Company naming, product naming, short brand and product names all follow similar developmental processes. However, our naming experts explain that there are some unique challenges when it comes to naming a product and a service.
Our research shows that when product and service naming, consideration must be given to congruity with the brand line, product line, and the organization as a whole. The product name should support the overall strategic planning decisions of your firm.
For example, when naming a product it’s not necessary that the product name be the same as the company name. In fact, unless your firm only offers the one product and you don’t ever plan on expanding, your business and product will have different names.
Whereas, in the case of a single product company, we recommend that the product name, company name and the domain name all be identical. Therefore, you’re streamlining your operation.
In general, a product is a tangible good, thereby something that you can feel and touch. Oppositely, a service is intangible, there’s nothing to touch or move. And furthermore, there are hybrid goods where the company provides a customer with both a physical good and an intangible service.
For the purpose of simplicity, we will use the term “product” in reference to both goods and services in our tips for naming a product below.
5 Characteristics of a Formidable Brand Name:
- Name Length is Important. – When an entrepreneur chooses a new name for a product, it’s important to remember that length matters. In most cases, a successful name for a product is fewer than 11 characters. A new product entrepreneur needs to ensure that the name of your product is tightly focused. Research shows, the longer the name, the greater the chance for confusion, mix-ups and misspellings.
- Dot-COM Domain Name Availability. – It is essential that the dot-com domain name be available for the product. An entrepreneur must be able to match their product name with their domain name; we mean it must be identical. For example Proctor & Gamble must own Tide.com for their laundry detergent Tide. This is a key consideration when choosing a product name. Using a Domain Name Extension that is not the dot-com will only lead your customers to the wrong site, and this just may be your competition. The experts at Brandings have a saying, if you can’t find the dot-com domain, you MUST rename!
- Additional Findings – The vast majority of experts agree, the dot-com domain extension has emerged as the domain extension of global business.
- Spelling Counts. – A good product name is easy to spell. Ideally, the perfect name should have only one spelling option. That means there’s no silent letter; there should be only one way to spell the name. The more alternatives there are in the spelling of a prospective product name, the more likely a firm is to confuse or lose customers.
- Additional Findings – The global marketplace has settled on English as the clear language of choice for global business. Magnificent names for products may be in the preferred local language of a region but should have a clear English translation.
- Alphabetic Characters – When creating a name for a product, an entrepreneur SHOULD NOT contain numbers or hyphens. While there may be very few isolated cases where hyphens and/or numbers may be used effectively, our research shows that in general hyphens should be avoided. Other characters like numbers and other characters like &^$#@* pose challenges in naming. Short brand and product names rarely contain and if ever careful avoid anything other than these characters to avoid consumer confusion.
- Picture this, two people talking about your product and one is trying to tell the other what the product name is. They love your product and want to recommend it but, they’re having trouble explain your product name. Questions like, “where does the ampersand go,” or “is number spelled out or is it the actual number 3?” Another example may be, “the product is called YES but the “S” is actually a dollar sign?” Do you think they’ll be easily able to find you?
- Global Implications – If you are planning on operating or selling your products outside of your home country, consider the universal appeal of your product name. The best names for global products should have a global appeal and be culturally non-offensive.
Finding a Magnificently Short Brand and Product Name
Finally, we hope this article was useful as you create a short brand and product names for your new venture. We welcome your comments and suggestions and we’re available to help you in your product naming activities. Our naming specialists can help you select the right name for your product. A great product name is just a call or click away.
To locate a name for your product you will want to start your search here: Search Product Names.
Trending Topics and Articles:
Naming A Business 11 Must Know Factors
Testimonials Client Feedback
Elements Of A Great Logo
Business Plan Template For A Start Up Business
Custom Company Naming
Clever Names For A Company
Random Brand Company Name Generator
Construction Company Name Generator
How To Find Available Domain Names
Finding The Perfect Company Name
10 Point Guide Sample Business Plan For A Start Up Business
Why Great Start Ups Start With Brandings
How Brandings Can Help Brand Your Business
About Domain Names
Company Name Generator
Understanding Your Firm’s Strategy
Cool Technology Company Names
Master Naming Blender Blunder
Elements Of Brand Positioning
Custom Website Development