A strong brand is where it all starts. It doesn’t happen overnight – it’s a long process which takes thought and execution. We’re gonna take you through the fundamental beginning stages of creating a brand which comes down to the name and characteristics of the brand.

The characteristics define who your brand is in today’s market, what your brand offers and how your brand wants to relate to customers.

Characteristics of a strong brand:

Consistent – Your brand identity must have consistency and aligned through everything from colours to font use. Build a brand which is easy to recognise and memorable.

Engaging – Your brand needs to identify its audience and appeal to them. Make your audience want to know more about your brand. Cater to what you think they’d want to see. No one likes a plain Jane.

Stand out – Show people why your brand is different. Stand out from the crowd and the growing number of similar brands out there. 

Authenticity – Be true to what your brand stands for. Don’t sway away from what your brand was intended to be. Build lasting connections to your audience.

Bold – Take a stance on why you’re here and what problem you’re fixing for your customers. Stand by your purpose.

Things to be aware of

You need to be aware of where you stand in today’s market in your respected sector. This means taking notes of what works and what doesn’t? Do some research for yourself and get a feel for your audience and what similar brands are doing? This will give you a clear indication on which direction you should be heading towards.

Strong brand name

Choosing a brand name can be a long and strenuous process. It is one of the most difficult, yet creative processes for a brand owner. A name can be a simple word or phrase, however, it has so much importance and meaning. It can have a lasting effect on your businesses, so it’s important to take time on it. The name should be a snapshot of the character of the brand.

There are many categories that brand names fall into. We’ll list a few to help get the ball rolling…

Suggestive

Suggestive names are functional and unique. They are a very popular choice for brand names. They offer the chance to show your audience your creativity and imagination.

Examples of Suggestive names:

• Evernote
• Twitter
• Pinterest

Descriptive

Descriptive names do what they say on the tin. They describe the company and they do it well. They can tend to be longer than ordinary names, but not without reason.

Examples of Descriptive names:

• PlayStation
• Snapchat
• The Perfume Shop

Homonyms

Homonyms are when two or more words have the same spelling but mean two different things. It can be really difficult to obtain trademark rights for these names so be wary. However, they do make for truly remarkable brand names.

Examples of Hymonym names:

• Apple
• Amazon
• Virgin

Compounds

What happens when you take two words and merge them? You get a compound brand name! Compound names give you ample opportunity to show off your creativity yet keep that descriptive attribute to show your brand offers easily.

Examples of Compound names:

• SalesForce
• FaceBook
• WordPress

Misspelt

These names are based off real words however are intentionally misspelt. These are becoming increasingly popular and help give your brand character and appear quirky.

Examples of Misspelt names:

• Tumblr
• Chick-Fil-A
• Reddit

Inventive

These names are when the rule book is thrown out the window. You get to show your creativeness off to the fullest. Inventive names sometimes to tend to draw inspiration from the Latin or Greek language.

Examples of Inventive names:

• Nike
• Expedia
• Fanta

Suffixes

Suffixes add a fun twist to brand names. It’s become increasingly popular over the years. It helps your brand come off as friendly and creative.

Examples of Suffixe names:

• Shopify
• Spotify

Acronyms & Initialism

There’s a difference between acronyms and initialism that most people are not aware of. Acronyms for brand names are when the letters spelt out are said as a word, for example, Government Employees Insurance Company (GEICO) is said as a word.

Initialism brand names are when the “acronym” is spelt out. For example BMW or HSBC.

First Name/Last Name

Iconic brands we know and love use the name of a person or their full name. This is common in the fashion industry but is also used throughout global brands.

Examples of First Name/Last Name brands:

• Louis Vuitton
• Johnson & Johnson
• Ford

Arbitrary

These names have nothing to do with the brand itself. The name is used to add character to the brand and more often than not it makes the word itself memorable.

Examples of Arbitary names:

• Starbucks
• Uber
• Yahoo!

Choosing a brand name is important and we hope this has helped you spark that imagination that comes up with the name for your new brand. Remember a strong brand needs a strong name.

If you need want to discuss your branding further a member of the team would be more than happy to help. Get in touch today!