Our naming rules, revisited
January 3, 2012 —
We do a lot of brand naming, so here are our always-evolving criteria for company and product naming and re-naming:
It’s better to provoke questions than to answer them all. Memorable and provocative trumps merely clear; functional is forgettable.
Must be an available .com (not .net, .biz, .tv, .ignore, .crap …) Should also be available on Twitter.
Names made up from initials are unacceptable. See this white paper for reasons why.
Adding “Solutions” is not a solution.
Easy to spell. Rule of thumb: can you say it over the phone, once, and be clear? Avoid dots, asterisks, numerals, non-standard spellings or puns. Especially, no hyphens or underscores. Do you really want to spend the next ten years telling everyone, “that’s o-u-r-hyphen-n-a-m-e-dot-com”?
Easy to remember. Use common rather than obscure words; rhymes or unexpected imagery will help.
Easy to type. Shorter is better than longer.
Should not be geographically limited, unless you intend never to expand.
Check its meaning in the 20 most widely used languages. You don’t want to be saying something rude in Mandarin.
Shouldn’t be category limited, either, if you might outgrow your name by expansion, acquisition, or new capabilities.
Must be unique (in the category) when Googled. Self-congratulatory names (Paragon, Pinnacle, Superior, World’s Best _____) are stupid, overused and boring.
Must be eligible to be trademarked and eventually registered. Combining a clean search of uspto.gov with url ownership is 97% confirming.
Must be only as dignified as the market demands … but never “expected” or “ordinary.”
Does not need to be “complete” … but does need to engage. Remember, other elements (logo, tagline, brand narrative, tone of voice) also contribute. It’s pure bonus if the name helps convey differentiation.
Obeying every rule, which is both commendable, difficult* and rare, does not by itself guarantee success. But breaking two or three rules might handicap your brand name for years.
*Difficult, but not impossible. That’s why we earn the medium bucks.
an excellent list of criteria! The only thing I would add it to consider the geographic territory and the languages that the name will need to be used it. (check meanings in other languages)
Posted by rhonda page on Jan 10, 2012 at 7:09 am
A good list Bob.
Pity the folks at NetFlix didn’t have access to your thinking eight months ago when they launched the ill-fated Qwikster.
Speaking of which, I would add to your list that the name should also be available on Twitter.
Cheers,
Steven
Posted by Steven Howard on Jan 10, 2012 at 9:49 am
Available on Twitter! Good catch. We’ll edit that in…
Posted by Bob on Feb 16, 2012 at 10:54 am
Great article – Your naming rules, rules!
I’d add to watch out for other cultural / language meanings. There is a long history of brand name blunders when not enough cultural or historical research is done.
Posted by Alan Jones on Feb 16, 2012 at 4:07 pm
Another good catch. Edited to reflect that sagacious sugg.
Posted by Bob on Feb 17, 2012 at 8:15 am
Good list. I read a couple of your white papers too. Congratulations on finding the time to put your thoughts out there!
Another point to consider, especially for young companies, is not to use the same name for the product and the company. It’s a common mistake that becomes apparent as soon as you want to introduce a second product!
Posted by Michael David Gold on Feb 17, 2012 at 8:30 am
Thanks Bob,
I particularly liked the white paper you included.
Posted by Celia Bassols on Feb 17, 2012 at 10:09 am
I recently had a client refuse to hire me to design her logo because she insisted on naming her company with initials that meant nothing, didn’t look good together and were not at all memorable. I explained why I wouldn’t recommend going that route, and even sent her an article to back up my reasoning, she disagreed and went elsewhere. I think that was a good lose!
Posted by jill on Feb 19, 2012 at 10:43 am
Hi Bob,
I am in amazement of the list that you complied. For some, this list may make it very difficult to develop a brand name for your product or company but that is the idea of it all. You have to be creative in your thought process and development when naming. My website does a good job of promoting new car brands that many people have yet to hear about. The are brands that could possibly become household names in the future of branding. We have to realize that we want our consumers to easily point out our brand from all the other. Patience and creativity is a great mixture to start off with. Have a strong list and narrow it down to your best 5 names along with reason for your production.
Lawrence, Brand Strategist Entrepreneur
Posted by Lawrence on Feb 20, 2012 at 5:54 pm