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Monster Amazon Crocs - Why Creative Brand Names Work Best
The most common company naming trap is this - creating a new business name that's accurate and descriptive, but utterly forgettable. And it's easy to see how it happens.
By: Phillip Davis
The most common company naming trap is this - creating a new business name that's accurate and descriptive, but utterly forgettable. And it's easy to see how it happens.
By: Phillip Davis
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Unlike real life application, naming is usually done in a vacuum -- with no context, no accompanying logo, web site or brochure copy. A group of key decision makers sit in a boardroom and toss names around in the air. And with no supporting cast, no background, no props, the good names often seem disconnected and even ridiculous. It's at this stage the mind wants to make sense of the names and without context, without supporting elements, it defaults to free associations from the past. This is what kills off many a great brand name.
Imagine a committee looking for a brand name for a new computer company. Someone suggests the word "apple."
"Apple?" the group reacts in shock and bewilderment.
"That makes me think of my mother saying 'One bad apple spoils the whole bunch,'" one committee member protests.
"It sounds like something fruity to me," claims another. "We can't be perceived as a fruity company!"
"And what about worms that get into the apples," a third member agrees.
"And the way they rot, and how the juice gets sticky, and how..."
"All right!" the suggestee apologizes, curling up in a near fetal position, vowing she'll never venture another idea.
And so the group comes to absolute agreement that the name must convey what the company does. So the next set of suggestions seem right on target...
"United Computer Manufacturers"
"General Computer Systems"
"Quality Computer Corporation"
"Superior Computer Builders"
"Global Computer Worldwide"
The closer the committee comes to describing the "what" of the company, the more they become homogenized and blend right into the rest of their industry. They sound more like a business description than a brand name, and in doing so they obscure the very identity they are trying to create. They don't realize that the new company name will exist in a setting that helps define it, so that the name is free to evoke feeling and emotion. An apple is fresh, approachable, healthy, and invigorating. And so a company can borrow on the attributes inherent in a completely unrelated item to convey the way they approach its business.
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Phil Davis is president and owner of Tungsten Branding, a naming firm specializing in brand creation, product naming, tag line development, corporate identity and comprehensive brand repositioning. Phil's client list includes PODS, TeamLogicIT and Coghead.com to name a few. His complete client list and company naming philosophy can be viewed at www.PureTungsten.com.
Imagine a committee looking for a brand name for a new computer company. Someone suggests the word "apple."
"Apple?" the group reacts in shock and bewilderment.
"That makes me think of my mother saying 'One bad apple spoils the whole bunch,'" one committee member protests.
"It sounds like something fruity to me," claims another. "We can't be perceived as a fruity company!"
"And what about worms that get into the apples," a third member agrees.
"And the way they rot, and how the juice gets sticky, and how..."
"All right!" the suggestee apologizes, curling up in a near fetal position, vowing she'll never venture another idea.
And so the group comes to absolute agreement that the name must convey what the company does. So the next set of suggestions seem right on target...
"United Computer Manufacturers"
"General Computer Systems"
"Quality Computer Corporation"
"Superior Computer Builders"
"Global Computer Worldwide"
The closer the committee comes to describing the "what" of the company, the more they become homogenized and blend right into the rest of their industry. They sound more like a business description than a brand name, and in doing so they obscure the very identity they are trying to create. They don't realize that the new company name will exist in a setting that helps define it, so that the name is free to evoke feeling and emotion. An apple is fresh, approachable, healthy, and invigorating. And so a company can borrow on the attributes inherent in a completely unrelated item to convey the way they approach its business.
Page 2
Phil Davis is president and owner of Tungsten Branding, a naming firm specializing in brand creation, product naming, tag line development, corporate identity and comprehensive brand repositioning. Phil's client list includes PODS, TeamLogicIT and Coghead.com to name a few. His complete client list and company naming philosophy can be viewed at www.PureTungsten.com.
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