We know why you’re reading this post. You already understand that the name you choose for your business can determine its future. You’ve ruled out using an online name generator, which can’t possibly take into account the nuances that make your business unique among its competitors.
You understand that naming your company involves so much more than casually tossing around ideas in a conference room and picking the first one that makes a splash. Most importantly, you’re looking for an expert business naming agency to create a name that meets all of these standards:
- Appeals to your target
- Communicates the essence of your company
- Clears preliminary availability screenings
- Is not vulgar or offensive
- Paves the way for a nomenclature system and naming architecture
- Distinguishes you from the competition
- But how do you know which agency to trust with such an enormous task?
Here are the key questions you should ask when looking to partner with a brand naming agency.
Does the Agency Have Experience?
The NameStormers team has more than three decades of experience under our belts and plenty of knowledge under our caps. Our quirky creatives and astute analysts have used their expertise to develop a detailed seven-step process. It starts with learning about your identity as a company and ends with making sure you feel 100% confident moving forward with one of the name candidates we’ve provided.
Naming experts know that while unleashing the imagination is part of the process, it doesn’t end there. In fact, our ideating stage is only step two. Don’t choose a naming company that plops ideas into your inbox without the tools or initiative to test for availability and viability. Choose a company of seasoned experts who have had a chance to sharpen their skills through proven successes.
Does the Agency Have a Broad Portfolio?
As our portfolio reflects, we’ve partnered with Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, and start-ups alike. Our naming projects range from brand naming to creating entire systems of naming architecture that companies can follow to name new products and services. Your naming agency partner should have client testimonials, case studies, and a proven track record of providing viable names that benefit the businesses they work with.
Is the Agency Thorough in Their Work?
Some naming agencies hand over their list of name ideas and wash their hands of the client. If that’s all you want from your naming partner, you might as well use an online generator. Sure, with an agency like that, you’ll get options that are more tailored to your business than an online generator would provide. But you could soon find out that the attractive and exciting name candidates provided are actually unavailable or unusable for other reasons.
Here are a few hurdles you could face if your business naming agency fails to thoroughly vet their name candidates:
- Your favorite name is already trademarked and therefore unavailable.
- The relevant domain and social media handles are unavailable.
- Your favorite name is offensive or distasteful to a key demographic.
Anyone can perform a quick search on the United States Patent and Trademark Office website, but its search tool largely lacks the ability to recognize “likelihood of confusion,” a key component of trademark infringement. If your legal team is on top of things, you’ll probably find out soon after paying for the name. But some companies begin using a name publicly and build brand equity only to find themselves in the unenviable position of needing to make a change when legal challenges crop up.
At NameStormers, we perform extensive preliminary trademark screening using tools that trademark lawyers use. Our goals are to make sure there are no surprises and to prevent you from getting attached to a name that is unusable for any reason. We rule out the risky names before they hit your desk, but we still want your legal team to do the final vetting.
Will the Agency Go Above and Beyond to Make Sure You’re Satisfied?
Lastly, how will the naming agency react if you’re not happy with their suggestions? At NameStormers, we go straight back to the ideating phase and cook up fresh ideas, which will then undergo screening and fine-tuning just like the first round. We charge one flat fee and go through the process as many times as it takes without charging you another dime. That’s how confident we are in our ability to serve up names that you’ll be proud to associate with your business.
Contact us to get started on your business naming journey today!