You Name It! The Complete "How-To" Guide For Naming

a New Business

Wallamboklang RynjahDepartment of Management Studies

Pondicherry University

From the Article “You Name It! The Complete "How-To" Guide For Naming a New Business”By Phillip Davis, President, Tungsten Brilliant Brand Marketing

http://www.puretungsten.com/articles/you-name-it-the-complete-how-to.html

We need a name... is tomorrow a reasonable deadline?

Start the naming process early in the planning stage.

Make a list of all the competitors in your field

Decide who will have input in the naming decision

Get down to brainstorming

Create a list of finalists

Check the domain name status

Check the trademark status

Pick the winner

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Guideline 1

• Gain a better sense of what you plan to offer your customers •If you don't clearly understand who you are, and what it is that you are offering, then how are your customers supposed to know?

•Know yourself and the naming will come more naturally.

Guideline 2

• Go to a directory such as Yahoo! and locating the category of companies in your industry.

•Most industries tend to follow a predominant naming pattern.

•For example, it may be filled with proper names such as J. Smith and Associates.

•Descriptive names such as Superior Printing or Precision Technology

Guideline 3

•Usually, the more people you have involved, the worse the results

•Ordinary and predictable names make it through the suffocating screening process

•Let a group of three to five key people who have the company's best interests at heart be the incubator that spawns the ideas.

•But in the early stages play it close and keep the creative juices running

Guideline 4

•First ask each person on the naming team to develop an individual list

•That will spark unique ideas without the risk of bringing them up in a group setting

•Once the individual lists are completed, bring them together and compare notes. Usually this generates even more ideas and possibilities

Metaphors (Jaguar, Caterpillar)

Positive Connotations (DreamWorks, Bright House)

Acronym (PODS, 3M, KFC)

Guideline 5

•From all the possible names pare the list down to a manageable three to six candidates.

•Play around with each one and write up a list of possible tag lines or positioning statements that could go with each name.

•Instead of simply evaluating the name for how it looks, or sounds, also evaluate it's potential to provide a future marketing platform.

"We're in your corner!“

"We'll fight for you!" “We'll champion your cause!"

Guideline 6

•A good place to check for ownership of a registered domain name is DomainTools.com.

•There you can find contact information for the current owner of a domain.

•If the domain is not being used, send the owner an inquiry, asking if he or she would accept an offer to buy the name.

•If you are able to strike a deal be sure to use a service such as Escrow.com to handle the transaction.

Guideline 7

•Do a trademark screening.

•Take your top picks and do a search at www.uspto.gov (US)

•Once the names have passed this initial test, take the remaining candidates (usually two to three max) and have an official trademark search performed. •.• For a few hundred dollars they will thoroughly research and file the final trademark application.

Do your homework upfront. The small fee here will save you big money later.One such service is

TrademarkExpress.com

Guideline 8

•If you have more than one name that meets all the criteria then just pick the one you like best.

•The best names are often the ones that grow on you gradually. So don't be discouraged if you are not head-over-heels about the name.

•If you have carefully followed all the steps above, the name is probably a sound one, and you have just grown tired of the process.

•Once a logo is designed and the name takes shape the excitement will grow.

•Taken in steps, and combined with advanced planning, the project can be accomplished in a matter of weeks.

•If the whole task seems daunting, you might consider hiring a professional business naming and branding firm, but be prepared to pay.

•Naming fees, from concept to final artwork, can range from $7,500 to $75,000, depending on the size and scope of the project

Conclusion

Article Source…

You Name It! The Complete "How-To" Guide For Naming a New

Business”

By Phillip Davis, President, Tungsten Brilliant Brand Marketing

http://www.puretungsten.com/articles/you-name-it-the-complete-how-to.html

Images Sources…

Flickr & Google Images