MAY/JUNE 2008
VOLUME 4, ISSUE 3
Naming: What Makes a Brand Name Great
Developing a great brand name — one that is distinctive, memorable, easy to pronounce
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and emotionally appealing — is a critical element in creating a successful new brand. We all
know that great brand names can differentiate companies, products or services in crowded
markets. They can help create brand awareness, increase brand preference and build brand
loyalty. But it’s important to point out that a name on its own is just a word — an empty
shell — until it is filled with communications, products, services and experiences that bring
it to life and create meaning and value.
So, what makes a brand name great? In our experience, it requires seven things:
1) Building off the strategy. A winning name starts with a clearly defined
brand strategy and value proposition. Without this there is no framework for
the name and no foundation to build upon. In some industries, like
professional services, witty names may not sound serious or professional
enough. While in other fast-paced, high-tech industries, professional names
feel stodgy, dull and anything but progressive. Having a strategy ensures that
the name will be appropriate.
2) Ensuring distinctiveness. Standing out in a crowded market is
important. Distinctive names are memorable and provide differentiation for
your brand in your category. It may seem like all of the good names (and
URLs) have already been taken. But, we’re here to say that it is possible to
develop names that are truly unique and effective like Wii™, Google™ and
eBay®. Or, to leverage associative words like Amazon®, Target® and
Apple® used in an otherwise unrelated context. In some cases, like
BlackBerry®, the name was born out of a visual cue taken from the look of
the device...the keys looked like dots on a berry. In others, like Caterpillar®,
it emanated from product functionality. The fact that these names are unique
in their product category helps to make them memorable.
3) Connecting emotionally. Good brand names evoke positive associations
and emotional connections with customers. In other words, they resonate.
Depending on your brand strategy, this could mean fun or functionality,
innovation or intimacy, high-tech or luxury. Metaphors are often used to
accomplish this because they provide immediate, intuitive connections. And
they’re memorable. Consider Explorer and Safari. Both of these names tap
into the adventurous side of human nature, whether that means surfing the
Web or driving a vehicle.
4) Protecting your investment. Strong brands add value to the balance
sheet. Taking proper steps to ensure that your brand name can be protected
under national and international trademark laws, in your product category, is
a crucial first step and will guard your investment. Once protected, follow
appropriate usage steps consistently to keep it that way. Xerox®, Teflon®
and Kleenex® brand managers have some stories to share about the
importance of protecting their brands.
5) Paying attention to linguistics and universal meaning. Your name
should be easy to say and understand. Be sure to consider all the ways it
might be mispronounced or misinterpreted wherever it may appear. Hire a
professional to perform linguistics and translation checks to avoid the
translation blunders we’ve all heard about like Chevrolet Nova and Ford Fiera.
We recommend taking steps to ensure your name won’t offend, even if you
don’t consider yours a global brand.
6) Testing it with your audience. Talk to members of your target
audience. Ultimately, you want to know: Is it appropriate for the market?
Does it have any negative meanings or associations? Does it support your
brand attributes? Does one name work substantially better than others in the
consideration set? Use research to inform your decision-making process, but
don’t let it make your decision.
7) Creating the experience. Once you’ve selected a name, it’s time to
bring it to life and provide context through a logo, visual identity system and
consistent set of experiences that support the strategy. Over time, if
execution is consistently on brand, you will build meaning and value into the
name by creating a relationship with the end user and forging an emotional
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connection. No one has done this better than Coca-Cola®, McDonald’s® and
Google™. None of these names are descriptive, and on their own, they are
meaningless. But because these companies invest in managing their brands
and marketing their respective products and services, these names have
meaning...and enviable brand equity.
Indeed, what makes a brand name great is, in part, the name. The more distinctive,
memorable and emotionally engaging the better. But remember, a name alone means
nothing to the customer or consumer. It’s the experience — created and delivered
consistently over time — that adds value and builds equity.