It's Never Just About the Name
"Is it in there?". That hopeful question often comes just before the first presentation of proposals. Clients are looking for the ultimate name. One that captures the whole story, nails the positioning, resonates with customers and employees, has the right tone, a free URL, and preferably a hint of genius. Something that already feels like a brand.
It's a completely human reaction. If you've poured time and energy into building a product or company, of course you want a name that feels exciting and inevitable.
But the truth is, a name on its own is just a word. It's not a brand. Not yet.
If Apple had been called Tulip, chances are we'd be typing away on Tulip laptops. The success of Apple was not in the name, but in the vision, design and execution. Tulip, by the way, was an actual hardware brand. Nice name. Didn't make it.
And if Heineken had been named Philips, and Philips had been named Heineken, we might be sipping a cold Philips Premium Pilsner under warm Heineken lighting. The point is simple. It's not the name that builds the brand. It's the brand that gives power to the name.
A Name is a Foundation, Not a Shortcut
Your name is the foundation. It's the starting point, not the full story. It doesn't need to sy everything, but it does need to be distinctive, with the ability to grow as your brand evolves.
The key decision isn't about finding the name. It's about choosing what kind of name will serve the business. Descriptive or abstract? Real words or invented? Emotional or functional? That choice is dependent on the proposition on the table.
Multiple directions can be an option, but whatever the choice, any name still needs to meet give essential conditions:
- Strategic relevance
- Communicative power
- Linguistic
- Digital availability
- Legal viability
Only when those are in place does it make sense to listen to gut feeling. Then you can fall in love.
No Magic Bullets, Just Smart Process
Naming isn't guesswork or genius inspiration. It's a structured creative process. The more complex the challenge, the more important it is to approach it with a clear framework.
A well-run naming process builds alignment among decision-makers. It turns subjective taste into shared logic. It creates positive momentum, not instant euphoria. And that's exactly what's needed to build a brand that lasts.
A strong name won't fix a weak brand. But a smart name, built on the right foundation, can help a strong brand go further.
Wondering how to navigate your naming challenges and create naming that works? Let's talk.
Send us an email or drop us a DM or comment on LinkedIn - we'd love to hear your toughest naming challenge.
Next in the series: Strategic Fit
In the next post, we'll explore how to evaluate a name against your long-term business and brand goals, and what happens when that fit isn't there.
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