Truth be told, no defined formula can give you the perfect brand name. At the same time, there are multiple approaches you can use to name your brand. Although there is no right or wrong in the name you chose for your brand, some brands can work out more efficiently than others in the market. To curate the best possible brand name for your business, hire a Brand Naming Agency to do the job.
The following article discusses certain important things entrepreneurs should keep in mind while creating a brand name or selecting a brand name given by a Brand Naming Agency.
Dos of Brand Naming
First of all, there are certain parameters that business owners should be aware of that can help them curate a marketable brand name that represents the business, and is legally and economically feasible. If you are a business owner, consider the following factors in your brand name.
- Meaningful: The brand name should embody the brand’s essence and encourage positive associations among customers
- Protectable: A great brand name will amount to nothing but dust if it is not legally protected by trademark and domain availability.
- Visually appealing: Ensure that the spelling of the brand name is visually appealing, especially to your target audience.
- Accessible: Your brand names should be easily understood, pronounced, spelled, recalled, and searchable regardless of their language and familiarity
- Timelessness: You should select a timeless name that will stay relevant in the market for many years to come.
- Global Appeal: Consider how your brand name will be perceived in international markets and the meaning it reflects in other languages.
- Uniqueness: Making a unique name is very important for a distinctive identity and legal feasibility. Using only common words for your product name can make your brand look similar to the already existing brands/products in the market.
- Associated Emotions: You shall cross-check that the product names evoke only the desired emotions in the customer which makes a positive association between the audience and your brand.
A Brand Naming Agency has creative, legal, and marketing professionals who research and consider all these aspects while creating a brand name for you.
Don’ts of Brand Naming
Now, let us also discuss the common mistakes that people make while naming their brands.
Using Personal Preferences
Although as the owner of the brand, the brand name should reflect the story and preferences of the owner, it should not be completely based upon the owner’s biases and perceptions. The most important factor for a brand name is the customer base. Only names that can be understood by the customers and which evoke a sense of trust, memorability, familiarity, and connection in them should be considered for selection.
Irrelevant Brand Names
The right brand name must represent your brand descriptively or metaphorically. An efficient brand name is capable of telling a story that aligns with the brand’s positioning. For example, Nike is associated with the Greek goddess of victory and hence the name ‘Nike’ aligns with their values of empowerment and achievement.
Hence, owners should avoid choosing a brand name just because it sounds nice or is short. Having a defined purpose of brand, vision, mission, and values will give the business owners clarity about what to look for.
Not Reflecting Brand’s USP
Your brand name is the perfect opportunity to talk about the Unique Selling Point (USP) of your brand. To miss this great, cost-effective, and long-term marketing opportunity is a mistake that many brand owners have committed to as they start to focus on other characteristics of their brand names. Business owners should write down pointers or adjectives that best describe their brand’s purpose.
Old-Fashioned & Inflexible Brand Name
Another caution that founders should keep is to stay away from old-fashioned brand names and select a futuristic name. Furthermore, an inflexible brand name can only represent a few products or is relevant to a limited customer base. It does not support the brand’s expansion into other industries or demographics. One has to let go of brand names that are too niche or specific.
If your brand name is not capable of embodying the future goals of the business, you might end up spending a huge amount of money for re-branding again to meet the then-current needs.
Poor Research and Legally Unfeasible Brand Names
A smart business owner would always give importance to the legal protection of its brand name. This includes ensuring that your brand name is available for the desired domain registration and can attain the necessary trademarks. Furthermore, there must be no existing brand with the same name within your Google search.
Additionally, it’s critical in today’s market that your selected brand name be accessible on all social media sites, like Linkedin, Facebook, Instagram, and others. By doing this, you can be certain of a steady presence in the market and an open connection with your audience. Although you can curate a brand name by yourself, a brand naming service will help you get a brand name that passes multiple such checks.
Not Brainstorming Enough
Many business owners do not take appropriate actions to brainstorm about their brand and the desired storytelling. As a result, they are completely unaware of the words they would like to use, the emotions, and other elements that can suit the brand. A simple way to do this is to start looking for keywords that best resonate with your target audience and most beautifully reflect the brand’s heart.
Using Your Name
Using the name of the founder or designer has been a popular choice traditionally. However, due to rising competition, it is more important to create an impactful brand name that resonates with the target audience and represents your business.
Keeping Too Many Options
Too many options can make anyone confused and can lead you to go on and on, looking for the perfect brand name. Rather, when you have found a list of names, you should start eliminating the ones that least match your requirements.
While eliminating the names, keep all the mentioned “dos of brand naming” in mind. Get your business brand naming services for a professional and robust system of checks and eliminations.
Not Doing Market Test
Before finalizing any brand name, entrepreneurs should also create sample names along with their visual representation to test in the market. This market research can be conducted both offline and online by founders. They can distribute sample products or host tiny promotional events for offline testing. In terms of internet testing, one can test branded landing pages and track conversion rates to determine which name is most applicable to the target audience.
Conclusion
By following a systematic approach and a few fundamental principles of brand naming, you can successfully avoid these mistakes and curate an efficient brand name. Yet, if this feels like a daunting task for you, hire a Brand Naming Agency right away to do the job.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How can I check if a domain is available for my brand name?
:- Numerous online platforms allow you to check and register domain names. It’s best to verify your brand name across several sites, such as GoDaddy, Namecheap, and Whois.
2. Can I use AI to generate a brand name?
:- AI tools like Namelix, ChatGPT, and Gemini are often used by people to generate brand names. However, these names may be repetitive and lack domain and trademark availability. If you need assistance in naming your brand, you should hire a brand naming agency.
3. What can a Brand Naming Agency do for me?
:- A Brand Naming Agency has expertise in creativity, legal proceedings, branding, marketing, and market research. Their service is not limited to providing you with a unique name. Branding services also include domain registration, trademark and other required legal registrations, branding, and marketing strategies.
4. How can I brainstorm better for curating brand names?
:- Start with penning down all the keywords that can be used for your business, followed by emotions and the desired storytelling. At the same time, be cautious that more options will make you more confused. Focus only on the things that align with your brand’s values and market positioning.
5. Why make a culturally sensitive and globally appealing name?
:- Cultural and global appeal makes it easier for the brand to enter international markets. To ensure this, check what your brand name translates across different languages and cultures. You should be cautious so that your brand name does not carry unintended negative connotations or misunderstandings.