choosing the right name for a new product
Do you know any good resources(books, links, courses) from which I can learn how to choose a good name for a new product. This is about marketing I think(but I might be wrong) so I need some guidance.
Thank you
PS: Until now I've find this book which is pretty valuable and right to the topic:
6 Answers
pfiou.... This is almost the hardest part ;-) in one of my startup we changed the name 5 times in one year!
- The domain name should be available in .com
- The name should be easy to remember for someone who doesn't know you and what you do
- Careful about spelling, sometimes by collapsing two word (for your domain) it could be read differently
- Does it work in other language (pronunciation) in case you want to open in other countries
- don't choose funny name if you want to give an image of seriousname.. Forget the "OOPSEE" or stuff like that if you are a medical device company.
- Don't get too stuck on the name.. it might change quickly!!
Amazon has nothing to do with shopping
Apple is a fruit
Mint? fot financial services?
Yahoo? internet portal?
The magic is not finding a name that will be both original and will immediately TELL your customers what you're all about before they even pay a visit...
The magic is building a brand, on a seemingly random word, and making sure LATER every person on earth identifies it with YOU and your product.
so. find a random word that's not a turnoff and that's available -- and name your startup.
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Those are all examples of very large companies that have spent millions of dollars on marketing that brand over a long period of time. While it's great that those examples have succeeded, sometimes it's a cheaper idea to have a name that concisely explains what business you're in. – Jordan 14 years ago
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37signals.com? They started with that name and they've never communicated with aliens. When you have a good product, the name almost never matters, as longas it adheres to certain rules (profanity, style - 'wareZ4U' is not so good for companies).... – Ron M. 14 years ago
There are services that sell pre packaged brand names for .com's. Some include logos, stationary and more to sweeten the deal. If you can afford it, and you lack creativity try reaching out to a firm like that.
NameBase.com is a good sample
I'm a big fan of the OnStartups article about this, have you seen it?
http://onstartups.com/tabid/3339/bid/12156/How-To-Pick-A-Company-Name-Tips-From-The-Trenches.aspx
Recently I wrote about how i came up with my product name. It could give some idea. To follow trend or just go with simple two word name How I came up with my product name?
Here is a link to a guide I recently wrote on how to pick a company name. A lot of the marketing considerations are relevant to picking a product name as well. The guide also discusses trademark registration, which may or may not be important to you.
