Creating Names That Scream…for a New Start-up, Product or Service

A briefing in best practices for anyone who needs a different kind of name

Contents

The naming commandmentsHow you create a great name matters7 step name development processNew, inexpensive ways to test namesLogo design tips and secretsChallenge the experts…

…let us name your baby

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Naming Commandments

The golden rule of a great name

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Delivering against your name’s promise

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Names need to be cool and exciting or…

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…YOU DIE (or at least fall way behind)

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Names don’t have to be too edgy…

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How you create your name matters

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7 step name development process

Gather Ideate Screen Pitch Fine Tune Test ROI

Sampling of questions asked during the Gather Step:

• What do you want the name to do?• What is your positioning? Competitive advantage?• What persona do you want the name to reflect?• Can you describe your prospective customer today? Tomorrow?• When and where will the name be used?• How will the name be used?• Describe different venues and packaging concepts.• Who are your competitors? Where is the competitive opportunity?• What names have already been considered and dismissed? Why?

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Gather Ideate Screen Pitch Fine Tune Test ROI

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Gather Ideate Screen Pitch Fine Tune Test ROI

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Gather Ideate Screen Pitch Fine Tune Test ROI

Name Candidates

Comments/Rationale Trademark & Web Hits So Far

ET’s – Extraterrestrial Tomatoes

“Out of this world flavor.”A short, snappy name that is easy to say and remember. Longer form relates well to what makes them so special.

ETTS (Canadian TM: treated seeds & medicated animal feed and poultry feed)ET (educational services, namely, providing, administering, and conducting rural job skills training classes, conferences, lectures, workshops, programs, courses and seminars, and distributing text material in conjunction therewith)ET-COMMONS (providing web-based, agricultural-oriented learning courses)

Orbitoes “They’ll make your taste buds dance.” Relates well to the unusual, almost perfectly round shape of this variety of tomatoes and their ties to space.

ORBIT (Cancelled TM for fresh citrus fruits)ORBIT (confectionery, namely, chewing gum, bubble gum and candy)ORBIT COOKIES (cookies, decorated cookies and cookie decorating kits)ORBITOL (dietary and nutritional supplement)ORBIT (commercial, educational and entertainment motion picture production)

Red Rovers “More fun, more flavor, more learning.” Alliterative and relates to the journey the seeds took in space. A name that resonates especially well with the core teen target and scored in the top quartile on memorability compared to names studied over the last 25 years.

ROLL OVER RED ROVER (pet food, namely, edible dog treats)RED ROVER (wines)RED AND ROVER (printed matter, namely, a newspaper comic strip; cartoon)RED ROVER, RED ROVER (electronic bingo and slot machines)RED ROVER (TM may be denied for men’s and women’s clothing and footwear, namely, knit tops & bottoms, woven tops & bottoms, shirts, pants, jeans, sweaters, skirts, dresses, suits, pantsuits, coats, belts, shoes, hosiery & socks)

Develop more names around the following directions or dimension:• Red Rovers (5 votes) Names that roll off of the tongue, engage emotionally, and are memorable

• Joe – very “catchy”• Nancy – I like the alliteration and the way it rolls off your tongue• Bill – One of my favorite 5 from this round• John – I think my kids would love this name, it has energy and is a little

zany• Paula – fun and like the mouth feel, but is it too juvenile for teens?

• ET – Extraterrestrial Tomatoes (2 votes)• Joe – like the brevity of “ET” and the longer description that follows• Bill – I think it is a hip, cool name kids will remember

Avoid names like Orbitoes and Tomatonauts• Paula – both of these sound to “cute” to me, like they are trying too hard

to be clever• Nancy – “Orbit” is too closely connected with the chewing gum to work

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Gather Ideate Screen Pitch Fine Tune Test ROI

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New, inexpensive ways to test names

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Logo design tips and secrets

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Let us name “your baby”

Challenge the experts…

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SXSW 2014

Learn to create names that scream

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