What's in a name?
- William Shakespeare
At a loss what name you should call your business? We understand how arduous of a task naming is. Hence, here are 9 great tips for creating your brand name to help in your naming exercise.
1. Your Name
In the olden days, naming your company after you has been a norm. Walt Disney, Warner Bros. Marriott, Abercrombie and Fitch – I can go on and on.
Akin to painting one’s self-portrait – choosing your name as a brand name brings a very strong message. It means that your name carries weight and that it is an extension of who you are – which it should be. At the end of the day, a business may be business but it is still personal.
2. Something Symbolic
Something relatable. Something evocative. Something symbolic to you or your brand. This can be suggestive of what your product offers that turns somehow into a metaphor for your brand (twitting like a bird –Twitter). A truly creative way to connect your name to what you really bring.
3. A Number
Most of us may not have an affinity for math, but we cannot deny numbers is a great part of business life and of marketing.
The importance of numbers in names has been discussed several times. Numerology has always been one of the greatest points to get advice for especially in the East. That 1 is the most auspicious number, 7s are lucky and in Asia – 8 is the luckiest number there can be.
Choosing numbers as your brand name or part of it carries a certain message. That either those number means a symbolic meaning for you or you want them to be uniquely different. May not be a business decision, but Elon Musk naming his child X Æ A-12 is totally on brand for him. It’s trendy, different, and mathematical.
4. A Word Play
Another creative way to name your brand is a play of words. Take for example Facebook – which literally means a digital book of faces. Or Dunkin’ Donuts – a literal translation of their marketing of donuts being dunked in icing. Another example is Careem, the biggest competitor of Uber in the Middle East. In Arabic– the word “kareem” although means “generous” is always used as part of a greeting. As a great use of play of word, they changed the spelling from K to C, and the brand “Careem” used it as their brand name.
5. The Magic of Spelling
Another way to also create a brand name is to slightly modify the spelling of the word. Take the example of Lyft which comes from the word “lift” – a summary of their company service. Or Krispy Kreme – it may be a little bit cute, but Krispy Kreme is more memorable than Crispy cream. The latter reminds me more of chicken while the first is about the sweetness of donuts.
6. The Domain Game
Since the digital world is here to stay, one of the greatest ways to get remembered is by using your domain as your name. This is the route we have taken here at Izles.Co for our main company brand.
Booking.com would be the biggest example. If your company is mortar and brick and does not really need to make waves online, then this would not be the way to go. However, if your business is purely digital – then it is a must. You are killing two birds with one stone – promoting your business name and domain name in one go.
7. Your Product
If you are the type who wants less fuss and prefers to be more direct – this is a better option to go. It is a descriptive summary of what you are selling. These are some examples: Toys R Us, Bank of America, General Motors, and more.
8. Places
Sometimes the name of the place has a special connection to the brand. It might be a part of your offering, where your first idea came to life, the richness of your brand’s history or you are targeting that specific local audience.
Kentucky Fried Chicken would be one good example. It highlights the history of the brand since Colonel Sanders began selling fried chicken in a roadside restaurant in Kentucky. Another example is Humans of New York, a digital creative brand that promotes the stories of those who live in New York City.
9. Acronyms
If all else fails, you can always use acronyms. Everywhere in the world is littered with acronyms as brand names. Our concern in this is – it is not as imaginative nor it is evocative. It also does not create a compelling story. At the end of the day, we always have to share a story. It is one of the best ways to promote your brand and make a connection with your audience
No time to go through these challenging tasks? Let us handle it. Naming is one of the most arduous yet fun experiences for your business. Whether for your new restaurant, a spa, or a new business you are planning to open, our team can create a business name that is relatable to you and your audience.
Get in touch with us here.