AlinaWheeler-DesigningBrandIdentity

Phase 22 : clarifying strategyNamingNaming is not for the faint of heart. It is acomplex, creative, and iterative processrequiring experience in linguistics, marketing,research, and trademark law. Even for theexperts, finding a name for today’s company,product, or service that can be legally protectedpresents a formidable challenge.Various brainstorming techniques are used togenerate hundreds, if not thousands, of options.Culling the large list takes skill and patience.Names need to be judged against positioninggoals, performance criteria, and availabilitywithin a sector. It is natural to want to fall in lovewith a name, but the bottom line is that meaningand associations are built over time. Agreementis not easy to achieve, especially when choicesseem limited. Contextual testing is smart, andhelps decision making.Naming is 20% creative and 80% political.Danny Altman, Founder and Creative DirectorA Hundred MonkeysDon’t pick a name that makesyou one of the trees in theforest, and then spend the restof your marketing budget tryingto stand out.Danny AltmanFounder + Creative DirectorA Hundred MonkeysThe ability to foster consensusamong decision makers isas critical as creativity in thenaming process.Lori KapnerPresidentKapner ConsultingPROCESS: NAMING> Revisit positioning > Get organized> Create naming criteria >Brainstorm solutionsExamine brand goals andtarget market needs.Evaluate existing names.Examine competitor names.Develop timeline.Determine team.Identify brainstorming techniques.Determine search mechanisms.Performance criteriaPositioning criteriaLegal criteriaRegulatory criteria, if anyCreate numerous names.Organize in categories and themes.Look at hybrids and mimetics.Be prolific.Develop decision-making process.Organize reference resources.Explore variations/iterationson a theme.122