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A PR Guide To Naming

We’re sometimes asked to participate in naming blogs, products, or even brands. I usually begin by thinking about some well-known media and corporate entities with truly standout names (good or bad) and wondering how they were chosen…

Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me
Along with several other memorable and cleverly named NPR properties (“Here’s the Thing,” “Tell Me More”) I imagine that the smart marketing folks at the station listen to the way people really talk and take notes. This elicits names that adhere to a theme but are distinct to each offering.

Don’t Trust the B- in Apt. 23
Like “@#$% My Father Says,” these names employ some “shock” value in the hope of becoming part of the pop culture vernacular. I have no issue with “colorful” language but I think its usage is kind of lazy when it comes to names, particularly since media standards and practices folks won’t even allow the actual names to be printed!

Rules of Engagement
I am particularly fond of double entendre names – smart, to-the-point and often funny. From the beginning of TV time – “Bewitched,” say, through “Arrested Development,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and many others, these thoughtful and layered names are both descriptive and memorable.

Mondelez
What, you don’t know Mondelez? This roundly criticized moniker will take over all of Kraft global snacks soon and suffers from disconnects beginning with merely pronouncing it!

So, as you engage in brainstormings with colleagues and other creative endeavors to develop worthy names, here are a few tips from Entrepreneur Magazine to get you started.
• The name needs to sound good when it’s said aloud
• Use a name that has meaning to it and conveys a benefit
• Avoid weird spellings
• Beware initials
• Be specific
• Test it out on Google AdWords

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