Your name will be on your signboard, invoices, website, app icon and social pages for years. It is worth doing properly. Here is the process brand naming consultants use, simplified so you can follow it yourself.
Step 1: Define what the name must do
Write answers to four questions: who are your customers, what do you want them to feel, who are your competitors, and where will the name be used (shop, online, app, several countries)? Your answers become the criteria for judging options.
Step 2: Choose a naming style
- Descriptive: says what you do (for example, "Fast Courier"). Clear but hard to protect and stand out.
- Invented: a new word (such as "Kodak"). Highly distinctive but needs marketing to explain.
- Compound: two words joined (for example, "Facebook"). Often memorable.
- Metaphor: a word with a related meaning (such as "Amazon"). Creates story and emotion.
- Founder or place name: personal and trusted, but limits growth.
Step 3: Generate lots of options
Aim for 100 or more ideas before judging any. Use word lists, other languages, prefixes and suffixes, and combinations. Do not edit while generating.
Step 4: Shortlist with a scorecard
Score each name from 1 to 5 on: easy to say and spell, memorable, fits your positioning, short, and works in Urdu and English. Keep the top 5 to 10.
Step 5: Check availability
- Domain name: a .com or .pk that matches, or a close, clean variation.
- Social handles on the platforms you will use.
- Existing brands in your market: search Google, app stores and local directories.
- Meaning and sound in other languages and dialects.
- Trademark: check the trademark register and consult an IP lawyer before final commitment.
Step 6: Test with real people
Show the final names to 10 to 20 people from your target customers. Ask them to say the name, spell it after hearing it, and tell you what the business does. Their reactions will often change your pick.
Step 7: Build the identity
Once you choose, design a logo, colours and typography, then apply them to your website, app and packaging. If you are launching an app, also think about how the name will work in app stores; see what is app store optimization.
Need help?
Netstech offers brand naming consultancy and UI/UX and brand design. We can also build your website and app under the new name.
Frequently asked questions
Should my business name include a keyword?
It can help people understand what you do, but a distinctive name is easier to protect. Many brands combine a distinctive name with a descriptive tagline.
Is it OK if the .com is taken?
It is better if the domain is available, but a clean variation or a local domain like .pk can work. Avoid names that are easily confused with an existing brand.
How long should a brand name be?
Shorter is usually better: easy to say, easy to remember and readable under an app icon. Two or three syllables work well.