All in a name
How to decide your brand name?
When it comes to deciding the brand name for your company or product, it can be easier said than done!
You have a name you think would be perfect, excitedly dance around the kitchen (just me then?) but a quick search for domain availability and look on Companies House there’s a proverbial pee all over your fire when you discover somebody else has already nabbed it.
But before you even get thinking about a name, there are key steps to take which can really help home in on what your brand stands for, provides and who it appeals to in order to ensure whatever name you decide ‘fits’ what you’re about.
Think about..
Your values – what underpins your mission and aim for your product/service?
The personality you want to convey in your marketing and communications
Your ideal client – where do they shop, what brands do they like, what’s the issue/pain point that would lead them to discover your brand?
This exercise can be really useful as keywords, phrases and emotions will come out that can lead to the next part of developing a brand naming!
Doing your research into the relevant industry will also pay dividends. Seeing the kind of names being used, and the look and feel can really help you focus in on what you like and dislike.
A brand name can come from all sorts of inspiration.
Made up words – as it says on the tin. A word you’ve developed yourself – like Bevic (the initials of my son and daughter, and my name 😊)
Combination Words – taking words that might have a connection with your brand and bringing them together to form a word – like NEOM
Translations – If there’s a key word or phrase that resonates with your brand, often a translation into another language can open up a raft of possibilities – like
Random words – Apple is probably one of the most famous, or the now-dissolved Orange
Value/product related – Toys R Us
Personal – named after the person/founder – WH Smiths, Marks and Spencer, IKEA
Of course, coming up with the name is one thing, the look and feel of it, is quite another and brings to life the values and personality of the brand, giving a clear identity for customers to recognise.
Working with a professional designer to come up with a logo, a colour palette, font package and guidelines is really an important investment I’d advise clients to undertake. It will not only help when developing other marketing materials, whether your website, advertising, social media graphics etc, but it will also help you stand out from the crowd and have a professional, consistent look and feel you can be proud of showcasing that represents the right brand image you want your clients to form.
There’s a lot of psychology when it comes to colour as shown by this article by Creative Blog, and also how your brand can work with packaging and certain materials. These are the kind of things a professional designer can help address at the get-go.
How do you feel about these famous logos created in different colours?
A lot of emotion and precious time can be spent trying to come up with a name, but ultimately as long as it’s gone through the above process, it’s not insulting or offensive and available, go with it. Customers will adopt whatever you decide. The big task is making sure customers remember it and can easily identify it, which is why your subsequent marketing and communications activity is so important.
If you are looking to develop a new brand name or tag line and looking for help, get in touch to find out about our Brand Name Workshop! vicky@bevic.co.uk