Business Naming Basics

Using numbers in corporate names can be powerful.

One reason: not too many do it

 

Oh, numbers are used in product names quite often, particularly for those products that are upgraded every so often (Mark 5, Version 12, III).

Using a number after the product’s original name both ties the brand into the heritage of the past success the product enjoyed, and provides a springboard for the advanced product. Since the old and new do not sit side-by-side on the shelf, the new product is not a line extension. It is a replacement. So you benefit from both the equity of the old brand and the promise of the new are enjoyed. Using the next number in sequence provided that clue to consumers.

But for a business name to contain a number is unique.

Now some numbers in and of themselves have a connotation and relevance: Lucky 7, Fifth Dimension, Catch 22, 101.

In a competitive situation, the number 1 can have significance as a rating device (Bank One or First Bank).

There are also several famous number combinations – 1776, 4-minute mile, Apollo 8 that convey positive association and reaction.

Finally, company naming using mathematical expressions and symbols might be worth investigating: The sign for infinity, a "plus" sign, a term "squared".

Perhaps not for every company, but certainly for some, you might consider numbers and math as a source for your corporate name.

(Incidentally, I’ve heard that “Googol” was the first choice of the folks at today’s “Google”, but Googol was already taken as a domain name. Googol is one to the one-hundredth power.)

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