Choosing a name for your brand seems like a simple task, that is until you sit down and have a good think about it. Often, trying to find a name that you like, that represents your brand and sends the right message is not quite so easy. The world is awash with brand names – there are so many out there already that coming up with something that is completely yours can be more than a little difficult.
If you get the naming of your brand right, then it could really help to move you on to bigger and better things. Of course, if you get it wrong, you may well be looking at a completely different story.
The question is just how do you choose a brand name that will help you stand out? Here are some of our tips to help you.
Personality of the brand or product
The first thing that you need to do is consider the brand itself. Think about the type of service or products you will be creating. Consider who you are marketing to – is it just the domestic market or will you be hoping to create global awareness with your brand? These are the kind of questions that any naming consultants will ask you when coming on board to help you with choosing a brand name, along with any other associated branding that needs to be done.
To effectively decide your market and the type of products you might hope to have under your brand, it is a good idea to have a look at what others in the same or similar field are doing. How strong is their brand name – does it make you feel confident about your company? These are all things you need to consider for your own brand. One path that you should almost certainly avoid is a gimmicky brand name, it will get you noticed but not necessarily for the reasons you wanted. To add integrity to your brand name, a Boston trademark registration would be a great step to take so you can establish a legal foundation for your brand.
Audience research
Before you finalise any decisions about your brand, it is a good idea to test your concept in the market place. This will allow you to see how distinctive your customers might consider your new brand to be. If you are an established company and this is a new product, then you could canvas the opinions of your existing customer base. However, if you are a new company and don’t already have a customer base then you will need to do some audience research to gauge people’s reactions. This will allow you to collect impartial and honest data about how your potential brand comes across, and it gives you chance to speak to potential customers too.
How does it translate?
In today’s global market if you are looking for a brand for a new product, it can be a good idea to consider what kind of reception your brand name will have in other countries. Unfortunately, it can be all too easy to select a name that does not translate well or has a rather unfortunate meaning in another language. Will your brand be accepted in other markets or will it make you a laughing stock? It is worth taking the time to check – or alternatively, get a naming consultant in to handle all the heavy research, which will leave you time to get on with the development of your business.
