Business Naming Basics

In business naming, the use of specialized dictionaries of commonly used clichés, colloquialisms, idioms and slang expressions can be valuable.

You may find appropriate names there, and if someone has not already preempted them, they can be yours. I’m thinking of expressions like “Bug Out” for an exterminator, “Close Shave” for a barber, “The Acid Test” for a laboratory.

But there’s another and better use for these dictionaries.

You can find expressions that apply to the opposite of the benefit or tone you wish to adapt and substitute your own word for an offending word. These are often negative phrases to begin with which you make positive with the word switch. You may also find other word substitutions that aren’t opposites, just refreshing twists that generate an “aha” reaction with readers.

A prime example of this technique was the naming of Sears up-scale home furnishing stores: The Great Indoors. We’ve all heard of the expression, the great outdoors, so when Sears adopted this switch, they had an instantly memorable, fresh and appropriate name.

Now this technique takes some time and effort to isolate those phrases that have the right attributes. I personally have been successful with this approach only once or twice, but if you find another The Great Indoors, it will be worth it.

Here are two I’ve created that saw the light of day:

Grapes of Goodness (from Grapes of Wrath)
Phi Beta Data (from Phi Beta Kappa)

In the box above are several clichés I thought might potentially yield substitution-naming results. I challenge you to find potential name candidates for each. If you have one or two you’re really proud of, share them with us by posting them in the comments area below. No prizes, just the satisfaction of showing off your creative nature.

Tags: Naming Ideas by MartinJ
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Business naming can be a trend-following activity.

When a lot of company names are just three letters, many think that would be a cool way to name their business. Plus it doesn’t take a lot of thought – not to even mention creativity.
  

But unless those initials already stand for something  that’s appropriate for the company (MVP, QED, ASAP), initials don’t mean a thing to prospects and customers until they have a considerable history with the company. And then the initials have no actual meaning, just an identification – like a part number.
 
Initials have no personality They don’t resonate. They don’t elicit emotion. They are hard to remember, especially for those just experiencing the name. They don’t differentiate the company. They communicate no passion, history or expertise. They are just initials.
 
So I suggest going instead with a short, active one or two word name. Even if it’s a coined word name, that’s so much better than lifeless initials.

Tags: Naming Issues, Naming Strategies by MartinJ
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A few days ago I mentioned Google as a naming resource and how you could use the search function to find comprehensive lists of naming terms for about any niche.

Well, there are other ways to use Google to find words and phrases you might find useful when compiling long lists of name candidates.

But first, you need a Google AdWords account. Don’t worry, it’s simple and only costs five dollars. You can get one by clicking here.

Then go to the Google Keyword Tool from your basic Google account page by clicking AdWords, then Tools in the upper row of buttons, and finally, on the Keyword Tool.

The Google Keyword Tool was invented to help those wishing to advertise (Google AdWords) on Google to identify keywords those advertisers could target. The lists compiled through the Google Keyword search facility are relevant words to the main keyword you type into the search box. Be sure to search for synonyms as well as the regular “long-tail” keyword search. Long-tail refers to phrases that are more specific than most one and two word keywords, i.e., “high heeled red pumps” as opposed to the more generic “red shoes”.
So by querying the Google Keyword search function, you will get a hundred
or more words and phrases relevant to your inputted keyword. And then you can search some of the likely candidates you discovered by running them through the search process again. You are drilling down even further to expose more long-tail naming candidates.

You can select the ones you wish to “keep” and save them to a text file or a .csv (Excel) file. An example of such a selection, based upon the keyword “score”, is presented on the left. The words gleaned from this search offer additional fields to plow for even more relevant words and phrases you may use in naming a business or product. In the case of the example to the left, 17 candidates were found in an initial list of 100-plus in about 15 minutes, less than one candidate a minute.

Thus, you are adding to the list of name candidates. And remember, the longer the list, the more likely a super name will emerge.

Tags: Naming Resources by MartinJ
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Business and product names can carry a certain mystique or even a classy tone if derived from foreign words.

Good Taste in seven languages

But there are some warnings. First, be sure the phrases generated are pronounceable in English. And second, be sure to have a native of the country you’ve “borrowed” the name candidate from look at the name for any problems in the translation. Sometimes context will dictate the meanings in other languages just as they do here (what does “mean” mean?).

So if you don’t know Italian, French, Spanish, etc., how do you explore foreign-derived words and phrases?

Well, one way is to use the many published foreign phrase dictionaries. I own four or five. But the problem is that it’s difficult to find translations of the words you want to specifically use. You need to know something of the foreign language because they’re arranged alphabetically by foreign phrase.

You can also use a good English-to-French or English-to-Dutch dictionary for single words. But it’s time-consuming, particularly if you’re attempting to develop names based on a phrase.

Well, there’s a better way – a way only the Internet could provide. There’s a site called SDL|Translation that allows you to type in an English phrase, select translating language and click for translations.

In fact, for any particular language you can enter multiple phrases and words in English, click and get translations for each that you’ve entered. You can copy your English list and paste it into the Spanish translator, get your results and paste the list into the Chinese translator, and then another and another.

And, yes, the service is free.

So if you want to explore relevant words and phrases in foreign languages, try SDL|Translations.

Bonne oeuvre

Tags: Naming Ideas by MartinJ
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Here are the highlights from a scan of last week’s (Aug 2-10) business naming blogs.

• Luxury Brand Naming on Ketchup?

August 11, 2009
- The economy is like a boat in that we all rise and fall with the tide, even stalwards like Tiffany and Rollex.

• Greedy Guccis Barred from Using the Gucci Brand Name for Their Product Naming

August 11, 2009
- Oh, what tangled webs we weave!

• Why We Love Coining New Product Names From "Twitter"

August 11, 2009

• Natural Product Naming Rids Kimberly-Clark of the Kleercut "Brand"

August 11, 2009
- As I’ve said before, naming and branding “green” is no longer a differentiator. Now consumers are expecting products to be responsible – all products. And with the dubious claims for being environmentally friendly just because you’ve gone to a less substantial plasic bottle, no one is convinced of manufacturer claims.

• Go Go Godzilla!: Don’t Mess with Toho Co, They Protect Their Mark Fiercely

August 11, 2009
- Trademarks are sometimes difficult for the courts to judge. How far will Godzilla go? Is Filezilla next?

Tags: Naming Issues by MartinJ
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Naming help can come from your good friend, Google.

By searching for your “trigger” word followed by “+names”, you can find many specialized lists of names that might be adopted for your business or product name.

And remember, the more name candidates you can generate, the more likely a great name will surface.

For example, if you want to explore using bird names, your search for “birds+names” would bring up several very relevant web sites. One site in this category brought me to Cal Photos where hundreds of birds from around the world are named – and photos provided.

Starling, Mallard, Grosbeak or Sparrow might be a good business name

Another site provided Obsolete English Names of North American Birds
and Their Modern Equivalents

While another brought up not only a list of bird names but also the “group” names to which they belong. (We know about bevies of quail, but did you know about convocations of eagles and wedges of swans?)

And then there’s the authority site, Ornithology.com, where six or seven different sources of bird names are linked.

Well, you get the idea. And if you don’t get many “hits” by adding “+name”, you can try “+list” or “+identify”. Each subject will have a different set of nomenclature, and people passionate enough to compile comprehensive name lists. But a five-minute Google search ought to identify many naming ideas.

Google is indeed a great naming resource.

Tags: Naming Resources by MartinJ
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Name generators are special databases attached to software that allow you to combine the words that are stored in those databases to form new words, aka names. There are many, many such web sites available.

Several of the naming generators available at Seventh Sanctum

A quick and easy way to find and use name generators is a special site all about name generators. It’s called Seventh Sanctum and it’s an authority site and directory for name generators of all types, both those they’ve created and scores of others. Another great thing: it’s free to use.

If you’ve been following this blog at all – and thank you if you have been – you know I advocate generating long name candidate lists, lists that have been generated from a variety of sources. Name generators help you populate those lists, and often times surprise you with real gems.

Not all of the name generators listed at Seventh Sanctum are appropriate for brand names – some are for naming cats, rock bands and Star War aliases. But they’re so simple to use that you won’t waste much time seeing if three or four of them might be of some help. Quality of results vary – some just generate random strings of letters. But there are some surprisingly fruitful ones.

Explore, even the ones you’d normally shun. You just never know when or where the “right” name will pop up.

Seventh Sanctum even provides directions for constructing your own generators. So if you have collected different types of words for use in naming like I have, you might be interested in making them databases you can call up and mix and match with other data-based word collections.

Tags: Name Evaluation, Naming Resources by MartinJ
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Researching the Internet for naming ideas is surprisingly easy – if you know where to look.

I’ve found several really great sites for name ideas, but one with a lot of potential I keep coming back to is Use Wisdom.

Types of naming words you can find at Use Wisdom

This is an unbelievably diverse and comprehensive source of potential names. I’d suggest going there and just browsing to get a feel of the site. If you’re on a specific search in your category, I’ll bet you’ll find relevant lists, which are mostly links to other word-related sites.

There are two areas I visit a lot: The lists under Jargon, Lingo and Slang, and those under Trivia. There I found, for instance, the lists of Sports Cliches ripe with naming ideas, there’s a short list of nautical terms at the Colloquial Phrases site, and lots of stuff under Political Cliches.

One thing, though: quite a few of the links to what look to be inspiring sites seem to be broken, quite often lists compiled and stored on university websites. This can be frustrating, but just go on to find other gems in other fields.

The site also links to a variety of dictionaries, thesauruses and writing resources – style guides, grammar sources, and sites about semantics, syntactics, semiotics and more.

Warning: if you’re a word maven, you can spend literally hours chasing links here.

Tags: Naming Resources by MartinJ
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As part of the name development process, I suggested creating a naming brief prior to creating any name candidates, and that part of the brief be a set of name evaluation criteria.

So how do you select the criteria with which to evaluate your name candidates?

First, there are two types of naming criteria you will want to incorporate. The first has to do with general naming “best practices”. The second set are company-related, having to do with goals you have asked your new name to fulfill.

Another aspect of setting name evaluation criteria is to assign priorities to evaluation factors. The best way to do this is to establish a rating scale: a 1-to-5 scale with “good to have” being “1” and “absolutely vital” being “5”.

Set up your name evaluation criteria and their ratings prior to creating name candidates. Otherwise, some of the created candidates might influence your selection of criteria and their ratings.

Here are some suggested criteria. Keep in mind that you will have to select and rate criteria, and that there may be others you will want to add for your particular project.

Best Practices Naming Criteria.

These are the more generic criteria, the ones that can apply to naming any company, product or service.

Unique – not like any competitor’s name
Short – no more than five syllables
Memorable – has a ”rhythm” to it
Appropriate –sets the right “tone”
Suggests a benefit or a pleasant association
Easy to pronounce and pleasing to the ear
Not restrictive – doesn’t limit your growth potential

Company-related Naming Criteria.

These are specifically goal-based elements that address your entity’s situation and goals. You can certainly add additional factors – the ones below are idea starters for the most part.

Aligns with mission and vision statements
Conveys something of the brand story
Imparts the desired characteristics of the brand
Reflects the brand’s desired personality
Resonates with priority stakeholders
Aligns with other company brands
Fulfills other specific attributes assigned to the name

A final note: I would limit the number of name evaluation elements to 12 at most. Otherwise, the job becomes too complex, and no name will emerge as a leader. And remember to prioritize the critical factors.

Provide these criteria to those who will be creating name candidates as part of the naming brief I discussed in yesterday’s post.

The result will be focused, appropriate and relevant name candidates, and plenty of them.

Tags: Name Development by MartinJ
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Name development starts by determining what’s important in the business name you chose.

It also needs to provide information about what you’re naming and your thoughts about . This is vital if you are using outside sources – freelancers, ad agency, employees and even family – to help you name your company or product. The document for this effort is called a Naming Brief.

So I’ve outlined below the elements of a generic brief you could use for your new company name.

Business Overview/Background

1) Describe the business entity, its purpose/mission/vision/reason for being

2) What is the entity’s structure? (sole corporation, subsidiary, franchisor, joint venture, etc.)

3) What products/services does the entity provide? Will these products/services be branded separately from the entity brand or will they “reside” under the entity brand?

4) What market(s) does the entity compete in?

5) Who are the competitors? Provide the name of their products/services, too.

6) Within each served market, describe the major buying influences. Include demographics & life styles for consumers, corporate functions & levels for B2B markets. Include customer motivations, habits and “hot buttons” if known.

7) What are the key features and characteristics that differentiate this entity from its competitors?

Identify and rank the stakeholders as to their importance.

Name Functions & Descriptors

1) Aside from identifying the entity itself, what additional functions might the name perform? (Note: the suggestions below have to do with positioning. Positioning can never be achieved through a name only, and in fact, is often better served through other branding elements.)

( a) Position the entity in its industry/product category.
( b) Position the entity in a specific market.
( c) Position the entity with a specific type of buying influence.
( d) Position the entity with a specific application.
( e) Position the entity with a strategic differentiator.
( f) Position the entity with its heritage/tradition.
( g) Position the entity as a new market entrant.
( h) Position the entity as a market/industry leader.
( i) Position the entity as the premier provider of a specific attribute or characteristic.

Now for each positioning arena checked above, describe the desired position.
Example: “first-to-market with Internet-based solutions”

2) List the characteristics and attributes you wish prospects and customers might use to describe an entity, and to which the entity might aspire. Below are some examples that might apply.

3) This list contains “personality” descriptors. “Check the three or four most appropriate descriptors that honestly reflect the entity, its vision and culture, while also imparting the “image” most appropriate in attracting target market(s). Add any others not listed in the space below the list.

Note: you might find little difference in “characteristics” and “personality”. That’s OK, just go through both lists anyway as a measure of your clarity about the direction your naming activities will take.

4) List any preferences and prejudices that might mitigate a particular direction for exploring name candidates. Examples: “Make sure the name candidates are no longer than two words”, or “Don’t incorporate the generic product category label in name candidates because of future expansion plans”.

5) Provide examples of business names you find compelling, and also list those that come to mind you find repelling.

There is one additional piece that should be developed before getting the creative juices flowing. That’s identifying and prioritizing your naming criteria. I’ll cover them in an upcoming post.

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Tags: Name Development by MartinJ
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