What’s the difference between naming children, and brand naming?

Naming children can be hard! And it gets harder the more children you have (and I only have three!). The naming journey often takes the full term of pondering and deliberation. We want so much for our kids. And setting them up with the right name that gives them every opportunity for success has so much weight.

Many founders launch without any where near the same vigor given to their brand name. And it comes back to haunt them in the form of slow sales, market confusion, or legal action.

While the right name can be like a rocket lifting you into the stratosphere, the wrong one can be a lead balloon.

Many people only seek professional naming advice too late. They get hit with a nasty cease and desist letter saying they’ve infringed on an existing trademark. At this point the money they saved by doing it themselves is long gone. As is the money spent on marketing the brand to this point, which now has to change.

Hindsight can be cruel. Setting up right is always best and saves you in the long run.

Whether you’re creating a new name for a brand new entity, or renaming a brand, this article is for you. There is a foolproof name creation process that we use. It will enable you to craft an ideal name that you can own, and save you from future legal issues.

You Gotta Build Your House Upon The Rock

A children’s song from my past says it best, ”…you gotta build your house upon the rock. Make a good foundation on a solid spot..” and while that song may be preachy, the idea is strong. For projects to stand the test of time, including brand names, you need a solid foundation.

What is a good foundation for branding projects?

Many things may change in your business. Even with pivots and product or service evolution, principles tend to remain firm. And naturally, we have a simple framework for developing a compelling brand story. This one is future proofed with the inclusion of impact, which you will soon come to understand (if you don’t yet).

The Impact Brand Story Triangle

There are three cornerstones to the triangle:

• understanding who you are as a brand
• understanding who you buyers are and who they need you to be
• And getting clear on your impact model

Let’s expand on those a little.

Brand – Understand who you are as a brand. And clearly articulate it.

Much of how your market comes to know your brand is through direct experiences. Meaning interactions with your team, your systems, and your product or service. If not direct, through the stories of other’s experiences.

It is from these encounters that the brand story for your brand emerges. You are telling a story, whether deliberate or left to the market to assemble.

These brand experiences are primarily dictated by the company culture. Brand purpose, shared vision, and values govern these experiences. So your culture is your brand.

If you want to have a brand worth raving about, you need to build a culture worth raving about.

Taking the time to develop each of your brand essentials. Also to design your ideal customer experience. Combined they will ensure a united brand story forms.

Buyer – Understand your best buyers and who they need you to be. You’ve got to know your audience, because it isn’t you.

When you understand who your best buyers are (you are not for everyone), you have an advantage. You know why they buy, how they buy, what their awareness levels are at each stage of their buyer journey. And what they need to see and hear to take the next step.

Knowing all this means you also know who they need you to be. First identify your juicy core customers. They are the most aligned, most profitable, and greatest pleasure to do business with. Then develop buyer personas for them and use them to guide your messaging.

Impact – An awesome product/service is no longer enough. It is the price of admission.

Here’s why. Another brand enters your space, same awesome quality, same fair price, same first rate customer service. AND this brand have cause they are working to solve, it’s relevant, it’s authentic, and it resonates for their customers (and yours!).

Now is a critical time where the people are looking to align with brands that care. Increasingly, as millennial’s grow as the economic decision makers in the market. By 2030 they will 75% of the workforce. All things being equal, the brand that does good too, will get the customer.

It’s not just the millennial age group. This is the millennial era. People, young and old, are voting with their dollars for brands that share their values. And who create positive change in the world.

Work with your team to identify a relevant impact model for your brand. Choose something that makes sense for your team and your customers. They will both become co-creators in the impact. We go deeper into impact models here.

Brand Story is the bridge, and the amplifier.

Your externally told brand story connects who you are as a brand with who your buyer needs you to be. The right message at the right time will help them fall in love with your brand and become a lifelong customer.

Your brand story connects your purpose, values and impact for your team. It unlocks creative and discretionary energy which makes them more productive and engaged. And they become invested as co-creators in the impact.

Similarly with your customers. Your brand story can connects them to your purpose values and impact. They too can become invested as co-creators of the impact and they fall deeper in love with your brand.

Search thoroughly the following:

• IP databases for the markets you wish to trade. You are looking for name conflicts in each of the trademark categories. It is important to search both image and words.
• Business name register for where you intend to register your business or company. You are looking for name availability.
• Domain name registrars. Look for domain availability and any potential conflicts.
• Social Media handles or profiles that could be problematic
• Key search engines in each market. Here you’re looking for conflicts, overly similar brands, or other potential issues. Include image search as some results can be derogatory, offensive, or confusing,

Remember, consult an IP lawyer for final approval before you start trading. They will have more knowledge about what potential conflicts for you.

Enjoy the challenge!

If you are attempting this yourself, have fun with the process. We love it! It’s one of our favourite creative problems to solve.

It is a real opportunity to push the creative envelope. A chance to create a distinction in the market. And position your brand to make an awesome first impression. Or fresh new impression if you are renaming. This is the ideal position of power to start from, to create a sustained positive impact.

Remember, the first step is to build your solid foundation. Start with your impact brand story fundamentals! They will give you the clarity for your idea storming directions.

Let us know how you go.

But, if you are renaming your business…

Clients often get in touch with us when they feel it is time to rename or rebrand. Often there is more going on beneath the surface than the need for a new name, or refresh of your brand. Take a look at what was happenening with Evan’s business here and how we helped him fall back in love with Mondays again.

As one of the world’s leading brand naming agencies, we love helping our clients avoid costly mistakes and create world class names and brands. Get in touch with us now.