The name of a company is perhaps one of the most important elements of a brand. Moreover, when selling on Amazon FBA or Amazon FBM, consumers will likely look at your brand’s name.
In order to market your brand, you need to be recognizable and relatable. And it all starts with the name of the brand.
For those who are starting and want to figure out a way to come up with a good name, this article is for you. This article is a compilation of marketing experts’ advice with regards to naming your brand. This can be found in the book of Designing Brand Identity, fifth edition.
The right name is timeless, tireless, easy to say and remember, it stands for something, and facilitates brand extensions. Its sound has rhythm. It looks great in the text of an email and in the logo. A well-chosen name is an essential brand asset, as well as a 24/7 workhorse.
A name is transmitted day in and day out, in conversations, emails, voicemails, websites, on the product, on business cards, and in presentations. The wrong name for a company, product, or service can hinder marketing efforts through miscommunication or because people cannot pronounce it or remember it.
Qualities of an Effective Name
Meaningful: It communicates something about the essence of the brand. It supports the image that the company wants to conveys
Distinctive: It is unique, as well as easy to remember, pronounce, and spell. It is differentiated from the competition. It is easy to share on social networks.
Future-oriented: It positions the company for growth, change, and success. It has sustainability and preserves possibilities. It has long legs.
Protectable: It can be owned and trademarked. A domain is available.
Positive: It has positive connotations in the markets served. It has no strong negative connotations.
Visual: It lends itself well to graphic presentation in a logo in text, and in brand architecture.
THE RIGHT NAME HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME A SELF-PROPELLING PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN, MOTIVATING WORD OF MOUTH, REPUTATION, RECOMMENDATION, AND PRESS COVERAGE
Different Types of Names for Brands
Founder
Many companies are named after founders: Ford, McDonald’s, Christian Louboutin, Ben & Jerry’s, Tory Burch. It might be easier to protect. It satisfies an ego.
Descriptive
These names convey the nature of the business. Good examples are Match.com, Toys “R” Us, Petco, E*TRADE, Evernote. Ancestry.com, and Citibank. The benefit of a descriptive name is that it clearly communicates the intent of the company. The potential disadvantage is that as a company grows and diversifies, the name may become limiting.
Try to arrange your product so its at the same level as the title of your listing next to it. It doesn’t just flow better but we have tested this and it always has a better CTR.
If your product is a bundle or has several elements, highlight the most important part of the bundle by making it bigger than the rest.
Fabricated
A made-up name, like Pinterest, Kodak, or Activia, is distinctive and might be easier to copyright. However, a company must invest a significant amount of capital into educating its market as to the nature of the business, service, or product. Häagen-Dazs is a fabricated foreign name that has been extremely effective in the consumer market.
Methaphor
Things, places, people, animals, processes, mythological names, or foreign words are used to allude to a quality of a company. Good examples are Nike, Patagonia, Monocle, Quartz, Tesla, Kanga. Amazon.com, Hubble, and Hulu.
Acronym
These names are difficult to remember and difficult to copyright. IBM and GE became well-known only after the companies established themselves with the full spelling of their names. Acronyms are difficult to learn and require a substantial investment in advertising. Good examples are USAA, AARP, DKNY, CNN, and MoMA.
Magic Spell
Some names alter a word’s spelling in order to create a distinctive, protectable name, like Flickr, Tumblr, Netflix, and Google.
Combinations of the Above
Your brand name is important, more than you think. Some of the best names combine name typoes. Some good examples are Airbnb, Under Armour, Trader Joe’s, Shinola, and Santa Classics.
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