Brand Naming Philosophy

Every brand has a life of its own. In giving life to a brand and recognising it, the essential starting point is a name. It is the name of a brand that garners it a unique identity and presence in the memories of people and it is the name to which reputation, value and stellar service are equated to.

However, choosing a good name for a business venture is not a matter of chance or a play of providence. It can be a well-thought out philosophy with strong with a strong technical foundation. The approach to coining a name is extremely important and even cash-rich and recognised corporates have learnt lessons the hard way. A classic example is the Chervorlet Nova, which did not sell well in Latin America simply because Nova meant ‘it doesn't go’ in Spanish. The complete story can be found in   http://spanish.about.com/cs/culture/a/chevy_nova.htm and it clearly highlights the importance of deep thought, careful research and rigorous analysis in choosing a good brand name.

Given the above facts, the basic questions to be asked about a brand name before coining one are as follows:

• What is the line of my business and is the brand name related to it?
• What is the full meaning of the proposed name in most of the languages?
• Is it easy to spell / pronounce?
• Is the name relevant to the product or business?
• Does the name convey a positive feeling?
• In case of a locally concentrated business, does the name have a regional touch?
• Is a domain name and the trademark available for the proposed name?

Oftentimes, the most successful brands in the words have their brand names ending with a vowel and are usually below 10 characters in length.

Ezine Article : The Relationship Between a Good Name and Business Success