Brand creation is not something that you can accomplish overnight. It requires a lot of hard work, extensive thought process, and comprehensive marketing research to see what is working and what’s not. Therefore, it would not be inaccurate to say that it is a tedious and time-consuming process. A successful brand name is a boon to a business willing to make a mark in a consumer landscape. This is why most companies utilized most of their resources in creating a brand rather than something else. It would rather difficult for start-ups to identify a name that gives the best fit to their nature of work. In this write-up, we have provided some productive steps that will help create an effective brand name for your company.
What are the Key Attributes of a Successful Brand name?
Steps to be considered for creating a Successful Brand Name
Let’s discuss some essential steps that will help you create a successful brand name for your business.
Brainstorm your name ideas in view of the customer’s persona
“Brainstorming” is a no-brainer technique in the business domain. Simply put, it is a technique of creating productive ideas with the help of team members. And it is equally effective when it comes to brand creation.
While brainstorming, you can ask your team members to jot down all possible name ideas while keeping the company’s objectives and customer persona in mind. On most occasions, brainstorming proved worthwhile because of its ability to produce unexpected and ground-breaking ideas.
For a productive Brainstorming session, take advantage of the following points.
- Make your team comfortable by allowing them to share any name.
- Embrace all ideas, do not worry about confronting irrelevant details.
- Confined your search around vital parameters like the company’s objective and customer persona.
This way, you can get a handful of names that you can work on later.
Check for Name Availability for Legality
After preparing the wish list of brand names, now it’s time to focus on the legality aspect. It could be possible that some name in your list has been already taken or trademarked, and there is no way can use them because doing so can push you into the conflict zone. Also, checking them for legality will keep your brand creation journey seamless.
IP India Online is a government portal where you can check your names for legality. Here are the steps you need to perform for a trademark search.
- Visit – https://ipindia.gov.in/ from your web browser.
- Tap on the “Trademark” button & then click on the “Public Search.”
- Now you will come across three search criteria, such as Wordmark, Vienna Code, and Phonetic.
The keyword fields change in the following manner on the selection of each criterion.
| Search Criteria | Keyword Fields |
| Wordmark | Wordmark, class, goods description |
| Vienna Code | Vienna code, class |
| Phonetic | Phonetic, class, goods description |
- After furnishing the required details, tap on the “Search” button.
- A list will prompt on your screen reflecting registered/ abandoned/objected trademarks.
Narrow your list further
Probably, at this stage, you might be left with a few names. Now it times to subject that list to certain attributes to pinpoint the most suitable name. Make sure to harness the following points to get the job done.
- Language is a primary obstacle for non-native customers. If you are eyeing the global launch, make sure to select a name that can be easily understood by the target customers.
- Make sure your brand name is not breaching customer’s sentiment or belief in one way or another.
- Short and crisp name lures more eyeballs. Thus, keep lengthy and complex names out of the equation.
- If you are planning to expand your product’s portfolio in the future, then opt for a name that embraces scalability. For example: Let’s say your company deals with bike parts under the brand name “bike horizon.” Now it would be rather difficult for you to expand under this brand name if you add tractor parts to your portfolio. Also, such a name will create issues in pulling potential customers. The names like “4-wheel Parts” or “AutoLife” would be more relevant in this regard.
- Relevancy, color combination, and font types also play a vital role in augmenting brand recognition. Ask your team members to visualize your proposed names from the customer’s viewpoint to see how conveniently they can perceive the name. This way can create a successful brand name.
Conduct a Pre-launch Feasibility Test
At this stage, your selected brand name should be able to answers the following questions:
- Does it reflect the company’s intention and objectives?
- Is it viable enough on the legal front?
- Is it able to set up coordination with the company’s offering?
- Does it adhere to distinctiveness or able to resonate among the target customers?
- Is it easy to spell and recognized?
- Is it able to convey the message that your company wishes for?
- Is it entails any odious element which could go against the customer’s interest?
- Does it embrace scalability in case a business wishes to extend its footprint in other markets?
- Is it customer-centric or not?
Conclusion
Creating a successful brand name seeks a greater degree of attention and professionalism. Unfortunately, most start-ups lack these essential attributes and eventually fail to craft a name that entirely blends with their objectives. Anyway, the strategies mentioned above will help you overcome hindrances that are apparent with the brand creation process. Let us know if you need further clarification on this topic.
Read our article:Smell Marks: A Non-Traditional Trademark In Search Of Recognition
