Article: Naming Your Brand Effectively

19 Oct 2017

We at Skriptor Zigila love to work with names that are unique and sound like beautiful symphonies when pronounced. Being in the business for so long, we have a pretty solid porfolio! More often than not, we prefer associative and stand-alone names over descriptive ones. You can tell a story when you have your own name. Create your brand, and let the world know why this is the brand to be. Blending in is not always the right thing to do for your brand. Therefore, we decided to write a small piece about naming, legal issues, and living your brand. This is the first part.

First and foremost: products are generic, your brand is unique.

Sometimes it’s difficult to understand the real difference, so it may be better to put it in other words for better clarification: the example of a ballpoint pen, and a Mont Blanc. The distinction is clear, a pen will always be a pen, but a Mont Blanc will always be a Mont Blanc. They are the same, yet worlds apart.

The name is supposed to tell the world who you are, not what you are. It should help your company get noticed, and be remembered for future reference. The reason behind having a unique name is that popular words and/or names are often missed because they are so common. Imagine naming your all exclusive wine just ’Wine’. Sure, it describes what kind of liquid is inside the fancy bottle you spent ages designing, but how do you distinguish yourself from the rest when you are just as common as ’wine’? Consequently, a descriptive name could stagnate your growth, and make it harder for your brand to reach its full potential. This is especially true for naming your mobile application when hundreds are published daily.

Next, you should never dismiss names because they give you particular associations or memories, or because you simply feel they don’t sound right. No one except you will know that your childhood cat was called ‘Tooga’. Instead, we encourage you to challenge that name – how does it sound when you say it loud? Is it rough? Soft? Does it roll off the tongue? Try the name in different situations, but most importantly, let it sink in! Truth is, the beauty of words lies in that they mould into something bigger if you give them time. That name you dismissed last week? It can be a totally different name today!

So instead, be rational, and learn more about the name. Feelings are what your customers are going to have for the brand, when they buy your wine. They are going to love it! However, your own feelings need to be aside as much as possible during the naming process. For now it’s important to pick that name, challenge it, and to be absolutely sure, check what it means in other languages. There are some scary examples of good names that have obscure meanings in other tongues.

The next piece will talk about the legal aspect, and what you should think about further on in the process.

Regards,

Ignacio Valderas

In need of a name? Contact us!