A good brand name reflects a company’s personality and blends into its niche. It often hints at the company’s values, mission, or even uses popular jargon related to the niche. Choosing the right brand name is crucial for differentiation and speeds up customer acceptance, although it can be challenging. With most domain names already taken, companies increasingly use shortened versions of their business name for domains.
Characteristics of an Effective Brand Name
While an exact formula for creating the perfect brand name doesn’t exist, there are certain characteristics that make one effective and memorable:
- Unique
- Easy to pronounce and spell
- Relates to the product
- Offers ideas about the company’s purpose and quality
Formulating Your Brand Name
To choose your brand name:
- Brainstorm words related to your business.
- Consider your brand’s mission and story for inspiration.
- Look for traits of great brand names such as uniqueness and memorability.
Step-by-Step Brand Name Selection
Understand Your Brand Core
- Define your brand’s purpose, vision, mission, and values.
Highlight Unique Selling Points
- Reflect on what sets your business apart for a unique market position.
Engage in Creative Brainstorming
- Generate a variety of names with your team that are descriptive, memorable, and aligned with your brand’s essence.
Thorough Vetting Process
- Examine potential names for availability, cultural sensitivity, and trademark issues.
3 Steps to Design an Impactful Brand Name
- Determine the type of name you want, such as descriptive, suggestive, or "empty vessel".
- Use tools like Namelix to mix and match keyword variants.
- Check if your favorite names are available as .com domains.
When you go back to your brand’s basics, you may discover creative ideas that lead to a natural brand name fit.
Evaluating a Potential Brand Name
Consider the following seven key questions to evaluate a potential brand name:
- Does the name reflect your brand?
- Is it sufficiently unique?
- Does it contain helpful keywords?
- Is it easy to say and spell?
- What appears when you Google it?
- How do your target customers respond?
- What is your emotional response?
Using these criteria will allow you to launch your brand name confidently.