4 Common Pitfalls of Name Ideation
Your brand needs a name. So, what do you do? You gather your cross functional team in your most inspiring conference room, and spew out facts on the product features, target market, manufacturing process, and business objectives … Hours later you smile at the walls smeared with names, until you realize you don’t LOVE any. What went wrong?
Common pitfall #1: Leading with function over feeling
Brainstorming based upon product features alone can yield names with little personality. There are some great names, like TikTok that can accomplish both. But in order to get your name right, you must really know your brand. Do you want to convey speed? Strength? Consider car sharing brands, ZipCar and Maven. ZipCar says speed and convenience while Maven makes consumers feel smarter for choosing them. Leading with a feeling rather than a function avoids ho-hum names like CarShare. Name generator tools fail miserably when it comes to evoking a feeling.
Common pitfall #2: Acting subjectively versus objectively
We hear it a lot: you’ll know the right name when you hear it. But it is impossible to come up with a new name without creating success criteria first. All good projects start with objectives – so take the time to thoroughly consider yours. Developing your strategy in advance ensures your favorite names are meeting your team’s larger goals. For example, Target was named to convey the intersection of quality goods, exceptional value, and community commitment. Lastly, it is important to have an outsider evaluate names against your criteria to remove personal biases.
Common pitfall #3: Thinking a name can do everything
Creating a name that can feel soft, tech-centric, human, and innovative is a recipe for disaster. It is hard to create a name that says it all. Make sure you push on different ideas and try out which works best. And don’t discount coined names – they are easier to legally own and can create cache in the marketplace. There may be hesitancy since it’s not immediately intuitive, but your goal is to build meaning into it. For example, Sephora was coined from the Greek word “sephos” meaning pretty, and “Zipporah,” after Moses’ beautiful wife. While it is coined, it is now in almost every consumer’s vernacular.
Common pitfall #4: Finding fault in everything
You have a list of your top 5 names, and now everyone’s a critic. Avoid over-analyzing: there are always reason NOT to pursue a name. Open your mind to the possibilities. Your brand will take on a life of its own once it’s in market. Geiko, the “Government Employees Insurance Company,” targets more than government personnel, Purple doesn’t have any connection to mattresses, and Roku means “six” in Japanese which only has meaningful to its founder.
At Sterling, we often have clients come to us and say they’ve done three rounds of naming and have no idea why they can’t get it right or where they keep going wrong. This is a challenge that we take in stride, because through our strategic rigor, creative process, and strong collaboration we know that we can quickly get to great ownable names.
We’re always looking to take on a new challenge! Get in touch with us to chat more about naming. Or, browse our latest work.