Secrets of strategic naming

Amanda C. Peterson

Brand strategist & geek

“I want a _______ name.”

It’s not about you.

Your name is the way you help others understand who you are.

It’s for the audience

OK, but what is it?What does it do?

What’s the difference?Why on earth would I want it?

Why is it in my data center / kitchen shopping cart / sales invoice?

A name is more than a combination of letters.

What does a name really do?

A name isn’t a brand – but it is a mental bookmark for the brand.

Infinity =

Dove =

Names help a customer understand who it’s for and what they can expect.

But it gets meaning from all the other elements aligning to the promise.

So, what are we really able to promise?

No strategy is worse than bad strategy.

Target market insight

Who are we talking to?

What do they want?

Unique value

proposition

What do we offer?

What can we deliver?

How are we different from the competition?

What we will never

be

Who are we *not* for?

What will we never do?

What needs don’t we meet?

Positioning

A name can only do one or two things.

Names rarely live out of context.

Names shouldn’t change – but sales pitches and copy can.

The product should ALWAYS be cooler than the name on it.

Relationship to the master brand

How descriptive is the name?

How will the master brand appear?

Name attributes

What kind of conversation are we having with the

customer?

What part of the story does the name need to tell?

How unique are we?

Who are we like?

Who are we different from?

How will we invest to tell the story?

Naming strategy

Naming, even with expensive experts, is the cheapest part of a new name.

How much money, time and effort will it take it build that mental bookmark?

Type of name Descriptive Suggestive Abstract

ExamplesBed Bath & Beyond

NetFlixjetBlueFidelity

SwifferXerox

What it does Describes what it is or doesSuggests a benefit or

experienceArbitrary

Words it uses Real words Real words or slight tweaksUnconnected real words or

coined words

Connection to brandRelies on the master brand for

distinctiveness

Creates some distinctiveness –and distance from what the

master brand stands for

Demands ongoing, heavy investment – and disconnects

from the master brand

ClarityRequires little to no

explanationRequires explanation

Requires long term investment in explanation

Legal issues Easy to use, hard to protectHarder to use, some

protectionDifficult to clear, can be more

protected

StrategyInvestment in strengthening

the master brandInvestment in stretching the

master brandInvestment in the term above all

else

“Consumers are enthusiastic about adopting new product innovations but somewhat apprehensive about embracing new brands. In order for consumers to adopt new brands, marketers need to launch very strong awareness and trial-building campaigns, supported by a positive product experience.”

60%Of global consumers with Internet access

prefer to buy new products from a familiar brand rather than switch to a new brand

Nielsen Global Survey of New Product Purchase Sentiment –January 2013

“But we need something cool!”

Having to build a new brand isn’t cool.

You know what’s cool?

Having a brand to build more into is cool.

Use just as many brands as you need to tell the story

A brand-distant name is not a reward.

You can’t just sit with the master brand.

How much

people pay

attention to your master

brand

Style determines perceived distance

+

- +

Purely descriptive name

Totally unexpected name-

How unique your product name is

Suggestive of the category space

When should we develop a new brand?

• You’ve got a new, clear, specific promise to a well-defined target audience for your brand

• That isn’t easily described

• With enough products to give that promise meaning

• With design, features, distribution, pricing, availability, marketing and usability to live up to that promise

• The target audience is critical to the business – and is not currently loyal

• The marketing budget is established and large enough to make a dent

• You are going to be able to stay in the market long enough to build up recognition

• …Long enough to build meaning with the customers (long after internal folks and investors get “bored”)

There is no such thing as the perfect name.

The devil has more advocate than angels…

…until you succeed.

Establishing criteria is critical

The least important criteria in naming is whether you like it• Does it help with navigation and understanding?

• Does it tell your story?

• Does it speak to your target audience?

• Is it memorable?

• Does it do something your master brand doesn’t?

• Are you sure it doesn’t mean something awful in a language where you might do business?

• Is it legally available?

A non-scientific chart

Clarity and availability

Useable

Intuitive Abstract

A descriptive name

A “cool” name that clearly evokes the

category.

So cool everyone else already registered it.

A name so unclear, obscure or vague that no one wants it.

Unavailable

Naming strategy is trademark strategy is brand strategy is business strategy.

You’re only as clever as your lawyer is good.

Naming and trademark are one team

It’s a risky world. If you’re going to name an omelet, an egg might get cracked and sue you.

Legal advises. You make the final decision.• Who else is using it? And how much do they sue people?

• How similar to us are they?• Are they in the same international class of goods? The same category? Would a customer get confused?

• What impact would it have on our business, our reputation, our stock, our marketing, our PR if we had to cease & desist?

• What impact would it have if there was a lawsuit?

• How rich does your company look to trademark trolls?

No name will make everyone happy.

There is no such thing as a perfect name.

And even the perfect name is the wrong name if it makes you late to take advantage of the opportunity.

At some point, you have to hold your breath and jump into the void.

Happy naming.

May the trademarks be forever in your favor.

“Leap and a net will find you.” – Sally Hogshead