How to Create a Great Brand Name

Naming a brand is a crucial and foremost task when you are creating a new brand. How do you ensure your brand name will be effective and long-lived?

Here are 8 rules on how to create a great brand name:

Mobility

The name must be easy for the target audience to grasp. It must be easy for them to write down, and easy for them to pronounce. If it is difficult to write, they will hesitate to spread your brand. If it is difficult to pronounce, they will hesitate to talk about it in public. Create a brand name that can be jotted down in a note to a friend or plugged into a quick text. Make it something that you would feel comfortable bringing up in conversation without fear of mispronunciation or embarrassment.

Stickiness

The brand name should be memorable. Not only should it be easy to remember, but it should also be sticky. It should be etched in their minds, so that they don’t even have to try to remember it. If the name won’t come to mind, how will they talk about it? The average customer won’t expend the time to look up your brand after they have forgotten it once. Yet if it sticks, they may bring it up instead of your competition when talking about your area of business.

Personality and Style

Your brand conveys the personality of your company. It should make the customer feel comfortable by affiliating themselves with your brand. It should also convey your style. The name has to fit with how you want your company to be viewed. Are you hip? Are you retro? Be sure the name matches how you want the company to be perceived.

Meaning

The name must have a meaning in relation to the defining characteristics of your brand. If the name doesn’t evoke the essence of the brand, customers won’t have the instantaneous spark of reaction they might have with a proper name. If the name suits the message of the brand, it will be easy for your customers to know why they want you instead of your competitors.

Translation

Be careful to choose a name that will translate well into other languages. Your brand might not even be a word in your own language, but could easily be one in another. If that word has a negative connotation, it will damage the reputable of your brand. It is important to consider the meaning of your brand name in the language of the markets you wish to penetrate.

Trademarking

When you have a potential name, be sure it can be trademarked. The name will not do your company any good without the ability to own it. If you do not own the name, then others can hitch a free ride on your success. Be sure to check existing copyrights on the name you are considering.

Domain Name

You must also be careful to select a name for which the domain is available online. Having a brand name that corresponds to a website not affiliated with your company could be disastrous. To make sure customers can find you online, and to protect your reputation, be sure to secure the domain name that corresponds to your brand name.

Target Audience Testing

After you have a name that fits with all of the above criteria, choose a sample audience that represents your target audience at large. Try the name out with them to see how they react. Conduct surveys with the sample audiences that include questions relevant to whether the brand name evokes the right reaction from them. It is important to choose a brand name that really resonates with your customers.

Once you found a name that is easy to talk about and remember, conveys the essence of your brand, won’t embarrass you, is available for use, and really resonates with customers, you are ready to take your brand to the world.

Related Article: How To Tell A Great Brand Story