The 7 'Golden Rules' to developing a great business name for your brand

You have a killer product. You have a stellar team. Your marketing is on point.

There’s just one problem.

You don’t have a name for your brand!

If you are anything like me, in Highschool you could write the best essay your teacher had ever seen, but it was always made an unappealing first impression. Why? It was named “Untitled.”

Content is key when it comes to success.

Yet, quality content deserves a quality name. A quality name is one that stands out; a name that jumps to mind whenever the logo is seen. Think Starbucks or McDonalds. Your mouth starts watering just considering those brands.

Why? Their name tells you everything you need to know.

So, for all of you with title block, here are 7 ideas to help begin on creating a stellar business name. The 7 Golden Rules of Developing a Great Name for Your Brand:

Tip #1: Look for inspiration

Great comedians all have one thing in common: somewhere in the middle of their best stuff they say, “you can’t make this stuff up!” And they’re right. Observation of the everyday world is key for discovering your brand name. It can be an object, a name, a shape, or even an experience that launches your creative juices towards the best name you ever did see. When it comes to developing a business name look for external inspiration.

Seriously take note of anything that you like—an object, a colour, an emotion, a shape, anything. Every piece will help you narrow down a name.

Tip #2: Consider Using Definitions

Some of the greatest brand name development started with simple etymology. You can’t make this stuff up.

LEGO, for example, got their name from two Danish words which when combined mean, “play well.”

Tip #3: List Your Observations

As you are going through your observations, write down the first words that come to mind. Do not filter this process, just let your stream of consciousness do the talking. Do this for a minute, maybe two. Then, take the words you’ve gone through and qualify them. Eliminate the ones which are absolute rubbish, and then create a ‘maybe’ pile.

Take all the words in the ‘maybe’ pile and individually put them into Google Images. The images will evoke different emotions and inspiration which will either allow the word to become your brand name or lead you to your next one.

Make notes of your image findings as you go along because this research will help you in your logo development.

Tip #4: Be Dyslexic

Throw your primary school grammar lessons out the window and make a spelling mistake on purpose. See what happens with your words if you spell them phonetically instead of grammatically.

Sometimes being too ‘kool for skool’ is exactly the creative boost that will send your naming game over the edge. Joining words together, misspelling them, working with old slang… all of these ideas have worked wonders for companies like Budweiser.

Tip #5: Keep it Simple

It’s easy to get bogged down in the hundreds of thousands of possibilities these creative processes can generate in brand name development. The key is to remember that you want a business name that is catchy and easily recognizable that is consistent with the mission of your brand.

Therefore, when developing a business name, choosing a word or phrase which speaks about what you do is an easy way to make yourself memorable. For example, if you are a photography company looking to sell candid portraits of people’s lives calling yourselves, “Snapshots” is a simple, understated way of explaining what you do in a single word.

Tip #6: Make Pronunciation Easy

When you draw your business name from an exotic source—like a foreign language or religion—be sure to adapt your name to the language of your target audience. Everyone likes a touch of the exotic, but your brand needs to be recognisable and easy to spread via word of mouth.

Do not choose a word so creatively ludicrous that it cannot be easily spelled or discussed in day to day interactions.

Tip #7: Gain Feedback

Lastly, once you’ve narrowed down your list to two or three choices, ask people within your target audience for their thoughts and feelings regarding the brand name. Ask them what kinds of imagery and feelings it evokes for them. Explain your brand and then ask them if they believe your new name fits—why or why not.

Ultimately, choosing a brand name is one of the most important decisions you will ever make as an entrepreneur. This process is easily over complicated.

Relax, have fun, and brainstorm some fun words using the 7 Golden Rules we’ve provided here. If you find you still need further guidance, speaking to a Branding Expert who will help you streamline this process.


The author

Stella Gianotto is a multi-award-winning Creative Director and fast becoming the go-to Branding Expert. She is passionate about working with businesses to create brands for a purpose, profit or a legacy. She is demystifying what branding is, educates us on what branding does and makes branding accessible (and understandable) for business across diverse industry segments.

Stella’s industry awards and presence has led to her contribution to several books, Marketing Brands Made Easy, Social Media Marketing: Write Up Your Tweet and Well Spun: Big PR and Social Media Ideas for Small Business.

As a business owner herself, Stella understands the juggle that every business owner has with time and finances that enables her to help businesses understand how, and why, they should be branding their business.

For more information go to www.brandforbrands.com/stella-gianotto/

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