Naming your name

Not long ago I met this girl at a wedding, let's say her name was Kayla. We immediately hit it off and had an absolute ball, and even without the champagne flowing I knew we were destined to be great mates. So when the dusty-ness settled, we exchanged socials to organise catching up next time we were both in town. Being in a rush to leave I only managed to grab the name of her business instagram account - let’s call it ‘Nails_by_Kayla’. The next day when I hopped on Insta to follow her account, it took me over 20 minutes to find it!! Turns out there were hundreds of Nails_by_Kayla accounts, and to be honest, I don’t blame them.

Coming up with a good brand name isn’t easy, and by no means is this a dig at the owners of every Nails_by_Kayla business. However the consequences of what you choose to name your business are pretty clear cut. On one end, the wrong name can fail to connect you with your audience and can create ongoing business hurdles, and on the other end a good name can greatly benefit your marketing and branding efforts.

All of this did get me thinking though…

How do you create a good brand name?

Now if you want to put a little more thought into it rather than clicking away on a random name generator, here are our Top 6 questions to ask when deciding what to name your brand…

1. Is it original?

Individuality and personality is important. Your brand is a reflection of you and your values, and as we have mentioned in previous blog posts - originality is one of your best weapons! Having an original name is vital for your brand image, and not just because it helps you stand out amongst your competitors, it also shows your creativity and drive to be your OWN brand. Customers are drawn to unique outside the box brands, so put your thinking cap on and get creative.

2. Does it roll off the tongue?

You want people to talk about your brand name and actually enjoy doing it! It needs to have that roll off the tongue feel that we all know and love. Companies like Coca Cola, Ikea, Lego, Google, Apple and Yahoo all have names that are fun to say and require minimal effort to do so.

3. Is it aesthetic?

First impressions count! And just like all other aspects of branding - looks do matter. Think about the way the lettering/typography looks, how it would fit within a logo, and whether it will stand out. Every aspect of your name should be decided on intentionally, and oddly enough - how the letters look in relation to your brand’s positioning is also very important.

4. Have you done the research?

Market research is super important in the naming stage! More often than not, someone has already thought of the same name you have…*cough cough* Nails_by_Kayla. While it’s not the end of the world, it’s important to see who your competitors are if you want your name to stand out and shine. So when you’ve come up with a name you like, take some time to do a thorough web search. It might save you some heartache down the line.

5. Does it have meaning?

The name of your business shouldn’t just look pretty - it NEEDS a meaning! Your name is the face of your business, and is hopefully what people remember - so make it count. It should be consistent and align with your values, whilst setting the tone for your business and sparking curiosity among your audience.

6. Is it worth remembering?

No one likes boring, and it will be harder to be successful if your brand name isn’t memorable. You want people talking about your brand, and the easier it is for people to think of it when they’re speaking to others - the better. Short and sweet, unique, and easy to pronounce names are the holy grail in this instance.

If push comes to shove and it’s time for you to create your brand but you’ve got no idea where to start - the Wild and Free team have got you covered. Let us help you take those big ideas you have tucked away in your head and allow us to bring them to life.. bigger and better than you have ever imagined.

Wild love x