HOW TO CREATE A BRAND NAME.
Choosing a brand/business could be really tricky and in a world with approximately 300 million brand names, ranging from the big boys like Amazon and Apple, to the least brands such as that supper market in your neighborhood, it's could be difficult coming up with something unique and captivating. If you want to know how to create an amazing brand name not only to make your brand sound cooler, but also to attract customers, then this article is for you.
First question to ask yourself is:
1. WHAT TYPE OF BRAND NAME DO I USE?
A lot of you might not have known they are types of brand names out there but don't worry, I'll tell you about all the types brand names out there.
Here are the 8 types of brand names I've have been able to figure out:
- EPONYMOUS NAMES:
This is a brand name which is constituted from the name of probably it's owner, or a name of a person who has created huge impact to the company. If could be the exact name of the owner, or maybe a few change in letters. Brands under this category include Adidas gotten from it's founder Aolph “Adi” Dassler, Jordan gotten from Michael Jordan, Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company Limited gotten from Innocent Chukwuma, Dangote Group gotten from Aliko Dangote and so on.
- DESCRIPTIVE NAMES:
As the name implies, they simply describe what the company is about. Personally I wouldn't advice anyone to go own this lane. Examples of brands under this category include American Airlines, Hotels.ng and lots more.
- ACRONYMS:
This is a shortened description of a brand name. This usually happens if a brand name is too long or for some reasons. Examples under this category are KFC meaning Kentucky fried chicken, NASA meaning National Aeronautics and Space Administration, UBA bank, meaning United Bank for Africa and a lot more.
- SUGGESTIVE:
This will be divided into 3 sub groups:
• REAL: This type of brand names are taken directly from the dictionary. Examples are Uber, Slack and Etc.
• COMPOSITE: This is when two real words are joint together to form one word. Brands here include Facebook, Snapchat, Ray-Ban etc.
• INVENTED: Brands under here probably were too lazy to search the dictionary, so they just decided to invent their own names. Examples of such brands include Pinterest, Hilux etc.
They work by reflecting imagery meaning back to their brand. Examples are Amazon which we all know is the largest river in the world, therefore this company is the biggest selection of everything; books, cloths and lots more. Another example is Red bull associates with a drink with bull like qualities such as strength and confidence.
- LEXICAL NAMES:
These brand names rely entirely on the wordplay for their remembrance. Having a combination of compound words, spellings and foreign words are the most popular styles of naming this kind of brand name. Lexical Brand Names are more often than not clever, and at times too clever to get their impact on customers. Examples of the lexical brand name include Dunkin Donuts, Burger King, Coca-Cola etc. These Type of brand names appeal mostly to contemporary audiences who have been exposed to such names for a long time.
- NON - ENGLISH NAMES:
This are names gotten from other languages which have certain meanings. Brands under this category include Samsung, a Korean word for three(3) stars, LEGO, a Danish word for play well and Zappos which is coined from the Spanish word, sapatos meaning shoes.
- ABSTRACT NAMES:
This set of names have no meaning but depend totally on the power of phonetics to create a really powerful brand name. Examples are Rolex, Jumia and Kodak. Try pronouncing Rolex and see how amazing it sounds when being pronounced.
Now that we know the different types of brand names we have and their possibly examples, let's go down to the next question:
2. WHAT MAKES UP A GOOD BRAND NAME?
- GOOD BRAND NAMES DONT DESCRIBE, THEY STAND FOR SOMETHING.
You may be tempted to create a brand name that talks about who created the brand, just like Dell, or to create a name that depicts what the brand does, just like Microsoft, or even to create a brand name that tells where they brand is located, just like Southwest. But the best brands don't describe, they stand for something, they stand for a big idea, one that translates into an emotional appeal, ones like Nike, which is about winning, that is why they have the slogan "Just do it". Apple is another good brand, it is about simplicity and usability. Google and amazon also makes the list too.
So when choosing a brand name, it is advisable to choose a name with vision, a name that stands for something valuable and unique.
Another factor that makes up a good brand name is:
- THEY CAN BE EASILY MEMORIZED:
Ones your ears receives a sound, it takes it straight to the brain. We all know that most of use learn by listening, so any sound that comes into our ears bounces around your phonological loop, it is easier to remember and it makes your brand more memorable. How can you achieve this? By alliteration and rhymes. Coca-cola, PayPal, Google, TikTok, Bed Bath and Beyond, Jiji and lots more. From here you can see they all have that repetitive sound and this means it easily remembered.
The third question to ask yourself is:
3. IS MY BRAND NAME ALREADY TAKEN?
While trying to create a brand, I came up with a lot of great names but it was already taken. Search the name on the internet and if you name is not yet taken, register it.
Also check for the meaning of your brand name. You wouldn't want to come up with a brand name and years later, you'll realize it means something negative in another language.
FEW TIPS THAT WILL HELP WHILE CREATING A BRAND NAME:
- Make sure your brand name is simple and easy to remember.
- Make sure your brand name can be Copyrighted or trademarked.
- It is a advisable to make a brand name with a repetitive sound.
HOW THE BRAND NAME JIMO WAS CREATED.
JIMO is a brand name which is gotten from the names of our co-founders, therefore, JIMO is an Eponymous brand name. The first name is 'Jabulani' which in South African means 'Be happy' and the second name is 'Imo' which is a Nigerian name meaning wealth. Combining both names we have JIMO which means 'Creating wealth and staying happy'.
Our aim and vision has a brand has always been to help people achieve financial free while maintaining a high level of happiness because we believe wealth doesn't guarantee happiness and wealth without happiness is nothing. This is while every week we come up with amazing articles to help you achieve financial freedom.
What brand name have you been able to come up with and
Leave your answer in the comment box below.
We appreciate your feedbacks.
Do not forget to drop your email address so that you can be the first to view our articles once we drop them. Simple tap the home button and then tap the menu button at the top left hand corner, you will see the space for your email address, input it and send it to us. Thank you.😊
0 Comments
Post a Comment