A good brand name is essential for your business. It’s the first point of contact people will have with your brand. It’s also what people need to remember and recall to find you again. Learn in less than one minute how to create a great brand name for your business.
A Great Brand Name is …
- Unique: Stand out from competitors to avoid confusion.
- Appropriate: The name should fit your industry and evoke specific emotions without being overly descriptive.
- Available: The name has to be available for trademarks, URLs, and social media handles.
- Simple: Keep it short, easy to spell, pronounce, and remember.
- Translatable: Consider how the name can be represented in your branding (like the old Twitter branding: Tweet, Bird, …).
- Universal: Ensure the name is suitable across languages to avoid misunderstandings. Also, keep the name open enough for future growth.
Different Brand Name Types
- Founder’s name (Ford)
- Descriptive name (PayPal)
- Metaphoric name (Puma)
- Arbitrary name (Kodak)
- Altered name (Xerox)
- Acronym (IKEA)
- Invented name (Google)
7 Steps to Create a Great Brand Name
- Define your brand’s unique qualities and audience.
- Brainstorm names for each type above. Be creative, don’t limit yourself.
- Narrow the list down to 5-10 names that align with your brand strategy.
- Check for the availability of URLs and social media handles.
- Seek feedback. Remember, a new name takes time to grow on people.
- Research potential names in various languages to avoid false connotations.
- Consult a trademark lawyer to ensure the name can be registered.
For an in-depth article on this topic, check out “How to Create a Strong Brand Name”.
References
Title image by Kaboompics
