A No-Nonsense Approach to Naming Your Small Business, Product or Service with a Big Idea. By Tanj Branding LLC

1. You Name It
A No-Nonsense Approach to
Naming Your Small Business,
Product or Service with a Big Idea
Scott Milano
Managing Director
Tanj Branding LLC
scott@tanj.co
www.twitter.com/tanj_nyc
www.tanj.co

2. 2Copyright © Tanj Branding LCC. All rights reserved.
Hi, I’m Scott Milano

3. 3Copyright © Tanj Branding LCC. All rights reserved.
I work with language. I work with brands like these…
the James Irvine foundation

4. Verbal Branding: What’s that?
4Copyright © Tanj Branding LCC. All rights reserved.
Verbal Branding is
how a brand
harnesses the
power of language
to communicate
with the world.
Sir Mortimer Marcus
Aurelius Lambent III

5. How does a brand “harness” the power of language?
5Copyright © Tanj Branding LCC. All rights reserved.
Brand Name
Brand Story
Tagline
Brand Voice
Key Brand Messages
Copy in Communications

6. Copyright © Tanj Branding LCC. All rights reserved. 6
Brand Names

7. Copyright © Tanj Branding LCC. All rights reserved. 7
Think about all these famous brands

8. Copyright © Tanj Branding LCC. All rights reserved. 8
Now strip away the color…

9. Coca-Cola
McDonald's
GAP
TOYOTA
Colgate
bp
BMW
Citibank
Volkswagen
SONY
adidas
GUCCI
Disney
at&t
Mercedes-Benz
NOKIA
BOEING
Kellogg’s
Kodak
Merrill Lynch
Microsoft
intel
Levi’s
Pfizer
Goldman
Sachs
KRAFT
Gillette
KFC
ROLEX
Starbucks
And the form… and you’re left with one thing: the name
Copyright © Tanj Branding LCC. All rights reserved. 9

10. The importance of a name
10Copyright © Tanj Branding LCC. All rights reserved.
Brand names are
important. They
are the first public
act of branding.
They are at the
core of all brands.

11. The importance of a name
Survey of the “Biggest effects on hit products”
11Copyright © Tanj Branding LCC. All rights reserved.
Marketing Professionals (139 respondents)
Source：The Japan Economic Times
Brand Name
Brand Slogan
Brand Character
Brand Logo
Brand Symbol
Package Design
0 20 40 60 80 100%

12. You are here today to learn a…
12Copyright © Tanj Branding LCC. All rights reserved.
No-nonsense, practical
approach to naming your
small business, product or
service with a big idea

13. You will need…
13Copyright © Tanj Branding LCC. All rights reserved.
$
¥
£
€
+
$
¥
£
€

14. First, “time.”
14Copyright © Tanj Branding LCC. All rights reserved.

15. Tip 1. Get Strategic
15Copyright © Tanj Branding LCC. All rights reserved.

16. Tip 1. Get Strategic
16Copyright © Tanj Branding LCC. All rights reserved.
Ask yourself…
Be Different
Be Relevant
What are my
competitors’
names?
What do my
customers really
want?

17. Tip 2. Get Thinking
17Copyright © Tanj Branding LCC. All rights reserved.

18. Tip 2. Get Thinking
18Copyright © Tanj Branding LCC. All rights reserved.
Ask yourself…
Develop
Creative
Themes
(Like “Intelligent& Fresh”)
Allow for Stretch
(You may even go into
Airlines!)
What’s the
essence of my
brand?
Where will it go in
the future?

19. Tip 3. Get Creative
19Copyright © Tanj Branding LCC. All rights reserved.

20. Tip 3. Get Creative
20Copyright © Tanj Branding LCC. All rights reserved.
Now you have to…
Set Aside Time,
Sit Down,
And Actually
Create Names…
Lots of them!
It’s about Quality & Quantity.

21. Think about all the different kinds of names you can create
21Copyright © Tanj Branding LCC. All rights reserved.
Construct
Acronym
Real Word
Coined
(compound)
Coined
(one-word)
Phrase
BMW
Mini
Lexus
Land Rover
Hybrid
Synergy
Drive
Expression
Functional
Benefit
Aspirational
Descriptive
Suggestive
Acura
Volkswagen
Infiniti
General
Motors
Corporation
Lotus

22. Creativity vs. Communication
22Copyright © Tanj Branding LCC. All rights reserved.
Remember, the more “creative” your name is, the more money you’ll likely
spend to build meaning into that name and develop you brand’s story…
Also remember, the more “descriptive” your brand name is, the more generic
and commoditized it can become…
$80,000,000*
(ad spend during
launch)
* http://www.digidaydaily.com/stories/microsoft-s-80-million-ad-spend-paying-off-for-bing/

23. Now that you’ve got all these great names…
23Copyright © Tanj Branding LCC. All rights reserved.

24. Tip 4: Shortlist & Decide
24Copyright © Tanj Branding LCC. All rights reserved.
Shortlist and select the final candidate based on the criteria most
important to your business and your brand
Trademark
Available?
Quick Google
Search?
Consumer
evaluation?
URL available?
Memorable?
Fit to Brand?
Easy to
Pronounce?
No Negative
Meaning?
Allows for
Stretch?
Fit to Strategy?

25. If a candidate meets all your criteria and rises to the top…
25Copyright © Tanj Branding LCC. All rights reserved.
Nice work!
You’ve got yourself
a new brand name!

26. Now let’s review
26Copyright © Tanj Branding LCC. All rights reserved.
1. Get Strategic
2. Get Thinking
3. Get Creative
4. Shortlist & Decide

27. Now… the “Money”
27Copyright © Tanj Branding LCC. All rights reserved.
$
¥
£
€
$
¥
£
€
$
¥
£
€
$
¥
£
€
$
¥
£
€
$
¥
£
€

28. Costs to keep in mind (sorry, rough numbers only)
28Copyright © Tanj Branding LCC. All rights reserved.
• Creative Development (just you)
• Creative Development (pro help)
• Linguistic Screening (pro help)
• Trademark Screening (pro help)
• Trademark Registration (just you)
• URL Registration (just you)
0
$,$$$ - $$,$$$
$$$ - $,$$$
$$$ - $,$$$
$$$ - $,$$$
$$

29. A final note…
29Copyright © Tanj Branding LCC. All rights reserved.
Naming is deceivingly difficult. And it becomes even harder
when you have to name something for yourself. But now that
you have some general tips and direction on how to name your
new small business, product or service, we’re confident you’ll
be able to create a big idea. Best of luck, and if you run into
trouble along the way, feel free to drop us a line.
Scott Milano
scott@tanj.co
http://tanj.co
http://twitter.com/tanj_nyc

30. Thank you!
Scott Milano
Managing Director
Tanj Branding LLC
scott@tanjbranding.com
www.tanjbranding.com
www.twitter.com/tanj_nyc