At some point in every new product introduction, you have to come up with a name. Based on my experiences naming both products and companies, the naming process can be one of the biggest tail-chasing exercises a company can do. There is an unreasonable expectation that a 2-4 syllable combination can communicate on its face a list of a dozen qualities that various stakeholders think it is critical to convey. Brand identity firms create million-dollar projects out of this fallacy.
The fallacy is quick to see if you spend a moment considering the brand names that are most familair to you. Consider what the biggest brand names today would communicate if you knew nothing else about the company:
- Amazon: Online store or adventure travel company
- Microsoft: Software company or synthetic fabric manufacturer
- Nike: Shoe company or defense contractor (and you’re supposed to pronounce the “e”?)
The truth is that a name is what you make it stand for. The power of the biggest brand names, including those listed above, came from the work that went into them. Names do not make the brand, brands make the name. The most you can hope for is that:
- You can own the name as a legal trademark as you expand and grow
- You will not be confused with another well-known brand, especially a competitor
- You don’t start by having to overcome an linguistic negative like being hard to pronounce or meaning something obscene in the languages of regions where you intend to do business
- You can tell some story about the name for those who are curious in order to help build some of your brand lore
The only other rule is that nobody really likes a name that they didn’t come
up with. So be prepared for second-guessing no matter what name you choose.
The Ryan Report 