Naming a brand or product is hard business. Everything seems taken, protected by trademarks that can stop you cold. A brand name is also personal. So, it’s difficult to get out of your own way.
Not to mention, will the name be memorable, meaningful, and important?
There are so many things to consider. I have led many naming projects over my 20-year career, so I’ve learned where the sink holes lie and where the smooth path resides.
If you’re creating a brand name for your company or a menu of products, here’s a guide of what you need to consider.
1. Start with a strategy
You can’t find the perfect name by asking for suggestions or plugging your services into AI. You’ll just end up with a cornucopia of names that will overload you and don’t do the job.
Don’t worry about trademarks yet. Develop a strategy that pinpoints what value your audiences want to see from your company or products, so they want to know more.
An example: I recently completed a naming project for a medical device company wanting to name its upcoming neurovascular products. An analysis of the competition and an investigation of its audiences found that neurovascular interventionalists care about precision more than anything else.
And no other names in the competitive set suggested that quality.
From that single-minded strategy, workshopping names became much easier. We asked ourselves, “What are the terms and phrases that mean precision?” You might be surprised how much easier the naming process becomes when you start with a single idea.
2. Consider the various ways
In today’s copyright-heavy world, you’ll often find yourself considering compound, made-up names that suggest a value (like “precision”) so you can trademark it. That’s a good start.
A good example is Groupon, which combines Group with Coupon. And it’s easy to say.
That’s an effective approach because you’re creating a name that’s not in the dictionary. I dare you to look up Groupon in Webster’s.
Also consider acronyms, like FIAT, which stands for “Fabbrica Italina Automobili Torino” but the word “fiat” means “let it be done” or “by decree.” This meaning suggests the brand’s authoritative power.
There are other paths such as a descriptor name like Dropbox, “drop files into a box.” Or a metaphor, with the most famous being Nike, the Goddess of Victory.
Each name needs a story. Which leads us to our last consideration.
3. Tell the Story
Your brand name doesn’t stand alone. It lives among all the various ways you communicate your brand, but it becomes a starting point, a rallying cry, for telling your story.
In fact, you could call your brand “A Bag of Dirt” and it would work if you built a compelling story around it. That’s how powerful stories are. Humans like stories, including what the name means. It gives you gravitas and importance. And demonstrates that you’re thoughtful in approach.
Going back to Nike, its name of the Goddess of Victory shaped the swoosh and its theme of “Just Do It.” Forget about all the nonsense and just do it. Because you’re a winner. That’s what the Nike brand has become.
A brand or product name should not be a throwaway. You only have so much marketing space to compel audiences to choose you. A name alone doesn’t do it, but it does in context.
Provide that context.
Judging brand names
Yes, naming is difficult, but if you follow these considerations, you can avoid the pratfalls that bedevil many naming conventions. When judging names, also consider this:
It’s not about personal preference. While relying on your personal taste is natural, judging a name solely on whether you “like” it can be misleading.
Effective names are evaluated on clarity, memorability, and how well they communicate that strategy.
Most importantly, think outside-in. Consider names from the point of view of your audiences.
Because they are the ones who will ultimately judge your name.
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