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What should we call it, anyway?

posted by rraiche @ July 31st, 2008

Six cold, hard facts about the naming process

On the surface, it looks like a fairly straightforward assignment: naming a new company or product. How difficult can that be, right? Just let those creative juices flow and you’ll be at the finish line in no time.

It’s just not that easy. That’s why some very large companies – devoted exclusively to naming – charge very good money. And even they don’t always get it right.

So you’re facing an especially difficult naming assignment. And a client with a very limited budget. What to do?

Well … start with what NOT to do. A quick way to get into the right frame of mind: The Ten Worst Naming Blunders for a Company or Product.

Then, take advantage of the tools and resources on the Web. Two good sites are Igor International and Brand Channel.

Finally, be prepared to face these cold, hard facts:

FACT ONE: To be successful, a product or company name must be grounded in market positioning.
O.K., this is Advertising 101. Market positioning must precede the naming process.

FACT TWO: Naming a company or a product is not as easy as it looks.
It’s not unusual for companies to exhaust hundreds – in some cases thousands – of potential names before striking gold.

FACT THREE: Naming a company can be a costly endeavor.
While some organizations minimize costs through an internal process, final selection – and securing the trademark and Web domain – can involve significant expenditure.

FACT FOUR: Naming is a process backed by research.
Although different agencies have slightly different processes, the effective ones all include research at key points in the process. Beg for budget dollars.

FACT FIVE: A successful naming process is objective, not subjective.
Whether or not you like a name isn’t important – whether it helps you build the brand is.

FACT SIX: Despite what you may think, a name will never appear without contextual support.
Don’t fall into the “it has to describe what we do” trap.

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