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How long to look for a brand name?

How do you go about naming a brand?

  • I pick a good enough name and move on.

    Votes: 5 55.6%
  • I look until I find an excellent name.

    Votes: 4 44.4%

  • Total voters
    9

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Hello,

just a quick question about naming a brand: I've been looking for a good name for the brand I want to make for weeks now and unfortunately I haven't found the right one yet. Among the dozens of names I have thought about so far, there were many bad ones and some good ones. The problem is that the good names are already taken.
I wonder if a perfect name is really needed. After all, I could take any name and over time load it with the "meaning" I'd like for the brand. So maybe I already invested more time than needed in finding a good name.

What's your advice? Just pick a name that's good enough and move on? Or should I keep looking until I find an excellent brand name?

Thanks.
 
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Cameraman

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Hello,

just a quick question about naming a brand: I've been looking for a good name for the brand I want to make for weeks now and unfortunately I haven't found the right one yet. Among the dozens of names I have thought about so far, there were many bad ones and some good ones. The problem is that the good names are already taken.
I wonder if a perfect name is really needed. After all, I could take any name and over time load it with the "meaning" I'd like for the brand. So maybe I already invested more time than needed in finding a good name.

What's your advice? Just pick a name that's good enough and move on? Or should I keep looking until I find an excellent brand name?

Thanks.
How about a bit of market research with your target market to see what they gravitate towards? Probably not the one you think is best.
 

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How about a bit of market research with your target market to see what they gravitate towards? Probably not the one you think is best.
Good idea. Any tips on how to do that?
 

Cameraman

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Not my area of expertise but:

1. Don't have too many options - 5 is probably the most I would suggest.
2. Don't pick just the names you like.
3. It's easy to lead people, so try to avoid that and also try not to introduce your own bias in how you select people.
4. Consider asking an indirect question like "what does this name suggest to you"?
5. If you have a product perhaps ask which name would they most associate with that product?
6. Think about how to approach the people you want to get feedback from and what type of feedback you want. Is it a vote or something more qualitative?

Spend some time designing what you are going to do based on your objective.
Good luck.
 
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Gregory Carson

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Hello,

just a quick question about naming a brand: I've been looking for a good name for the brand I want to make for weeks now and unfortunately I haven't found the right one yet. Among the dozens of names I have thought about so far, there were many bad ones and some good ones. The problem is that the good names are already taken.
I wonder if a perfect name is really needed. After all, I could take any name and over time load it with the "meaning" I'd like for the brand. So maybe I already invested more time than needed in finding a good name.

What's your advice? Just pick a name that's good enough and move on? Or should I keep looking until I find an excellent brand name?

Thanks.
There are two things I usually suggest when it comes to business naming basics.

Use a name that has meaning in the business area.
You can always use your name and services like my business (Carson Patents) does. But, something like Patent Application Specialists would have worked as well (maybe better for SEO reasons … hmmmm).
If you need ideas or are looking for words with meaning in that business area. You can do research on current trends in search terms for that business or subject area on google trends, or in the trending #’s and the like from the various social media.
It seems to me, that the more I understand about what a business does from its name the easier it would be to find it for that service or product.

Check to be sure no one is already using that name for that product or service.
Check with your state business registration agency and be sure no-one has already registered that name.
Check to see if the name is trademarked. In the United States, the place to do the research is the USPTO’s Trademark Electronic Search System, or TESS. You can access TESS here. Internationally, the place to do the search is at The World Intellectual Property Office’s (WIPO) Global Brand Database (GBD). You can access GBD here.

Often the best names and logos are not what you would expect in that area of business. The Apple brand is an example. Business names and logos are loaded with meaning overtime by the actions and activities of the business. If you always go the extra mile providing excellent products or services and become known for that in your business area you are loading a brand (business name/logo) with meaning (and value). That, of course, is where the business owner/operator should invest their time - provided the business naming basics are covered so people can find the business and partake of the products or services.
 

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Lots of companies are just named after the founder/s. eg Rolls Royce, Ford

Lots of companies are just named for what the company functionally is. eg Volkswagen, Carphone Warehouse (UK)

Then you have names that in theory are meaningless. eg Sony, Hyundai, Toshiba, Samsung don't mean a thing in the English speaking world in the same way that Rolls Royce and Volkswagen wont have any meaning in Korean or Japanese.

I would go for one of the former two examples if I was you. So much easier than deliberating over a 'cool' word and then having to spend a fortune getting the public to associate that name with xyz

Dan
 

rafikadir

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Hello,

just a quick question about naming a brand: I've been looking for a good name for the brand I want to make for weeks now and unfortunately I haven't found the right one yet. Among the dozens of names I have thought about so far, there were many bad ones and some good ones. The problem is that the good names are already taken.
I wonder if a perfect name is really needed. After all, I could take any name and over time load it with the "meaning" I'd like for the brand. So maybe I already invested more time than needed in finding a good name.

What's your advice? Just pick a name that's good enough and move on? Or should I keep looking until I find an excellent brand name?

Thanks.
Hello dear,
I Understand your pain as i have faced same problem. But i have solved this probelm.

But i think you are not clear about BRAND. I have a clear concept video about brand. IF you want to see i can share with you.

Meet me, I am Rafi kadir. I am a Digital marketing strategist and business consultant. I help business to grow by Internet marketing. And i think i can help you to solve ypur problem.

Would you want to join me a one to one free consultation. Please let me know. I will share my zoom link.

I am also an comedian . Hope we can make a lot of fun by a call.

Thanks,
Waiting for your response.
 
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D

Deleted85763

Guest
Hello,

just a quick question about naming a brand: I've been looking for a good name for the brand I want to make for weeks now and unfortunately I haven't found the right one yet. Among the dozens of names I have thought about so far, there were many bad ones and some good ones. The problem is that the good names are already taken.
I wonder if a perfect name is really needed. After all, I could take any name and over time load it with the "meaning" I'd like for the brand. So maybe I already invested more time than needed in finding a good name.

What's your advice? Just pick a name that's good enough and move on? Or should I keep looking until I find an excellent brand name?

Thanks.
The name is not important for the most part - it's the quality product or service that is. For example, which computer would you buy: The Most Excellent Computer brand which has all kinds of problems or the Hertsdfat42323Turdo Computer brand that is rated very high? I would choose the later regardless of the name.
 

rafikadir

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The name is not important for the most part - it's the quality product or service that is. For example, which product would you use: The Excellent Computer brand which has all kinds of problems or the Hertsdfat42323 Computer brand that is rated very high?
Yes
 

Gary

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Hello,

just a quick question about naming a brand: I've been looking for a good name for the brand I want to make for weeks now and unfortunately I haven't found the right one yet. Among the dozens of names I have thought about so far, there were many bad ones and some good ones. The problem is that the good names are already taken.
I wonder if a perfect name is really needed. After all, I could take any name and over time load it with the "meaning" I'd like for the brand. So maybe I already invested more time than needed in finding a good name.

What's your advice? Just pick a name that's good enough and move on? Or should I keep looking until I find an excellent brand name?

Thanks.
I just went through this. Hired a branding specialist (and my good friend),Sean, to guide me through a very systematic process. He has worked as an exec in advertising & branding for a couple of decades so I trusted his approach.

It was basically two very involved phases:

1) Brand Strategy Process, which led to
2) The Design Brief

At the end of the first phase, we still didn't have a name. We had a compiled long list of names and 3 or 4 of them were leading the pack. However, I felt that even these were going to leave me feeling like I 'settled.'

So during Phase 2, he built this incredible Design Brief which was to be handed off to our graphic designer/illustrator for the logo & packaging. It was during this phase that my wife and I were chillin' in our swim spa, enjoying a couple of Modelos, and chatting about the names we had come up with so far. She then blurted out this name that had ZERO to do with any of the qualities of the names on the list. But I loved it because it had a personal history to me and it was 100% unique.

Sean immediately loved it to. The process had led us to an unexpected but ultimately satisfying end. If we hadn't done the work and immersed ourself in a process we might still be floundering.

The graphic designer crushed it on the logo based upon the design brief and now we are working on the packaging. This is for a ready-to-drink cocktail.

My advice: get some help. Branding is another area of expertise, no different than coding, sailing, woodworking, etc. It's normal to get an expert to aid you on something so important if you feel you are falling short of your own expectations.
 
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AppMan

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I used Fiverr to pay for people to find me names, they sent list of names but all were useless , asked fiends and relatives, finalled what worked is looking at other businesses with the same line and derive some new name from their names. that worked best for me . but be careful not copy the same name just take idea about names and get your own one.
 

Johnny boy

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You're over simplifying it.

What are you selling?

Here's a tip: steal the name. But not the same name, the same "style" of name. And not from the same industry.

If I were selling dog food, like little dog treats, I would look at brands that sell snacks for humans.

Then take note of their styles

"name that rhymes with biscuits (triscuits)"
"_____-thins"

Then, see in what ways your product differs.

"My dog treats are made to help clean the dogs' teeth while also tasting good"

The name should follow a style that will highlight the attractive features in the case of naming a dog treat brand.

I'd call the brand "Denta-thins" to highlight the dental value and thins to highlight that they are dog treats, just make sure to put a cute puppy on the front so people don't eat them.

But the same process would be terrible for naming a cell phone company.

"It's called "call-portable" because it's portable and you can call people" Yeah, that'll be a trash name...

And worrying about the name at all is silly if you're selling a b2b commodity where they don't give a shit. Just put 3 random letters up there and you're good. "AEY Inc" just like wardogs would be sufficient.

So your question needs more information, basically.
 
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woken

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The “I’m building the new unicorn” virus.

People name their kids “Dick”. You’re worried about your business name? :rofl::rofl:

This is not progress, it’s action faking.


I know I’m coming across as a prick for saying this, but you’ll fail. Do it quicker.
That’s time you’ll never get back.

“Fail Ferrari fast and Fiat cheap.”
 

Walter Hay

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Often the best names and logos are not what you would expect in that area of business. The Apple brand is an example.
Steve Jobs said that the name came to him after spending time working in an apple orchard, and the logo came later, but the logo could have come first, and the name could spring from that. Let me explain:

The apple with a bite out of it is an age-old symbol of rebellion, so if Jobs and Wozniak had conceptualized the idea of appealing to those who want more - who go against the rules - thinkers outside the square - those who want to be different - want to leave behind what they see as dull and boring - not be like the crowd, they might have thought of the apple with a bite out of it, and the name would have been born from that.

Preferably target the tribe that your product will appeal to. Random names can work too, but relating such names to your target market will be harder.

Walter
 
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Walter Hay

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Hello,

just a quick question about naming a brand: I've been looking for a good name for the brand I want to make for weeks now and unfortunately I haven't found the right one yet. Among the dozens of names I have thought about so far, there were many bad ones and some good ones. The problem is that the good names are already taken.
I wonder if a perfect name is really needed. After all, I could take any name and over time load it with the "meaning" I'd like for the brand. So maybe I already invested more time than needed in finding a good name.

What's your advice? Just pick a name that's good enough and move on? Or should I keep looking until I find an excellent brand name?

Thanks.
See your inbox.

Walter
 

Kak

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A few days max. Then move on.
 

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