Brand naming B2B: what to consider, also in specialised markets

What are brand naming and the brand name?

By “brand naming” we mean the whole set of activities needed to find trade names able to sell, to be remembered and to represent the brand.

It brings together several distinct disciplines, such as linguistics, marketing and law, especially the branch that deals with intellectual property.

The brand naming activity produces the brand name, the proper name of the brand.

What is a brand name for?

It serves to provide an identity, just like a person’s given name, but also to evoke the values of the brand.

A brand name then makes a business recognisable, by evoking images, sensations and emotions.

From a word, which is nothing more than a set of letters, an experience develops, that of the brand.

However, for this to happen, the word chosen in the brand naming activity must not be random and must always be placed within a communication strategy.

Otherwise, it simply stays a word.

A successful b2b brand naming strategy must be able to identify a word that can be turned into a proper name,
one that tells the story of the brand and becomes its synthesis.

→ The name, the starting point of every brand

For a good brand naming B2B strategy it is essential to have a clear idea of what a good name should be like for a brand.

It must:

1. Be clear and concise;
2. Stay impressed in those who hear or read it;
3. Have a well-defined purpose;
4. Be aware of its meaning and its role;
5. Be original, not trite or predictable;
6. Be built on simplicity;
7. Be relevant, without losing the ability to surprise;
8. Represent what sets the brand apart from competitors;
9. Be designed to last, since it will accompany the brand throughout its whole life.

Generic names and distinctive names, and more

Despite the list of “rules to follow” we have just seen, creativity is often at the root of every brand naming activity. Often, but not always.

In fact, in some cases creativity is not needed, as with generic names or acronyms.

That is right, not all names are alike! There are:

Generic names

This term refers to names that point to the service offered. For example, the software “PDF to Word” has a name that leaves no doubt about what the service offers.

Be careful: describing a service in detail with a generic name can become limiting. This is because it can prevent the brand from growing, evolving and expanding, or force it into a renaming.

Descriptive names

These do not describe a service, but evoke an idea. They can clearly set the brand apart from other businesses with similar services and give it a strong personality. Some examples of brands with distinctive names are:

• com: born in 1999, it takes its name from the character in the Persian tale ‘One Thousand and One Nights’, known everywhere also for “Open Sesame“, a formula that grants access to precious treasures.
• com: chosen by the company’s founder, Jeffrey P.Bezos, in his brand naming strategy because the river of the same name recalls the company’s immense catalogue.

Invented names

These are etymological inventions. They make it possible to express one’s creativity and freedom, and can become highly identifying. An example? Adidas, Kodak, and more! The brand naming process often starts from a Latin or Greek name, reworked to best embody the personality of the brand.  Be careful, because these are not evocative names!

Lexical names

That is, those that use a play on words in name branding to be memorable.

Not only that: compound words, alliterations, syncrasis, onomatopoeias, intentional spelling mistakes and foreign wordsare other useful ways to generate them.

One example is the Tumblr brand, but also Grindr, Flickr, … they are all missing a letter!  Skype too falls into this category, since it is obtained by joining the words “sky” and “peer-to-peer”!

Names derived from acronyms

Very common, just think of BMW (which stands for “Bayerische Motoren Werke” – Bavarian engine factory) or MTV (that is, “Music Television”).  They are functional and extremely practical, but they often lack meaning and emotion.

Geographic names

They work very well when tied to “cool” destinations, just look at the success of Made in Italy around the world. Or they can be tied to companies that in the past addressed a geographically limited audience.

An example? American Airlines!

Names that refer to the founder

Perhaps among the most common in the world of fashion and also in law firms, they take the name of the person who founded the brand.  They tend to come across as historic and serious brands.

→ How do you do brand naming B2B?

There are different name branding techniques, since every creative has their own path to reach the perfect name.

However, there are some common rules. For example:

1. It is important to start by asking the right question: what do you want to communicate with the name?
2. You also need to identify the commercial proposition, as well as the elements that can set the brand apart from the competition.
3. Once you have identified these elements, you move on to the creative phase. Here you can work with concept maps, mind maps, brainstorming, … everyone has their own winning technique.
4. In brand naming, the selection is not just a matter of taste. After identifying a shortlist of available names, you move on to checking feasibility from the legal, linguistic and marketing point of view.
   1. Legally, the name must be free, even better if a domain is available.
   2. From the linguistic point of view, it must be simple to pronounce, memorable and, if necessary, exportable beyond national borders without any chance of misunderstanding.
   3. Finally, from the point of view of corporate marketing it must be consistent with the message the brand wants to communicate, but also with the target audience.