WHAT’S YOUR NAME AGAIN?

December 12th, 2019 Posted by Social

Naming a new company or product is arguably one of the most important parts of branding, yet it’s sometimes overlooked or rushed—resulting in company names like Sam & Ella’s Chicken Palace. Yum!

But when naming is done well, it paves the way for a good impression, and for that product’s success. While there is no magic formula for creating a good company or product name, there are some strategies that can help you get to your very own Google:

1. When brainstorming, stick with names that are easy to pronounce and easy to discern. If customers can’t say it, they likely won’t be looking it up online or bringing it up with their friends.  

2.  Keep it short. Brevity = memorability.

3. Explore different categories. For example, we focus on six categories for inspiration: founder, descriptive, fabricated, metaphor, acronym and magical spell. This allows for a wide variety of names that relate back to the product that are still creative.

4. Think outside the box. Combine two words or concepts or spell a word a little differently. If you had heard someone say “Snapchat” in 2009, you wouldn’t have understood it, but now it’s well on its way into Webster’s Dictionary.   

5. Give it some personality. Being descriptive is good, but not if you sacrifice uniqueness. A boring name won’t make your product or company stand out.

6. Make it “sticky.” Even when you think you’ve landed on some good options, keep brainstorming. Give yourself a week, and then sit yourself down without your list of options and ask yourself which you remember off the top of your head. You might be surprised what surfaces, but if the name sticks in your mind, there’s a good chance it will do the same for your customers.  

7. Consult professionals. Choosing a name is one of the first steps to branding your company, and unless you want to end up the next Twitter meme, it’s best to have a conversation with an expert or two.