How Do You Come Up With a Brandable Name?
From combining elements to ignoring the process, here are 12 answers to the question, “How did you come up with a brandable name for your business?”
- Combined Elements: Photo + Aid + AI = PhotoAiD
- Resisted Trends
- Started Out as “Oojaah” and Became “Kegelbell
- Used the Etymology of a Word
- Checked the Dictionary
- Evoked Emotion
- Started With Our Unique Values
- Focused on Service Results
- Brainstormed on Core Idea
- Used Three Cs: Catchy, Creative, Customer Centric
- Chose Two Things I Loved: Monkeys and Mountains
- We Didn’t
Combined Elements: Photo + Aid + AI = PhotoAiD
When coming up with a brandable name for PhotoAiD, it was important to me that the name included references to both “photo” and “AI” since our app uses AI technology to generate perfect biometric photos.
We wanted PhotoAiD to represent not just how our product would provide aid in enabling users to quickly and effectively manage thousands of photos, but also to evoke the idea of AI helping in this process. PhotoAiD represents precisely this type of relationship between user and machine.
Natalia Brzezinska, Marketing and Outreach Manager, PhotoAiD
Resisted Trends
Stay away from popular names that can become outdated within a few years. Choose a name that will endure the test of time. Using a well-known word or phrase to represent your company as current and relevant may seem like a smart idea at first, but it may easily become stale and useless.
Instead, concentrate on developing a recognizable name that will last the test of time. Your company will remain recognizable and relevant in the long run with a brandable name that is current and relevant going forward. A timeless name is additionally less likely to pass out of style or be connected to a certain era or fashion.
Sanket Shah, CEO, InVideo
Started Out as “Oojaah” and Became “Kegelbell
Before we entered the market, I had named my pelvic floor training device company, Oojaah, and was quite happy with the name. Then, at a business conference, I met Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey, the founders of Barefoot Wine and the authors of The Barefoot Spirit.
I told them about my startup and Bonnie said the name was not helpful and I needed something literal that would give people a picture in their head. She was so insistent that I knew I had to follow her advice.
For a couple of months, I walked around trying out names, and then one day at the gym, I saw the kettlebells. I realized my pelvic weight system to help women do Kegels worked as kettlebells do. I saw the symmetry of the words “kettle” and “Kegel”, so I named the product “Kegelbell” and made the weight system look like a bell. The difference was immediate. I just had to say “Kegelbell” and people’s eyes would light up because they knew in an instant what our product does.
Stephanie Schull, CEO, Kegelbell
Used the Etymology of a Word
Our business is all about language learning, so we wanted to choose a brand name that would resonate with that niche. We took the word “linguistics” and shortened it to “Ling.” It’s also a single-syllable word, which makes it easy to remember and fun to say! This helps our customers make connections that our product is about languages and helps them to remember our brand more easily.
Simon Bacher, CEO and Co-Founder, Ling App
Checked the Dictionary
A dictionary or thesaurus is a significant starting point for creating a brandable name for your business. This helps you find words related to your services that are memorable, easy to pronounce, and clearly describe the purpose of your business. Foreign words and phrases, including Latin roots, can also create unique and meaningful names such as “Pro” for professional and “Cogito” for “I think.”
Getting creative with puns, alliterations, and wordplay that align with your business nature can add a personal touch. Consider using prefixes, suffixes, or combining words to make new ones that resonate with your brand’s values.
Burak Özdemir, Founder, Online Alarm Kur
Evoked Emotion
Evocative brand names are successful. They do this by using effective marketing and ongoing reinforcement to arouse feelings connected to the brand’s culture.
Over time, people begin to have specific thoughts or feelings when they see or hear a brand’s name. One of the biggest athletic brands in the world, for instance, is Nike. Its origins are well-known: Nike is the Greek goddess of triumph. Greek mythology and everything it stands for, including majesty, games, and glory, served as a major source of inspiration for Nike.
The brand has grown to be associated with elite athletes honoring sporting victories. Athletes performing amazing exploits are frequently featured in Nike commercials, motivating and encouraging the audience. Choose a personal experience that has personal significance for you and your audience.
Janie Doyle, Marketing Director, SC Vehicle Hire
Started With Our Unique Values
To come up with a brandable name, start with a simple, straightforward phrase that speaks to your core values and mission. For my wedding photography business, Stephanie Jenkins Photography, I chose this name because it emphasizes both the high quality of my work and my commitment to providing personalized service to each client.
I started my business 12 years ago and knew I needed an identity that would stand out in a crowded field of competitors. After doing some research on different naming conventions, I settled on using my own name as the central identifier for my brand.
That way, customers would know exactly who they were working with and could trust that their experience would be unique and tailored specifically to their needs. This approach has been incredibly successful over the years and has helped me build strong relationships with all of my clients.
Stephanie Jenkins, Founder, Stephanie Jenkins Photo
Focused on Service Results
I came up with a brandable name for my business by focusing on the results of our services instead of our service itself. We’re a dental service, and our name is The Smile Factory.
This way, the key messaging I use in my marketing efforts can speak to what consumers really want—which is more than a dentist. They want a beautiful smile. We have also included key messaging around happiness to form positive associations with our business, and we wouldn’t have been able to do this without our brandable name.
Hitesh Gupta, Dentist, The Smile Factory
Brainstormed on Core Idea
Our business name, Cyphere, was derived from the term “cyber sphere,” which encapsulates the idea of providing a secure digital atmosphere for our customers. We wanted a unique and memorable name that highlighted our commitment to providing top-notch security services.
We started by brainstorming potential names based on the core idea of cyber security. After much discussion and deliberation, Cyphere emerged as the winning choice—it’s memorable and futuristic sound makes it easy to remember and pronounce.
At Cyphere, we have a comprehensive approach to cyber security that combines cutting-edge technology with experienced professionals in order to ensure the best possible protection for our customers.
Harman Singh, Director, Cyphere
Used Three Cs: Catchy, Creative, Customer Centric
Branding statistics revealed that 77% of consumers buy items based on their brand name. This means that coming up with a catchy and creative brand name is one of the essential recipes for attracting customers.
My travel blog, Global Grasshopper, for example, became a household name for avid travelers because of its catchy and creative name. Add customers’ perceptions to the mix and you will have a memorable brand name.
I took my brand’s core values, mission and vision, and objectives into consideration so I could create a brand name with a powerful impact on consumers.
Becky Moore, Founder, Global Grasshopper
Chose Two Things I Loved: Monkeys and Mountains
I chose a name for my business that was catchy and self-selecting customers. People either love it or hate it, and that’s what I wanted. Our clients are people who don’t take themselves too seriously, or they wouldn’t book a hiking tour with us.
Also, the name is applicable anywhere, so if we choose to expand to new areas, we can easily do so under this brand.
Laurel Robbins, Founder, Monkeys and Mountains
We Didn’t
Naming our company when we weren’t sure what niche we would fill in an industry where there are over a thousand competitors was a great challenge.
iProspectCheck is not the most memorable brand name.
We dedicated ourselves to building a company that was so good at providing unparalleled levels of customer service that our brand name would be less relevant than our reputation.
This approach has been very effective for us. Our quirky name is now a badge of honor.
Matthew Rodgers, President and Founder, iprospectcheck
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