Here at Catchword Interplanetary Headquarters, we pride ourselves on our ability to dispense advice (seemingly endlessly) about naming. We’ve even written a naming manual, which is charmingly disguised as a car owner’s manual – and it’s bursting at the seams with fun, informative tips and counsel about the most important part of your brand: your name.
From time to time we’ll post excerpts. If you like what you see, please download a copy of your very own, or write to us and we’ll mail you a paper copy (it has a glossy cover!).
While owning a brand name can be fun, there are important things to understand about developing and owning this essential marketing vehicle. Please read below before embarking on any name development exercise.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BRAND NAMES
YOU DON’T NEED A LICENSE TO NAME BUT…
It’s just a name, right?
I’ve got a dictionary.
He’s got a thesaurus.
How hard can this be?
Truth is, everyone thinks they can name. But most states probably should require a license to name, because naming is a dangerous activity, and not everyone should be doing it, especially those nerdy guys in engineering (no offense intended).
If you’re going to embark on a naming exercise, make sure you familiarize yourself with the naming basics covered in this Manual, and be judicious in selecting your brand name development team. Of course the safest road… the one with the fewest hazards… is the one that leads to your friendly name development specialists.
FOR BEST PERFORMANCE, ONLY FILL WITH PREMIUM CREATIVITY
It’s important that you only use premium creativity when developing and driving your name. Filling your name with thin or unoriginal ideas may affect its performance and potentially compromise the health of your brand vehicle. A brand name running on thoughtful, high-octane creativity will provide for a much smoother ride.
YOUR BRAND NAME IS JUST ONE VEHICLE FOR MARKETING SUCCESS
A name may be your most important and powerful brand element, but it’s not your only one.
In order for a name to be successful as a marketing vehicle, it will need to be supported by other brand communications such as smart graphic design, a complementary tagline, and unified brand messaging. Combining your name with the proper hardware will optimize your brand’s performance and ensure you get the most out of your brand name.
REMEMBER
You only get out of your brand vehicles what you put in.
Hi-grade creativity leads to hi-grade brands.
