Everyone has heard of excellent brand names that were chosen at random from a hat full of employee proposals, from the pages of a dictionary, or from an all-night brainstorming session. In truth, while a free-for-all approach to naming could result in the next "Twitter" or "BlackBerry," it's just as likely — if not more likely — to end in disaster.
A more stringent naming process, for example, could have helped World Wrestling Entertainment avoid a 12-year fight with the World Wildlife Fund over the letters "WWF." With roughly 2.5 million active trademarks in the United States — and more being added every year — merely selecting an available brand name necessitates a more methodical approach.
Because of this, despite the fact that brand consultants enjoy debating the "right" way to build powerful brands, the high-level naming process is generally agreed upon: draft a brief, produce concepts (sometimes hundreds), shortlist, prescreen, and present. Repeat as needed.
However, having access to the same procedure does not ensure the same outcomes. How do some naming experts and organizations continuously develop strategically good, legally available, and eminently memorable names using the same underlying process? I posed this topic to nine renowned naming specialists, including a former Google head of naming, three owners of specialized naming companies, a professional trademark pre-screener, and a linguist who assists in ensuring new brand names are appropriate for global audiences (i.e., not "Pinto"). Based on these conversations, I've produced the list of nine recommendations and tools below, which are organized by (usually agreed-upon) naming processes.
Naming Brief
1. Include actual names and name ideas in the brief.
Along with the abstract ideals you hope the name will represent, provide more concrete examples--other names in the marketplace that you/the client like or dislike, and any name ideas that have previously been considered or rejected.
“I would say some of the best briefs are actually when you write the brief together with the client and say, ‘Okay, what names do you like out there in the market?’…You’re able to extract things that…normally wouldn’t show up on a brief.”
– Amanda Peterson, former Head of Naming and Leader of Brand Management at Google
2. Make sure every decision-maker reviews and approves the brief.
It's one of the most prevalent reasons why a naming effort fails. Do not allow it to happen to you!
“The single biggest thing that goes wrong from anybody’s point of view, is that somebody in the company…is not brought into the process early, even though they have veto power over the name. … And then they come up with a name and they put it in front of this person who has not been involved, and he looks at it and goes, ‘No.’”
– Clive Chafer, Head of Namebrand
Name Generation
3. Mix things up: Try naming individually and in a group, online and off.
Group work is excellent for exploring conceptual territory or when specialist knowledge is not required. Individual effort may be more fruitful for tasks that demand a deep dive in a technical topic. And, while most name generation is unavoidably aided by internet tools (e.g., OneLook), it's often beneficial to take a break from the computer and see what you can come up with using only a notebook and a pen.
“I have even driven…an hour away to a beautiful setting — especially when it’s a particular kind of project and I need more tranquil, open, expansive ideas — and given myself physical space and physical beauty in order to start unleashing [name ideas].”
– Shannon DeJong, CEO of House of Who
4. When stuck, try distracting yourself, purposely coming up with bad ideas, or naming something else entirely.
Many creative people discover that their best ideas emerge from their subconscious only after they've taken a break from the activity. Exercise, sleep, and social contacts can all help with this--just keep a pen and paper accessible. If you're still stuck, try thinking about "stupid" names or shifting gears by pretending you're on a separate (but related) naming assignment.
“You identify a completely unrelated product category-sometimes the less related the better-and you look for examples of a desired attribute or quality from that category. … By thinking through an attribute as it appears somewhere else, you are able to find ideas that are differentiated but relevant.”
– Anthony Shore, Chief Operative, Operative Words
Shortlisting
5. Get some outside perspective.
To avoid becoming "too close to the problem," consider bringing in some outside specialists to help you narrow down your master list.
“One of the things that we’re pretty big on is seeking input from a larger group, so it’s not just, say, me, the creative director, making some final decisions about which names are going to get into the presentation [to the client].”
– Scott Milano, Managing Director of Tanj
Prescreening
6. Learn how to search the USPTO’s Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS) more efficiently.
The US trademark database is open and free to the public, but understanding how to search it effectively takes some preparation. (For an example, see this sample search for marks including "easy," as described on the TESS Help page: *ea"szc""iey"*[bi,ti]. So, not so simple.)
“Be aware of what the relevant [International] Classes are. And then, if you can restrict the search to particular words that are in the goods and services, such as ‘software’ or ‘candy bars,’ that too will probably make your search more efficient.”
– Steven Price, Tessera Trademark Screening
7. Invest in a real linguistic and cultural disaster check.
Just because a few Spanish-speaking friends or coworkers affirm a name works well doesn't indicate it will work in Mexico or Spain, let alone other Spanish-speaking locations in the US and around the world. A true linguistic examination will consult with native language speakers in each relevant country.
“Typically, [I ask native linguists] a question about pronunciation. Have them rate it. Is it easy? Is it hard? Why is it hard? … The second area would be whether it has negative associations, and those can be from a cultural thing happening in that country or something in the past. It can be political. It can be just the sound of the word. … The third area that I usually ask about is existing brand associations. Does this name remind you of a brand in your country?”
– Laurel Sutton, Founder & Linguist, Sutton Strategy
Presenting
8. Show each name in the same context to avoid biasing reactions.
Great brand names frequently lend themselves to graphic representation. You might be tempted to create logos for your favorite ideas, or to give each a distinct font and color. But you don't have to be a psychology expert to realize the danger in this approach: Does the CEO despise that name concept, or does she simply despise orange?
“We tend to develop sort of a generic graphic page where we show all the names in the same font but surround them with some sort of wallpaper or imagery that reflects what the brand or company or product is about. We do not develop unique graphic looks for each of the names because I think that that…gets them to focus on the design and not the names.”
– Jonathan Bell, Managing Director of WANT
9. And please, please don’t present anything you can’t get behind.
It's the naming equivalent of Murphy's Law.
“If you don’t like a name enough to be proud of it and share it when the project’s done, then don’t put it in front of the client because that’s going to be the one that they’re going to pick.”
– Eli Altman, Creative Director, A Hundred Monkeys
The best namers are the ones who consistently put out great brand names. Their ability to do so is partly raw talent, but it’s also a combination of access to high-quality tools and mastery of easily learned skills. If you’re looking to come up with great names whether for your own brand or as a professional namer, put these best practices, tools, and techniques into practice starting today. I hope it helps you create a brand name you love — but if you want, feel free to tell everyone you just picked it out of hat.