As tempting as it may be to listen to family, friends and the general public, they are rarely the source of an effective brand name. Even when a suggestion that comes from these sources feels like it hits the mark, running it through the filter of a strategic brand naming process is always a good idea. The best insurance policy for avoiding brand naming disasters is to engage an experienced branding agency to develop the strategic framework to direct and drive the naming process. Whilst this brand strategy will not provide all the elements of a powerful brand name, it will eliminate much of the risk of launching with a stinker.
Click here to read about Kraft’s ‘iSnack2.0’ brand naming disaster.

Of all the elements of branding, naming is the toughest to develop and sign-off. There’s something about a brand name that sits at the very heart of a business, is emotionally connected to stakeholders and can be very difficult to shift the thinking. The key to success is engaging all key stakeholders in the strategic process. With all the decision makers on the same page, the process of selecting a name revolves around the strategic framework and personal taste is removed from the equation. As a rule, if someone hasn’t been on the strategic journey, they should have no say in selecting the brand name.
Click here for an overview of the strategic process that underpins our brand naming.

When it comes to brand naming, more is more, we throw the net out very wide initially for a couple of reasons. Firstly, once the strategic framework has been developed,  the strongest brand names can come from anywhere. We typically explore 10-12 themes that can throw forward more than a hundred name ideas at the first cut. The second reason for throwing the net wide is that often, many of the best name ideas are not available for trademark of domain registration. The more ideas on the long list, the more can get through as available for the short list.

Defining your brand’s personality is a critical component to developing the hardest working brand names. Although you may have defined your audience, translated your strategic value proposition, and checked for availability, unless the personality of your brand name connects with your core audience, you’ll fall short. The strongest brands understand and confidently express their brand personality.
Click here to read about the art of crafting the right brand personality.

The road to market is littered with great brand names that turned into disasters due to a failure to check either availability, protectability or local, cultural suitability. Checking availability of domain name is a key, early checkpoint for brand naming. If a domain is not available, there are ways to work around it, but if there are similar domains in existence that may confuse a customer, the name idea should be discounted. Secondly, a brand name must also be checked to ensure it can be trademarked. You’ll be investing valuable time and budget into building brand value in your assets, you need to be able to protect that investment. Finally, when launching a brand outside your immediate location it’s critical to check for local suitability. What seems like a great name in your city or country might be a recipe for disaster in another market. Always have someone (or more) on the ground sense check a name idea before you lock it in.
Click here to read what happened when Nike failed to check their ‘Black and Tan’ brand name before launching it.