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A Brilliant Brand Name Should Be Distinctive: It should stand out amongst the competition so that consumers don’t confuse it with other brands. Rolex and Bugatti are good examples.
A Brilliant Brand Name Should Be easy to pronounce, recognize, and remember. Say the name out loud. How does it sound? Is it easy to say? Is it poetic? Does a client have to hear it many times before it sticks to their mind? iPod and Nike are certainly better than “Troglodyte Homonculus” – a clothing brand.
A Brilliant Brand Name Should Offer A Unique Expression: Does the name demonstrate what your brand is all about? Does it fit your brand’s personality? Does it suggest anything about your product’s benefits and qualities?
A Brilliant Brand Name Should Appear Right: What does the word look like in print? Does it look as good as it sounds?
A brilliant brand name shall excel in all aforementioned characteristics. These characteristics, in fact, can fall into one of the following brand name categories:
Many of the world’s most recognized brands are acronyms: HP, IBM, LG, and KFC, to name a few. Most acronyms evolve out of functional names. Either deliberately or organically, descriptive names can be paired down into bite size chunks. For example, it’s easier to say AFLAC than American Family Life Assurance Company, or GEICO than Government Employees Insurance Company.
Origin names are often derived from the history or foundations of an organization, or the name of the significant or historic figures of the business. Maybe the founder, principal inventor, or the place that the business first started out.
Examples: DHL (also an acronym) is the three surname initials of the founders. McDonald’s is of course the surname of the founding brothers. Others include Adidas, Johnson & Johnson, John Deere… etc.
Emotive or suggestive brand names can be very powerful to use, built around the emotions that a customer feels when they use the service or product. Does your product give them freedom, more time, more money, a sense of well-being, or peace? People often seek an emotional outcome for themselves. These names often use real words, so that people can relate instantly to them. Examples: Innocent Drinks, Freederm, and Uber.
These are considered a cornerstone of brand naming and brand positioning. They are usually singular, very creative and act as powerful differentiators in the industry. They are exactly on the opposite side of the creative spectrum and their names employee suggestion or a metaphor to bring to the mind the powerful experience or the positioning of the brand.
Examples include Nike and Amazon. Owing to their originality and innovative brand names they are much easier to remember.
Descriptive brand names are effective for describing the business. PayPal is a payment company. Subway serves submarine sandwiches. These names clearly position the brands and make it easier for consumers to identify their products and services and when to choose them.
A niche provider or player in a new market can benefit from a descriptive name, as it helps educate the customer and explain what they do. Do be careful though, as they can be difficult to trademark if they are anywhere near close to your competitors.
Other examples: Google Maps, Lean Cuisine, Burger King, and 7-Eleven.
Completely fictional, created, and made-up, but somehow they sound right. If you’re finding that every name under the sun has already been taken, then an invented name may be for you, especially if you’re looking for something short that you can successfully trademark.
Examples: Kodak, Xerox, Accenture (derived from the combination of ‘accent’ and ‘future’), and Dulux (derived from the words ‘durable’ and ‘luxury’).
The products which are entirely innovative or new and first in the market, naming such products is a big challenge. That is when invented brand names come into the picture as they help in naming a product which is introduced for the first time.
They are not only distinctive but they are articulate and offer creative name with attitude for a brand. They are not at all easy to make but very easy to remember if it clicks with the brand.
Metaphors are amazing for tapping into the imagery side of creating a memorable business brand name. They express an idea by conjuring the image of another. They can relate to absolutely anything, as long as it’s something that your target audience can identify with – stories, characteristics, qualities, cultural icons, or other emotive forces.
The best thing about metaphor names is that they create intrigue. Playing on curiosity and making people want to find out what a company does.
Examples: Jaguar (speed, agility), Nike (the Greek goddess of victory), Amazon (the largest river in the world), and Gorilla Glue (strong, tough).