How To Create Brand Names

Ever watched The Apprentice and thought that you could do that too? Then you’ll know that the winner not only needs to have a good business acumen, but strong brand naming skills as well. There are lots of branding names and branding companies out there that we are all familiar with – Heinz Baked Beans, Cadbury’s Dairy Milk and Beats by Dr Dre headphones to name but a few. When it comes to corporate branding, it is essential to have a good name, a memorable logo (there isn’t anyone on the planet who doesn’t know the Apple logo) and something that everybody recognizes instantly so they know what it is that you’re selling. In order to do this, you need a good branding strategy. Stuck for ideas? Read on…

Know your brands
A brand is a name give to a product that all consumers are aware of and know. For example, Coca Cola is a well-known drinks company, WhatsApp is the name attached to the free messaging service and YouTube is an online video sharing site.  

Keep your audience in mind
Depending on your product, your brand name needs to be universal and attached to what you’re selling.  

Brands last a lifetime
Associating a bad name with a product just won’t cut it. Once a name is out there, it’s out there forever, so if it needs changing, don’t hesitate to do so. After all, something tells us Ralph Lauren wouldn’t have been as successful, had he stuck with his real name, Ralph Lifshitz!  

Don’t use descriptive names
You might think you’re being unique, but descriptive brand names just tell you what your product is, e.g. car, radio, app etc. Don’t believe us? Then how’s this for a wake-up call – there are no descriptive brand names in the Interbrand Top 100 World’s Most Valuable Brands list.  

Remember The Six Cs Your brand names needs to be all of the following:
1) Crisp – if it looks and sounds good, people will sit up. Keep the name short and sweet. For example, Mac is used more often than Macintosh.
2) Clear –  too confusing and people won’t want to know. Steer clear of acronyms.
3) Clever – something that makes people think or is not the norm will impress people. For example, the name Amazon is the world’s biggest river and also the world’s largest online retailer.
4) Connected – don’t steer away from what you’re selling. Engage with your product and your audience, and if using multiple words, they’re easier to remember when they are linked (for example, Dunkin’ Doughnuts).
5) Conversational – when people start talking about you, that’s got to be good business.
6) Crazy – it’ll get you noticed and remembered – for example, Google (the popular brand for online searching).