3 Creative Process Tips for Naming a Brand

Whether you are naming a new business or rebranding an old one, coming up with the right name and visual identity can be an exciting yet stressful process. These two characteristics will become essentially the face of your brand so it’s important that you get it right.

The idea behind brand identity is to create memorable and unique experiences for your customers that allow them to identify you amongst a deluge of competitors.

Hope you brought your flood pants.

So how do you go about creating a name and identity that leaves a lasting impression? Here are a few tips to consider when naming your business:

1. It Should Represent or be Descriptive of your Business Offering

Think of brands like Toys R Us, General Motors or Taco Bell. You know what you are getting without even having seen any imagery. Having said that, some names may only make sense to the creator of the name and that’s ok, but it should source from something you can identify with. The name could stem from anything from ingredients in the product (like Clorox or Pepsi which contains an enzyme called pepsin) to the founder’s name (Wendy’s, Irving or even Walmart whose name comes from the Walton family.)

2. Find Something Memorable

Pharmaceutical companies are notorious for coming up with the craziest names that mean nothing to nobody. It just goes to show you that not all names need to mean something. Think of Tylenol – what does that name mean? To many it simply means pain relief, even though the actual product is called paracetamol or acetaminophen.

We’re assuming Doesn’tworkatol was taken.

3. Make it an Emotional Experience

For those of you who have children, remember how big a deal it was to find the perfect name for your newborn child? You bought baby name books, fired up the old Google box for name definitions, compared names with friends etc. The same emotional discipline should be taken when naming your business. It’s something you will nurture and grow for many years to come.

These are just a few tips to help get you started on creating a memorable brand name that people can identify with. Check out this article on what to avoid when naming a business. A name shouldn’t be taken lightly, so make sure to explore all avenues until you’re satisfied that you have something that captures the essence of your company values.