Warning: this page is rated R for Research

You have an all-star cast of name finalists for your new, incredible product that people cannot live without. Your legal team has blessed them all. Now you just have to select the name that will be a box office hit with all your customers, work well in every situation, and remain relevant for years to come.

The Surprise Ending

Do you think you know your customers well enough to predict which name they would choose?

Would you bet your next venture or new product launch on this?

You may think you have them all figured out, then the plot takes a turn.

Young man with a questioning expression and a thought bubble containing a question mark.

In all our years of name research, the results still surprise us.

Why? Because unconscious biases get in the way. We all gravitate toward the familiar – and what’s familiar and feels right to you might not resonate at all with your customers.

Maybe you’re a guy marketing products to women and you really like that NC-17 rated name, Lust, for your line of lingerie. Perhaps the ladies don’t agree. Something as simple as being male or female can skew your perspective. Gender, experience, and personal preferences all introduce blind spots.

And if you’ve been deeply involved in product development, you have knowledge your audience doesn’t have. You might think naming your vibrating dog toy Oscillator is sheer brilliance, but your customers might just be confused.

The reviews are in and name testing sometimes gets a thumbs down or a rotten Rotten Tomatoes score. Yet we all know that making data-driven decisions is a good practice.

Using the right methodology can get the answers you need while avoiding the name testing pitfalls.

Reasons name testing can be a flop:

Traditional research only yields the most descriptive, least offensive names
Highly innovative names traditionally do not test well
Testing names out of context may not provide meaningful feedback
People’s opinions may not align with brand positioning and strategic goals
The cost and time required

Survey interface asking to rate potential product names like "Smart Mouth" and "Confident" on a scale from "Very Negative" to "Very Positive."

Traditional Market Research: The Uncut Version

The traditional market research approach to name testing creates some inherent problems because it measures only deliberate, analytical reasoning. Most people do not stop to analyze a name, they just react to it. In most cases, split-second impressions matter for names.

In recent years, research has been introduced on this quick reaction, System 1 thinking*. Wikipedia summarizes the fast System 1 vs the slower, more analytical System 2 thinking and how they both affect human decision making.

At NameStormers, we use a combination of the fast response and the slower thinking methodology to perform name testing. Reactions can be negative or positive so you need both to help sort that out.

Data Insights: Behind the Scenes

The bubble chart shows the results of the question above. You can see that slower reasoning (x-axis) alone only gives you part of the picture.

When reaction speed is added (y-axis), you get a different perspective.

Follow the bubble for A, Smart Mouth, on the chart. A scores fairly neutral on the Likert scale but respondents react the quickest to it.

animated chart showing a line of horizontal orange bubbles labeled A-E scored on a Likert scale from Very Negative to Very Positive - that explodes into a chart of bubbles on a 2 dimensional plane

We can’t choose the best name for you—but we can help you test the options and find out what your customers really think.

Objectives
To begin, we help you define your name testing goals and objectives. We ask you to focus on the key criteria to make your naming decision – and not go off-script.
Identify Target Audience
To make certain we understand your needs, we want to know about the demographics, lifestyles, geographic locations, and languages of your targets. And we ask you to consider not only your current customers but also potential future customers. This will inform us on which representative (real human, absolutely no synthetic substitues) sample best fits your needs.
Develop Survey Instrument
When we set up your survey, we design questions that can be answered in a way that allows behavior data to be collected in the background. You will test your survey and always have final approval.
Field Survey
Next we will soft launch and check the results. When all looks good, we will field and monitor the survey.
Analyze and Report Results
By analyzing quick reaction metrics, Likert scores and all open ends, we will create an in-depth final report and present it to you.

First, they’re excellent listeners. That is so critical, and I could tell they listened in every single deliverable. Then, their ability to do consumer testing and give us that insight into what consumers think. They truly presented us with every bit of information so we could make the best decision possible.

Jane Balek
Executive Director, Think About Your Eyes
They save you a lot of time by pre-vetting names with their own trademark issue elimination process and their expertise shined when it came to being creative with naming. They also include a survey to get a read on the names that are resonating the most with your target audience.

Laura Morgan
Director of Marketing, Ozery Bakery
NameStormers generated an extensive list of options and helped assess the level of risk inherent to each one. Their clients include high-profile companies in the retail and automotive space. Most other agencies have another vendor run the testing stage, but this one can handle it themselves.
VP of Marketing
Chocolate Company
NameStormers helped us name and rebrand some of our tools and processes. They have a lot of experience in the space but also use modern methods to arrive at their thesis. Very happy. Very impressed

Patrick Ryan
Co Founder, Spectator Sports Company

First, they’re excellent listeners. That is so critical, and I could tell they listened in every single deliverable. Then, their ability to do consumer testing and give us that insight into what consumers think. They truly presented us with every bit of information so we could make the best decision possible.

Jane Balek
Executive Director, Think About Your Eyes
They save you a lot of time by pre-vetting names with their own trademark issue elimination process and their expertise shined when it came to being creative with naming. They also include a survey to get a read on the names that are resonating the most with your target audience.

Laura Morgan
Director of Marketing, Ozery Bakery
NameStormers generated an extensive list of options and helped assess the level of risk inherent to each one. Their clients include high-profile companies in the retail and automotive space. Most other agencies have another vendor run the testing stage, but this one can handle it themselves.
VP of Marketing
Chocolate Company
NameStormers helped us name and rebrand some of our tools and processes. They have a lot of experience in the space but also use modern methods to arrive at their thesis. Very happy. Very impressed

Patrick Ryan
Co Founder, Spectator Sports Company