"Oh Niels, we've decided to use italics for the second word in the product name!"
No problem, I thought, and adapted the variable definition to include a character-style switch:
<Default ¶ Font>Name <!italic>touch<Default ¶ Font>
No problem indeed, except for cross-references :-{ The ToC shows Name touch where I've used the variable in headings, the headings show Name touch in the correct font … but cross-references show Name touch. OK, in this very particular case I could be result-driven and replace Name touch in the cross-references with Name touch. It would be good to know, though, whether there's some finesse I'm missing – always possible, always educational.
The cross-reference format, by the way, is simply
<$paranum> <$paratext>
Thanks in advance for any help on this! if you need more information from me, just ask.