Hello My Name Is Awesome

Linguistic Games

Naming businesses, products and services is not a scientific process and is not, in the jargon, “verbal identity engineering.” Brand names that use common words, or spring from them, work well, such as “Obsession perfume,” “Mayday tech support” or “Kryptonite locks.” These simple, evocative commercial names engage consumers and build sales.

Awkward corporate names, such as Xobni, Sur La Table, Flickr, Eukanuba and Iams, stand in contrast to straightforward clear brand names. Companies spend considerable time and effort to come up with these “head scratchers” and they do seem creative. However, such names don’t easily engage consumers and might confuse them. Beware of names that are hard to spell, pronounce or even decipher. Employees of these firms inevitably spend an inordinate amount of time apologizing for their corporate monikers.

Great names put a smile on your face, because you instantly understand and appreciate them. Mediocre names make you scratch your head and say, “Huh?” The “SMILE & SCRATCH test” is an evaluation tool for determining the attractiveness and efficacy of a proposed name.

“SMILE” Names

Solid brand names...