Royal baby name: Alexandra and James – marketers pick best baby names for monarchy brand

As royal baby excitement reaches fever pitch, marketing professionals have selected the best names for the new baby to continue the successful promotion of the royal brand – Alexandra and James. The results of the survey, conducted by marketing recruiter EMR, means marketers are flying in the face of the bookies' odds with Alice sitting at the top of the girls' stakes for some time.

Girls names

1. Alexandra
2. Alice
3. Diana
4. Olivia
5. Victoria

Boys names

1. James
2. Alexander
3. Richard
4. Henry
5. Matthew

The royal brand

The survey also shows the royal family brand is alive and well, despite several potentially damaging scandals over the past year, and a recent YouGov poll indicating the public's desire to strip away royal family funding to all but core members.

When questioned, 50% of marketing professionals agreed the royal family has done a good job of marketing itself successfully to the public over the past 12 months, 39% were neutral on this issue and only 11% thought the royal family had done a poor job.

Rachel Bowman, director at EMR, said: "The royal family is a divisive institution, on the one hand attracting visitors from around the world, boosting the UK's multi-billion pound tourism industry, with certain members notable for their work in diplomacy and campaigning for good causes.

"But others point out they are an unelected institution 'looked after' by the tax payer – costing 58p per head per year. Perched on this rather precarious platform, with the various ups and downs over the years, it is important that the royal family does all it can to promote its brand positively to the British public. According to marketing professionals, this is exactly what they are doing," she added.

Down with the kids

It appears that youth has been on the side of the royal family, with 90% agreeing younger members (such as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Princes George and Harry) have helped boost the institution's popularity. Just 10% thought that the younger elements had made no difference to the royal family's image and less than 1% of respondents indicated that younger members had actually damaged the royal brand.

Bowman added: "Certain younger members of the family have likely received a 'slap on the wrist' for placing themselves in situations that have not promoted a refined image of royalty.

"This hasn't dampened the royal brand and according to marketers has actually boosted popularity. It seems the youthful elements have provided what many may describe as a stuffy and outdated institution with a bit more of a human story the public can relate to."