We have all heard of branding agencies, advertising agencies, communication agencies, digital marketing agencies, etc. There are agencies for almost anything. But what about naming agencies? While lesser known, naming agencies have gained traction lately, and we believe it's because of the increased difficulties in finding legally available trademark names.
So, what exactly is a naming agency? A naming agency (also known as naming firm, naming consultancy, or brand naming agency) specializes in creating trademark names for businesses, products, or pharmaceuticals. The team consists of professional naming consultants who have a linguistic degree or a strong interest in languages. These consultants are not only highly creative but also have a deep understanding of markets and trends. The goal of hiring a naming agency is to create communicative brands and legally strong trademarks, that are ready to be charged with your values, and stories, and resonate with your target audiences. These agencies effectively manage the decision-making process, aligning all (emotional) opinions within your organization and creating buy-in for the new name. Through a guided naming process, the agency ensures that the final name is chosen based on sound rationale.
There are multiple methods and categorizations for naming, and at Skriptor Zigila, we usually employ one of the two methods that work best for us, as they are logical and easy to understand.
Each category has its pros and cons that are worth considering and discussing. As a rule of thumb:
· A corporate brand should be an abstract name, as it's unique and at the end of the day, your identity.
· Services and products should never compete with the main brand, and thus are better suited for associative, descriptive, and/or positioning names.
It’s important to note that finding a catchy business name is a process of many iterations rather than the ‘Eureka!’ moment portrayed in movies.
In cooperation with IP firms and later branding agencies, the name is eventually given legal protection, and a visual identity before being marketed.
A naming process may look different depending on what the client is looking for. In most cases, a full-service naming project is the most optimal way as it allows creativity and input flow. In all cases, it starts with a briefing, to get to know each other and fully understand what is being named. This becomes the foundation for the creative development (or creative phase) where many paths are explored in close cooperation with the client to find relevant themes and word elements. Workshops are necessary for successful name development, as it’s important to give some context behind the proposals and have the team discuss openly about them and give feedback. The most overlooked part is the screenings of the selected names – and a professional and capable naming agency will conduct both preliminary legal screenings and linguistic screening in relevant markets to ensure that the names have a high chance of success. In the last stage, a trademark attorney should be contacted for extensive legal screenings and clearance.
A naming agency serves as the perfect partner if you wish to have an experienced team guide you through common pitfalls, such as generic names or names that lack distinctiveness, and find creative naming solutions that work. On top of that, they often understand the technical side, such as linguistic and legal questions to help you out in the early stages. They bridge the important gap between legal and creative aspects, a balanced middleman that allows you to stretch your imagination within legal limits. In many cases, naming agencies often have a network of partners who can assist with logotypes and brand profiles, and would be happy to help you out if needed.
At our naming agency, we have been assisting companies of all sizes in every market for many, many years. Our services are naming strategy, naming, pharma naming, linguistic screenings, legal research, and naming implementation. You can learn more about our previous experience here or contact us if you have any questions or are casually interested in naming.
