Naming a company or a product is different from naming your child or pet.
Feels weird to type that but I find myself explaining it again and again. Good names are strategic investments, invaluable assets and the first expression of your idea. So a purely subjective approach ("I've always wanted to name a company X!") just isn't smart. That's why self-aware founders, CMOs, and CEOs contact agencies like Three Furies to help them.
Here are three baseline requirements for a successful name:
1. Resonance. Your venture needs to connect with many people: members of your team, your advisors, your investors and of course, the people you hope will use your product or service.
2. Differentiation. You have to stand out from the competition, in a good way -- ideally, a way that connects to your core value proposition or brand attributes.
3. Protection. Your name needs to be legally ownable. That means more than a quick Google search (although an in-depth Google search is a must). Your agency should do due diligence on names that make the second round. A trademark attorney should evaluate all of the finalists.
All of that said, a name is still just a name. Sometimes clients over index their emotional investment in the name, when the brand, the user experience, the deliverable itself carry just a much —and combined, much more—weight.
I always remind clients that a good name is...
+ The first impression....but not not the only impression.
+ An opportunity to differentiate...but not the only chance to differentiate.
+ Enabling and empowering...but the entire brand.
+ Capable of triggering interest and curiosity...but the whole explanation.
See pics for two of my favorite naming projects -- one was for a lil’ water bottle company and the other was my lil' wine shop in Brooklyn. Both only took a few weeks and a couple of rounds to nail the name. I'll share in another post how clients can help find a successful name.
Three Furies is a certified woman-owned business, brand, and content strategy agency with deep experience in the legal marketing sector, including digital marketing analysis, brand and digital design, communications strategy, and advertising campaigns. We also produce bespoke wine tasting experiences for client development and employee resource groups through our sister company Tipsy.