perfume! It made her more intrigued. We laughed together and she requested for the name of the perfume, which I obliged. See how good I am? 😊

Back to the matter.

A perfume helps to enhance the mood, which can keep stress and other anxiety related issues at bay. You can use your favourite fragrance to beat your anxiety blues and lift your spirits. Many women who wear their mother’s signature scent do so to revive memories. A good perfume, like music, reminds you of people, events and places you have been. Most times, they remind us of our parents, vacations you took, people you met or a memorable occasion.

Great perfumes put us in a good mood. Which is a good perfume — the one you like, which others may not necessarily like🤣.

When you wear them and walk into a place, they can cause “wonderment". Perfumes and deodorants also do some other type of work — they help you fight body odour. They help keep unwanted body odour at bay and ensure that you smell good throughout the day. For those without body odour problems, you may not understand.

These attributes are the reasons why people pay top dollars for perfumes.

Why am I talking about perfumes today?

Well, this scripture came to mind.

A good name is better than fine perfume — Ecclesiastes 7:1

Yes as wonderful as perfumes are, there is something that trumps it — a good name. Names were mostly gotten from where people came from (origin), their vocation or jobs they did, circumstances around their birth, or by prophecy — people said what they wanted the outcome of your life to be.

When you were born, your parents put in a great deal of thought to come up with a name that was suitable for you. They wanted something good for you and then donated their surnames to you. But we have come to see that some names have died with history. A good example is the name “Goliath”. I have not come across someone that bears that name. It shows someone with loads of potential but with bad outcomes. As a Nigerian, the name “Anini” is avoided like a plague. Before the 80s, it was one other name but a certain Lawrence Anini made his descendants walk away from that name. Infact, in my childhood days, those who bore Lawrence regretted because their names directly linked them to Lawrence Anini. He brought shame to both names. That was the perfume, he left behind of both names.

Scriptures associates perfumes with names for a number of reasons. Here are some:

1. Perfumes, like names, require constant maintenance. You do not use a perfume once and hope for it to have an eternal effect. Same with names. Your name is maintained by your character. Character is who you are when no one is looking. Perfumes fade away and so does your character / name, if you do not maintain them. It takes drudgery to do the right things always, with the help of God, to have a good and great name. Constant maintenance produces enduring effect.

2. Perfumes fade away. This is same as your name. Maintenance is key. Your smell / scent will fall under gravity, if not maintained. Same as your name. What I am saying is that you have to put in the work to keep your name. Always and constantly doing things and thinking in the direction that reflects your character.

A good name is earned and passed on.

3. Names trigger memories. Same as perfumes. There are names that reminds you of that wicked primary school teacher or that person that aided you through a tough period. When I say “Enron”, what comes to your mind. How about “Congo”, “Messi”, “America”, “Peacock”? I am sure you get my drift. These names remind you of something — either good or bad. My question is, what memory do you want when people hear your name. Is it that of kindness? Is it that of a thoughtful person? Or that of……..you fill in the blanks.

4. A good name brings you favour. I have received quite some favour for being my father’s child. People have met me and did some amazing things for me because of my dad. On the other hand, my siblings have been favoured because of a reputation I created for my self in secondary school. My contemporaries in secondary school will remember me for my academic exploits (yes, I am “humble bragging" here.🤦‍♂️🤣 Permit me) however after almost 3 decades of leaving secondary school, my juniors remember me as the senior student that did not bully them and saved them from bullying from his contemporaries. You see, I never understood why senior students gloried in tormenting the junior ones. I made up my mind right from my JSS 2 not to bully. Thank God I kept to that. My brothers who later went to that school, benefitted immensely from that. Need I say more?

5. A good name is honourable — There is just something honourable when you have a great name. You walk with confidence. That confidence is far greater, better and bigger than the one a perfume gives. I kid thee not. I remember my dad taking me to a wedding in the nineties. He was the photographer of the events. He told me to be observant because this is how proper people behave😎. One of the Dafinone sons was getting married to an Efik lady. The Dafinones at one time held the Guinness world record as the family that every member was an accountant. They ran big business empires and were / are revered. My dad, who wanted me to dream big, took me there. He showed me what honour looked like. He showed me some people whom he felt were honourable and had a name to protect. Well, as you would imagine in such an occasion, the high and mighty were there and it was a great wedding ceremony that I enjoyed being part of. After the wedding, my dad told me to work hard, maintain a good name and character and success would be mine. It was a nice speech. Not entirely lost on me, but I enjoyed the ceremony more than the speech.

A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches. — — Proverbs 22:1

6. Your name is your brand. When people hear your name, they immediately remember your character. Same as the perfume. There is a way you wear your perfume often that it becomes a part of your brand. Most companies founded in the 19th and 20th century were named after their founders eg Ford, Cadbury, Eaton, Ferrari etc. Have you ever wondered why? Those founders, practically said, with their actions — “I am putting my name on this. If it is good, we swim, if it is bad — I sink with my name.” Period. Their names were all they had and they put it on the products. How you handle your name and character determines a lot about who you are. Brands take time, effort and money to project a positive image which is a part of their core values. You should do same for your name.

In all I have said, your name evokes an atmosphere. Your name evokes a response from people. Your name speaks volumes about you. Handle your name in such a way that you can hand it over to your sons and daughters. Handle your name in a way that it reflects a company that people want to work in. Handle it with care. Handle it wisely. Handle it with all you have. Because a name says more than the letters it consists. Your name echoes in eternity. #Selah

As you go on in life, you will make mistakes. Those mistakes are succinctly captured by Solomon, one of the wisest that ever lived in his compilation in Ecclesiastes, chapter 10 verses 1. Hear him….

As dead flies give perfume a bad smell,
so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honour.

Do as much as you can to avoid the little follies here and there.

Do as much as you can to stay consistent, especially when it is not convenient.

A brand, a company, an institution etc are built on the character of a man. That character is encapsulated in a name. That name should be protected and insured against the things that bring wo/men down.

May the good Lord help thee. Amen.

Let me conclude with the anchor scriptures/quote that we built this article on.

A good name is better than fine perfume,
and the day of death better than the day of birth.

What this simply means is that you use a life time to build a name. The day you leave this earth should be a day that we gather to celebrate your name.

The initial parts of this write up is here Possibilities & The Law Of Recognition, Possibility II: The Curious Case of Bassey & Word Problems, Possibilities III: “I Have A Dream” , Possibilities IV: Driving and Possibilities 5: Life In Reverse. You can check out my other works on personal development Asking, Managing Access In Relationships How To Ask, Authenticity, Life Skill: The Power of Saying “No”, Start Off; Look Up & Pedal Hard, 12 Unforgettable Leadership Lessons From The Lion King, InBuilt, Now I Arise, Life Hack: Accountability, Life Hack: Simplicity, Life Hack: Making Impact, Built In Failure, The Beautiful Art of Small Talk and “R” For Resilience. I also reviewed The Lion King and wrote about Movies That Shaped.

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