A brand’s name is usually its most enduring feature. Brands might update their logo, colours and typeface, they could add an icon or character, they may even extend their product range - but the name almost always sticks.

Few of us marketers have the opportunity to breathe life into a brand new brand. The more common role requires the brand marketer to caretake existing brands, upgrading elements from time to time in an effort to stay apace with change. Some of you may not be in marketing specifically, but have your own business which also needs a name. While it won’t be often in your career that you will need these tips, when you do - you’ll remember this advice as pure gold.

When generating a brand name, there are some core functional considerations, and a handful of creative ones.

I’ll start with the dry stuff, which you probably know. But these things bear repeating because you definitely don’t want to get them wrong.

1. Before deciding on the actual brand name, you need to make a call about your brand architecture – the interrelationship between the different brands within your company or portfolio. This will determine the degree of freedom you can apply in developing new names.

2. Can you protect the name and iconic assets? Legally. Talk to a trademark attorney if needs be, but don’t invest in building something you can’t protect. And check this across all your intended territories.

3. Make sure the brand name can be easily pronounced, by the locals. If your brand is going global, you’ll need to check this in multiple territories. Language needn’t be a barrier. If you’re at risk of sounding stupid when you ask for it, you’re less likely to buy it. Save your customers from this dilemma.

4. And, watch out for cultural differences. Make sure there are no unusual translations or local references which would render your brand name a dud. 

5. Make sure you can claim the url and social handles for your brand, or at least something consistent which is a close variation thereof – or you’re forever resigning yourself to extra airtime and column inches to explain where you can be found.

6. And of course, make sure you don’t sound like a me-too to existing competitors. You don’t want to be promoting someone else’s brands, even if it’s just owing to a case of mistaken identity, 

Now, the fun stuff – creative considerations for generating a name. Names confer identity. There are many, many techniques to approach this, but I’ll share just a few.

7. Begin with the easy stuff: what is obvious to you? It could be the founder’s names, or a stand-out ingredient; a unique product colour, or you can call on the brand’s provenance.

8. Then move on from these names that are entirely descriptive, and transcend the thinking into the realm of the suggestive as well. The exercise isn’t quite complete it it doesn’t include a handful of entirely made-up words.

9. Try brainstorming names across the conceptual spectrum: include ideas that are real words, conjoined words, and entirely made-up words.

10. The last tip involves courage. Sometimes you have to take a leap. All the brands we know and love didn’t mean much on their Day One. You have to invest in building meaning in your brand’s name over the course of its lifetime, through all the words and deeds a brand shares with its audience. This includes the perfectly planned campaigns broadcast to one’s target audience, all the unscripted interactions, as well as those things left unsaid.

Whether you are starting afresh, or you need to rebrand because you’ve entirely outgrown your company's vision, values or market, use the opportunity to think up something great. Use these tips to help direct your thinking. And don’t forget to add a good dose of instinct when making the final selection.

Jack Be Nimble offers our clients a range of strategic marketing services. We get especially excited about projects that involve left and right brain thinking, such as name generation. If you’re looking for someone skilled at this, you should get in touch.

This content was first shared with our followers in #marketingopenmic June 2020. If you missed out, don’t panic - Jack Be Nimble hosts this online event regularly. Follow us to find out when the next session is happening.

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash