Creating a selling brand name!

Choosing an appropriate name that will differentiate products from competitor products and reflect the attention-grabbing features of the products is as important as branding strategies. We are in an era where defining a brand name is becoming more challenging with each passing day. In this era of increasing competition and communication, creating a brand name, which is the most important element of differentiation, is like searching for a needle in a haystack. We can see the rapid development and change of communication and marketing in the brand names that we periodically encounter. When we look at the brands from earlier periods, we can see that brands like Kiğılı, Ülker, Koçtaş, etc., benefited from the names or surnames of the brand founders. Even today, we see that the reliability of brands named after their founders is attributed to the founders.

A brand name is defined as an explanatory form that reflects the promises of the brand. Additionally, an effective brand name integrates the functional and symbolic components of the brand’s promise, ensuring that customers are familiar with the brand identity and brand positioning strategy. In short, the most important differentiator that sets a brand apart from others is the proper definition of the brand name.

The first step before starting the brand naming process should be to decide what kind of name would suit the product or service. Making decisions without these considerations would be like rowing in the ocean. According to research, a product with a common name does not sell as well as a product with an interesting name. If a product with an ordinary name fails in the market, it will be difficult to benefit from changes made to the product. Therefore, the first ideas for defining a brand name are often obtained by seeking help from advertising agencies or marketing research institutions. Firms that conduct research on brand names use methods such as:

Challenge tests (What kind of image comes to mind?)

Learning tests (Can the name be easily pronounced?)

Recall tests (How is the name remembered?)

Choice tests (Which names were selected?)

There are many types of names:

Interesting names that sound good but have no meaning (Sony, Kodak)

Names unrelated to the product's functions (Panda, Omo)

Names reflecting the product's quality or function (Yünsa)

Names indicating what the product does or is (Silen, Yumoş)

Words from other languages (Lux)

Names of company founders (Ford, Vakko, Gillette, Hilton, Honda, Dell, Ülkər)

Names of famous people (Lincoln, Napoleon)

Regional names (BMW, BP, Marlboro)

Nature-inspired names (animals, plants) (Palmolive, Apple, Coca-Cola, Shell)

Initials of the company (IBM, BMW)

Three main functions of a brand name:

It describes a good or service that allows the consumer to decide whether to accept it.

It communicates symbolic or functional (or both) messages that describe the brand’s characteristics, establishing communication with the customer.

It protects the value of the company with a legal defense function.

Criteria to consider when determining a brand name:

It should be easy to remember and pronounce. Long brand names can often jeopardize a potentially profitable market.

It should reflect the product's benefits and quality. Attention should be paid to choosing a brand name that aligns with the product's functions (Head & Shoulders).

It should be distinctive. It should not resemble competitors, and names should contain features that introduce and differentiate the product.

Attention should be paid to sound, letter, and grammatical features.

It should be adaptable. It should also be suitable for future products that will be added to the product line.

It should be internationally compatible. The name should not have negative effects in international markets.

In short, creating a brand name that aligns with the brand strategy and promise will minimize marketing costs, help you remain memorable in consumers' minds, and differentiate you from your competitors.