the name game

i’m currently working on a branding effort for a cupcake company in california. it’s been a while since my last effort at naming a business and i forgot just how much fun it can be! i think i have a natural talent for it – due to my background as a songwriter. the way a name sounds is just one of five things that i find desirable when naming or renaming a business.

here are five tips to consider when naming or renaming a business…

1. short
a name should be short and to the point. you don’t want to something that’s a mouthful, or overly fussy, or angular. fanciful can be good, but plan on working a better harder on the brand to draw the connections needed with the consumer to deliver on the name’s full promise of your vision for the name. 

2. catchy
say the name you’re considering out loud. does it slide off your tongue? if it has a nice ring to it – a lyrical quality – then you’re definitely on the right track

3. the unbeaten path
never, and i mean never, pick a name that will confuse consumers with an established brand. i know the urge to piggyback is going to be there, but if you will have a lawsuit on your hands with any amount of momentum and success. you don’t want  strings attached to your brand campaign – that feeling like you can’t go certain places because of a closely-named competitor. you’re going to need all the roaming room you can establish to push brand awareness to its peak of effectiveness.

4. picture it
it probably goes without saying, but i’ll still mention it here. the logo is going to be the other half of what’s important in the name as an asset – the sound of it being the first. hone in on a name that immediately calls upon an image. even better, maybe your name implies a likable mascot who can deliver brand messages to consumers.

5. not just .com
a ton of companies seem to make it all about .com domains when it comes to naming. i feel it’s better to corner the entire market on that name – meaning that there are no .net, .biz, .us, etc that are near your name. buy all of tthe names related to your chosen name, since they only run $10 each. don’t get cheap here and leave yourself exposed to someone deciding they can do a better good with a name you created.