Naming: The Process of Creating Brand Names

What is naming?

Naming is the strategic and creative discipline responsible for creating names for brands, products, or services. Far from being a simple act of inspiration, it is a process that seeks to select a name that is not only attractive but also functional, appropriate, differentiating, and legally registrable. It is the first and most fundamental identifying asset of a brand, and it lays the foundation for all subsequent branding.

Why is naming so important?

A brand's name is its most enduring asset and the element with the highest frequency of exposure. Good naming is a strategic investment that adds value in multiple dimensions:

• Memorability: A name that is easy to remember, write, and pronounce facilitates word-of-mouth and online searches.
• Differentiation: A unique name is the first barrier against the competition.
• Positioning: The name can suggest the brand's category, benefit, or personality; and even if it suggests nothing from a semantic point of view, it is the foundation of positioning: the asset to be established.
• Availability: A professionally developed name ensures its legal (trademark registration) and digital (domains, social media) viability.

What is the process for creating a brand name?

The creation of a professional brand name follows a structured process that goes far beyond a brainstorming session. The key phases are:

1. Strategy: It is based on the brand profile, target audience, conceptual territory, and the performance the name must deliver in each case (e.g., short, evocative, international, etc.).
2. Name Search: Various techniques (combinatorial, semantic, phonetic) are used to generate a wide universe of candidate names that align with the strategy.
3. Name Selection: The universe of names is rigorously filtered according to the strategic criteria defined in the first phase, reducing the list to a manageable number of finalists.
4. Legal and Digital Verification: Preliminary searches for trademark registrability and the availability of domains and social media handles are conducted for the finalist names. This is a critical step that prevents future legal and positioning problems.
5. Presentation: The strongest candidate names are presented, arguing how each one responds to the strategy, for the final selection.

What types of brand names exist?

Brand names can be classified into several categories, each with its own strategic advantages. The choice of one over another depends on the brand's objectives. Some categories are:

What are the most common mistakes in naming?

A non-professional naming process often leads to mistakes that can limit a brand's long-term potential. The most frequent are:

• Being too literal or generic: A name like "Quality Shoes" is impossible to register and differentiate.
• Ignoring phonetics and pronunciation: Names that are difficult to pronounce or sound bad in other languages can be an obstacle to expansion.
• Following passing trends: Names that seem modern today can quickly become obsolete.
• Omitting the legal verification: This is the most serious mistake. Launching a brand with a name that is already registered can lead to devastating legal and financial consequences.

What is the relationship between naming and logo design?

Naming and the graphic mark are interdependent. The name strongly conditions the possibilities of visual design. A short, sonorous name can work perfectly as a pure logotype, while a more abstract or evocative name can benefit from the support of a symbol. The naming strategy must consider how the name will be visually represented, and vice versa. They are two sides of the same coin in the process of creating an identity.

How is naming integrated into brand strategy?

Naming is not an isolated task but the verbal starting point of the brand strategy. It is the first major decision that defines how the company will present itself to the world. A good name must be aligned with the positioning, values, and personality of the brand that have been strategically defined.

To master the complete framework that encompasses both verbal (naming) and visual strategy, it is essential to have a comprehensive vision. Our online workshop Brand Audit provides the methodology to build this strategic framework, ensuring that every decision, from the name to the last graphic detail, is well-founded and effective.