Written by Robyn T. Braley
Or, perhaps the opposite is true. The economy in your
trading area is popping. There are hundreds of opportunities for a new
business.
Perhaps there is an emerging need and the company you work for is set in its ways and resists change. You have new ideas
about how to adapt to changing times and exploit the new possibilities. This is the time to
strike out on your own.
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You must satisfy that itch! |
O.K., I’ll stop now! Whatever your reason for starting your
company, you need a sticky name; one that everyone will remember.
A Lame Name in the Next Lane
How many times have you sat in your vehicle idling at a traffic light when
you looked left and noticed a truck sitting in the next lane. You can’t
believe your eyes. The name on the side of the truck is the silliest and lamest
company name of all time. How can that happen?
Having gone through the process of naming companies and products
many times, I understand completely. It can happen for any one of a number or reasons.
·
The owner was up against an incorporation
deadline and needed a name – fast!
·
The owner just got her first order and needed a
name before she could invoice for badly needed cash
·
The owner chose the name years ago but the meaning is no longer relevant
·
The owner’s nephew in high school Drama chose it because he is
really creative
·
The owner chose the name against all available advice, particularly from his spouse
I Love Naming Names
I love naming projects. They demand creativity and
imagination and an inner faith that the process will lead you to where you need
to go.
A client recently called needing a name
for a new company that was being birthed through a merger. What made the project
challenging was that the existing companies both had strong brands in their
respective industries.
A Perfect Name
·
Has meaning and relevance
·
Is available to be registered and trademarked
in all target markets
·
Is available as a domain name
·
Paints a picture
·
Connects emotionally
·
Is sticky – easy to remember
·
Is easy to pronounce
Cultural Subtleties
Pronunciation is a big one. I won’t go into linguistic
influences in this post, but a name that flows off the tongue and has a
poetic lilt will add to its stickiness. It makes sense.
However, you must consider all implications. Will you be doing business in different zones where cultural differences like pronunciation may affect a names cache or coolness factor?
However, you must consider all implications. Will you be doing business in different zones where cultural differences like pronunciation may affect a names cache or coolness factor?
For example, if you own a company named 'Zco,' in Canada it will be
pronounced 'Zedco.' In the USA, it will be pronounced 'Zeeco.' The two different sounds have different brand influences.
My wife and I recently spent a day in Banff Alberta wandering in and out of specialty shops while enjoying the mountain ambiance and scenery.
We were in the midst of a naming project and the process was top-of-mind. As we stopped by a favorite coffee shop named Evelyns, my wife mentioned the North American pronunciation is e-ve-lyn, with a short 'e'.
Alternately, she noted the U.K. pronunciation is eee-ve-lyn with a long 'e'. The associated meaning of that pronunciation was probably not what the founder intended. It doesn't suggest great coffee, pastries and sandwiches.
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Cascade Mountain from downtown Banff |
We were in the midst of a naming project and the process was top-of-mind. As we stopped by a favorite coffee shop named Evelyns, my wife mentioned the North American pronunciation is e-ve-lyn, with a short 'e'.
Alternately, she noted the U.K. pronunciation is eee-ve-lyn with a long 'e'. The associated meaning of that pronunciation was probably not what the founder intended. It doesn't suggest great coffee, pastries and sandwiches.
There is more. A name must be carefully
researched to identify alternative meanings, translation ease into other
languages, cultural implications, and current or historic slang uses.
• Barf
Detergent - means snow in Iran
• Pee Pee
Cola – means very good Cola in Ghana
• Fart Bar -
means lucky bar in Poland
• Tonic
Water – means toilet water in Germany
• Pinto
(Ford) – is slang for male genitals in Brazil
Whatz In a Name
So, what’s in a name? Plenty. Your name will be the
foundation of your brand. It’s what you are and what you will become as a
company.

It will also provide creative options for logo design,
slogan development, and other brand elements. It will look great on letterhead,
signage, on a website, in social media, on the side of a truck and in all other
applications.
Is it user friendly? Does it sound good? I ask clients to say
the name as they pretend to answer the phone.
A Name May …
• Describe
corporate activity
• Be rooted
in history
• Be rooted
in Latin, Hebrew, or another language
• Be the
merger of two or more words
• Be built
around a family name.
• Be created
from “scratch”
• Be the
name of an emotion or sensory image
• Reflect
geographic location or focus
• Suggest a
feeling or an image
The Problem with History
Any avid Gospel music fan will recognize the name, 'the Cathedrals' quartet. They were founded in the 1960's as the house group for a TV program produced by a mega church called the Cathedral of Tomorrow.The group became independent in the early 1970's and soon earned descriptives like legendary, best selling, and award winning. They became one of the all time greats in their genre, Southern Gospel music.
Here is the irony. Southern Gospel is a long way from the high church traditional music associated with a Cathedral. During the last 20 years of their career, few fans knew how they got their name as the TV program and stature of the church had been long gone.
Just Make it Up
One naming option is to create a name that does not presently exist. Yahoo! is actually an acronym for Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle.
Or, you can combine parts of two names. Walmart combines
the first part of founder Sam Walton’s last name and ‘mart’ which means trading
centre. Makes perfect sense!
- Unimark Creative
- Kool-Aide
- Costco
- Land Rover
Create Intrigue
A sticky name can result from a play on words taken from a
totally different context. As you grow your company, the name will become
associated with who you are. It will eventually have meaning and definition
based on what you do and how you do it.
- Starbucks
- Virgin
- Blackberry
- Curv
- Canon
Future Vision
Here is a big one. Can a name be found that describes what the
company is today while hinting at what it will be tomorrow? Will it still have
relevance and meaning? Will it account for;
·
Geographic expansion
·
Product or service expansion
·
Cultural, missional, ownership changes
·
Public or industry perception changes
·
Future customer needs
McDonalds Restaurants are certainly much different today
than when brothers Dick and Mac McDonald founded the single drive-in restaurant
in 1948. But, it was salesman Ray Kroc who recognized the potential of the brother’s
menu and proposed partnering with them in 1954. He developed a franchise model
and the rest, as they say, is history. Click Here to Read More
Most people associate the name with the restaurant and not
the founders. The meaning of the name today still identifies the basics of the
initial brand concept. The menu has been adjusted to reflect healthy eating. But,
most important, the coffee is better.
Corporate Examples
As much as my naming colleagues would like to suggest
otherwise, startup companies seldom start with a cool, chic name that they grow
into. Most have an inauspicious and very ordinary naming history. I love the stories about how these tech companies got their
names.
Apple – The corporate
backstory is that Apple distanced the company from the cold, unapproachable of
other computer companies of the time. As a namer, I’d like to think that is
true.
But, remember, the company was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve
Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne in a garage. They were kids.
So, the other story may be true. According to it. the trio
was three months late filing a name for the business. Apples were the favorite
fruit of Steve Jobs who had also worked at an apple orchard as a teen. He
dictated that Apple Computers would be the name if his colleagues couldn’t
suggest something better by 5 o'clock on deadline day.
eBay - eBay’s creator had a consulting business called Echo Bay
Technology Group. He discovered the domain EchoBay.com was taken. The result?
eBay.
Google - Googol was deliberately mis-spelled as Google. Googol is
the digit 1 followed by one hundred zeroes. It explains the company’s purpose to
organize huge amounts of information.
Sony - From the Latin word 'sonus' meaning sound.
Motorola - Founder came up with this name when his company
started manufacturing radios for cars. A popular radio at the time was called
Victrola.
Hewlett-Packard - Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard tossed a
coin to decide whether the company would be called Hewlett-Packard or
Packard-Hewlett.
Cisco Systems - An abbreviation of San Francisco.
Adobe – Adobe Creek ran behind the founder’s house.
Kinkos - The founder's boyhood nickname reflected his kinky
red hair.
Conclusion
There are many elements that influence creating the perfect
company name. There is no set rule or easy formula to follow. When you find it,
you’ll just know.
Robyn T. Braley is a writer, speaker and media guest. He is the President of UniMark Creative which focuses on website design, video production, media services (editorial and advertising), and graphic design.
CONTACT INFO
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Robyn T. Braley is a writer, speaker and media guest. He is the President of UniMark Creative which focuses on website design, video production, media services (editorial and advertising), and graphic design.
CONTACT INFO
robyn@unimarkcreative.com
Website: www.unimarkcreative.com
www.robyntbraley.com
Twitter: @robyntbraley
LinkedIn
Website: www.unimarkcreative.com
www.robyntbraley.com
Twitter: @robyntbraley
Related Articles for Starting a New Company
10 Tips for Staying Motivated in Extremely Unmotivating Times
Thinking As If There is no Box; 10 Marketing Tips for Tough Times
10 Tips For Bootstrapping With Broken Laces
How to Grow Your Brand in Uncertain Times
Why Goal Setting Is Important for Small Businesses
Why LinkedIn is a Pillar for B2B Relationship Building; 11 Content Tips
How to Write Effective Emails for eNews Campaigns
Going Up! The Selling Starts With a Powerful Elevator Speech
Tips for Getting the Best Possible Photos for Your Business
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