For example, a marketing professor from Columbia’s Business School (Bernd Schmitt, Ph.D.) commented that “when a product is launched its name is only part of a multimillion-dollar marketing campaign that also involves advertising, research, and social media” (Colapinto, 2011, 41). And while this is certainly true, he goes on to argue that “the name is just a starting point for a brand. The most important branding decision is more about brand strategy, distribution channels – where are the customers you want to reach” (Colapinto). However, Dr. Schmitt is not emphasizing a key part of the brand naming process. If brand name creation is done correctly, the company and the team explicitly address brand strategy and target customers during the creation of the brand name. This makes it is possible to save a large amount of money down the road because the company didn’t complete each stage of the marketing process in a silo. The more companies collaborate and horizontally structure their teams, ideas, and organization during the brand naming process, the more integrated the overall strategy and the less work that has to be done later. These issues would already be addressed during the brand strategizing that took place when the name was created. (Read more about the silo problem in management)

And, although Mr. Colapinto does defend this perspective with examples like F. Scott Fitzgerald who originally wanted to call his iconic “The Great Gatsby” the “Trimalchio in West Egg,” it’s important to realize that the strengths of a well thought out name go far beyond simple consonance and alliteration (although these can be important components). A branding strategy really should be derived and agreed upon during brand name construction. A name essentially embodies aspects of the strategy – while many people might not think much more beyond the brand name, names tend to appeal or repel them on a subconscious level.

Finally, we would argue that brand naming is a dangerous dance between creativity and efficiency. We are big believers in “out there” ideas and some of the great brainstorms that can stem from them. But trademark screening and brand name architecture design tend to be the more challenging and no less important parts of the process, especially when talking about global brands. Our team is more well-rounded because of the requirement to factor in the practical realities of IP protection and the need for global, cultural, and linguistic acceptability. While team members are creative, artsy, and right-brained, they also are grounded in the necessity of developing brand names that are legally available and resonate with different targets around the world. If managed properly, recognizing these constraints can actually sharpen rather than dampen our creative focus, reinvigorating us all and resulting in some truly amazing new name ideas that work in concert with a cohesive brand strategy and pass all legal and linguistic hurdles.

She gave a speech at Idea City (the Canadian equivalent of the annual TED Conference held in the U.S.’s Silicon Valley) titled “How We Can Apply What We Learned from the Teen Girls of the ‘90s (More Specifically, Those Who Read/Interned at/Worked for Sassy Magazine) to Create a Good Magazine for Teen Girls Today, Also, This Is a Really Long Title.” The speech received a standing ovation. All I’ve got to say is it’s a good thing no marketer got a hold of that title.

Being relatively apathetic towards fashion, I don’t understand the implication of 90% of that title. However, the comedy behind “…Also, This Is a Really Long Title” is priceless. It provides context. It gives me an emotion I can recognize. It taps into the right side of my brain.

Sometimes we need more.

Branding Strategy Insider published an article this week about the advantages inherent in longer, emotional slogans because they appeal to the right side of our brains. Their shining example was Federal Express which, early in its history, spent 3 years losing $29 million trying to compete head-to-head with then air-cargo leader Emery Air Freight. FedEx finally decided to focus on the overnight piece of the air freight business, but not with a generic-sounding slogan like: “the overnight company.”  Rather, it went with something longer but much more compelling, “When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.”  And, of course, the rest is history.

Sometimes, shorter taglines, and shorter more generic names for that matter, are less memorable and paint a hazier picture for potential customers. Take Ford’s “Drive one” or Hertz’s “Journey on” slogans for example. What do they urge me to do? They don’t forge a personal memory or connect with any of my past ones – they’re vague to the point of being dismissed and forgotten.

Countless studies address how names that tap into a storyline or address experiences that customers can relate to are powerful ways to build a meaningful brand. A study published at Yale in the field of cognitive psychology discusses the propensity humans have to “index prior experience.” It discusses how all people reason from experience, and that the difference between various reasoners depends on how they have subconsciously organized their previous experiences. Basically, we do not all think of the same things at the same time.

So, when dealing with disparate people who have unique experiences, as marketers, perhaps the best way we can build a brand is to give it more context – even if this means a 12 word tagline as opposed to a 2 word one. Take the Twisted Tea brand for example. Twisted Tea makes hard alcoholic beverages that taste like tea – from my perspective, when competing with common brands of liquor that people know they like, it takes a big leap of faith or a really good selling point to get people to use their disposable income to switch or try something new. The makers of Twisted Tea took the bull by the horns – on every bottle they print a picture of someone and the story of how much they enjoyed the drink. They also include details with both the people’s names and locations. This gives the brand a story – rather than relying on the salesperson at the local market to pitch the brand. They pitch the brand on the packaging. 100 words from customers sometimes make much more of an impact than a 2 or 3 word tagline or slogan.

The researchers from Yale and Northwestern wrote, “Inaccessible information is not information at all. Memory, in order to be effective, must contain both specific experiences and labels for those experiences” so we can find them again. Often, if we can’t remember the story, then the name, slogan and brand has missed the mark.

“When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight;” I can identify with that sentiment from Federal Express. How many times have I bitten my nails, unsure if work-related packages were going to arrive by their deadlines? The title of Tavi’s talk: incredibly longwinded (people won’t forget that) but she uses her final words to recognize that fact and make fun of it. When people remember your 12 word slogan or 4 word name because they elicit stronger emotions, you achieve more than a 1 or 2 syllable name ever could. More is sometimes just that – more.

(A NameStormers’ Viewpoint – August, 2010)

Popular commercial brands generate a “positive emotional reaction from the human brain,” according to a study by the Radiological Society of North America. Does that mean consumers are inclined to just purchase those brands that we have all heard of before, for better or for worse?

This study links positive emotions to the purchase of well-known brand names while linking negative emotions to those brands that are lesser-known. Apparently, well-known brands are easier to process and activate a part of the brain associated with rewards. Conversely, lesser-known brands demand more from parts of the brain associated with memory and elicit stronger negative emotions. Maybe this means our brains view less clear, more convoluted names and messages negatively?

According to the study, the type of response depended entirely on how strong (or familiar) the brand was, regardless of what product or service was being tested.

We have seen this same trend in our own name testing research but don’t believe it is because lesser-known brands elicit stronger negative emotions. Rather, we think it is because lesser-known brands require us to “think harder.” That is, some of the most pedestrian, generic brand names that have been out in the marketplace for a while tend to test better than some of the most brilliant new names. We believe this is because of the natural associations any name acquires with exposure over time. Once consumers associate a logo, an advertisement, a package graphic, a story, etc. with a name, even a pretty crummy name, it tends grow on them and they tend to like it more. On the other hand, new names are naked. They have very little wrapped around them, very few associations, so the brain has to work harder to establish those connections.

Are more clever but obscure, new names destined for the scrap heap before they get a chance?  We believe many are because clever isn’t what is what is important. Rather, instant emotional engagement is the key. If a new name connects emotionally quickly, it often has high memorability scores. High memorability is what drives awareness and familiarity which can ultimately drive purchase decisions.

Bottom line: when developing new names, focus on those that connect with the right and not the left side of the brain.  Be less concerned with how descriptive or literal a new name is (e.g. an InfoSeek or Very Creamy style of name that connects with the left side of the brain) and more concerned with the emotional reaction it elicits on the right side of the brain (e.g. a Google or Double Churn style of name that might evoke a chuckle, a positive feeling, a desire for more, etc.). This is what we’ve been focused on since 1985 and what our research shows serves many of our clients quite well.

For more information about how we develop engaging, memorable names, go to www.namestormers.com or give us a call at 512-267-1814.

For more information on the Radiological Society of North America study cited above, go to: Shoppers’ Brains Under Brand-Name Control

Society celebrates, envies, and covets creative people. So many individuals wish they were more creative – but then shy away from risky ideas. How can we both desire to be more creative and then run from the creative process?

In the case of naming, sometimes creativity can cause you to fall flat on your face. Many creative ideas are extremely polarizing. For example, take 2 minutes to try naming a new kitchen ladle. Admittedly, names like “Super Scooper” or “Easy Lift” are either too cheesy or too vague, boring, or unrelated. But what about names like “PickMeUp,” “Souper Scooper,” or “Heavy Lifter?” They may not all work, but they’re definitely more creative and interesting than the humdrum alternatives.

Creativity requires a perspective of comfort towards the unknown. People who need the security of knowing that they have the correct answers or exactly how long their work will take may have a natural aversion to creativity.

Unknowns and vague approaches define the creative process. A unique spin, a suggestive name, those 80’s hip huggers – all are controversial. However, “different” is how sensations are born. Did Yo Yo Ma know that he was going to be a cello sensation when he picked up the instrument at age 4? Did many foresee the success of Facebook – who knew so many people would take a crazed interest in the minute-by-minute status of each other’s lives? (I thought it was ridiculous when I first started college!)

I saw a cooler in the grocery store yesterday and for the first time noticed the name – PlayMate. That’s a risky name! But it’s also memorable and fun. Taking a walk on the wild side may be fear-inspiring, but if we remember that we celebrate and desire creativity, we’ll realize that the walk is worth it.

Check out this video from TED where best-selling author Elizabeth Gilbert talks about creativity and managing the associated fear (her latest book is Eat, Pray, Love).

Names that have multiple meanings tend to grab the attention of a wider variety of prospects.  They provide more points of relevancy.  Take the name Fresh Energy, for example.  What 1st comes to mind:

• A health food restaurant?
• Organic fresh produce?
• An energy beverage?
• 24-hour fitness clubs?
• A non-profit that is championing the cause for renewable energy?

We suggested the name Fresh Energy to replace our client’s moniker at the time:  Minnesotans for an Energy Efficient Economy (ME3).  Not only was Fresh Energy shorter, snappier and more memorable, but it had multiple meanings that worked well for different types of prospects:

• For the general public: sounded healthy, natural, and better for them and their families
• For environmental groups, tied in with the green movement in a positive and upbeat way
• For legislatures, allowed them to talk about new, innovative developments in the field without using tired and hackneyed phrases like “renewable energy” and “low carbon footprint.”

So when developing that new corporate identity or product brand name, remember the value of the double-entendre.

1. Crossword puzzle dictionaires are great naming resources.  Not only do they tend to list more than just synonyms for a given word, concept or idea, but they usually list the shortest ones first.  Since shorter is usually better when it comes to creating a strong brand name, this ordering helps.  Our favorite is The New York Times Crossword Puzzle Dictionary.  You can buy it on Amazon for about $8.00.  Another one we’ve used for various naming projects but don’t like quite as much is Webster’s Crossword Puzzle Dictionary.
2. Random House’s Word Menu book is another resource to help inspire naming creativity. Instead of starting with a specific word like you typically do when using a crossword puzzle dictionary, you tend to start with a subject area, like Technology or Eating or Foreign Expressions. Once you dive into a subject area, you’ll usually find some colorful words and ideas to use as springboards for creative ideation.  For example, if you flip over to Eating, you’ll find words or phrases like Bolt, Pig Out, Quaff, Scarf and Gorge.  If you are interested, you can buy it on Amazon for about $7.00.

Note that we didn’t list perhaps the most obvious resource tool above … a thesaurus.  While there are some out there that are better than most others, like J Rodale’s Synonym Finder, most contain words that are great for use in high school or college level English writing courses, but that tend to be too verbose or complex for most naming projects.

When the folks at Breyers’ approached us about their new rich and creamy ice cream, we knew we had to enlist the support of some very special team members. Watch this video of Skyla Huckabee, one of the foremost ice cream taste testers and creative inspirations in the world.  The resulting name helped convey an extra creaminess in an incredibly rich and indulgent but fat-free ice cream.

So what do you do?  Well, during a recent engagement we had a similar experience.  We pitched the first round to the client and didn’t receive the smiles we were expecting.  So, we started asking lots of questions.  Questions like:

1. Which of the names are the best of the bunch, even though you aren’t that excited about them?
2. Let’s revisit the original naming goals and objectives and talk about where we missed the boat?
3. Describe to us again your target, and how you suspect they will react to some of these names?
4. Give us a few more examples of names you think might work with some tweaking?  Explain your thinking behind each?

The key to this session is that we REALLY LISTENED. We weren’t trying to justify or defend. We were trying to learn. We took copious notes, studied them and then we considered:

1. Changing the mix of techniques we’re using, perhaps placing more emphasis on a linguistic architecture approach and less on free-form word association.
2. Revamping the team, dropping some members and adding others.
3. Taking everybody out to the ice cream parlor and talking about how much fun we’re going to have during the next creative session, especially after everyone is pumped full of Blue Bell Chocolate Extreme (arguably the best chocolate ice cream in the world).

After some changes and head-scratching the creative juices started flowing, the enthusiasm returned but this time it was more focused and on-track, and we all felt better about what was surfacing.  And sure enough, when we went back to the client and presented the new ideas, the accolades and smiles greeted us.

So what was the winning name? Watch this video (click on Part 2) to learn a little bit more about our client, the name they picked and how they describe their offering.  Then let us know how well you think the name helps telegraph their key points of differentiation.

Every now and then, we try something a little different to inspire creativity. When it comes to naming, what about writing a tune about a product and a name you love? And then, what if you dreamed about going even further and using that in your audition on the popular TV show, American Idol?  While we’re not sure James will be the next big rock star, feel free to take a look at this Pizza Cravers video and let us know what you think.