The following is an edited transcript of my video 25 Tips When Brainstorming a New Name.
Here are twenty five things to keep in mind when working to create new brand name – whether launching a new business, new product, or new service, or renaming one:
- Begin with suffixes and prefixes—not full words—and think about the message you want to convey to consumers. Use those parts together to brainstorm possible combinations and ideas.
- Check domain name availability, especially if that’s important for your business.
- Do a preliminary search of major search engines and the USPTO to make sure right away that there’s no clear obstacle. If there is, you don’t want to spend any more energy on it.
- Narrow this list. Now that you’ve started to put things together and ideas, narrow the list to several options.
- Don’t fall in love with any single option just yet, because inevitably, if you do encounter a problem, not having other names in mind is going to be a setback, both psychologically and in terms of the time to move forward.
- Consult with a trademark attorney.
- Order a comprehensive search using a trademark attorney on your top choices. Again, you want to have more than one choice, but now you’re working with an attorney. You have multiple choices.
- Review the search results with the lawyer.
- File a trademark application based on “intent to use” as soon as possible to start getting protection while you’re building things out.
- Buy up all relevant domain names—make sure nobody else gets them.
- Know about the spectrum of the types of marks and the protection that gets afforded to them.
- Don’t use a generic mark. If it’s generic, it’s not even a mark. Don’t name your restaurant Greek Food. If you’re selling Greek food, you can’t protect it. You can’t stop anyone.
- Be careful of very descriptive names. Don’t name your Greek restaurant Gyro Sandwiches and More. That’s very descriptive, and you’re not going to really be able to stop anyone, even if you might get a registration for it.
- Use suggestive marks. Suggestive marks tell you something related to the goods and services, but it’s not immediately descriptive of them or of their functions or qualities. Examples of suggestive marks are Netflix, Pinterest, or Groupon. They tell you something about what the service is, but they’re in an innovative way that doesn’t smack of immediacy and descriptiveness.
- Consider an arbitrary mark. An arbitrary mark has stronger protection. It might be harder to market or brand, but think of an arbitrary mark like Apple for computers or Yahoo for internet service. Those are arbitrary terms, which are good for protection, but they don’t really tell the customers anything about what you do.
- A coined or fanciful mark is one that’s like a made up word, such as Kodak for photography or Exxon for gas.
- You want to know about telescoping words. That’s when you take two words that can overlap portions of them and create a new word. Example: Vitaminsurance or Hamerican—aking two words, overlapping them, making a new word.
- Portmanteau is similar. You’re taking two words and combining them. It’s not a full overlap—it’s making a new word out of portions of two words like Amtrak or Comcast or Microsoft.
- How about using a rhyming tool? Rhyming is going to create a unique sound, be memorable, and can help make a stronger trademark.
- Alliteration is another linguistic sound tool using a repeating sound, but maybe not at the end of the word, like a rhyme to create something that resonates.
- A pun is a creative play on words can create a really strong slogan or brand name like Think Inside the Box or Paw and Order. Those are great play on words that will create something memorable.
- A double entendre is when you take a word or phrase that has multiple meanings that are applicable to the product or service, so it really adds a layer of depth and meaning and creativity to what you’re talking about.
- Another type of linguistic tool is to be provocative in your wording, to be edgy and bold and stand out.
- Another type is to be incongruous. That means taking two words that don’t really go together or kind of oxymorons, but if you can combine them in some new, unique, playful way that applies to your goods or services, then you’re creating something that could be really strong and memorable.
- Boring names are bland and harder to get traction. Bold names are going to be easier to protect and resonate much more with your clients and customers. Be bold!
For much more details, see my book, Building A Bold Brand, available in paperback, Kindle, Audible, and video. Check it all out at buildingaboldbrand.com.
