The name of a brand is one of the foremost
determinants of whether people will fall in love with it or hate it. A consumer
can form an opinion about a brand just from hearing its name. So when naming a
brand a company should pay close attention as to whether it will resonate with
its target audience. Although there are no rules in particular to naming a
brand, I found and summarised ten steps that one should consider following when
naming a brand and they are as follows:
1.
Give the naming process priority; do not treat it as an afterthought: In the creative world the product or service offered by a company
is often given much more attention than its naming and thus results in a last
minute rush for a name. The naming should fall into the development part of the
brand.
2.
The naming process is as strategic as it is creative: A great name does not come simply, as it is suppose to define the
personality and position of the brand. Strong brands transcend the physical
attributes of a company, products or services. They form emotional connections
with consumers. A brand name should have enough flexibility to cater to an
evolving market.
3.
Never underestimate the importance of a creative brief: A naming brief should be specific, highlight the elements of the
strategy to be communicated and set clear understandable parameters on its
construction. The brief should act as a lens through which you filter a
suitable name for your organisation.
4.
Do not confuse differentiation with communication: Companies more often than not, use descriptive terms to name
themselves in a bid to lessen the need to explain what their brand is all
about. They often think that the more detailed the name is the more likely
customers will understand it when in fact picking a simple name makes it easier
to remember and allows them to associate a chosen meaning to it.
5.
Look into trademarks to avoid issues:
There are approximately over thirteen million trademarks in the world and two
hundred and fifty thousand words in the English dictionary. So chances are your
name might end up not being yours alone. Therefore names should be pre-screened
during the trademark process to illuminate ones that are off limits.
Pre-screening saves you time and endless legal battles.
6.
Pay attention to global implications:
Make sure that your name is not inappropriate to translates to something thereof
in another language. Global Linguistics should be evaluated on a name after it
has been shortlisted or chosen. The last thing any company wants is a name
which translates as offensive to cultural group.
7.
Choose a name subjectively: Choose a
name based on the criteria for success by having a strong brand strategy, clear
role of the name and key attributes it should communicate. Research will help
you tremendously in this department.
8.
Not everything requires a name: As an
organisation grows so do its products and services, thus compelling the naming
of each and every one of them. Too many names associated to a brand tend to
confuse the customer and this can work against it. Not everything requires
naming, just the right strategy to push it.
9.
Get rid of irrelevant names: Brands
evolve over time due to changes in the market and customer demand. The current
name may not be able to carry the company to the next level of its
restructuring. Therefore a company should consider renaming its brand/s in a
manner which is not abrupt but gradual.
10.
Do not end the verbal identity process at a name: A brand is more than just the name given to it. The name forms one
part a of brand’s verbal identity, Brands should speak to their audiences in a
language which has an appropriate tone for a positive response. This determines
whether or not they will manage to draw up an emotional connection with their
audiences.
The naming process is just as important, if
not more, as any other when coming up with or restructuring a brand. The name
can be what sell or kills the brand. Brands that do succeed and continue to do
so know the importance of a name and paid close attention to it. So the next
time you fall in love with a brand name, think of how much thought process went
into making it appeal to you.
References:
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