How to come up with a good, creative company name?

Inventing the right name for a company is a really heavy piece of bread for an entrepreneur. It often happens that the names of our activities are remembered only because of their mismatch. Such a wrongly chosen nomenclature often becomes an object of derision and a reason for potential customers to give up the services of a particular company. The right name for the industry is only half of the success. In fact, it doesn't always have to be the right choice.

An effective company name is a golden mean to achieve the desired effect in terms of its visual identification. It should above all be well remembered, unique and catchy. While in the case of sole proprietorships, it is enough for the name to be simple, easy to pronounce and memorable for the officials or entities issuing the invoice, when the verbal designation of the company is to become a brand in itself, the matter becomes significantly more complicated. After all, we want to be associated not only with honesty, but also with quality and innovation.

Strong competition on the market also means a lot of words and phrases occupied by the competition. It is worth remembering that in the case of this part of branding, less is more, that is why short and concise terms are included in the price. Take Apple, for example, one of the most recognizable brands in the world. Most people would react with laughter or disbelief if someone told them that their company should be called "Apple". And yet, this time too, simplicity has won.

Also in the case of larger companies, attention should be paid to the ease of pronouncing their potential names. If no one can do it, the name will be useless. Easiness in writing it down is the basis. For this reason, some people who have the ambition to create an international corporation resign from Polish signs when they invent it. Sometimes a foreign phrase will even work as a name for a small, domestic company - after all, people often prefer what they think is worldly. However, this does not mean that Polish word games, which are becoming more and more popular, need to be abandoned altogether - especially local products, which are best suited to typically Polish words.



Where to look for inspiration? For example, in dictionaries! Do you see a word you like the sound of? Or maybe it requires only a few modifications and after using them will turn out to be a brilliant idea for a name? You can always tempt yourself with your own neologism! The word mix will be accurate, provided that you use a combination of at least two words to give you a completely new meaning. Example? Facebook. Do you want your company name to be identified with you, but your name on the list seems a little too long or, in your opinion, doesn't sound very interesting? You can always use only your name or initials for the brand name. M&S? Marks & Spencer.



You can also get ideas for the name from literature, after all books are a treasure trove of countless words. Pay attention to everything from fiction and white poems to mythology and folk tales. Consider that many of the world's brand names have been created with the help of the owner's family and friends. Common brainstorming, and sometimes a randomly thrown word or sentence can be a prelude to inventing the most catchy name of all time! Remember that at the beginning you can always start simply by exploring the Internet. 



Richard Branson, a British entrepreneur and billionaire and owner of Virgin Group, with over 400 different companies, says that company names can be either descriptive or aspirational. Descriptive will immediately suggest to all potential customers what services or products are provided by our company. The aspirational name of the company will perfectly define what our business will be in the future - the distant or quite close one.

If you want to optimize your website for a search engine, SEO specialists will alert you: a company name that matches your business profile may be better than an abstract name. The reason is simple: a word from a particular field, often searched by Internet users, may cause your website to be displayed in Google results. It would be a shame not to use the free way to find customers, wouldn't it? Of course, a word often appearing in search engines, used in the name of the company, does not necessarily appear on the first Google page. The name alone is not enough, you have to keep up with the algorithms. When you're looking to attract customers in a different way than through search engines, seriously consider a second type of name. 



The most common mistakes made when registering a trademark include the unproven availability of the domain. What's the great name if you can't set up a dedicated website for your company? The ends of -ex, -bud and -pol will not turn out to be a good solution either, nor will copying another brand and its ideas (including those related to the name). If you are planning to conquer foreign markets, you must verify what your chosen name means in other languages. Remember the Osram bulbs. And don't let yourself do the same. And last but not least - naming the company after you or someone close to you... Well, it will only bring to mind a shop with an uninteresting assortment, located somewhere in a worse district of the city. It's really nothing original, so for your own good, let it go. 



To sum up, a good name should be unique, so that your brand will be noticed, recognized and remembered more quickly. The name of your business must also go directly to your customers, evoke positive associations and be suggestive! Persuasion is necessary. The hidden message has already paid off for many companies. And he'll pay you, too.