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How to Create A Memorable Brand Name
Date: MARCH 15, 2023 • CATEGORY: BRANDING
5 mins read
“Your brand name is only as good as your reputation” - Richard Branson, Entrepreneur.
Simple yet difficult. This is the paradox of formulating a brand name when you decide on putting up a business. It may sound easy to combine letters and syllables that sound good together, but the real question is, is it something that people can easily understand and remember?
Make first impressions that last. An important value even in putting up with brand names as potential customers hear your brand name first before knowing what product or service your business offers, hence, having a memorable one will keep your business stay in their minds and help you build a good brand reputation.
A good brand name must also communicate the business’ mission, vision, and values so that customers can sense whenever they hear or see your brand.
But hey, don’t be pressured and intimidated to formulate words, 'cause’ for this week’s blog, we’re here to help you craft that powerful brand name that customers can remember for a long period of time.
Anatomy of a good brand name
A good brand name communicates clearly with the brand’s target audience, the brand name itself can make the consumers think about what products or services your brand offers.
Brand names are not just words that suddenly pop-ups in your head, it needs to be formulated with essential traits and steps to follow.
Simple yet memorable 😎
Simplicity is a key feature of developing a memorable business name. In this world where the preference of customers continues to evolve, short, simple, and easy-to-remember brand names win their curiosity and loyalty. Help your audience remember your name by not giving them a hard time pronouncing and spelling it.
Word of mouth is one of marketing’s most important tools as this means your brand is already making noise in the industry if people are talking about how great your brand is. But how will your target audience tell their friends and loved ones about your brand if they can’t even remember or pronounce your name?
Another factor to consider especially in this digital era is how your customers can easily find your brand online. A good brand name must be easy to search online without having issues spelling it. There is a huge possibility that if your potential customers misspell your name while searching it, you’ll lose the chance to gain them as leads and worst, lose them to your competitors.
So, we’ve come up with a keyword for you to use as a guide when coming up with a killer brand name: K-I-S-S which means, Keep It Short and Simple. The shorter and simpler the name, the more it is memorable and easy to pronounce/spell by your customers.
Creative and Consistent 💡
Of course, simple doesn’t literally mean crafting a bland and boring name. You can come up with a simple yet creative name that can strike the curiosity out of your target audience. Consider using rhymes, wordplays, alliterations, and even names of ancient gods and goddesses.
One good example is the brand NIKE which only consists of four-letter words (derived from the Greek goddess ‘Nike’ who personifies victory) but is a known athletic brand worldwide.
Just like Nike, your brand name should be creatively instilling value with your target audience, most people buy and wear Nike shoes not just for their quality but also for the belief that owning a Nike product makes you look like a winner, as this was also fueled by the brand’s partnership with successful athletes like Michael Jordan and Serena Williams.
Think of the words that your brand wants your customers to think of whenever they see or hear them. List them down and formulate a creative brand name that can go a long way and not just for a one-time success.
Brand name testing for choosing the best option
Creating brand names with a lot of options can help brands decide which one is the most effective. With brand name testing, you have the chance to compare and contrast metrics like appeal, spelling, ease of pronouncing, relevance, and memorability.
Brand name options can be tested on your friends, family, colleagues, and even your potential customers. In this way, you can get their feedback on which one is their favorite and which stayed in their minds without reminding them of the list.
By having and testing several options, you’re doing your business a favor by making it easier to choose a brand name instead of spending too much time formulating names that doesn’t resonate.
Choose a brand name that will stand the test of time, your business may undergo several changes in the future, but your brand name will probably remain the same for a long time.
Naming Strategy
Invented Name Strategy
These are the names that started from scratch. This is a challenging one as you will be formulating words from your own, combining and pairing unique words that resonate with your brand – or even peculiar words that sound good to represent your brand.
💭 Brand names that have little or no meaning at all. Some famous brands that used this kind of strategy are Google and Skype.
💭 Coca-Cola, YouTube, Facebook, and Microsoft, are just some companies that successfully combined two words to come up with a memorable brand name.
💭 Formulating your own brand name from scratch gives your brand the advantage of people associating the name with your brand only, making it a distinct part of establishing your branding.
💭 Meanwhile, using this strategy may take time and plenty of investment before making a reputation and mark with your target audience, but once your name made noise and established good branding, it will be easy to be known and identified by your customers.
Metaphor Naming Strategy
Metaphor is a figure of speech that describes and compares two unrelated ideas but not in a literal sense. This can be used to come up with a unique brand name that speaks to what your brand is for, and what your customers can get from your business.
💭 Use metaphors that will represent specific attributes, qualities, and values you want your brand name to communicate with your target customers.
💭 One perfect example of a metaphor brand name is Amazon, which represents the diversity of products that the brand is offering globally. This is also reflected in their logo wherein the arrow is pointing from A to Z in the name, which means they have all the products from A up to Z.
