The way your brand is named, the way people see it.
One of the most crucial aspects of launching a business is deciding on a brand name. A well-considered name may help your business grow, but the wrong name can be a marketing nightmare.
However, picking the perfect brand name might be difficult. Then, how do you come up with a good name for your company? Is it possible to come up with a catchy name? How do you get a name that looks well on a web banner and has a URL that is available? these are some of the challenges that most entrepreneur stumbles when they are starting a business. Many faced opinions around make this decision even harder. Some claim it’s simple, as easy as utilizing an online name generator and choosing the first that catches your eye. Some claim it’s practically impossible to get without proper training, and others pay a large amount of money to professionals to make it happens.
Is that your situation? Do you recognize yourself in any of these situations? Fortunately, following a brand naming process can help you accomplish this on your own with reasonable success, ensuring that the name you choose is relevant, memorable, and significant. An organized procedure can assist you in choosing a name that is memorable and easy to recall, making marketing, sales, and brand awareness much easier.
To help your business become a household name, we’ll explore how to come up with a brand name, cover brand naming guidelines, outline a brand naming process, and share examples of how popular companies decided on their brand names.
In this article, we’ll look at how to come up with a brand name, following a brand naming process, with rules that will frame our steps for success all the way through. In addition, we will discuss examples of how well-known organizations chose their names in order to assist you in the proper reasoning for the decision-making.
How Companies Come Up With Brand Names
There are numerous anecdotes that demonstrate the ingenuity and difficulty of the brand naming process, ranging from spelling errors to company-wide brainstorming sessions. Let’s take a look at the experience of some brands' name selection and how they did to put you in context and at the same time, ground the way these brands came up with their names.
Have you ever wondered where some of the world’s most well-known corporations obtained their names? It’s easy to learn the origins of many of the biggest brand names out there, thanks to Wikipedia, which has listing with etymology content of hundreds of company names. This source helps us to demystify what we see as a complex process and helps us to ground a bit the mechanic on this.
Scenario no. 1 — Reflecting a commercial practice.
7-Eleven — Originally called “U-Tote’m,” due to its growth and popularity, this company was moved to work extended hours. For that reason, in 1946, the convenience store chain was rebranded to reflect its new extended operating hours of 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Conveniently, the ideal name resulted as a combination of the two mixed formats of numbers “7” and “ Eleven.”
Scenario no. 2 — Describe the makeup of your product.
Coca-Cola — This brand name came up as an allusion to Coca leaves and kola nuts, ingredients used to flavor the drink. John S. Pemberton, the company’s founder, modified the “K” in “kola” to a “C” creating possibly the most well-known brand name in the world.
Scenario no. 3 — Making use of your essence.
IKEA — In an attempt to come up with a name for his business the Swedish founder Ingvar Kanprad, used the initials of his name for the first two letters of the brand name IKEA. The final two letters “ EA” represent the initials of the property and village where he grew up: Agunnaryd E lmtaryd. Clever, right? the last two letters were reversed to provide the name a phonetical sound that easy pronunciation.
Scenario no.4 — When the initial name isn’t working and a new one is required.
Intel — N M Electronics was a telecom company founded by Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore. They later intended to rename it to “Integrated Electronics,” but that name was already taken. Instead, of keeping the previous name to continue evaluating other alternatives and by combining the opening syllables of Integrated Electronics they came up with “ Intel.” Under this new outcome, they proceeded to purchase the rights to companies with similar names, such as Intelco, to avoid confusion.
Scenario no.5 — A meaning that accurately depicts your goods.
The name Sony is derived from the Latin word “ sonus,” which means “sound.” Furthermore, “sonny” is an American slang term for intelligent young people; the company’s founders thought they were “sonny youths working in sound and vision.” Furthermore, the name “ Sony” was chosen since it is easily pronounced in a variety of languages.
Scenario no. 6 — Picturing your product, your property.
Taco Bell — This is the typical scenario of combining your product with your name. The famous fast-food Mexican restaurant is named after the founder, Glen Bell.
Scenario no. 7 — If the name doesn’t click your heart, the dictionary can help.
Co-founder Jack Dorsey rejected the moniker “Twitch,” unpleased with the name, he looked up synonyms in the dictionary. After finding the word “Twitter” the inventors knew there was no better name for their social network than “Twitter,” which means “a brief burst of insignificant information” and “bird chirps.”
Scenario no. 8 — When representing your business.
Williams-Sonoma — The high-end houseware and home furnishing company is named after the founder, Chuck Williams, and his place of residence, Sonoma, California.
Scenario no. 9 — When you Consider what your product accomplishes.
Xerox — Xerox comes from the word xerography, derived from the Greek words “ xeros” (dry) and “graphos” (writing). To differentiate the name the “ X” was added at the end.
Scenario no. 10 — When the name is simply enticing.
Wendy’s — founder Dave Thomas named his company after his daughter Melinda, whose nickname was Wendy.
What Characterizes a Successful Brand Name?
What makes a good name is the subject of many theories and studies. Consumers respond more positively to brands with repetitively structured names, such as Coca-Cola, Kit Kat, and Jelly Belly, according to a 2010 University of Alberta study. but if we look at the different scenarios discussed above, we noticed that that is not exactly true for all cases, right?. While there is no magic formula, there are some characteristics that make a brand name easier to remember for you and others. In an ideal world, you’d like something that obeys the following rules:
Meaningful: It conveys your brand’s essence, creates an image, and fosters a favorable emotional bond.
Distinctive: It is unique, memorable, and stands out from your competitors.
Accessible: It is simple to understand, pronounce, spell, or Google. (Even if your name is strange or uncommon, it must be intelligible.)
Protectable: You may trademark it, register a domain name for it, and “own” it both legally and in the public mind.
Future-proof: It can adapt to diverse products and brand extensions while growing with the firm and remaining relevant.
Visual: You can translate/communicate it through design, including icons, logos, colors, etc.
This is a valuable set of criteria for vetting names, but there is only one question that may determine whether a name is successful. All that matters is whether or not it strikes a chord with people.
Considerations to Make When Coming Up With a Brand Name
Before you jump into the naming process, understand the complexities of choosing a name and all it entails. When you’re figuring out how to come up with a company name, think of its value proposition. In other words, how your company brings value and is better than your competition. Your company name can increase your value proposition and set the standard of what customers can expect.
It’s not just about coming up with a brand name; it’s also about how that name stands up to numerous factors, such as:
- How clear is the name?
- Does it sound like a business?
- Is it a memorable or catchy name?
- Is it simple and easy to spell?
- Will the name be long-lasting?
- Is it trendy but not too trendy that it’ll feel outdated in five years?
- Does this name help search engine optimization (SEO) at all?
- Is it authentic to your business?
- Does the name fit your audience demographic?
- Will your name work in other languages?
Your name might not hit every standard, and that’s OK. Maybe it’s not a simple name, but it’s authentic to your company’s personality and values. SEO might be necessary for your small business, but being memorable might be critical to another eCommerce store.
Keep this in mind, it’s fine if your name doesn’t meet all of the criteria. It may not be a straightforward name, but it reflects the personality and ideals of your organization. While SEO may be vital for your small business, being memorable to your audience may be crucial. Take these considerations with a grain of salt and as a way to guide you as you start the process.
How to Name a Brand
Now that you’ve got some name ideas and some standards to follow, it’s time to get into the nitty-gritty of naming a business. This method works best when it’s combined with your brand positioning plan, so do that first before diving into the naming process.
Follow these steps for how to come up with a brand name, and you’ll be closer to finding your perfect choice.
- Define your brand
- Determine your name’s criteria
- Brainstorm
- Use tools
- Ask for feedback
1. Outline your company’s objectives and identity.
Now is the time to perform comprehensive branding work for your firm if you haven’t already. Determine your company’s brand identity, personality, tone, and positioning. Is your business lighthearted or serious? Is it for the daring or the risk-averse? With research, you can pinpoint your target market. A millennial target audience will take a different approach than a baby boomer target group, and this should alter your brand name.
When it comes to naming your company, the greatest place to start is with your brand identity. Defining your brand and goals clarifies what differentiates you from the competition and how you intend to position your business. This information can be gleaned from your positioning statement. If you don’t already have one, consider the following questions:
- Your vision: Why does your company exist?
- Your mission: What does your company do?
- Your values: How do you do what you do?
- Your brand personality: What brand identity do you want to create?
- Your Goal: What do you want to accomplish with the brand name?
Once you answer these questions, it’s time to look outward.
2. Define Your Criteria for Choosing a Name.
Define what you want your brand name to stand for. What emotion do you wish to evoke? Determine a specific sensation you want your company name to evoke based on your branding. It’s a good idea to write it down so you have a specific goal in mind and something to compare your ideas to later.
Make a list of any other crucial requirements for you, such as distinctiveness or simplicity. Make these benchmarks broad rather than specific. Don’t be afraid to let your imagination go wild. However, knowing what you want to achieve will aid you in the process and allow you to check whether the names you come up with are appropriate.
3. Consider your customers and competitors.
Because no brand can succeed in isolation, it’s critical to choose a name that resonates with your target demographic and industry. This is because consumers frequently associate themselves with the brands they purchase. This is fantastic news for businesses because customers who have an emotional connection to a brand have a higher lifetime value.
Consider customer feedback and surveys when creating a brand name. This input can help you figure out how people feel about your brand, which is useful when coming up with a name. It wouldn’t make sense to adopt a serious brand name or image if customers remark about how much fun it is to work with your team and use your product.
Another important factor to consider is your industry. What are the rules for naming things? What are your competitors up to these days? You must select whether to follow the industry formula or choose an unconventional name that makes your business stand out based on your brand positioning.
4. Exploration and brainstorming.
Yes, it’s time to get the whiteboard out of the closet. But, before you dive in, assemble a team for brainstorming and approvals. You must specify who will be participating in the decision-making process. If you’re a solopreneur, you can enlist the help of a few trustworthy peers or coworkers.
It’s now up to you to get inventive. Depending on what works best for your company, brainstorming can be done in a variety of ways. Maybe your team wants to conduct a free-form brainstorming session, or maybe you want to take a more systematic approach to workshop your greatest ideas. Here you have some tips that can guide you through the idea generation process:
- The words that best represent your service, product, or brand.
- How your customers feel about your brand, or how you want them to feel about your brand
- Words that you’d like to have associated with your company
Plan to repeat the brainstorming process several times to generate a large number of ideas. During this period, don’t be too harsh on yourself. Remember that a lousy idea could lead you to your ideal brand name. Fill your board with whatever thoughts come to mind, and if you run out of ideas, consider these:
The process considers, though, what you think constitutes a strong brand name and any big naming concerns you have as you brainstorm. The brainstorming sassing will create a large list of potential ideas that at the end you will need to screen and refine. Next, you’ll see how that can be achieved.
5. Refining your ideas.
This is by far the most aggravating aspect. It’s pointless to try something that’s already been taken, so vet your frontrunners. from all the steps followed so far, this is by far the most vexing feature. It’s really futile to try anything that’s already been taken, so it is critical you check out your top contenders and understand their naming strategy.
Once you manage the psychology behind your competitors’ brand names, reduce your brainstormed list to the team’s preferences (ideally 15–20), then search the trademark database of the United States Patent and Trademark Office to make sure your selections are not registered. (While you’re there, check out their well-known primer.) If they’re all taken, go back to the drawing board and repeat the process again. This method will surely assist you in narrowing down your options.
It’s likely that you have a lengthy list of brand names, which is a good thing. It’s a lot easier to chop than it is to make something new. Start by examining the following factors for each name in your list as you narrow it down:
- Is it a good fit for your brand?
- Is it evocative?
- Is it meaningful or relevant to the story of your company?
- On paper and on a computer screen, how does it look?
- Is it protected by any patents?
- Is it possible to get a domain name and social media handles?
- Is it distinguishable from the competition?
- Is it a short, memorable, and easy-to-pronounce name?
This exercise is a moving cycle, So for the next phase, make a selection of 10–15 candidates. It’s fine if you have fewer than this; just aim for three to five possibilities. Make a list of 10–15 prospects for the next cycle If you have fewer than this, that’s great; just aim for three to five options. In the end, the ideal name is within that group of the reduced names listed, so you will need to repeat the cycle until the choices are reduced to 1 or three prospects.
6. Choosing a Good Name.
After you’ve narrowed down a few good alternatives, it’s up to you to decide how to choose a brand name that ideally fits your firm. Does it meet the criteria you set out at the start? Does the name seem to be a good fit? Only a business owner can answer these questions.
While choosing a name for your company is an important step, don’t pin your company’s success on it. Customers will come regardless of your name if you provide high-quality items or services. In order to choose a good name, just choose what feels right, or at least like a fit that you can be happy with. Know when to move on from the naming process, and then focus on making your company the best it can be.
7. Get feedback.
You already chose your name, right? But, is that really the one? This is the time to listen to others' thoughts of your selections. There’s nothing like getting input from your team, clients, stakeholders, or colleagues. You’ll immediately figure out if a name contender is difficult to pronounce or offends others. To avoid groupthink, ask a wide group of people for their perspectives individually if at all possible.
The most exciting step begins now that you’ve cleared the legal hurdle. You get to design mockups (think logos, product packaging, and homepages) and put your top three names to the test. You might be surprised by what people respond to.
It’s a good idea to evaluate how the final options translate across languages once you’ve gathered input from your team. Consider where your business will function and where you want to grow.
What’s Next?
Your brand name is only the first step in building a strong, memorable brand. From name to messaging, to your visual identity, you want to approach your brand thoughtfully and strategically.
You need to be clear, the first step in creating a strong, memorable brand is to choose a name. This name still does not have your ADN printed on it, nor the power that will represent your brand. Now, you want to approach your brand intelligently and strategically, from the name creation to the messaging to the visual design. Once you’ve conquered how to come up with a brand name, now it’s time to put it into action.
Step 1: Validated your chosen name uniqueness, decide if you want to trademark your name, and begin the filing process.
Step 2: A name printed on a piece of paper does not ensure you own it in the digital world. Rush to get your business domain name, make your domain as simple as your company name. Evaluate to buy multiple domains similar to your name so you can isolate from competitors (For instance, myname.com, .net, etc)
With these last two steps, you have assured your brand naming. Now the process will follow creating the personality of your brand (Voice, image, presentation). Follow us for the next series of articles where we will talk in detail about the next steps to complete the brand creation process.
Takeaways:
In summary, selecting a business brand is not far different than selecting a stage name, it implies selecting a name that reflects your company vision instead of your personality. In the internet world, that name will emulate your commercial and digital presence. This is the main step of the brand journey to create differentiation.
Related Articles:
Article №1 of 16 — Defining your Digital Identity
Article №2 of 16 — Choosing the Brand Perfect Name.
Article №3 of 16 — How to Conceive a Persona Brand Name
Original source published at https://effimedia.blogspot.com.
