Introduction
Did you know that about 72% of Top Brand Names are Made-up words or Acronyms? With millions of brands in the world today, coming up with a brand name that’s unique and memorable can be quite challenging. However, our mini brand name guide series will simplify this process for you.
In this first part, we’ll focus on the basics so you get an idea of what a brand name is? what makes a good brand name? and What are the common mistakes to avoid when choosing a brand name?
DIY BRAND NAME GUIDE:
Part 1: Brand name basics (Understanding Good vs Bad)
Part 2: Create a Brand name from scratch (Tools & techniques to generate names)
Part 3: Register and protect your brand name (Securing your brand name)
What is a brand name?
Put simply, we like to think of ‘brand names’ as names of ‘places’, where one can find a specific kind of information, product or service. In a person’s mind, these names uniquely identify, a specific company or individual and differentiates them from similar others within the category.
When you think of ‘Apple’, you could have the image of a fruit or some electronic device coming to your mind, depending on what the context is.
Your brand identity is the way a brand presents itself to the world and how it is perceived by its audience.
7 Common types of brand names
Watch this quick 5-minute talk that summarises popular brand names into 7 types. This’ll help give some structure to your thinking during the name generation process in Part 2, so you don’t feel like you’re shooting in the dark.
In the next lesson we’ll walk you through the exact steps we took in coming up with our own brand name.
Brand name checklist
To help you quickly evaluate if a brand name is good, we have made a checklist above which you can use as a guiding tool. We explain each of the items below:
1. Unique and Original
Strive to choose a name that stands out from competitors through comprehensive research. Validate its uniqueness and steer clear of trademark issues.
2. Simple and memorable
Ensure your brand name is clear, easy to spell, and simple to pronounce. Avoid complex or confusing names and ensure your name sticks in people’s minds and is memorable which helps with brand recall and brand recognition.
3. Reflects your personality
Choose a name that is directly related to your brand, its values, and what it represents. It should give a hint about what your brand is all about. What’s the brand’s personality? Fun & playful / formal / luxurious / quirky …?
4. Positive associations
Be cautious of cultural connotations and meanings associated with the name. Avoid names that might offend or create misunderstandings in different cultures.
5. Scalable
Take into account the future growth and expansion of your brand. Additionally, ensure the name is scalable to avoid limitations as your brand evolves.
6. Digital assets Available
Examine the name’s availability as a domain for your website. Also, confirm its availability on various social media platforms because maintaining consistency in branding is essential.
Up next …
We hope this mini lesson gave you a good understanding of what makes a great brand name. Now you’re all ready now to get your hands dirty in Part 2: Create a Brand name from scratch. We’ll cover all the tools & techniques you need to generate great brand names from scratch.