Why Weird Words Make Great Brand Names

When creating a truly great company name, the number one consideration should be the level of “engagement.”

“Engagement?” you ask incredulously.

Yes… engagement.

While there are all sorts of naming strategies… metaphors, acronyms, coined/
invented, key attributes, positive connotations, etc., the one common denominator
that separates the mediocre from the memorable, is the degree to which the name
engages the mind of the consumer. Most new business owners opt for company
names that inform and describe, leaving nothing to the imagination. They often fail
to realize that the context surrounding the name (the ad, the store sign, the
proposal, the brochure copy, etc.) will define what they do, so the name can be free
to describe how they do it. In other words, no customer will hear or see the name in
a mental vacuum. Yet this is the way we often judge names when “brainstorming”.
And it’s why focus groups are such notoriously bad judges of good names. It’s not
the people that are flawed, it’s the process itself. Most of the feedback takes the
form of free associations, all in an effort to determine if a name is “good” or “bad.”
It goes something like this…

Interviewer: “What do you think of the name Monster?”

Respondent: “Ew! They’re scary and dangerous!”

Interviewer: “What about Amazon?”

Respondent: “Jungle… drowning… snakes… piranhas…”

Interviewer: “Apple?”

Respondent: “A bad apple spoils the whole bunch.”

Interviewer: “Caterpillar?”

Respondent: “Squishy, soft, and squirmy.”

Interviewer to new business owner: “I think we can safely assume these would be
bad brand names…”

So if it’s not a matter of free associations, then what determines a good name?
Again, it’s that all important element known as “engagement.” Engagement is what
causes you to lean forward, ask twice, invite more information and pursue the
conversation. A good name should invite a discussion, start a conversation and
“engage” the other person’s interest and attention. That’s why Amazon, even
though it says nothing about what it does, works better than Books-A-Million.
Amazon is open and inviting and Books-A-Million is literal and descriptive. Amazon
speaks to the process…flowing, easy, abundant. Books-A-Million speaks to the
products… books. And while Amazon leaves room for the company to grow in any
number of directions, Books-A-Million leaves the company in a bind. I once heard
an ad for a company called Just Brakes. Since they had outgrown this narrow niche,
they adopted a new tag line… “We’re more than just brakes.”

Let’s take another example. Linens & Things is needlessly redundant since most
people, after seeing a newspaper ad, or walking by the store window, will know the
company sells linens and things. It would be better to use the name to capture
some key strategic position or advantage, or to evoke a feeling or emotion. Is Linen
& Things the best, the fastest, the biggest, the most service oriented, the trendiest?
We simply don’t know. They have described but they haven’t evoked. They’ve
explained but they haven’t engaged.

The objection I routinely hear is “But with names like these, no one will know what I
do!” And that’s when I explain that trust is needed… trust in the power of context
to fill in the blanks. That way the name is freed to paint a picture, engage the
senses and position the brand to reflect not what you do, but how you do it.

So will any weird word work?

No.

Weird for weird sake will just leave the customer scratching his or her head in
bewilderment of moving on in indifference. Bold, engaging names will create the
desire to know more, and that’s where you need to be ready to tell the story. The
name then becomes a segue to a larger story. It starts with the name and tagline
and then continues to the :15 second elevator speech and beyond.

One of our clients we named was TKO Surgical. When asked if that’s a boxing
reference, our client gives an emphatic “yes,” explaining that they have a mission to
both defend and fight for their clients’ needs. They’ll champion their cause and
remain in their corner until the last bell sounds. Their tag line? “Technically
Superior.”

So whether a name is based on a metaphor, a key attribute, an acronym, or a
positive connotation, the overarching goal is to create a name that engages.
Perhaps that’s why Albert Einstein asserted that “Imagination is more important than
knowledge.” If given the choice of engaging vs. informing, opt for a name that begs
for more. It may seem weird, but the results can be wonderful.

Phillip Davis is a nationally recognized naming and branding expert with over twenty years experience in naming regional, national and multi-national companies. His branding work includes PODS, TeamLogicIT and CogHead.com, among many others. Phil has written extensively on naming and branding, being featured in numerous national business publications. His company naming work can be seen at http://www.PureTungsten.com

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