How to Find The Perfect Name For Your Business
What’s in a Name?
As Kevin Garnett once said, “Anything is possible.” Anything, that is, except for a second first impression.
Whether you realize it or not, the name of your company is often the first impression any potential clients or customers have with your business. That is why it is so important to make sure you’re putting your best foot forward with a name that represents who you are, what makes you memorable, what makes you unique and who you want to be.
Find a clean, easy to spell and easy to remember name for your business. Photo Credit: Avi Werde
Who Are You?
Picking a name for your business can seem stressful and intimidating. How could you ever come up with a name as simple as Apple, as iconic as Disney, or as wonderfully wacky as Google? Well, all those people did it and you can, too.
A quick solution can be to lend your birth name to your new company; this is a good choice for artists or other creatives who want their brand to be synonymous with their personal work.
For entrepreneurial style companies, or those who would like to separate their personal and work lives, this is the time for a good brainstorming session. Think of solutions to the problems your business exists to solve. Think of adjectives that describe the work environment you envision at your office. Think of place names where your company is based. Think of words that have personal meaning to you, maybe even from your childhood.
If you’re totally stumped, there are business name generators readily available online, but we really only suggest this path in a “Break Glass In Case of Emergency” scenario.
Memorable and Unique
It is unlikely that you clicked on this blog without realizing that a good business name needs to be memorable and unique—groundbreaking stuff, we know. However, what makes a business name memorable and unique? To answer that, let’s look at a case study of a recent brand name that underwent a lot of internal (and external) debate.
Professional sports teams around the world are in a tricky spot at the current moment; they need names that are catchy, mean something to their fans and also give their team an aura of intimidation. The reason this is difficult is because there are simply so many teams across high school, college, amateur and professional leagues that have already copyrighted (seemingly) every good name. (A great resource for anyone looking to see if their business name has been trademarked is the UPSTO site—also, make sure to search GoDaddy or NetworkSolutions to confirm a matching domain name is available).
The Kraken play at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, WA. Photo Credit: Timothy Eberly
When the NHL expanded into Seattle, WA, classic names like “Warriors”, “Stars”, etc. had obviously already been taken and they were basically only left with random types of fish to choose from. That’s when they hit it out of the park with the instantly iconic Seattle Kraken. The name is intimidating, touches on the maritime history of the Pacific Northwest, references a famous movie villain created by one of the co-owners, and, perhaps most importantly, is easy to spell.
But how unique was the name? Well, it turns out there is a popular brand of liquor called Kraken Rum that had already registered a trademark. This is an important lesson to not stress too much if there is a company out there with a similar name—as long as they are not a direct competitor. The Seattle Kraken turned this dispute into a business opportunity by partnering with Kraken Rum to become their official Rum Sponsor; CEO Tod Leiweke even promising to drink Kraken Rum out of the Stanley Cup when the Kraken hoist the trophy.
You might find similar names, but don’t stress as long as they are not a direct competitor! Photo Credit: Robert Anasch
A Name You Can Grow Into
Pick a name that invites growth! It may seem like you’re biting off more than you can chew, but aim as high as you can when you’re launching your new company.
To brag on ourselves for a quick second, while Meerkat Media Group began as a social media marketing company, we encompass much more as a brand and our name reflects that. Meerkat Marketing would maintain that sweet, sweet alliteration that makes our name memorable, but it would have potentially limited the scope of our company as we grew up out of a solely marketing focus. Meerkat Media invites clients to expand the horizons of what we can accomplish for them.
Location-based names might seem limiting at first glance, especially if you want your business to have the potential to expand across the country. However, they can work terrifically for companies of all sizes because, as you grow, those small, unknown towns or points of local fame can lend your brand confidence as a reliable company instead of a faceless corporation. Pepperidge Farm was originally named for a 123-acre farm in Fairfield, CT and you can now find their products in practically every grocery store in America. It’s no coincidence that their brands of cookies are named for iconic American towns like Lexington and Nantucket.
At the end of the day, you’ll want to keep the above tips in mind, BUT you want to pick a name that you are happy with. If you are spending lots of money and, more importantly, lots of time to make your business a success you want to make sure you have a name that you are proud of. A company named with genuineness and honesty will always find more success than a clever pun or funny joke.
Need Help Coming Up With the Perfect Name?
Meerkat Media Group has a vast range of experience with everything from daily content creation to complete brand marketing. Contact us, today, to learn how to take your take your digital marketing to the next level!
