What’s in a name?

Naming your new brand can be both exciting and daunting - you want a name that reflects the values and personality of your business, but is also catchy, easy to remember and different to your competitors. In a saturated marketplace it can be challenging to create a brand name that cuts through but is also appropriate and relevant. In our experience it comes down to thinking differently about naming and challenging the norms in naming conventions.

Surveying the brand-scape

Firstly, you’ve got to do the research. Look at what’s happening in your sector, see what commonalities and tropes exist among companies and map out tonalities in peer brand names. Who sounds softer and more humanist? Who sounds sharper and dynamic? Identifying patterns in your sector will give you a baseline to separate yourself from, allowing you to carve a more distinct enclave.

Look inwards

To create an authentically distinct name for your brand it’s essential that you reflect upon what your brand is all about. Dive back into the brand strategy, what is your purpose? What do you value? Think about the ‘Why’ of your brand and how it should be perceived? Challenger or conformist, best friend or trusted advisor. 

But, don’t forget about your audience. Think carefully about the people who’ll be interacting with and advocating for the new brand. Who are they? What’s their world like? What do they respond positively to? Creating personas can help define clearer pathways to defining annexe that resonates.

Embracing the unconventional

Despite the density of brands in the market it is possible to create a strong brand name that resonates. For us, it’s all about pushing the boundaries around naming conventions and being as creative and playful in name creation, as we are in design. It’s about not heading straight to the obvious and using existing names, verbs, adverbs and conventional nouns. Get the scrabble board out and go nuts. We break words apart, rearrange letters and see what comes up. Cast the net further to explore composites, derivatives, acronyms and not being afraid to break out of the English language and create new flavours.

Sounds good, feels good, is good

Devising the right name for you brand will inevitably involve some box ticking. Is it short and snappy enough? Is it easy to write and say? But, as in any creative undertaking there’s an X factor that determines its appreciation. In the case of naming it’s having a ‘ring’ to it. 

Our emotional response to words and sounds can instinctively override our rational response and in many case rightfully so. By all accounts the property brand ‘Zoopla’ has no major story behind it but rather, reflects the uniqueness of its offering and therefore deliberately stands apart from other property sites. It is also enjoyable to say, sounds like something you’d say to accentuate a successful moment and has a distinct aesthetic to it. We’re not huge fans of the term ‘mouthfeel’ but good ‘earfeel’ is certainly influential in brand naming. While a name may not appear to have any direct or obvious connection to the business or sector, as long as it has sonic appeal, it can still be a success.

Test the waters

As with most creative endeavours there’s always a dimension of subjectivity in the mix, so it’s advisable to bring some controlled objectivity into the proceedings to balance opinion and temper internal perceptions that may hinder external reception. Our recommendation is to socialise a selection of brand names (no more than 5) that have made the grade internally among a select focus group drawn from your target audience demographics. Using a solid naming criteria as a basis for feedback, see how individuals respond logically and emotionally to the names. This is a great way to eliminate any ‘maybes’ and to see where a string sense of consensus lies. If a cross section of your target audience are adamant on one of your final contenders then the likelihood of that name resonating is very good.

Naming is a pivotal part of the brand inception phase. If your name is memorable and meaningful, the more it will resonate with consumers and stand the test of time. It’s not just about giving your business a title, it’s about winning hearts and minds.