When it comes to brands, the name is one of the most important elements of its proposition. A name is often the first act of public branding and helps establish the tone for a product, service or company. It acts as the primary handle for a brand: it’s a recall and recognition device, it communicates desired attributes or specific benefits and, through time and consistent use, it becomes a valuable asset and intellectual property.
However, many organizations take a very haphazard approach to naming, often omitting crucial steps that end up making the naming process longer, more arduous - and more expensive.
In the following weeks, we’ll explore some of the most common mistakes made when creating or choosing a name, and some tips to avoid them.
Let’s start with a more obvious one…
1. Treating naming as an afterthought
Any serious brand manager approaches a product or company launch with a systematic and clearly defined path – from concept development through to implementation. But naming can often be an afterthought, and usually results in a mad scramble.
Naming is a far more complex process than most people imagine. Creative names are only the beginning of the journey, with many legal and linguistic hurdles that follow – hurdles that often mean the name you thought was great is either not available, or may even be inappropriate.
Start the naming process early in the development phase. Outline the critical steps and build your timing around these. While legally cleared names can be used as early a month into the trademark process, full trademarks can take anywhere from 12-18 months in the U.S. And that’s after you’ve decided on a name.
However, if even after planning your timing is tight, call in the professionals. They will make sure you have a name you love, as well as legally own.
