Product and Company Names: A High-Risk Game

A namer? Is that actually a thing? That was my reaction seven years ago, when I was introduced to Nik Contis, the global director of our new naming practice. At the time, Nik and I worked for a large branding agency in New York City. I headed up our research division—which meant that I tackled questions about the marketplace, consumers and products. Which people should we target? How do they make buying decisions? What can we say or do to make sure they become customers? What should our pricing model be? What product features will result in the greatest market share?

These requests were relatively straightforward. But from past experience, I avoided any questions about the selection of brand names. Up to that point, I had seen what people in my industry called “research.” I coined it the “red pen/green pen game.” Basically, these studies amounted to a beauty contest, where researchers asked consumers (or clients) what they thought of a long list of names. Armed with markers, they would circle the names that they liked in green and cross out those they didn’t in red. The name with the most green votes would “win.” Simple, right? Unless the CEO’s neighbor had a better name that he liked, in which case the whole exercise was a very costly waste of time. (This situation isn’t as uncommon as you might think.)

I decided there had to be a better way to determine what to call a company or product. Furthermore, I wanted fact-based research to justify those decisions. So over the course of one year, I decided to reverse-engineer the naming process. Once Nik introduced me to the nuts and bolts of naming, I took the most successful names Nik had developed and determined what factors contributed to that success. Then, I figured out how I could test for it.

What is the importance of a brand name?

Pursuing a name is an involved process that can be time-consuming and expensive—involving trademark clearance, registration of domain names, positioning and visual identity (think: logo). And the marketplace is crowded, making it hard to find a name that is both unique and compelling. In Q1 of 2012, there were more than 1,752,424 active name registrations in the U.S. alone. Given these high stakes, organizations increasingly want more assurance that they’ve chosen the right name. So when selecting one, it is important to use the right decision-making tools, whether you’re in it for the long haul or gunning for an acquisition.

From a marketing perspective, the importance of naming cannot be overstated. Think about the difference a well-chosen word can make in either kindling or killing an idea. Compare two phone companies—Orange versus TeleConnect. Just a word can make all the difference in the world. Orange is a bang. Teleconnect is a whimper. Is TeleConnect a better name than Orange? Based on the name alone, which company do you imagine would be most innovative? Which would bring something new into your world? Which name stands a better chance of differentiating itself in a crowded marketplace of ideas?

To use the company’s wonderful tagline: The future is Orange.

But conventional research often kills seemingly risky names like Orange, Bluetooth and Twitter—names which otherwise might outperform more suggestive, literal names like TeleConnect, Wi-Fi and QuickText. These risky names are quite common in the tech world—to the point where they’ve become trite or the object of ridicule. Remember the Asus PadFone/FonePad? This product had an identity crisis to begin with (a 7-inch tablet that doubled as a phone), and the name only amplified our confusion. What about Chumby, Cuil, or iMuff? Or my favorite—an energy drink called Xyience (watch the video, how would you pronounce it?)

Fact is, a brand name is the most powerful piece of messaging. It’s also one of the most ubiquitous components of any branding program. No matter what, the name is always there—whether you see it in the small black and white print of a newspaper article, hear it on the radio, or watch it brought to life on a Smartphone screen.

Strapped for cash, startups will often ask why they should bother conducting research at all. To put it simply, research allows you to understand the assets and liabilities of a name and what it can do for your brand. It isn’t a matter of identifying the “winning” name, but rather understanding your options—and how a name, together with visual identity and messaging, can accomplish your objectives. Those two objectives are universal, whether your technology is AI or blockchain—is your company distinct, and does it prompt people to purchase?

In addition, you need to understand whether the name is flexible (e.g., once you expand your product line or move into different verticals, can your name grow with you)? For example, RadioShack went on to sell more than just radios.

Name research also mitigates risk—what we call the “disaster check.” This is especially critical when naming global products or multinationals, where a language gaffe can turn into a public relations nightmare. (And given that we live in an Internet world where just about everyone can be found by anyone, we’re all global whether we intend to be or not.) Just as important is what name research does behind the scenes—helping overcome the biases, internal politics and idiosyncrasies that can sway name decisions.

What can name research tell you?

Many brand and marketing consultants will tell you that the creation of a corporate or product name is rooted in gut instinct. Although it is a blend of art and science, companies have to embrace a certain level of ambiguity, they add. But that doesn’t mean you can’t evaluate a name to make sure the name works.

Here we should begin with a discussion about what name research is not used for. Your goal should never be to choose a “winning” name or determine whether people like it or not. You would never ask a focus group to develop a strategy for your product. Similarly, do not look to consumers or company founders to generate names. Instead, research should demonstrate a name’s ability to support the brand positioning and brand attributes while distinguishing your product in the marketplace. In particular, name research will reveal:

Associations

The associations or connotations that people tie to a word can be feelings, thoughts or imagery. These associations can reveal who might use the product, what the product says about the person who uses it, what someone thinks a product (or company) would stand for, be or do. This includes any unforeseen negative associations that people have with particular words.

Dimensionality

Dimensionality is based on people’s perceptions, feelings and the range of associations they have with particular words—be they visual, auditory, olfactory, tactile or taste. In short, what kind of experience will a product by this name deliver? Dimensionality also has to do with the level of engagement—how extensible a word is, how rich in meaning it is. Greater dimensionality is a key indicator of a name’s ability to be memorable and engage consumers at an emotional level.

As an example, take the word “juju,” whose associations are wide-ranging in meaning: groovy/hip, taboo, mystery, exotic, small, cute, friendly, witchcraft, confidence, luck, sex/sex appeal, magic, illicit, powerful and medicine. Juju has more dimensionality (range and diversity of associations) than a name like “canopy,” which elicits very literal (and limited) associations (e.g., picnic, tent, outdoors, parachute).

Dimensionality is also critical because it is a measure of the flexibility of a name. The more flexible a name is, the easier it is to adapt to different product line extensions or price tiers. Names with greater dimensionality can provide companies with more up-market (and down-market) stretch.

Value contribution

It is vital to know how well the name contributes value to the concept, category and brand. Does the name reflect the desired brand attributes? Does it echo the desired corporate values? While value is important, it is critical to distinguish between value and fit. Fit to category is not necessarily the end goal if the strategy is to differentiate the brand. This can be challenging. Research has shown that people will judge the appropriateness of a brand name based on their beliefs associated with the brand and the product category. Within the context of research, they are likely to prefer a brand name that fits to the stereotype of that particular product category. But often, in the real world, the opposite is true.

Emotional engagement

The overarching goal of any brand—whether a product or service—is to forge a strong bond with the consumer. It is crucial that we know what a name elicits—not only thoughts and imagery, but how a name makes a person feel. That feeling can come from using the product or what that product says about the person who uses it (e.g., when she drives a Porsche, she feels powerful and accomplished). When a brand can tap into emotional attributes, it is extremely advantageous because they are easier to defend (and harder for competitors to replicate) than purely functional ones, such as price.

SEE ALSO: 10 Hints for Choosing a Brand Name

Pronounceability

It is easier to ask for a product (or recommend it to a friend) if the name is simple to pronounce. As an example, take Xobni (ZOH-bnee), the email analytics company. The name is so difficult to pronounce, Xobni self-consciously provides an explanation on the home page. “It was originally pronounced ‘ZOH-bnee’. Bill Gates pronounced it ‘ZAH-bnee’. So we went with his pronunciation.” What does this tell us? If you’re not Bill Gates or a customer, Xobni will be a difficult name to pronounce, let alone remember.

Auditory resonance

The importance of sound cannot be overstated. When a person hears a name for the first time, there is always a reaction—positive or negative. We know that consumers associate certain words or sounds with particular meanings, and they tend to respond positively if the name matches the attributes that are associated with that product category . For instance, sports cars typically convey speed. So in that product category, words that sound fast or suggest high performance tend to test better than words that do not. We also know that different sounds and letter combinations can elicit specific characteristics. Names that contain a long “e” sound (as in teeny) tend to be perceived as small. Conversely, when producing a long ”o” (as in Omega) or a short “a” (as in America), the voice box is larger and the mouth is wide open. Therefore, these letter combinations sound like something that is large .

In a comparison of 200 top brands, names such as Kodak and Coca-Cola were historically more successful. Why? They contain the letters “P,” “T” or “K” or have a hard “C” sound. These forceful letters (called plosives) require air pressure in your mouth. They dominate other letters in the words in which they appear, and draw our attention. Brand names beginning with plosives also tend to have higher recall scores than non-plosive names.

Name research requires time and money. But it can be used to mediate the even costlier internal debates that can stymie a product launch. Testing can also mitigate risk—especially in situations where a global brand is about to be launched. But before the process begins, it’s critical to understand what research can (and cannot) achieve. The intention is not to pick a winning name or quantify the value of a name. But if done well, name research can provide insight into the minds of consumers, how they respond to particular words, and what impact this can have on their relationship to your product, service or corporate brand.