If you find yourself naming a company or product: congratulations! It can be fun and hugely rewarding—or a massive headache, if you're new to it.
Brand naming is something we do often, either as a one-off or part of a broader brand identity project.
We start naming projects with a slate of common questions and considerations, so we share a Naming Primer with our clients to kick things off (it's part strategic guide, part checklist and part thought starter):
Every naming initiative is different, but all start with similar questions and considerations.
In the Naming Primer you'll see the importance of first nailing your brand strategy (defining target audience, architecture, positioning, persona, etc) before you start brainstorming names. And there are other contextual things to consider, like whether this is a new brand or rebrand, or if logo design is part of the package.
When we get further in the naming process and think we may have a few contenders, that's when we do an initial availability search. This typically has three parts: check the US Patent & Trademark Office's electronic search system (or TESS to its friends) for any clear legal obstacles; check Network Solutions for URL availability; and then just check Google to see if anything else pops up prominently in the first few pages of results.
