Some of our favorite brands had rather different names when they started out. Would Google have become the ubiquitous search engine if it had stuck with its original name \u201cBackrub\u201d? It seems doubtful: Googling something is now firmly part of our vocabulary in a way that \u201cbackrubbing\u201d it never could have been. Could Instagram have taken the world by storm if were \u201cdoing it for the Burbn\u201d instead of \u201cfor the \u2018Gram\u2019?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While Backrub and Burbn made great a choice by bailing on their names, this is the kind of thing you want to get right first try. Once you\u2019ve named your brand, it\u2019s very hard to change and only 18% of consumers<\/a> look favorably on brand name changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By the time you\u2019ve finished this article, you\u2019ll understand why Google and Instagram are such powerful names, and how they contributed to the massive success of each of these brands. You\u2019ll know how to come up with a brand name and be ready to start your brand naming journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You know a powerful brand name is important. But how important? Well, brand name guides 77% of consumers<\/a> toward a purchase and 82% of investors<\/a> consider name recognition an important factor when deciding where to invest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A strong name makes almost every aspect of business easier, from finding customers to attracting investors. And early investment in your naming process can pay dividends: Apple\u2019s name and logo are valued at over $408 billion.<\/a> Investing time to find a strong brand name and matching domain at the outset means you have a long-term asset down the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s what a good name does: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A bad name, on the other hand:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Convinced yet? You don\u2019t just need a good name for your brand, you need an incredible name. So let\u2019s find out how to choose a brand name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Brand naming isn\u2019t easy. It\u2019s an art and a science, requiring both creativity and objectivity<\/a>. However, there is a formula, and we can help. Here are 6 key steps to follow when choosing a brand name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maybe you\u2019ve come up with an incredible hot sauce recipe that packs a punch, or you\u2019ve built a new email marketing tool that streamlines outreach. Whatever your great idea, I\u2019m sure you\u2019re eager to give it a name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, before you can come up with a name for your new brand, you need to understand your brand identity. Your name needs to tell customers everything about your brand, or at least hint at it. From the creative way you\u2019re solving problems they might not even know they have, to the deeper values you\u2019ve built your business on, your name needs to encapsulate your identity as a brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are two main points to consider:<\/p>\n\n\n\n To define your USP, look deeper into the way customers interact with your product. What\u2019s your mission, what\u2019s the solution you\u2019re offering customers, and what does a single iteration of a sale look like, from start to closing?<\/p>\n\n\n\n When it comes to brand tone, you have lots of options. Here are some of my favorite characteristics to build a brand around:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s go back to hot sauce. Maybe you\u2019re sourcing (saucing?) your chiles from ethical, community-owned farms, and reinvesting in those communities? Green Zest or Sustainable Spice might emphasize those values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Or perhaps you think a historied brand tone will build trust with your audience \u2014 a name like Uncle Zinger\u2019s could give the impression of years of experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, you know your brand best. But it\u2019s easy to get lost in the details of your new product or service, and brand is about the bigger picture. So if you need some help to begin building your brand, try out our AI-powered brand-building tool<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From Tabasco to Louisiana via Texas Pete, there are some clear industry trends in the hot sauce world. Whatever your industry, you should explore what your competitors are doing before naming your brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Naming trends can take many forms. In the above hot sauce brands, location is used to emphasize authenticity. Meanwhile in the tech world, using suffixes like -ify and -ly has become the norm for handy apps and web tools: see Spotify, Wealthify, and Grammarly, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you understand the trends, you have a choice to make. Will you follow those trends and get a headstart in communicating your purpose to your customers? Or are you going to reject them and become a trendsetter yourself? Both paths have merit; choose carefully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the same time, in this research phase, assess your customer expectations. Who are you primarily marketing to \u2014 a younger or older audience? How much disposable income do they have, and what are their politics, values, and ambitions? Build your brand to appeal to your model customer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Brand identity, industry trends, and customer expectations put constraints on the brand names you can choose. Once you understand these constraints, the creative part can begin: brainstorm for unique, catchy, and creative brand names.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are a few more rules to follow at this stage. Every name should stick in your memory, and be easy to spell and pronounce. Cute misspellings are popular among brands these days, but I urge you to be more like ride-sharing brand Lyft than denim designer Pheelings. Replacing an \u2018i\u2019 with a \u2018y\u2019 is a common thread in naming, whereas switching an \u2018f\u2019 to a \u2018ph\u2019 is not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For similar reasons avoid numbers or special characters in your brand name. If you want to be Number One Hot Sauce, spell out \u201cone\u201d rather than using the numeral \u201cone\u201d. Don\u2019t replace an \u2018a\u2019 with the @-sign for your email marketing service, or use hyphens where they\u2019re not needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At Atom, we love the \u201cCrowded Bar Test\u201d for a name. Could your brand name be shared in a conversation at a lively, busy bar, easily heard and understood across the backdrop of noise? Heck, brand naming is thirsty work so feel free to try the crowded bar test out in real life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Staring at a blank page can be tough, so here are some ideas, and examples, to get you started. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Our AI-powered brand name generator<\/a> can take your business idea and brand positioning and come up with some funky, fun, or alluring names to get you started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After a big brainstorming session, it\u2019s wise to wait a few days. See which names stick in your mind as memorable, which ones appear to grow in emotional response, and which fall by the wayside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then it\u2019s time to shortlist your names. Be ruthless here: if the name doesn\u2019t elevate your brand, emphasize your values, and contain an emotional hook for your customers, cut it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whatever you do, don\u2019t get emotionally attached to a single name either. Your customers will be the number one judge of your brand name, and before you can select the perfect name you have to validate it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With a shortlist of names you think <\/em>you love, it\u2019s time for your creative side to get put to bed. Now, we\u2019re all about objectivity. Launching a brand requires investment: marketing material, domain names, and product design; you can only undertake the necessary investment with full confidence in your name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So it\u2019s time to validate your shortlisted name choices and see what comes out on top.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are two steps you must take to validate your brand name<\/p>\n\n\n\n Over a quarter of all business now takes place online. This makes an exact-match domain name an essential companion for your brand name. Premium domain names<\/a> contain strong, brandable characteristics and elite, trusted extensions like .com and .io<\/a>. Don\u2019t choose your brand name without ensuring you can get a matching domain name as an online platform for your brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Atom.com’s Premium Domain Marketplace<\/a> is the place to go. Every brand name in our marketplace has been created by our international team of naming experts and validated by domain experts. This is a tightly curated marketplace with an acceptance rate of 6 – 8% for submitted domains. You\u2019ll only browse the best of the best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While there are many domain marketplaces and auction sites across the internet, none combine the powerful benefits of purchasing a premium domain through Squadhelp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you understand how to come up with a brand name you just have to roll up your sleeves and follow the steps. Some brands still get it wrong, however. Using Backrub and Barf Soap as cautionary tales, here are some brand naming mistakes <\/a>to avoid.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhy a Brand Name is so Important<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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How to Come Up with a Powerful Brand Name in 6 Steps<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Define your Brand Identity<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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3. Brainstorm Name Ideas<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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4. Build a Shortlist of the Best Brand Name Ideas<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
5. Validate Your Chosen Brand Name Ideas<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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6. Find Your Matching Domain Name<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Benefits of Buying a Domain Through Squadhelp<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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<\/li>\n\n\n\nThe Biggest Brand Naming Mistakes to Avoid<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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