With the explosion of the startup scene the past few years, it is becoming increasingly difficult to come up with a brand name that sounds great, is memorable, short of easy to pronounce, has great brand recall (easy to remember), has available domain address and social media handles and has not been trademarked!
That list of criteria sounds daunting and almost impossible to hit, considering the fact that almost all sane and easy to pronounce words have already been registered either by genuine companies or by squatters looking to make a quick buck.
At SpellBrand, we have been working with Startups for quite some time, helping them come up with brand names that add value to the venture and try and hit all the above criteria. Over the years we have developed a blue print for making this brand naming process easier and with assured results. We feel it is time we shared this blueprint with the world! Why? Because we love entrepreneurs and startups!
But first things first.
Although I will probably write an entire post dedicated to why your startups needs the best brand name you can afford, for the purpose of this article, I would like to like just 3 reasons with examples of effects of bad naming:
Signal To Noise Ratio
There is so much signal to noise ratio in the world of startups and on social media. A striking name can garner the right kind of attention and interest. Take the case of “Vonage”. It sounds so vague and has really nothing to do with what the company does or even represent.
You may argue that “Google” is also vague! But, Google does mean something (really, you can Google it and find out)!
Right Perception
A great brand name creates the right kind of perception and communicates the essence of your brand. Get this wrong and you may be regretting it down the line when the brand starts to take off and the name becomes a liability. A great example of a really bad name that comes to mind is the 1990s fiasco of Reebok naming a line of shoes “Incubus” which is the name for a demon from Medieval folklore that rapes women in their sleep! WOW!
Making Friends
A great startup name makes friends! Yes, the level of peoples’ warmth towards a brand is determined by how their name sounds.
Start with your core values, essence and brand story!
As soon as the idea for startup is born, entrepreneurs would naturally be compelled to come up with a name. After all, with out a name, it would be difficult to talk about it and to discuss it internally or with potential partners or investors etc. To handle this stage, I would suggest coming up with an internal code name. Did you know Google had the code name Back-Rub?
While you are using the code name to refer to your startup idea, work on drafting an initial set of core values, a mission statement or a loose brand story. This may just include a list of things that you stand for or stand against. Perhaps you can create the brief of a brand story of how you see this startup developing and growing.
As an example, I will take the case of a luxury travel brand that we at SpellBrand are working on as a spin off. To start with, we did not jump straight into the naming process. Instead, we decided to call it “Project Lichtenstein” which refers to a castle in Germany that exemplifies the core of what this startup would be involved with. Then we set to work writing down a list of attributes of what we want this brand to be. This gave us a bunch of attributes (adjectives). We also wrote a brief brand story of how this startup idea came into existence and what it was based on.
I am sure you will agree that rarely does a startup get started just to make some quick dough. 9 out of 10 times there is a connection between a passion or a solution to a problem or a world changing intention or dream. Or sometimes all these things. This is where the brand story comes in. The story will also determine the type of brand name that would be optimal. I will go into the different types if brand names a little later.
Create a word map
Mind-maps are great tools to explore and expand on ideas, make parallels and uncover hidden connections between ideas. We use mind maps all the time in our creative design process as well as our brand naming process. At the center of this mind-map, which we will call word map, put 3 to 5 different core words of phrases taken from the above exercise. Do not worry too much about getting this part right. These initial words are just starters.
From the core, start writing related words and phrases that either extend the core words, add more meaning to them, offer alternatives or perhaps even new ideas. Use Thesaurus.com for synonyms of words. As you branch out and write more and more words, you will start seeing a pattern. This could be either an abstraction or a literal pattern of associations.
Do not forget to add words that come from your customer’s perspective. What words do you think they would use to search for your service or product? How would they talk about it? What words would connect with them?
Take your time with the word map. Once you feel you are done with the word map and can not add any more value to it, shelf it and come back to it in a few days to take a fresh look.
Things to look out for when naming your brand
Is the name memorable and unique?
The most important aspect of creating a brand name these days is the unique factor. To really create an impact in the marketplace, your brand name has to be super unique. This not only helps with brand recall but also in terms of getting your domain address, social media handles etc.
What is the inspiration behind the name?
Does your name have a brand story behind? Did you draw inspiration from a meaningful connection to your target audience? Does your brand name create a connection to your product or service? To perhaps your geographical area? To something that is important to your target market?
Is your brand name a multipurpose tool?
Remember that your brand name should be a multipurpose tool. It should not only set you apart from your competitors but also create a larger than life perception in the audience. Make sure you treat your brand name as a multipurpose tool.
What do you when you have the right brand name?
Assuming you find a brand name that is unique, connects with a brand story and has the potential to create a brand recall, the last challenge and sometimes the most difficult one is finding a domain address that matches the brand name perfectly and is available for registration. This is where most branding naming efforts break down.
On top of that you must ensure that you register all possible social media handles that match the brand name correctly. If you have to register alternatives or with hyphens etc, I would recommend trying to find another brand name.
I would also recommend that you invest in trademarking your brand name. This small investment would go a long way in protecting your brand and your business. You would either register the brand name by itself or you could wait till you get an awesome logo design and then register a trademark for the whole logo design.
