When thinking about your brand strategy, an awful lot of details come into play. A successful strategy is the beginning of a successful brand, right? Sure. Still, there are certain checks you can perform before you take a deep dive and start mapping out your strategy. One of them is your brand name. Research has shown that the brand name you choose can absolutely affect the success of your brand. So: with a wrongly chosen brand name, it's hard to get the most out of your strategy. The right name for your brand or business will get you off to a good start. And in this blog I explain how.

Is your brand name really affecting the success of your brand?

Yes, your brand name really does affect the success of your brand. Of course, in most cases you shouldn't think in extremes. By this we mean that as long as it's a common name, it's not the case that the name completely determines whether your brand will succeed or not. At the same time, you can of course imagine that if you choose, for example, an offensive name a successful business becomes a difficult story.

There are several studies showing the impact of a brand name on brand success. One prominent example is the research by economists Simonson and Schmitt, published in the Journal of Marketing in 1997. This study, titled "Marketing Aesthetics: The Strategic Management of Brands, Identity, and Image," examines how aesthetic elements of a brand, including the brand name, affect brand perception and success.

Simonson and Schmitt conclude that elements such as brand name play a significant role in forming a brand image and influencing consumer perceptions. They emphasize that a strong, attractive and relevant brand name can contribute to positive brand identity and brand loyalty. These findings are supported by empirical data and case studies of successful brands.

Image - Different brand names.

What makes a successful brand name?

Well, how do you choose a good brand name? What are the factors that determine it? There is no simple recipe for success. Still, there are steps you can follow and aspects you can consider when coming up with a name. We take a look at six of them:

1. The brand name should obviously just sound good

• • Een naam kan aan nog zoveel vereisten voldoen; als deze gewoon niet goed in het gehoor ligt, weet je dat je waarschijnlijk niet de beste keuze hebt gemaakt.

2. Uniqueness

• • Je wilt dat jouw merk in positieve zin opvalt en niet verward kan worden met een ander merk. Kies daarom voor een uniek klinkende naam. Hiermee voorkom je dat jouw doelgroep jouw merk verwart met een ander merk. Dat is iets dat vanuit merkstrategisch oogpunt natuurlijk dodelijk is.

3. Relevance

• • Jouw merk moet de juiste associaties oproepen met jouw diensten of producten. Dat is misschien niet altijd eenvoudig. Om het makkelijker te maken, kun je denken aan wat jouw merk uitstraalt. Als jij jouw merk bijvoorbeeld als behulpzaam en toegankelijk ziet, dan is het niet logisch om te kiezen voor een stoere, assertieve naam. Je kunt dan beter kiezen voor een

soft

• • naam.

4. Easily pronounceable and memorable

• • Oscillococcinum. Makkelijk uitspreekbaar? Nee. Memorabel: hmm, half-half. De naam is an sich zeer memorabel, maar probeer hem maar eens goéd te onthouden. Toch is het in dit geval zo dat de prductnaam zo moeilijk te onthouden is dat merk strategen de naam in ieder geval altijd gebruiken in hun blogs! 🙂

Image - The packaging of Oscillococcinum.

Here you can clearly see how important the connection between the two is. Everyone will know exactly that this is the well-known drug when hearing that name. So in that respect it is memorable. Only because it is not easy to pronounce, it becomes difficult. It is precisely this combination that makes a powerful brand.

Bing! (Microsoft's search service) is a good example. Short, catchy, you can't mispronounce it and it is memorable because you can easily associate it with the action you perform (Bing! There's your search result).

5. Future-proofing

• • De toekomstbestendigheid van een naam kun je niet altijd voorspellen. Toch kun je door middel van logisch nadenken meestal toch wel tot de juiste keuze komen. Probeer te kiezen voor een naam die men niet associeert met een bepaalde tijd of periode. Tenzij je natuurlijk

heritage

• • wilt benadrukken. Voorkom in elk geval dat je gebruik gaat maken van

buzzwords

• . Iets dat nu trendy is, is over een paar jaar misschien alweer achterhaald.

Just how difficult a future-proof name can be can be seen, for example, with Blockbuster. For decades, Blockbuster was a popular video store chain in the United States. Only with the rise of streaming media, not only this concept but also the name became hopelessly outdated. A blockbuster: something that keeps people glued to the tube throughout the district. Nowadays, however, we do not want to be bound by location when consuming media and we watch it anytime, anywhere.

6. Cultural sensitivity

1. Doe onderzoek. Houd rekening met cultuur, taal, betekenis en uitspraak. Je kunt hiermee snel en ongemerkt de fout in gaan. Natuurlijk zal iedereen op hoofdlijnen begrijpen wat je wel en niet moet doen. Grondig onderzoek loont echter. Een mooi voorbeeld van hoe dit verkeerd kan gaan, zie je bij automerk Toyota. Die kwam in de jaren negentig met een bepaald niet onaardig klein sportwagentje, genaamd MR2. Weinig mis mee, zou je zeggen. Alleen een Fransman spreekt dit uit als “Merdeux”, wat vrijwel hetzelfde klinkt als

merde

, het meest gebezigde aan ontlasting gerelateerde scheldwoord in de Franse taal. Niet echt sexy om in te rijden.

Image - The Toyota MR2.

Good and not so good real-life examples

Coming up with a good name is not only a challenge for the corner business owner. It is also quite an issue for multinational companies. Especially when it comes to name changes. These can turn out quite wrong. For example, the name change of English postal company Royal Mail (great name, ticks all the boxes!) to Consignia was so badly received that it was quickly reversed. And rightly so.

A more recent example that also affects our country: T-Mobile, a rock-solid name for years, became "Odido" in September (unannounced!) and initial reactions have been lukewarm at best. Now Odido has a strong position and an indispensable product so it will not mean bankruptcy, but the public opinion (often heard: nerdy/nerdy, childish, cheap) is totally inconsistent with what the brand itself says about it (symmetrical, fluid, modern, inclusive).

See a good example of an appropriate brand name for a personal trainer brand here.

Helpful tip: make use of AI

Help in finding the right brand name sometimes comes from unexpected places. My tip: get inspiration using AI. For example, if you query ChatGPT correctly, you will get absolutely useful suggestions. To put it to the test, I tried to give Toyota a hand with a name for a compact roadster to avoid another MR2 fiasco. I asked, "Given the brand's image, style and current lineup, what would be a good name for a new compact roadster from Toyota?" Some pretty nice answers and reasoning came out of that:

• • Toyota Aero: "Aero" suggests aerodynamics and speed, which fits well with the characteristics of a compact roadster. This name could give a modern and streamlined impression.

• • Toyota Solara: Although this has already been an existing name in the Toyota line, reusing it for a roadster could indicate sunshine and fun, which fits well with the roadster concept.

• • Toyota Ray: A short, powerful name that suggests lightness and speed. "Ray" can also be associated with rays of sunlight, consistent with the open-air feel of a roadster.

Image - OpenAI, ChatGPT.

Want to know more?

Want to know more about brand names and which name could work well for your brand? Then contact us, because we would love to help you! Our team looks forward to meeting with you, identifying your needs and translating this into a great brand strategy. Make an appointment right here. See you soon!