The Power of Names in Shaping Brand Identity
In today’s world, where everything is about quick videos, flashy images, and catching someone’s eye in just a few seconds, you might wonder if a name really matters anymore. It’s easy to think that with a bit of creativity, anyone could come up with a decent name for a product, a business, or even a band. Maybe you could throw a fun contest at work and get some cool ideas that way. After all, if you come up with a name that’s good enough, isn’t that all you need?
What’s In A Name?
Let’s dig a bit deeper. When you meet someone for the first time, it’s not just how they look or sound that sticks with you—it’s their name. And it’s the same with everything else. Go to a great concert or find a new favorite restaurant, and the first thing you’ll share with your friends is the name. It’s how we remember and talk about our experiences.
Think about famous names like Taylor Swift or big brands like Apple. There’s something about those names that just fits who they are and what they stand for. And it’s not just about being catchy; a good name captures the essence of who you are or what your business is all about.
So, why consider hiring a naming expert? Because getting the right name is not as simple as it seems. It’s not just about a cool word or phrase; it’s about finding something that really connects with people and stands out. A name can make a big difference in how people see your product or business. It’s the first step in telling your story and making sure people remember you.
For example, think about a name like “Angry Orchard” for a cider or “CarMax” for a car dealership. These names are easy to remember and give you a feel for what the brand is all about. Or take “Powershot” for a camera—it’s a name that’s been around for years and still holds up because it says something about what the camera does and how it makes taking pictures easier and more fun.
So, does a name really matter? Absolutely. It’s the first thing people will hear about you or your business, and it’s what they’ll remember. A great name is the first step in building a brand that people care about and want to be a part of. Don’t settle for just any name—make it count.
Transcription:
Mike Carr (00:05):
So today I want to talk about pretty obvious question. Does your name really matter? Especially in this digital age where it’s how you look, it’s that short, it’s that real. It’s that video. It’s that picture. Doesn’t name really matter anymore because if it does not, why hire a naming consultant. You can probably do it yourself if you’ve got any creative talent or bent at all, especially with all the tools that are out there online or getting a few of your teammates together, your creative crew. Or maybe you go to the employees and have a contest and you know what? You can probably come up with some pretty good names. Maybe if you’re lucky, you can even come up with a very good name, but it’s pretty good. Or even very good, good enough. And if a name doesn’t matter, it probably is. But if a name does matter, if the first impression that you want to make is the right first impression, the lasting first impression, is that about the image and the look or is that also about the name?
(01:27):
That’s what we’re going to talk about in today’s podcast. So if you’re face-to-face, it’s how you look. It might be how you sound, might be how you smell. It might be that body language, that vibe baby that you’re sending off to everybody. It’s all kinds of things that create that first impression. Even in video, it’s that look, it’s how you look so cool and polish just maybe a little bit of that airbrushing, a little bit of that AI makeup kind of looking better than you actually look kind of thing. But then happens after that initial image, that initial interaction. You talk to your friends about this amazing date and they said, oh my gosh, what’s his name? What’s her name? Or you go to a concert and you tell your friends about, oh my gosh, who was that group you saw? Or you go to that restaurant. Where did you go for such an amazing time? Such great food. It’s the name baby. It’s the name. It’s the one thing that transcends all forms of media. Doesn’t make any difference, whether it’s a video to a few folks and then everybody starts talking about it to their friends. They’re going to talk about that name and that name. Better connect. It better resonate because it’s our identity. It’s who you are. It’s representative of you.
(03:07):
We all know who Taylor Swift is. Would Taylor Swift be as cool and as with it as if it was maybe Mildred Smith, Mildred Smith, Taylor Swift sounds sort of like radically different. Not the same name at all, or Apple computer. Apple Computer says something about that brand, that computer or Donald Trump. Would Donald Trump be the same If his name wasn’t Donald Trump? Perhaps it would be in that case. But what can we say? Or Coca-Cola. I need a Coke. Or even Stanley Tumblr. The name conjures up so many things, but the starting point is the name. The name is the hook. It’s our unique identifier. It’s who we are. It represents who we are. It’s what sets us apart from everything else. So we think the name matters a lot. A whole lot. It’s the most important part of making the right first impression with so many people that don’t have the opportunity perhaps to initially see you, to initially meet you, but they’re excited about it. Once they hear their friends or they read some story or they want to know more about what that cool movie was or that experience was in Steve Jobs. Words, your name needs to be insanely great. Don’t settle for something.
(04:59):
It can’t be copied by somebody else. That’s the kind of name you need. A name that differentiates, a name that conveys what makes you so special. What makes your brand so special? What makes your product so special? What makes your company so special? What makes your startup so cool and exciting and amazing that everybody has to know more? If you’re a hard cider, maybe that name is Angry Orchard, interesting name, angry Orchard. I can remember that name. I wonder what that is. Or maybe if you’re a car dealership, your name is CarMax. Lots of cars, it’s a car dealership. Pretty easy to understand. Or if your camera, a camera that’s been around for over 20 years that was stood this test of time that’s grown with technology changes and is still just as relevant and just as cool and just as exciting as it was 20 years ago.
(06:04):
Even though all our phones have cameras in it today. What could that name possibly be? That transcends time. How about Powershot shot power? As it empowers you, it makes your life easier. It’s simpler to use. It lets you create great visual memories or shot. It can take a shot as in a still picture, or it can do a shoot as in a video stream. A video. 20 years Canon has been able to leverage that brand and grow the equity. So powershot for a camera. Or finally, if you’re a hotel and you’ve got all these hotels out there, what should your name be? That cuts through all the clutter and speaks to the authenticity and what the brand is really all about. How about true? Just three letters, TRU. That’s why you hire a naming consultant. That’s why you don’t try to do it yourself or with the team or with the colleagues or with the employee naming contest.
(07:17):
We’ve been doing this for 35 years. We’ve worked on thousands of projects. We understand how to get it and how to do it right. How to make sure you can use the name that it doesn’t infringe upon somebody else’s name, that it conveys everything you want to convey, that it’s timeless, that helps you build your personal brand or your company brand. And who are we? We’re name Stormers, baby name Stormers. We storm for names. We’re excited about it. We’ve been doing it for a long time. We have a very young, exciting, creative team and we want to do it for you. Name Stormers. Thanks.