WHAT'S IN A NAME & THE NAMING PROCESS
So at this point we should have written our short synopsis/bio that will go on the back of our book. We should also have a pretty good idea of what the designer/studio is all about. Now we need to come up with a name for the book. There is a lot of bookstores out there and a lot of books so having a good name will go some way to getting people to notice us. Especially if we want to use the best form of advertising... word of mouth.
In today’s online marketplace it is essential to have a name that stands out from the increasing clutter. Books especially are a dime a dozen, just look around a bookstore one day, this makes a good name even more important. A name must resonate with the customer and relate to the designer/studio you're doing it for.
The first thing to do is start listing potential names? Not necessarily. Don’t run before you can walk. It's time to exercise those creative muscles and go through the process, a little bit of time spent here could pay off big time later. What I've included below is a method for creating names that's used in the industry. It's all pretty obvious but it's important you go through the steps. Get a big piece of paper, a couple of pens and make a mess. Use whatever technique you are fond of; mind maps, association lists etc. just start getting words down and make sure you don't critique as you go - do that later.
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TOOLS
Before we get to the step by step guide, lets have a look at some tools you'll need. Use a dictionary and a thesaurus and write down all the extra words that they give you, these are some of the strongest tools you'll have available at this point. Remember this is not a test; don’t be pedantic about the words you write down, it’s more important that you get all the stuff out of your head and onto the paper. You should be writing down one word, looking it up in/on the thesaurus, checking it's meaning in the dictionary, writing down any other words that present themselves to you, checking the encyclopedia, seeing what else that leads on to. In an essence this is just another way of creating a mind map. You are going from one thought to the next, constantly evolving and delving deeper into the core of your company. It should be a time of learning and discovery; it should feel like a mental game of ping-pong.
Mind-maps and association lists are a great way to get loads of ideas down quickly and concisely. It can be as colourful as you want, the actual process is really what opens doors in your head. Spend half an hour devoted to coming up with as many names as you can - you'll be surprised how many will appear if you focus completely. Mind-maps and association lists help you do that.
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Step 1 - Brainstorming
Begin by finding words that:
- Describe your product category. What does your cause hope to do? If you had to describe your cause in one word - what would it be?
- Describe the differences between you and your competition. Is there someone doing something similar out there already? What's your U.S.P?
- Describe other benefits of your product. These benefits may include product history, customer points of view, the target market. The list could go on and on. It's important to look at all angles of your product.
Sometimes just one word will work by itself, other times you might start to see interesting combinations that work better. This is when you can start using:
- Affiliations – Two or more words put together that link in a positive way. Our brains are remarkable when it comes to drawing connections between things. By finding associations our minds learn and increase their memory (see more about this in the inspiration bit below.)
- Acronyms – A name formed by combining initial letters or parts of words, such as NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation), laser (light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation), AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) and IBM (International Business Machines). Using the initial letter of words (or word parts) in a phrase or name they are publicly known as this abbreviation rather than the full forms for which they stand. They are usually pronounced in a way that is distinctive from the full forms: as the names of individual letters (IBM), as a word (NATO), or as a combination (IUPAC).
CASE STUDY - Acronyms
National Australia Bank, Minnesota Mining and Manufcturing, SKY PEer-to-peer, Special Broadcasting Service, Svenska Aeroplan AB, World Wide Fund for Nature (formerly World Wildlife Fund) and Federation International of Football Association.
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Step 3 – Test against some rules
When you begin to think you have some possible names you should decide on some rules you will follow. Here are some rules to test your names against:
- Is it sensory, meaningful and easy to remember – this may be a customer’s first introduction to the company/product/magazine so it should resonate a meaning with them. Lush soaps?
- Is it spelt as it sounds and easily pronounced – people need to be able to write down the name and pass it on to others. Remember people may have to write you cheques or publicise you in other media – what happens if they spell or say your name wrong? Does anyone know the company called GOOGOL?
- Does it require too much explanation – Do people get it or do you need to provide a detailed 20-page document to explain how creative you have been by choosing that name. It’s good to be creative but remember the K.I.S.S. mantra.
- Does it evoke a positive mental image with the target market – ‘Death to Capitalist Pigs’ might work for a punk fanzine but probably not for a computer magazine. Think about how the audience will view it; does it describe benefits over negatives?
- Will it grow and stay relevant - the company may want to market completely different products in the future so limiting a name to it’s current range could prove detrimental. Also don’t attach yourself to any trends or fads (having ‘groovy’ in your name might’ve worked 20 years ago but not now. What words do we use now that will date badly in the future?)
- Does the meaning always stay the same – Does the name have any negative connotations in other languages or countries?
- Does it have limited syllables – the lower the syllables the more punch your name has.
- Does each syllable start with a strong consonant - (B, C, D, G, K, P, Q, T)
- Does it begin with letters early in the alphabet – with the amount of things listed in alphabetical order (phone books, trade shows, business papers etc.) it makes sense to be at the front. Or does it?
Of course, in the real world, after you’ve thought about all this you need to make sure the name is available. Check the web to see if there is another company out there already with the same name. More importantly you should check to see if the URL is vacant.
Conclusion
While this might seem like a lot of trouble to go to it is a worthwhile process and one that will ultimately serve you and the client best. Having a good name to base a publication on will make every step after this easier. It will also take you a long way with 1st impressions, an important thing when you want to stand out in the crowded newsagent or book store.
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WORD-MARKS
A word-mark uses the company name with proprietary letterforms. In other words, it uses the whole name but does so in a company associated typeface. That typeface could be bought, modified or created, but should normally only be used when displayed as a logo. To overuse the typeface elsewhere minimizes the power it should have.
Quite often when using a word-mark the designer will try to convey some of what the company does. If the company is involved in liquids, they may add the sense of waves flowing through the letters. The focus remains on the word/name but there is a secondary element, which helps suggest more about the brand.
Advantages
The proliferation of logos in the world has made recognition of symbols very difficult. Using the entire name sidesteps the problem with recognition. When asked if the Mobil logo belongs to Mobil, most people would agree that it does.
Disadvantages
If not handled skilfully, a word-mark alone may be generic and lack mnemonic value. It is also limited to words that can be spoken phonetically, no silent letters or exotic ways of pronouncing etc.
Shelter - Designed by Johnson Banks, in 2003.
Families - Designed by Herb Lubalin, in 1980.
Mother & Child - Also designed by Herb Lubalin
Democrazy - designed by Plan B
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HOMEWORK Class 02
You should aim to have three different names for next week. To each of these names you should attribute a rationale (explanation of what it means, where it comes from.)
In class we'll discuss them and work out which one works best.
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INSPIRATION & EXTRAS
Each week I throw up things I find that relate to what we've been discussing or working on that week. Sometimes it might be things that relate to your major assessment and sometimes just stuff I thought was worth seeing. If you find something you think we should be showing or something we just have to see let us know in class or throw an email over to me at matt@billyblue.com.au and I'll get it up here or on the Bluni inspiration site.
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