Whether you’re creating a product or service, launching a business, or just branding yourself, choosing the right brand name is critical. Unless you are not concerned about the longevity of your brand, you would already know how important it is to create a brand name that is memorable, distinct, and recognizable
Unfortunately, many businesses and individuals have made costly blunders when it comes to naming their products or services.
To steer and set you on the right trajectory and hinder you from making the same mistake, we will discuss the biggest brand name blunders, along with tips and advice on how to avoid them.
Lack of Research
When it comes to branding, research is essential. One of the priciest mistakes you can make is choosing a brand name without doing your due diligence. It is important to make sure your brand name does not already exist in the marketplace or infringe on any existing trademarks.
The best way, that has been tested and proven countless times, to avoid this pitfall is by conducting a thorough brand name contest. A brand name contest involves researching available names and testing them against various criteria, such as consumer appeal and trademark availability. It is always investing generous time to develop a comprehensive list of potential names for your brand before moving forward. This can help ensure that you choose a unique name that does not have any legal issues.
Once you have locked in your list of potential names, you can run a brand name contest with potential customers. Ask them to vote on their favorite names, or to provide feedback on how each name makes them feel. Think customer experience!
A recent survey conducted by PWC in 2018 showed that a significant majority (73%) of consumers consider customer experience to be an important factor in their purchasing decisions. Providing good customer service can help to make consumers feel valued and appreciated.
This feedback can be invaluable in helping you choose the right brand name. It is important to invest time and resources into a thorough brand name contest before settling on your final choice.
This will help you avoid costly legal issues or low consumer appeal associated with a poorly chosen brand name. By taking the time to research potential names, you can be confident in the branding decisions you make.
Overlooking the Competition
When creating a brand name, it is important to keep in mind the competition. Too often, companies overlook their competitors and make costly mistakes that can leave their brands vulnerable. One way to ensure you are creating a name that will stand the test of time is to conduct a brand name contest.
A brand name contest allows multiple individuals to submit their own ideas for a company’s brand name. This can include customers, employees, partners, or even random members of the public. By opening up the name selection process to a broader group, you increase the chances of finding a unique and meaningful name for your business.
Another benefit of running a brand name contest is that it allows you to get creative with naming ideas. Not only will you have more ideas to choose from, but you may also discover new words or phrases that have already been used in other areas of your business.
Running a brand name contest is an intriguing and effective way to find the perfect name for your business while simultaneously engaging with your community.
Getting Snared By Negative Interpretations
When choosing a brand name, it is essential to carefully consider its potential meanings and connotations, as they can significantly impact the perception of the brand. A negative interpretation of the brand name can harm the brand’s reputation and make it less appealing to potential customers.
It’s important to do thorough research and testing before settling on a brand name to ensure that it doesn’t have any negative associations. Additionally, it’s a good idea to avoid using slang or slang terms that may be interpreted differently by different people, as this can lead to confusion or misunderstandings.
Being driven by Emotional Attachment
It’s natural to have an emotional attachment to your brand, especially if you have invested time and sweat and effort into building it. However, it’s important to remember that a brand name should be chosen based on its ability to effectively represent the brand and appeal to potential customers, not solely on the emotional attachment you have to it.
While it’s fine to consider emotional factors as one part of the decision-making process, the ultimate goal should be to choose a brand name that is effective in terms of branding and marketing. This means considering factors such as the target audience, the brand’s values and message, and any potential negative connotations that the name may have.
Building Barriers to Memory
When choosing a brand name, it’s important to avoid creating barriers to memory. This means avoiding names that are too long, complex, or difficult to pronounce, as these can make it harder for people to remember the brand. And that is bad for SEO; Especially if you are targeting organic search in your marketing strategies. According to a report by marketers, organic search has the highest return on investment (ROI) of any marketing channel, with 49% of marketers citing it as such.
By all means possible, resist the temptation of using made-up words or phrases that are too obscure or unfamiliar, as these can also be difficult for people to remember. Instead, try to choose a brand name that is creative, simple, easy to pronounce, and memorable. It’s also a good idea to consider how the name will look and sound when written or spoken, as this can have an impact on its memorability. A brand name contest can help with this!
Conclusion
Having a bad brand name can have a negative impact on a business. A name that is difficult to remember, has negative connotations, or is confusing can make it harder for customers to connect with the brand and may even lead them to choose a competitor instead. This can result in lost sales and revenue for the business.
One way to avoid choosing a bad brand name is to hold a brand name contest. This is a process where a business solicits suggestions for brand names from a group of people, often through a public voting process. This can help to generate a wide range of ideas and ensure that the chosen name is well-suited to the brand. It can also help to build excitement and engagement around the brand, as people may be more likely to share their ideas and participate in the contest if they feel like they have a say in the naming process.
Squadhelp’s director of branding is Grant Polachek. Squadhelp.com is a 3X Inc. 5000 company that offers top-tier naming services and has so far analyzed and compiled over a million names that are making waves on the Internet. Our crowdsourcing naming services are tailored to satisfy the needs of fortune 500 companies as well as early-stage startups around the world.
