Part 2/3

We all know the names of our mobile phones, our soft drink favourites, our preferred coffee brand, or our trusted grocery store. But if you think of them individually, why do you remember them?

Could Apple have started as Pear? Coca-Cola as Drinky? Starbucks as Heavensips? Would it have impacted their success? Maybe, maybe not. A name is only a word until you fill it with meaning. So, by marketing your name, the “filling-with-meaning” process starts.

The name sets the stage for the brand

There are many perspectives on names and how they can be used in the branding process. If you search “the branding process,” you will find many interesting articles and books on the topic. If you are curious about my favourites, send me an email, and I will give you a list of my favourites. This blog post will cover the fundamentals of naming.

Descriptive or random?

When naming a company, product, or service – a brand – there are two main paths to go. Should the name describe what you are offering, or should it be a random name? Let’s look into their pros and cons.

The descriptive name

Using a descriptive name has some pros: First of all, immediately after launch, people will know what you offer. You don’t need to spend money on educating people about what your brand stands for. The descriptive name gives you a head start. Compare “The Easy-to-use Computer” to Apple Macintosh*. In the short term, that maybe would have been a great idea. They could even have shortened it to TEC – acronyms are often very popular among tech companies. (Please don’t ask for my opinion on acronyms. Hint: Lazy.)

The cons are that it is harder to protect a descriptive name. It tends to be considered generic, opening up for competitors to challenge, diluting the brand.

So, to summarize the descriptive brand name:

Pros:

• The market will immediately know what you’re offering.
• Not so much money is needed to “fill-with-meaning”.

Cons:

• It’s hard to protect generic names legally.
• It is relatively easy to copy– e.g. “The Everyone’s Computer”.

The random name

To use a random word, or even a made-up word, has other advantages. It gives you exclusivity for your brand name in your industry since it is easier to protect legally. It can add attributes that go beyond a generic name and be the foundation of your positioning.

Apple is a more creative name, and it has served that company very well. It opens up options to support a unique brand universe that is hard, if not impossible, for competitors to copy.

The cons are that it needs investments in time and/or building awareness. It doesn’t necessarily mean that it needs to take a long time to launch, but then you will need money to build awareness quickly.

To summarize the random brand name:

Pros:

• It can be the foundation of your positioning. Naming is a decision that can accelerate the value of the brand exponentially.
• It provides a unique intangible value that competitors cannot duplicate.
• It is relatively easy to protect legally.

Cons:

• It needs to be filled with meaning to make sense to the market.
• Investments are needed – in time and/or building awareness.

Conclusion

Choosing a name for your company, product, or service gives you two essential paths to consider. And it depends on what you are striving for. Maybe “Joe Smith – your favourite local electric guy” works great in your community, at least to get you immediately started. Or maybe “Buzzz” is a better name. It depends on what you decide to believe. What gives the best value? The descriptive or the random name? The name sets the tone of the brand strategy – and it’s definitely worth a serious discussion.

Did you miss part 1 of the Cookbook? Read The Idea of Positioning here.

*Macintosh was envisioned as an affordable, easy-to-use computer for the masses, named after their favourite type of apple, the McIntosh.

We all know the names of our mobile phones, our soft drink favourites, our preferred coffee brand, or our trusted grocery store. But if you think of them individually, why do you remember them?

Could Apple have started as Pear? Coca-Cola as Drinky? Starbucks as Heavensips? Would it have impacted their success? Maybe, maybe not. A name is only a word until you fill it with meaning. So, by marketing your name, the “filling-with-meaning” process starts.

The name sets the stage for the brand

There are many perspectives on names and how they can be used in the branding process. If you search “the branding process,” you will find many interesting articles and books on the topic. If you are curious about my favourites, send me an email, and I will give you a list of my favourites. This blog post will cover the fundamentals of naming.

Descriptive or random?

When naming a company, product, or service – a brand – there are two main paths to go. Should the name describe what you are offering, or should it be a random name? Let’s look into their pros and cons.

The descriptive name

Using a descriptive name has some pros: First of all, immediately after launch, people will know what you offer. You don’t need to spend money on educating people about what your brand stands for. The descriptive name gives you a head start. Compare “The Easy-to-use Computer” to Apple Macintosh*. In the short term, that maybe would have been a great idea. They could even have shortened it to TEC – acronyms are often very popular among tech companies. (Please don’t ask for my opinion on acronyms. Hint: Lazy.)

The cons are that it is harder to protect a descriptive name. It tends to be considered generic, opening up for competitors to challenge, diluting the brand.

So, to summarize the descriptive brand name:

Pros:

• The market will immediately know what you’re offering.
• Not so much money is needed to “fill-with-meaning”.

Cons:

• It’s hard to protect generic names legally.
• It is relatively easy to copy– e.g. “The Everyone’s Computer”.

The random name

To use a random word, or even a made-up word, has other advantages. It gives you exclusivity for your brand name in your industry since it is easier to protect legally. It can add attributes that go beyond a generic name and be the foundation of your positioning.

Apple is a more creative name, and it has served that company very well. It opens up options to support a unique brand universe that is hard, if not impossible, for competitors to copy.

The cons are that it needs investments in time and/or building awareness. It doesn’t necessarily mean that it needs to take a long time to launch, but then you will need money to build awareness quickly.

To summarize the random brand name:

Pros:

• It can be the foundation of your positioning. Naming is a decision that can accelerate the value of the brand exponentially.
• It provides a unique intangible value that competitors cannot duplicate.
• It is relatively easy to protect legally.

Cons:

• It needs to be filled with meaning to make sense to the market.
• Investments are needed – in time and/or building awareness.

Conclusion

Choosing a name for your company, product, or service gives you two essential paths to consider. And it depends on what you are striving for. Maybe “Joe Smith – your favourite local electric guy” works great in your community, at least to get you immediately started. Or maybe “Buzzz” is a better name. It depends on what you decide to believe. What gives the best value? The descriptive or the random name? The name sets the tone of the brand strategy – and it’s definitely worth a serious discussion.

Did you miss part 1 of the Cookbook? Read The Idea of Positioning here.

*Macintosh was envisioned as an affordable, easy-to-use computer for the masses, named after their favourite type of apple, the McIntosh.