Words matter in marketing-that's why any self-respecting business can only start with effective and suitable brand naming. Here I explain what it is and why it is critical to ensuring your company's growth.
It seems that a certain William Shakespeare would tell people that we should not judge a person by his or her title....
I fully agree, but perhaps the dear English poet has never tried to sell a business called, I don't know, "Otherworldly Travel Agency" or the like!
Yeah, because the hard, hard truth is that if you have a business, offline or digital, your name matters.
And how it counts!
It can instantly influence how your customers perceive you: every word, every sound and every letter has an impact on how they think and how they feel, based also on connections related to their personal experience and context.
Let me give you a trivial example right away: you yourself, I imagine, have different feelings about the words "kitten" and "cockroach." Right?
A myriad of components come into play in creating a successful brand (including an outstanding product and a strong personality), but the fact remains that your name is one of the first touch points your customers will use to form an opinion about your company.
A name carries with it a well-defined image, it encapsulates a past or future history-that is why its choice is the result of a real marketing strategy, which considers the offering but also the target market.
The brand naming is a bit like the foundation of a house: you need it to lay the foundation, and then build the entire structure of your business accordingly, influencing consumer attitudes and trust.
Okay, and that's it so far....
But in practice, how do you make effective brand naming?
I guess you are wondering!
In this article you will find just a few tips on the subject: read on to understand exactly what brand naming is and how you can best approach it so that you can create a brand that not only resonates with your customers, but offers a memorable and meaningful experience over time.
What is brand naming and why is it important
Literally, "naming" means "to name": in marketing, it therefore has to do with the choice of product, service or company names.
"Brand naming" is thus specifically the activity of creating a name for a brand, based on its characteristics, target market and target audience, thus contributing to the definition of identity, positioning, image and tone of voice.
Yes, that's right: far from simple stuff!
But at the same time extremely important: you must always act in such a way as to create an idea that is adherent to the product and can be used easily and effectively in marketing campaigns.
As well as the graphics of the logo, the name is more than just an identifier: it is the point of contact between you and your users and represents the value of your brand. When you do brand naming for your business, you are making a real statement of intent, creating a very important element in your relationship with your audience.
This is all the more true when you consider the current environment, chock-full of competition, where in all likelihood the products and services you propose are already offered by dozens of other competitors.
That's why working on building a strong, distinctive, impactful and memorable brand name is the trump card you can play to make your mark.
Not only that, there are many concrete and tangible reasons why successful brand naming contributes to the growth of your business. Among the most important are that it forms the foundation of your business, showing your identity and setting you apart from everyone else, and that it creates a bond with customers, establishing a connection that will grow into a relationship of esteem and trust-and that, in the long run, will help meet your goals of increased sales.
Catchy names stick and come to customers' minds at the most opportune times: if your brand name is effective, your target audience will remember it every time they think of your industry. This will also make it easier for you to find new lead and increase the level of engagement and conversions.
The characteristics of effective brand naming
How to create effective brand naming? Are there any rules to know and remember when engaging in this activity?
Well, certainly marketing in itself gives you some guidance, telling you that first of all the brand name should respect values, corporate mission and product positioning - but other than that, it does not tell you concretely as devise it.
Another thing: the easier a name is to remember, the more it works and seems to convey value (Neuromarketing says this).
However, while there is no magic formula, there are common traits that make a brand name more effective, for you and for other people-a set of qualities shared by all successful brands.
In order for it to stick in your customers' minds and help in some way to establish brand recognition and awareness, your name should be:
Memorable and original
Your brand name should be immediately linkable to your company or product, distinguishable and recognizable even from competitors. Even better if it is catchy, with assonances or puns.
Short and accessible
The shorter the name, the easier it is to spell, pronounce and remember: simplicity is the key. Even if it is unusual or bizarre, the important thing is that people can easily interpret it or Google it.
Appropriate
Your brand name must be consistent with respect to your business, the story it represents and the products you offer: the choice of language (Italian or other), tone of voice, logo and slogan associated with it all depend on this. In short, it must be aligned with your positioning.
Evocative and meaningful
Although many people opt for descriptive names, a good brand naming strategy is to choose terms that evoke certain feelings, based on what you want people to associate with your brand. The goal is to elicit a positive emotional response and invite potential customers to learn more about your product or service.
Visually translatable
A good name must also encapsulate a strong visual identity, which you will communicate through design, including logos, icons, colors, etc.
Brand naming: types
Okay, so you understand that the language you use in creating a name is very important.
However, you may be wondering where to start....
A very practical tool that can help you is the concept map, in which you try to summarize all the nouns, verbs or adjectives connected in some way to your business.
Apart from that, there are various techniques you can use, just as there are various types of brand names: I list some of them here.
- Descriptive names: they immediately become associated with the product, making it immediately clear what its characteristics and qualities are (e.g. Ciocopiù for chocolate cookies);
- Pure fantasy names: are freely invented names, such as Spotify o Pringles;
- Mythological names: ancient deities have a special evocative power, such as Nike or Pandora;
- Scientific or technological names: they immediately convey values such as seriousness and reliability (e.g. Microsoft);
- Acronyms: in this case, the brand is composed of the initials of a series of names, such as IBM;
- First and last names: this is my case: valerio.it has taken on brand significance through marketing communication and the brand awareness developed over time; this is the case for many brands in the field of fashion as well, such as Patrizia Pepe o Giorgio Armani;
- Common language: here we are in an inclusive realm that can be understood by all in the immediate term; just think of the most famous wishing fruit of all (Apple) or to the question "How are you doing?" (Whatsapp);
- Onomatopoeic names: recall product-related sounds (such as candy TicTac);
- Combination of two short names: very common in English, it is the case of Facebook o Netflix.
Of course, these are just a few of the types prevalent in the business world; by all means, leave room for your imagination and creativity, respecting the characteristics I explained in the previous paragraph.
Conclusion
Choosing your brand name is one of the most important business decisions you will make: it defines your offering and can shape the future of your business.
Having an effective name and knowing how to mix it with all the elements of your brand identity constitutes a step that is not only important, but even essential to help you communicate who you are.
In general, approaches to a brand naming strategy can be different, depending on the result you want to achieve, and all still valid. The important thing is to have clear ideas!
Yes, I realize it is something that requires commitment, experience and attention-so don't be afraid to ask for support if you feel you are stuck at any stage of the process.
How about you? What are the difficulties you face in creating your brand name?
Let me know in the comments!