Introduction

If you’re considering a new name for a company, service or product it could be one of the most important marketing decisions you will ever make. The choice of the name, just like the choice of your branding and styling, is not a subjective decision, nor should it be a political one. You, and your managers, shareholders or board must resist the interference of others, and choose the name for the right reasons, unfettered by anyone’s own preferences, but focused on your mission and vision, and your target audience(s). The guiding principle therefore is will our customers like it? They are buying into the brand, so its not a question of whether you like it..

The importance of a strong and distinctive brand name should never be underestimated. A good choice can ensure your brand is memorable and differentiated. It can help with positioning and the communication of key messages. The internet is the single biggest reason for the need for internationally acceptable brand names. Increasingly confident consumers are more willing to research and purchase goods, services, and even their education, through the internet. It therefore makes good business sense for brand names to have an immediate impact, and be accessible, clear and globally relevant.

As well as its acceptability with your customer base it must be memorable and stick in your mind quickly. In addition there are four principles that need to be ‘cross-referenced’ against the final choice;

• Impact
• Accessibility
• Clarity
• Global relevance

It should also be noted that if you choose a name that will be highly controversial, most especially politically unacceptable, it could have an adverse effect on publicity and staff morale. On the other hand the most successful names over the long-term are often those that initially are a little controversial or different (Google, Swatch, Ikea). Whilst it’s probably wise not to welcome controversy for the sake of it, an organisation and its brand names need to stand out amongst competitors. You need to show some creativity and boldness in your choice. If you want to raise awareness and be differentiated against your competitors, you have to have a name that does just that.

Trademark and domain name acceptability

A new brand name should be registered in the trademark register of each country in which it will be used. If you feel this is not necessary it can be done solely for the UK. You can go to the Companies House website to check against registered company names, to ensure there isn’t a clash, but the first stop for information is The Patent Office. Their website gives details of intellectual property protection, or you can get a company to give you an initial trademark report on the name you have chosen for as little as £50. A trademark is a sign or text capable of being represented graphically and which distinguishes goods or services. A trademark may consist of words, designs, logos or combinations of letters and/or numbers, but there are some restrictions on certain words or phrases.

Copyright is used to protect the visual identity of the design and text of your new logo. It is not necessary to register this copyright, however legally it resides with the agency who designs the final logo, and when the contract is given there must be an agreement that on payment, the copyright passes unreservedly to you.

Don’t forget that you need to ensure you can get the domain name you want too. It’s no good starting with a great name like orange, only to find that every derivation of that name from .co.uk, to .com to .biz has been taken. You don’t really want a domain name that ends up being www.orange_limited.com.

What type of name

Names come from a variety of sources. Many European languages are derived from either Greek or Latin, and the trend towards global markets, make these names easier to transfer across continents, examples abound including Hovis from the Latin Hominus Vis, ‘Strength of man’. Nike is Greek for victory and replaced the original name of Blue Ribbon Sports – its easy to work out which is more memorable.

Acronyms and ‘coined’ names incorporating elements from one or more words are often useful tools for avoiding translation difficulties, as they are less likely to have meanings in other languages. Well-known brand names using this formula that have created a new word include; 

·         IKEA – founder Ingvar Kampard, his farm Elmtaryd and his village Agunnaryd.

·         7-UP – refers to the seven flavours of the drink

·         Persil – the product’s two main ingredients, percarbonate and silicate

·         ADIDAS – taken directly from founder Adi Dassler’s name

·         Nylon – an abbreviation of New York and London

This is a particularly effective strategy for minimising trademark difficulties. However, the inevitable human instinct to shorten any new name must be taken into account e.g. British Telecommunications (BT), British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) or National Westminster Bank (NatWest), before making the final decision.

Whatever the naming approach, one word brands are most effective. Lengthy, multiple word names lead to truncation as mentioned above. Subsequently when people abbreviate a name, control is lost over the brand and identity. Other naming tactics include using brand names that describe (e.g. PowerBook, Burger King, British Airways, Carphone Warehouse, Toys R Us) or words taken straight from the dictionary with no direct correlation to the service or product itself (e.g. Yahoo, Starbucks, Orange).

You can employ an agency to come up with a brand name, the most famous being Interbrand. This will of course cost tens, if not thousands, of pounds, but you may consider that a good investment depending on the size of your organisation.

Additional considerations

New names should not be too constrictive and should allow for possible future strategic developments. Commerce and industry are changing at an increasingly rapid rate. It is impossible to predict macro-environmental changes over the coming decades, especially those that will take effect long after you have launched a new product or service. Don’t forget your ambitions too, if you grow quickly it may be too parochial to call yourselves Wrexham Engineering, you might move your main site to another town or establish other centres, not just in the UK but maybe internationally. This may be unthinkable now, but in thirty years?

If you plan to sell overseas you will need to get your brand name checked by a translator – after all the Vauxhall Nova worked well in England, but in Spanish “no va” means won’t go – not a great name for a car. The Toyota MR2 is pronounced “Toyota Merde” in France.

Remember

Selecting a name is an emotionally charged decision. Naming decisions are fraught with politics, turf issues, and individual preferences. You must stick to a strategic internal decision and not entertain the lowest common denominator solution. Along the way there is always someone who will try to derail the process. You need to determine at the outset who the decision makers will be, and then work diligently to keep the decision-making process on track.

The new name will have a degree of controversy, whichever you choose. Everyone will have an opinion, and there will be those in favour and those against. It is a classic no-win situation. Over time it will become better known. Clients, stakeholders and the local community, will find it more comfortable as time passes and accept it as part of the background noise.

A rose by any other name, might smell as sweet, but you’d have difficulty getting anyone to buy it if it was called pocari sweat!

Finally, some howlers . . .

International brand names that may have worked well but translated badly into English;

Pocari Sweat – Isotonic sports drink (Japan)

Bimbo – bread (Spain)

Kräpp – toilet paper (Sweden)

Alu-Fanny – aluminium foil (Norway)

Pantry-boy – Nissan car (Japan)

Bonka – coffee (Spain)

Bums – biscuits (Sweden)

© Sue Nelson 2006