The criteria to create a good brand name

Choosing your brand name is not as easy as it seems. Entrepreneurs often make their decision as soon as possible and to be made according to the availability today of domain names. Zoom on the main criteria to take into account before deciding.

Thinking about your international brand

Many brands are forced to make a name change when it goes internationally. Their brand is difficult to understand or pronounceable abroad, which can become a real brake on expansion. If the names may seem attractive in French and bring you added value to make you understand on the national territory at the beginning, it may cause the reverse in the long term. There are many brands to have changed their rifle and spend astronomical sums during the name change so as not to lose customers, inform them and make themselves know. Taking into account the different translations is one of the first actions to be implemented because you may have a disappointment in other languages ​​with for example a unworthy meaning. Carpooling.fr represents an excellent example by becoming Blablacar.

Remember to seek the history of the different names of famous brands, you will find a source of inspiration there. Look for the names of French brands internationally, you can capture the reasons that led them to change their names and inspire you too.

So,

  • GDF SUEZ -> Engie. …
  • France Telecom -> Orange. …
  • TGV -> Inoui. …
  • Breakfast -> Belvita. …
  • PPR -> Kering. …
  • Laugaraise -> Spanghero. …
  • Thomson CSF -> Thales. …
  • Lunch check -> Up group.

It’s up to you to study the reasons!

Check the consistency of the name compared to the group’s brands

If you are developing several brands, having a group consistency is a good practice. Thinking of a uniformity of all of your brands to prevent a brand from being isolated from others and that you should change new names makes it possible to establish a consistency that will have benefits on all brands. It is often a question for companies to come together to provide readability on the different offers of your business. Users of a unique or almost unique brand will tend to use other brand products. You only have to observe the name change in the SNCF (incredible, ouigo, ouicar, etc.) to understand how to decline the whole under the same banner.

Have a relatively memorable name

Creating a name too long or which we do not know how to write it can represent a real difficulty. It remains difficult for your customers to talk about you or encourage them to promote your service if they only come with difficulty writing or pronouncing your name. So you need to think of a name that is easy to write and that is easy to pronounce. Some brands have decided to go against this principle but had colossal means of communication, which will not necessarily be your case. In the same state of mind, you can think of a relatively short name. The companies that had to change their names because it was too long are legion. Jerry and David’s Guide to the World Wide Web that has become yahoo! represents a good example.

A keyword for search engines

If search engines may put you forward with a keyword, it is a practice that can also be counterproductive. You can be drowned in a number of sites more powerful than yours and never appear first on the list. Another disadvantage, internationalization is rarely possible in this kind of case. Also be careful that this word is protected because it should not be descriptive of your activity to be able to be and follow the entire rule of brand protections. You might quickly be disillusioned by thinking of having protected your brand name when it is not.

The use of the first letter of the alphabet

Well, of course, it is no longer really used for much since in particular the disappearance of the directories or everyone was fighting to start with the letter A or the figure 1. Today, the utility is very limited and most of the Marks hardly care to be no longer in the first letter of the alphabet.

Think of a term that reminds of what your business brings

Certain terms can resume your values ​​or the objective of your business. To cite Blablacar again, it is easy to understand that it is Blabla + because and therefore that the name of the company represents what travelers do and their state of mind as well as the means used. A good way to have your business activity translated through your brand. It is often useful to verify that your name does not have a connotation that reminds of another sector than yours. Some companies have had a lot of difficulty capturing attention due to similar or close name in other sectors.

Your brand name should not exist in the same area

So yes it may seem obvious but a verification is essential when you choose its brand name and in particular on the fact of its availability in the desired classes, which you can control by yourself at the INPI. Be careful because it is not because it does not be written the same as another that he cannot confuse. You must also take into account its pronunciation and it should not mislead other consumers. The Orange brand has experienced it even if the case has ended well.

Check the Available Internet address

You can also check that its Internet address is still available. You might have difficulty recovering the domain name, which could lead you to change after the name so as not to waste time.

If you still doubt the relevance of your brand name, nothing prevents you from making a brainstorming with all the people around you in order to know their opinion. Take people of confidence or keep the result secret so as not to have unpleasant surprises.