Choosing the right brand name is a critical step in entering the marketplace. As David Aker, a very well-known branding guru, observed:
“Yogi Berra, the fabled Yankee baseball player and manager, was said to have pointed out, “If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up somewhere else.” That is so true about brands; you need to know where they are to end up.”[1]
It can be very difficult to choose a brand name for a new product or business. There are both creative business considerations as well as legal issues. Frequently, selecting a brand name is an emotionally charged decision. It is important to keep in mind the strategy that is being implemented and not internal policies or other extraneous matters. Some guidelines follow:
Positive Characteristics
A proposed name should, in most cases, be:
a) Simple and easy to understand;
b) Easily remembered;
c) Easily readable and pronounceable. (When multiple markets are considered this can raise linguistic and cultural issues);
d) Meaningful and should communicate positive product attributes;
e) Capable of some flexibility. (If the name is too specific problems can occur if the nature of the business changes. For example, BOSTON CHICKEN changed its name to BOSTON MARKET® to reflect a shift in the nature of its business.);
f) Suggestive of the product class. (Frequently it is advantageous to pick a name that suggests the attributes of the class or product in issue. For example, TICKETRON,); and
g) Legally available and registrable in the countries in which it is proposed to be used. (The ability to obtain a trademark registration and a domain name is key.)
Cautions
There are legal problems associated with choosing a brand name or trademark that is descriptive of the product, the brand owner or the geographic locality from which the product originates. A brand name which suggests but does not describe characteristics of the product is preferable. For example, the trademark TALON® for zippers is suggestive but not descriptive.
In addition, similar sorts of problems occur with respect to the use of a name or surname of a person as a trademark.
There can also be other competitive difficulties with respect to the use of a descriptive trademark. For example, if the individuals responsible for a product feel that the product has a short life or the marketing budget is small, they may wish to use a descriptive trademark to quickly convey to consumers the benefits of the product. Unfortunately, if a product is successfully introduced as a result of using a descriptive name it may be relatively easy for competitors to use similar descriptive terms on competing products.
Similar considerations apply to initials which create little meaning for consumers. In addition, small differences are sufficient to distinguish one set of initials from another, which makes them difficult to protect.
A brand owner should be cautious about choosing a coined word as a brand name. In some cases there will be no other alternative because of linguistic considerations or other cultural problems. Brand names which consist of a coined or invented word typically have little or no inherent meaning and require considerable financial resources and time before they become known.