Are You Launching a New Company or Product?
Are you about to enter the market with a new company, product, service or technology? What should you name it?
What Kind of Impression Do You Want to Make?
You’re probably looking for a name that will make a great impression the first time your customers encounter it, and in the thousands of times they’ll see in it over years and even decades to come.
If you’re intent on making this new venture all that it can possibly be, you’ll want a name that has the potential of becoming a dominant brand in your industry. It must be the right type of name. Not just any name will do.
How Long Until Launch?
How soon do you want to launch? When do you want to start your promotional efforts? Probably just as soon as the name is decided, which needs to be fast.
Great names don’t appear by accident. They develop from having a solid strategy. The name needs to fit the product and your ideal customer group. It needs to do more than just “sound good.” It needs to contribute to your strategic goals and bolster your position in a competitive marketplace.
Steer Clear of These Common & Serious Problems
And you’ll want a name that doesn’t embarrass you, position your product as a low value commodity or draw you into expensive and time-consuming trademark trouble.
When you think about the criteria for the new name, the list is long and perhaps a bit daunting. How will you come up with a name that hits the mark? Do your team members have the necessary language skills, marketing savvy and the in-the-trenches naming experience to pull it off?
Do You Have the Time & Skills to Do It Yourself?
Do they have an extra few weeks worth of time available to brainstorm ideas, craft potential names, research website availability, do Google searches and check on trademarks?
If you’re looking for a name that conveys the same level of quality and professionalism that you put into developing your products and services – and you want to decide on the name in a timely fashion – it probably makes sense for you to enlist professional naming assistance.
Identicor Specializes in Name Development
This is the work that Identicor specializes in – leading projects that result in brand-caliber names for companies, products, services and technologies. Here’s a quick overview of the phases in a name creation engagement:
- Strategy & Criteria Development – What are the business objectives for the new company, product, service or technology? What’s the competitive landscape? What message should the name convey? What emotions should it evoke? What style of name feels like the best fit?
- Name Crafting – Based on the project strategy and the criteria for the name, Identicor creates scores and scores of potential names and then conducts thorough research on each candidate name
- Website Address Research – What URL options are available? Is name.com available as an initial registration, or perhaps as an aftermarket acquisition? How about other domain extensions or adding a suffix?
- Internet Usage Research – What kind of Google footprint does each name have? How many matching pages on a Google search? How is the name being used now?
- Trademark Research – How much trademark space is available for each name? Is it wide open, a little constricted or jam packed?
- 1-on-1 Market Research Interviews – What do people in the target market think about the final shortlist of names? Are the names easy to pronounce? (More details appear below)
- Foreign Language Disaster Checks – For clients operating in overseas markets Identicor tests names for any offensive messages that would sully the brand (More details appear below)
- Name Selection – Based on all the factors involved Identicor guides client teams to confident, informed decisions
Identicor has led dozens of naming projects to successful conclusion over the past 20 years – on time and on budget.
Can We Help You With Your Naming Project?
To start the conversation, call Identicor at 403.685.2100 or submit the Contact Form at the bottom of the page. We look forward to creating a brand-caliber name for you.
Is it Time to Rebrand?
Have you outgrown your company name? Does your current name misrepresent your firm by sending a weak or out of date message? Has the name become a burden? Is it time to make a change?
Rebranding your company is a major undertaking with many potential pitfalls. But a corporate name change can pave the way for enormous growth as long as the new name is a brand-caliber title and the transition process is skilfully managed.
Identicor Rebranding Services cover all steps of the rebranding process
- Crafting a new brand-caliber name
- Creating buy-in among company leaders & staff
- Introducing the new corporate title to customers, staff, investors and other stakeholders
- Planning & executing a new name introduction plan to ensure the new title inherits the positive brand equity of the original name
Identicor has valuable expertise to guide your name change initiative. We've led numerous organizations through the rebranding process in both the private and non-profit sectors.
Do You Need a Professional Opinion?
Have you been on brainstorming binge - dreaming up names for a new company or product? Do you have a list of candidate names, but you're not sure which name would be the best choice, or if any of them make the grade? Would you like to know if a name has any hidden flaws before you unveil it to the market?
For companies that want to avoid expensive and embarrassing mistakes, Identicor conducts Professional Name Assessments that provide a clear view of each name’s strengths and weaknesses. The Assessment evaluates names with a numerical ranking and in-depth analysis in 9 key categories: Meaning, Distinctiveness, Memorability, Word Structure, Phonetics, Imagery & Emotion, Pronunciation, Spelling and Growth Potential.
The Assessment takes name ranking out of the subjective realm of personal preference and makes it objective and scientific. Professional Name Assessments also provide valuable insight for companies considering a corporate name change.
Is Your Name Portfolio Clear or Confusing?
Names are a bit like musical instruments. Harpsichords and harmonicas might sound okay on their own, but wouldn't make for a great duet. Similarly some names just don't play well with others.
Companies with a wide range of products or services need to ensure their names are complementary in style and personality. Naming discord can confuse customers, erode the message and undermine the value of a brand.
A Brand Architecture Audit can help you avoid the pitfalls of name incompatibility. Audits provide valuable insights and recommendations for companies with sizable name portfolios or for firms planning the life cycle of a new product line.
How Will Your Customers Respond to the New Name?
Before you make the final naming decision for your new product, would you like to know how customers will react to the name?
Will it capture their imagination? Will they pronounce the name properly? Will the name make them eager to talk and tweet about your product? Or will they find it boring, hard to pronounce and easy to forget?
Identicor reduces the worry around how names will perform in the marketplace by conducting 1-on-1 Market Research Interviews with customers in your target market. These qualitative interviews test names for:
- Pronunciation - Do people pronounce the name correctly when they see it for the first time? Are mispronunciations serious or minor?
- Meaning - What do the names mean to customers? Does the name "fit" the product? Does the name trigger any negative associations?
- Ranking - What names on the shortlist do customers like best?
Identicor's 1-on-1 Market Research Interviews give you a clear view of how names will perform before they go to market.
Are You Sure You Know What You're Saying?
It's easier than ever to enter foreign markets and sell your products around the world. But it's also easier than ever to shoot yourself in the foot by making a foreign language faux pas – by presenting a product name that's offensive.
Before you introduce a name into overseas markets contract Identicor to perform a Foreign Language Disaster Check. It will help you steer clear of embarrassing mistakes that sabotage sales and are expensive to fix.
Identicor's Disaster Check services test names in scores of languages all across the globe. Stride with confidence onto the global stage. There's no need to risk becoming a laughingstock.
What Kind of Results
Have Clients Realized?
Identicor-developed names have proven instrumental in helping clients:
- Command higher prices
- Claim ownership of a lucrative new product category
- Attract international business partners
- Make customers smile
- Secure prestigious new reference accounts
- Project compelling credibility as a start-up, even when going head-to-head with Fortune 500 competitors
““Our new name is more
than a company title, it’s our own brandable
chunk of DNA””
““I’ve been through dozens of naming projects, Identicor’s was the best
I’ve ever seen.””
““Brilliant - a masterstroke!””
““Identicor moved
our company
image upscale””
Let’s Start the Conversation
Do you have a new company or product that needs a brand-caliber name? Are you curious about how professional naming services can help your company? What naming challenges are you grappling with?
Call Identicor today to start the conversation. We look forward to being of assistance.
Phone 403.685.2100 Or submit this online contact form.
