A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.
Global warming is bad. But the word global and warming are good words.
Atmospheric cancer is bad and sounds bad—no escaping it.
What if we were fighting atmospheric cancer, not global warming?
In a recent interview with Inc Magazine, Seth Godin, marketing thought-leader mentioned how people view a societal problem is influenced by what you call it.
And in Seth’s opinion, global warming was misnamed. It needed to be positioned differently.
Words Matter
Sounds obvious, but words matter. And often people who name things, don’t think about it strategically.
Since I do a lot of naming work for companies, here are a few thoughts on how to name your puppy, project, or cause.
The Name Game
- Feelings – What feeling do you want someone to have when they hear your name. Excitement, fear, curiosity, worry, etc.? If you start with the emotion, you will anchor in the gut feel. That is an excellent place to start. IDEO, a design firm, created their brilliant company name by settling on the core of their business – ideas. IDEO is a playful expression of a common word.
- Context – What are the names you will be competing with? If your competitors are Blue Monkey, Yellow Kangaroo, and Orange Zebra – you might want to find a name that is not an odd-animal color. Remember, your competition for attention does not just come from your category. So, think broadly about who else is in your sector. How about using numbers and stars like NinthMOON, This name could separate your brand from all the critters. Of course, you would want it to align with your business service or product offerings too.
More Thoughts on Naming
- Benefit – A name can signal what you do more directly. For example, a roughly cut beef jerky brand I worked on was called ROUGH CUT. The main point of difference was the more natural cut to the product from other products made from bits and pieces of meat.
- Misspelling – To register a name as a trademark, it can’t be a common word. You can’t register the word “blue,” but you might be able to register BLU. Often combining words helps to like preventing + acid becomes PREVACID.
- Unobvious – The best names sometimes aren’t obvious, that’s why they are challenging to develop. If your name is your primary source of marketing, you might not want to be too obtuse. JOT is a new coffee product. JOT stands for just one tablespoon, which is how you use the product. oo’mämē is a new Chile infusion product delivering on this fifth taste. Nike is the goddess of victory in Greek mythology. An apt name – although not so obvious, for a company selling equipment and shoes for athletes.
Creating a brand name is a primary, strategic activity. It requires thought, patience, curiosity, and inspiration. It can telegraph who you are and what you do.
To see more examples of naming projects and how I could help you, check this out.
Need help creating a brand name?
I can help. You can set up a time chat with me about your marketing challenges using my calendar. Our initial conversation is free. You talk, I listen. Email me jeffslater@themarketingsage.com or call me. 919 720 0995. Visit my website at www.themarketingsage.com Let’s explore working together today.
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet” is a popular reference to William Shakespeare‘s play Romeo and Juliet, in which Juliet seems to argue that it does not matter that Romeo is from her family’s rival house of Montague, that is, that he is named “Montague.”
