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What’s In A Name? Everything
Products may come and go, but company names can last forever. When starting a new company, take the time to choose a name that distinguishes your business from the competition. Otherwise, even with the best idea or invention, your customers may have a difficult time finding you and your product in an increasingly crowded marketplace.
All entrepreneurs face a classic marketing dilemma: They want a company name that tells consumers exactly what they sell, but descriptively naming a new venue the Country Music Hall, Blues Center or Music Palace creates confusion with other similarly named businesses.
Indeed, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office won’t even register a name that is merely descriptive unless it has acquired a reputation. The standard used by the USPTO in determining whether a name is descriptive is whether it describes an ingredient, quality, characteristic, function, feature, purpose or use of the product. Keep this simple test in mind when choosing a new company name.
Successful company names are suggestive rather than descriptive. When applied to the product, they require imagination, thought or perception to determine the nature of the goods. A hypothetical example of a suggestive company name is the Sunshine Orange Juice Co. Sunshine suggests the nature of the orange juice that the company sells, without immediately describing it.
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Photo by boxofapples.com.
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CoolProducts on September 24th, 2008 11:39 am
Your name is your brand. This is one of the most crucial things one must determine when starting up. Good article!
Angela on September 24th, 2008 2:56 pm
I’ve been gradually working on an article with a similar title, not exactly the same content. Looks like I might need a new subject name of my own. :-) Otherwise, I agree.
The name can be just as, if not more, important than what it is labeling at times.
100kjob on September 24th, 2008 10:55 pm
Just like content is king, I think product and service are more important than a name. This is particular true for an Internet business. From Google, Yahoo to Digg, Twitter, they’re all weird names yet with huge success.
Lennot on September 25th, 2008 10:46 am
I completely agree with “100kjob”.
Of course suggestive or clever name is a plus. However, you create the meaning for the name. No name can save you if you’r product is crappy.
Naturally, bad name can harm one’s business, but does anyone have any prove the name being more important than product or service itself? Even some examples? :)
Teach on September 25th, 2008 12:36 pm
Of course it’s all in the name- just as the blog posts with the most hits have interesting titles……………..it’s all mindgames
Dane on September 25th, 2008 2:11 pm
As someone with the longest and most unwieldy business names (Dane Carlson’s Business Opportunities Weblog), I totally disagree that the name counts more than anything.
Angela on September 25th, 2008 3:02 pm
I have to challenge 100kjob because the product may be more important, but if the name isn’t right there is a good chance the product won’t do as well as it could have.
Then consider a crappy product with a great name. That name will live on, even if it isn’t in a positive light.
cassy on September 25th, 2008 9:15 pm
I agree with 100kjob, the most important is the quality of the products and service. What ever its name if it has a good quality, then im sure it will surely be a successful one.
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