[via Marketing Playbook] Laura Ries identifies 9 keys to naming success:
The single most important marketing decision a company can make it what to name a brand. A brands power lies in its ability to grab a position in the mind of the consumer. With a poor brand name you make the job of getting into the mind that much harder. With a great brand name you can help your brand down the road to success.
Its not that a brand with a poor name wont ever succeed. Many do. If you price something cheap enough, it will move in spite of a dreadful name. Hyundai, for example, sold 400,221 vehicles in the U.S. last year. But did you ever hear someone say, Eat your heart out, I just got myself a 2004 Hyundai? Is Hyundai a powerful brand? I think not.
Some powerful brand names include: Lexus, Red Bull, Google and Starbucks. The 9 keys that follow will help you pick the best name possible for your brand. Dont expect a name to meet all the nine requirements but if it covers more than a few youll know you have a winner.
Key #1: Short
Key #2: Simple
Key #3: Suggestive of the category
Key #4: Unique
Key #5: Alliterative
Key #6: Speakable
Key #7: Spellable
Key #8: Shocking
Key #9: Personalized
