Developing a Great Product Name or Service Name

Company naming, product naming and service naming follow similar developmental processes. But there are some unique challenges when it comes to naming a product and a service.

In product and service naming, consideration must be given to congruity with the brand line, product line, and the organization as a whole. The product name should support the overall strategic planning decisions of your firm.

Check out some of the recent product names developed by the Brandings naming team:

In the case of product naming, it is not necessary that the product name be the same as the product name and company name – unless your firm only offers one product. In the case of a single product company, we recommend that the product name, the domain name and the product name and company name be identical.

A product is generally a tangible good – something that you can feel and touch – whereas a service is intangible. There are hybrid goods where the company provides a customer with both a physical good and an intangible service. For the purpose of simplicity, we will use the term “product” in reference to both goods.

10 Characteristics of a Great Product Name

1. Product Name Availability    One of the biggest challenges facing product naming professionals is the issue of availability. Over the years at Brandings, we have created tens of thousands of great names for products -- only to find that the name can’t be used. With billions of products on the market, and more launched each year, there is a very high likelihood that a product name choice is in use somewhere around the world.

2. Dot.com Domain Name Procurement   It is essential that the dot.com domain name be available for the product. The product name and the domain name must be identical. For example Proctor & Gamble must own Tide.com for their laundry detergent Tide. This is a key consideration when choosing a product name name.

3. Product Name Length Matters    When choosing a new name for a product, length matters. In most cases, a successful name for a product is fewer than 11 characters. The longer the name, the greater the propensity for confusion, mix-ups and misspellings.

4. Texture of the Product Name   This is the “art” side in the creation of a winning product name. The name selected should roll off the tongue and have a pleasing sound and texture. The best names for a new product are clear when vocalized and easy to pronounce.

5. Spelling of a Product Name   A good product name is easy to spell. Ideally, the perfect name should have only one spelling option, in short there should be only one way to spell the name. The more alternatives there are in the spelling of a prospective product name, the more likely a firm is to confuse or lose customers.

6. Visual Design of Product Brand   The elements of visual design include size, typestyle, color, layout and other graphic elements. A good product name should have a visual design that is consistent with the overall strategy of the firm. Design considerations should be undertaken in conjunction with product name creation.

7. Linguistic Value of the Product Name   In our global marketplace English has emerged as the clear language of choice for global business. The dot.com domain extension also emerged as the domain extension of global business. The best names for a product may be in the preferred language of a region but should have a clear English translation..

8. Alphabetic Characters   When creating a name for a product, the selection should not contain numbers or hyphens. (There are a few isolated cases where hyphens and numbers can be effectively.) Hyphens, numbers and other characters like !?#$^@ pose challenges and careful design to avoid consumer confusion.

9. Global Implications   For firms involved – or hope to be involved -- in international commerce, etymologists should consider the universality of a product name. The best names for global products should have a universal appeal and be culturally non-offensive.

10. Expandability   When creating a product name it is important to consider the degree to which a name can be expanded through brand and category extensions. The name should allow for growth and change in a marketplace and other industry changes. The best names for a product may be secure with the goal of significant expansion while others may be highly specialized and targeted.

We hope this article was useful as your create a name for your company product. We welcome your comments and suggestions. We are available to help you in your product naming activities. Our naming specialists can help you select the right name for your business. A great name is just a call or click away.

Find a Great Product Name Now

1. Search for a product name by CATEGORY. You can search product names by category and subcategory. Check-out the product category list in the column to the left. You will see that most of the categories have more specific subcategories. Just select a category or subcategory and browse!

2. Search by NAME. Find product names that contain a key word (or partial word) important in your business. Use the KEYWORD SEARCH function -- located at the top of this page. Simply enter any word or word fragment ... then click “GO!”

Whatever your new business needs, we are here to help. Call Brandings Client Service Team today at 1-800-852-8900 (Toll Free USA) +1-310-246-5100 (Worldwide) or simply click here to contact our office via e-mail: info@brandings.com

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