People make mistakes, but you really want to avoid doing so when choosing a brand name. Here are 7 ways to do just that.
Slow Down The Process
When you sit down to name a product, you find out that it is much more complicated than you expected.
This combination of being extremely creative as well as employing the perfect strategy.
You must find a name that is going to be memorable as well as one that fits with the overall theme of your company and can grow and is not in use by another company. Typically, some of the strongest names are those that are able to transcend the physical attributes of the product as well as creating their own category in the world.
It is best to begin the process by creating a comprehensive brief that will outline the strategic objectives and settings of the name and criteria. When you begin the brainstorming process, you’ll want to play with a variety of naming mechanisms such as abbreviated, evocative, as well as descriptive, before you create a list of final candidates.
It is important to understand that legally cleared names may be used as early as a month into the trademark and process however full trademarks may take up to 12 to 18 months in the United States. So it is best to begin this process as early as possible.
Being Clever Is Not All That It’s Cracked Up To Be
You have one joke in your inventory that you find hilarious, but it seems nobody else gets? You can deliver it with perfect time and yet there is always silence in the room.
Throughout the history of products there have always been those that have been given such cringe worthy names and it is all due to the product creators trying to hard. If you go down the overly cutesy route, no one will take you seriously. However, if you choose something so far complex, no one is going to understand or remember you.
This is one of the reasons you need to test all of your names for ideal clarity. In fact, you may want to consult with your target audience for their initial impressions as well as how comfortable they are using the name in daily conversations.
An example of this would be to ask them how they are considered using the trademark name AmericInn for use in a hotel chain. You may find out that many of your target audience would have a difficult time trying to relay that name to family and friends as to where they are staying. And if you take a moment to actually look at the name, you could understand how it could be difficult to perceive in a conversation.
A Guide to Choosing Long Names for a Business
If you have an already huge recognizable brand, you may be able to pull off the long product names. Typically, you’ll find corporations such as Microsoft are able to name many of their software programs with these long names and still be recognized. However, for the smaller business it is impossible to begin with such long names. Consider names like Coke, Twix, and tied. These are all short and simple names that are easy to remember and convey to others.
Scientific studies have shown that individuals can typically only remember seven numbers at a time, which is why phone numbers are only seven digits. The human mind is capable of retaining longer chains of letters, however, it is typically better to have them as short as possible. This is especially true when considering a domain registration for your business or product.
Emotional Decisions
While considering names for business or product, we all become emotionally attached to one name for one reason or another. In fact, choosing a name transcends into that of parenthood. Many times a parent will become attached to one name early on in only consider that as the final option.
However, we’re not naming our firstborn, we are naming a product. It is essential to understand that the product name is not designed to make you happy, but to convey a specific message to a customer.
Take the time to test the product name ideas with the people who are going to be most interested in your product, this is going to determine the success of your product as well as overall success of the business.
Ignore Global Discrepancies
This is something that happens a lot more than you would expect. Companies trademark products on a daily basis never understanding that the product name means something totally different in another language or global region.
However, by the time the mistake is realized it makes the decision process that much more difficult. One must either overlook the cultural discrepancy or have to spend millions of dollars in rebranding the product. Due to today’s social media influence and global market it is usually impossible to overlook the mistake.
As more and more people find their way onto social media, anything that would be perceived as local is now global news. However, it can often be difficult to identify double meanings. One of the best ways to do this is to have an linguistic look over your various product names.
However, finding a linguistic is not only difficult it may be expensive for a smaller company. Thankfully, small businesses and even larger companies do not have to rely on human perception. TrademarkNow has developed software that offers a word mean an linguistic check. The program will evaluate slang, cultural implications, and idioms to help businesses steer clear of double meanings when name and their products.
Assuming Your Top Choice Is Available
You more than likely have heard that you should not put all of your eggs in one basket.
This saying is typically correct in many situation, however, it could not be more accurate when considering a trademark name. Considering the fact that there are over 28 million active trademarks as well as 200 million registered domains in the world.
Now consider the fact that there are 250,000 words in the English language. However, the vast majority of these words will not work for your product name. Does this mean that your choices are going to be severely limited?
While it may seem that all the good names have already been taken, this is far from the truth.
However, it does mean that it may take a little longer to find the perfect name. You will want to keep your costs down by choosing a provider who offers unlimited searches for one flat fee.
Limiting Yourself To Descriptive Names
A descriptive name is often an ideal choice as it tells consumers exactly what you have to offer. However, if you’re not first in your category, finding the right name can be a challenge.
One of the most important things to consider when creating a name for your product is to not be afraid to think outside of the box. If you have something to offer that is truly unique, you can always educate your consumers.
