“What is in the name?”
William Shakespeare spoke of the famous line. His argument was “that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet” but when we talk about branding, they make all the difference and influence purchases.
Let’s name some big names – would you rather get a phone from Apple or Samsung rather than a no-name Chinese manufacturers? Would you rather get your gym apparels from Nike or Adidas who are known for their quality than a mass produced department stores?
Choosing a brand name is not easy, especially in today’s competition. Research shows your customers need to hear/see your brand an average seven times before they’ll buy – this means that it needs to be memorable enough for them to remember the name.
On this post I am going though some questions that will help you to get more clarity on the branding that will help you decide on the brand name.
Brand Clarity
When brainstorming on names, here are the things that you should remember. A good name will appeal to your ideal customers, stand you out of the competition so choose the name that is unique and different yet still being clear in what you offer.
What problem are you solving?
Customer wants to know about what you could do for them, what benefit that they get when they use your service or product.
Rather than saying: “I create logo and marketing materials for your branding”, I say “I help businesses creating beautiful branding that tells stories about themselves.”
How are you different?
Think about things that are unique to YOUR business, how you stand out from your competitors. It is about your business uniqueness, not your industry’s uniqueness. What makes you so special so that customers choose you over your competitors?
Have you got an interesting backstory that you could use for your brand name and show customers your point of difference?
Who is your ultimate target?
Buying audience; a brief overview of profile, with a focus on relevant insights.
Be as specific as possible. Think of one person (or entity, like a family) and outline their values and beliefs. Think about sex, age group, occupation, locality, activities etc.
By knowing your ultimate target, you will be able to get some ideas on what you need to gain their respect and what influences their purchasing decisions – whether it is traditional marketing, social media, friends & family influence, premium price. etc.
Name Clarity
Once you brainstorm a few good names, there are a few questions that can help you to narrow the options down and choose the brand name.
Does the name have a strong impression?
Is it memorable?
Does it appeal to your ideal customers?
Does it have story appeal?
Is it easy to read/pronounce?
Does it sound credible?
Does it sit in your current brand positioning?
Does it allow you to diversify your products or services in the future?
The Essentials
Before you go and announce your new brand, below is a check list that you should do:
Is is not registered or trademarked yet?
Naturally you don’t want to breach any trademark or using a name that your competition is using for obvious reason.
Can it work internationally?
Choose a name that can work internationally so they need to be easy to spell and pronounce
Do the URL and the social media still available?
Look up google to find out if the URL/domain and the social media accounts are still available.
Does it have positive connotation and associations?
(including pending lawsuits and products you don’t want to be associated to)
is it similar to any of your competitions?
