Creating a great name

Posted by Jane Toohey on 26 May 2011 | 0 Comments

Tags: brand name, naming

Working on some recent brand naming projects, we are reminded how challenging yet rewarding the process can be. It’s so important to tackle the process step by step, so here are our 6 key points to driving a successful naming process..

1.  Establish the brand values. Be clear on the brief. What is the vision for the brand, who is the target audience and what is the unique value proposition - what distinguishes the business from it’s competitors for creating a great name that will last.

2.  Collaborate. Bringing other team members into the naming process is productive, because everyone's mind works in different ways and one idea often sparks another. Silly, strange and out-there ideas can often help thought paths develop. Make sure everyone involved in the 'creating a great name' brainstorming is fully briefed and understand the brand values.

3.  Don’t shortcut the process. Often it takes LOTS of brainstorming before creating a great name that ticks all the boxes.  Inexperienced namers often stop too soon, before the best ideas come to light.

4.  Check availability. Do spot checks on the shortlisted names before they get presented. Check the availability of the domain name, the Australian trademark register to ensure the name can be owned and ASIC for business name availability.

5.  Wait for the green light. Creating a great name takes time. Never present name options as fully developed brands. Not only is it very time consuming to develop creative concepts at this stage but the risk is that the client will become very attached to a ‘look and feel’ only then to find from their trademark attorney that the name is unavailable for registration. Only start working on the identity once the client has chosen a name that has been given the green light by their attorney.

6.  Don’t get hijacked. You and your client need to know how to recognise the name that fits exactly what the company needs. Go back to the brief and make sure it aligns with the core values and the message to be conveyed. Don’t let the process be hijacked by peoples’ subjective likes and dislikes. Creating a great name just feels right but remember, it has to be the target audience that it feels right for!