What's in a name?
One of the first key decisions business owners and entrepreneurs have to make is what to name their business, and why. A name is the first thing customers come across, the word they search for when they want to find a brand again, and the word they use when they recommend it to someone else.
In part one of our brand naming series, we look at the three types of brand name, the other forms a name can take, and where names come from. Part two covers how to come up with a brand name, and our article on brand name trademark checks explains how to avoid one of the most costly naming mistakes.
In part one of our brand naming series, we look at the three types of brand name, the other forms a name can take, and where names come from. Part two covers how to come up with a brand name, and our article on brand name trademark checks explains how to avoid one of the most costly naming mistakes.
The types of brand name, in short:
There are three main types of brand name:
1. Descriptive names describe the product or service literally: The Body Shop, Whole Foods, Hotels.com.
2. Suggestive names hint at what the brand delivers through a metaphor or association: Uber, Pampers, Dove.
3. Abstract (empty vessel) names have no link to the product, giving the brand a blank canvas. They are either existing words used in an unrelated context (Apple, Orange) or invented words (Kodak, Zapier).
Founder names (Dyson, Ford), place names (Patagonia) and acronyms (BMW, H&M) are also common. They are often treated as separate types, but each tends to behave like one of the three above.
There are three main types of brand name:
1. Descriptive names describe the product or service literally: The Body Shop, Whole Foods, Hotels.com.
2. Suggestive names hint at what the brand delivers through a metaphor or association: Uber, Pampers, Dove.
3. Abstract (empty vessel) names have no link to the product, giving the brand a blank canvas. They are either existing words used in an unrelated context (Apple, Orange) or invented words (Kodak, Zapier).
Founder names (Dyson, Ford), place names (Patagonia) and acronyms (BMW, H&M) are also common. They are often treated as separate types, but each tends to behave like one of the three above.
THE THREE TYPES OF BRAND NAME
1. Descriptive Names
The clue is in the name. Descriptive names describe the product or service, literally. Examples: PayPal, The Body Shop, Whole Foods. Descriptive names can be useful for positioning a brand very clearly, and for B2B brands where purchasers want to know exactly what the brand is selling. Because customers understand them immediately, they also tend to need less marketing budget to explain.
The trade-off is ownability. The words that describe a product also describe competitors' products, which makes descriptive names harder to trademark and harder to stand out with. They can also limit scalability, as a name tied closely to one product or service can become a constraint as the business grows.
Our client Bold Bean Co shows how a descriptive name can work harder: it says what is in the jar, while "bold" signals the taste and attitude of the brand. Founder Amelia Christie-Miller told us on Bear in Mind that she built an Instagram community of around 2,000 followers before launch, and involved them in deciding the name and packaging.
The clue is in the name. Descriptive names describe the product or service, literally. Examples: PayPal, The Body Shop, Whole Foods. Descriptive names can be useful for positioning a brand very clearly, and for B2B brands where purchasers want to know exactly what the brand is selling. Because customers understand them immediately, they also tend to need less marketing budget to explain.
The trade-off is ownability. The words that describe a product also describe competitors' products, which makes descriptive names harder to trademark and harder to stand out with. They can also limit scalability, as a name tied closely to one product or service can become a constraint as the business grows.
Our client Bold Bean Co shows how a descriptive name can work harder: it says what is in the jar, while "bold" signals the taste and attitude of the brand. Founder Amelia Christie-Miller told us on Bear in Mind that she built an Instagram community of around 2,000 followers before launch, and involved them in deciding the name and packaging.
2. Suggestive Names
Names that indicate what your product or service delivers, either as a metaphor, analogy or association. These are the most popular, and they are a creative way to position your brand by building upon an idea your customers already understand. Examples: Uber, Dove, Pampers. Suggestive names already have some level of evocation in the mind of the consumer, and the brand can then build upon this. Dove evokes care and gentleness, while Pampers alludes to comfort and protection.
Suggestive names are usually easier to trademark than descriptive ones, and often leave more room to grow. Better Nature is a good example. Co-founder Elin Roberts told us on Bear in Mind that the name reflects exactly what the business does: taking something from nature, soybeans, and making it better through fermentation. The name never mentions tempeh or plant-based food, yet it suggests something both natural and better for you, and leaves room for the brand to grow beyond its first product.
When we renamed Capital Models Laser Cutting Department as Swordfish Works, we followed the same principle. The swordfish evokes speed and precision, without the name needing to say "laser cutting".
Names that indicate what your product or service delivers, either as a metaphor, analogy or association. These are the most popular, and they are a creative way to position your brand by building upon an idea your customers already understand. Examples: Uber, Dove, Pampers. Suggestive names already have some level of evocation in the mind of the consumer, and the brand can then build upon this. Dove evokes care and gentleness, while Pampers alludes to comfort and protection.
Suggestive names are usually easier to trademark than descriptive ones, and often leave more room to grow. Better Nature is a good example. Co-founder Elin Roberts told us on Bear in Mind that the name reflects exactly what the business does: taking something from nature, soybeans, and making it better through fermentation. The name never mentions tempeh or plant-based food, yet it suggests something both natural and better for you, and leaves room for the brand to grow beyond its first product.
When we renamed Capital Models Laser Cutting Department as Swordfish Works, we followed the same principle. The swordfish evokes speed and precision, without the name needing to say "laser cutting".
3. Abstract (Empty Vessel) Names
Completely abstract names give brand builders a blank canvas. Because the name is a new or unrelated word or phrase, one the consumer has never encountered in this context, the brand can build its own associations around it. They can be either an existing word used in a new context (Apple) or a completely made-up word (Zapier). Abstract names give a unique advantage to marketers, allowing them to create a completely new set of associations in the consumer's mind, untainted by prior conceptions of an existing word. They are also the easiest type to trademark.
The catch is cost. A made-up word starts with no meaning at all, and an existing word may carry connotations that need to be overcome, so abstract names typically require more marketing budget to build affinity.
The freedom can be part of the appeal. Oliver Dixon, co-founder of Something & Nothing, told us on Bear in Mind that the name began with a conversation in Seinfeld, and that there are a few versions of the story depending on who is asking.
Completely abstract names give brand builders a blank canvas. Because the name is a new or unrelated word or phrase, one the consumer has never encountered in this context, the brand can build its own associations around it. They can be either an existing word used in a new context (Apple) or a completely made-up word (Zapier). Abstract names give a unique advantage to marketers, allowing them to create a completely new set of associations in the consumer's mind, untainted by prior conceptions of an existing word. They are also the easiest type to trademark.
The catch is cost. A made-up word starts with no meaning at all, and an existing word may carry connotations that need to be overcome, so abstract names typically require more marketing budget to build affinity.
The freedom can be part of the appeal. Oliver Dixon, co-founder of Something & Nothing, told us on Bear in Mind that the name began with a conversation in Seinfeld, and that there are a few versions of the story depending on who is asking.
HOW THE THREE TYPES COMPARE: OUR MOS™ FRAMEWORK
At White Bear, we assess every name using our MOS™ framework: great brand names are Memorable, Ownable and Scalable. Each type of name tends to perform differently against these three criteria.
Descriptive. Memorable: easy to understand, but can blend in with competitors. Ownable: hardest to trademark. Scalable: can be constrained by what it describes.
Suggestive. Memorable: evocative, using associations customers already hold. Ownable: usually trademarkable. Scalable: good room to grow, if the idea is broad enough.
Abstract. Memorable: distinctive, but its meaning has to be built. Ownable: easiest to trademark. Scalable: the most flexible, but needs the most marketing support.
These are tendencies rather than rules, and a strong name in any category can score well on all three. Part two of this series sets out the MOS™ criteria in full.
Descriptive. Memorable: easy to understand, but can blend in with competitors. Ownable: hardest to trademark. Scalable: can be constrained by what it describes.
Suggestive. Memorable: evocative, using associations customers already hold. Ownable: usually trademarkable. Scalable: good room to grow, if the idea is broad enough.
Abstract. Memorable: distinctive, but its meaning has to be built. Ownable: easiest to trademark. Scalable: the most flexible, but needs the most marketing support.
These are tendencies rather than rules, and a strong name in any category can score well on all three. Part two of this series sets out the MOS™ criteria in full.
OTHER FORMS OF BRAND NAME
Some names take a particular form, and usually sit within one of the three types above.
• Founder and family names: Ford, Dyson, Kellogg's. Our client Tom Parker Creamery carries the name of a Wiltshire family dairy that has been farming for over a century. A family name brings a story and a sense that someone stands behind the product, although it can become harder to manage if the business is sold or the founder steps away.
• Place names: Patagonia, Evian. Borrowing a place can borrow its qualities too, but it can also tie a brand to one location.
• Acronyms: BMW, H&M, IBM. These are compact, but carry little meaning on their own, so they typically take time and marketing investment to build recognition.
• Character names: sometimes a mascot becomes the brand, or sits alongside it. We look at why this works in the White Bear Effect.
• Founder and family names: Ford, Dyson, Kellogg's. Our client Tom Parker Creamery carries the name of a Wiltshire family dairy that has been farming for over a century. A family name brings a story and a sense that someone stands behind the product, although it can become harder to manage if the business is sold or the founder steps away.
• Place names: Patagonia, Evian. Borrowing a place can borrow its qualities too, but it can also tie a brand to one location.
• Acronyms: BMW, H&M, IBM. These are compact, but carry little meaning on their own, so they typically take time and marketing investment to build recognition.
• Character names: sometimes a mascot becomes the brand, or sits alongside it. We look at why this works in the White Bear Effect.
WHERE DO BRAND NAMES COME FROM?
Brand names can come from anywhere on a continuum between existing words and completely made-up ones. In between, we've got tweaks, combinations and acronyms. Below are where they come from and some examples.
• Existing words from any language: Dove, Pret, Senetus, Caboodle
• Existing words used in a new context: Apple, Virgin, Orange
• Tweaks to existing words or spelling: Flickr, Blu-ray, Kellogg's Froot Loops
• Combinations of words: Snapchat, Facebook, FedEx, Salesforce, White Bear. For Europe's first banana water, we joined the "ba" from banana with "naam", the Thai word for water, to create Banam.
• Invented words: Zapier, Spotify, Kodak
• Acronyms: BMW, H&M
Tweaked spellings carry a particular risk. If people cannot say or spell a name after hearing it, they cannot search for it or recommend it. Win Win started life as WNWN, and co-founder Johnny Drain told us on Bear in Mind that the original name failed one of branding's most basic tests: it could not be accurately replicated by someone who knew nothing else about the brand.
• Existing words from any language: Dove, Pret, Senetus, Caboodle
• Existing words used in a new context: Apple, Virgin, Orange
• Tweaks to existing words or spelling: Flickr, Blu-ray, Kellogg's Froot Loops
• Combinations of words: Snapchat, Facebook, FedEx, Salesforce, White Bear. For Europe's first banana water, we joined the "ba" from banana with "naam", the Thai word for water, to create Banam.
• Invented words: Zapier, Spotify, Kodak
• Acronyms: BMW, H&M
Tweaked spellings carry a particular risk. If people cannot say or spell a name after hearing it, they cannot search for it or recommend it. Win Win started life as WNWN, and co-founder Johnny Drain told us on Bear in Mind that the original name failed one of branding's most basic tests: it could not be accurately replicated by someone who knew nothing else about the brand.
WHICH TYPE OF BRAND NAME IS RIGHT FOR YOU?
There is no single best type of name. The right choice depends on the brand strategy, the category and the budget available. A few questions help narrow it down:
• What is the marketing budget? Descriptive and suggestive names need less explanation. Abstract names typically need more investment to build meaning.
• How crowded is the category? If most competitors use descriptive names, a suggestive or abstract name can stand out.
• Where is the business heading? If the plan is to add products or enter new markets, avoid a name that ties the brand to what it does today. As Pete Johnson pointed out on Bear in Mind, nothing in The Spice Tailor's name ties it to India, which gave the brand room to move into other cuisines.
• How important is ownership? If a strong trademark is essential, lean towards suggestive or abstract names.
• Who is buying? B2B purchasers tend to value clarity, while shoppers scanning a busy shelf tend to respond to feeling.
• What is the marketing budget? Descriptive and suggestive names need less explanation. Abstract names typically need more investment to build meaning.
• How crowded is the category? If most competitors use descriptive names, a suggestive or abstract name can stand out.
• Where is the business heading? If the plan is to add products or enter new markets, avoid a name that ties the brand to what it does today. As Pete Johnson pointed out on Bear in Mind, nothing in The Spice Tailor's name ties it to India, which gave the brand room to move into other cuisines.
• How important is ownership? If a strong trademark is essential, lean towards suggestive or abstract names.
• Who is buying? B2B purchasers tend to value clarity, while shoppers scanning a busy shelf tend to respond to feeling.
Once you know which type of name you are aiming for, the next step is creating it. Part two of this series, how to come up with a brand name, sets out our five-step process, and brand name trademark checks explains how to avoid falling for a name you cannot own.
If you're naming a new brand or product, or thinking about a rename, our Named Unforgettable programme takes you from strategy to a shortlist of names we've already checked for risk. Book a discovery call
Written by Dave Endersen, Managing Director at White Bear. DBA Design Effectiveness Gold winner.
If you're naming a new brand or product, or thinking about a rename, our Named Unforgettable programme takes you from strategy to a shortlist of names we've already checked for risk. Book a discovery call
Written by Dave Endersen, Managing Director at White Bear. DBA Design Effectiveness Gold winner.
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