Names, names, names. And indeed, what riches there are, what choice! A treasure chest to communicate brand soul, with words being the tools of the trade.
Descriptive names, acronym names, founder names, invented names spanning the purely invented, mashed-up, smashed-up, pureed, shaken and stirred, foreign names (real and foreign-sounding), poetic, rhyming, names, experiential names, generic adjective-based names (e.g. advanced, superior, ultra, etc.) Evocative names that are metaphoric not literal, that rise above the product offered, and paint a bigger picture. Many of the most well-known brands have evocative names. The best of them lean into shared cultural knowledge, imagery, or association and usually work on multiple levels.
A brand name is the first act of brand creation. Before products, before places, before promises, there is a word that must hold an idea. At its best, a name distils intention into language, pointing to character, ambition and impact.
Part poetry, part architecture: shaped by sound and meaning, but built to carry weight over time. With a luxury logo and visual identity, it will grow hopefully into something larger than the word itself.
A brand name is of course a hugely important part of a brand strategy.
Important because the company or brand name is the first contact with your customer and its most elemental marketing communication. The name becomes a natural, authentic extension of your brand, and demonstrates to the world the values of your brand positioning.
For many companies, the name is the brand, and it sets the tone for everything it does. People will remember strong brand names and, if they are done well, they produce an emotional connection.
Names - words - have the power to shape worlds both real and imagined.
To distil a story, its elements and all the associated emotions and rationality into a single word or phrase is no small feat. It takes creative brand naming consultants.
Emotional benefit, cut through, memorability, originality, promise, impact, alliance to brand proposition, the right cultural connotations, imagery and meaning – naming can be complex and take time.
Brand name generation strategy
Thinking strategically is a smart starting point. Business objectives and rationale are as important as the name scope.
The best brand naming companies understand that they are naming the positioning of a company, a product, its tone, personality, its ideology and its story first. Not a mere name for the sake of it.
We are creating a word that starts a conversation or relationship with a consumer.
The creative naming strategy process itself can be personal, emotive, memory-stirring, legally challenging, intensely practical and culturally flexible. But done well they can have immense value and longevity.
History lovers will be interested to learn that Stella Artois can be traced to 1708 when Sebastian Artois bought a brewery and renamed it after himself. (Stella means “star” in Latin). Twinings Tea was founded by Thomas Twining in 1706. In 1891, Marcus Samuel began shipping kerosene from London to India and bringing back seashells for sale in the European markets. Initially, the seashell business was so popular that it accounted for most of the company’s profits. Samuel incorporated the name “Shell” in 1897.
Founded by William Bass in 1777, Bass Ale became the first registered trademark ever issued by the British government. The brand became so popular that Manet featured it in this now iconic, trademark-friendly painting:
We have a brand naming process
Our innovative naming solutions process begins with understanding everything about a company or brand including a range of variable elements depending on the life stage of the company. But these might include its philosophy, vision, business priorities, culture, customer profile, core proposition, competition, planned operation/resources, supply chain and much more.
We also understand the trademarking process which can have a significant impact on launch strategy. It certainly needs due consideration, as well as expert advise from legal experts such as our colleagues at Asenda Law.
Brand naming trends
They come and go but inspiration and techniques remain constant, various and many.
We have etymology, pronunciation, phonetics, linguistics and translations. We have editing, shortening, lengthening, reordering, tinkering. We have personal life stories, corporate origins, science, nature, need states of the markets/ the consumer, mythology, folklore, philosophy, psychology, culture, arts, technology, botany, nature, slang, the celestial realm, architecture, cuisine, history, history, mood, emotion, nuance, colour… the glory of it all at our strategically focussed, commercially conscious, disposal.
All we want is a name that delivers an effective brand identity: tells the story, stimulates interest, is impactful and captivates hearts.
Oh, and it helps if it’s catchy.
‘If you have the words, you'll find the way.’
Said the noted poet Seamus Heaney. We are of course no poets, but we do know our way around language enough to create powerful brand names.
London based Anew are a strategic specialist brand name creation agency. Developing unique creative naming solutions and business names for luxury brands is part of our expertise.
See our brand naming portfolio here. We've named a wide range of companies, brands and ranges across a variety of sectors including entertainment and music, wine, health-tech and finance.
We help companies increase brand profitability through sharper insights, distinctive propositions, creative ideas and faultless execution. We are particularly adept at working directly with luxury brands, business owners, start-ups and entrepreneurs who are committed to sustainability, outstanding quality and craft
To get in touch do drop us an email. We'd be delighted to meet for a coffee, either face-to-face or virtually to discuss your brief.
