I read somewhere that a name should be like the point of a knife – it should open up the mind to let the marketing message penetrate. That always stuck with me, and in a world so rich with the undifferentiated competition this seems now more important than ever.
Ideally, a name should start the process of understanding for your product with the potential customer. Head and Shoulders is a great name for a shampoo. Muck Off is a great name for a cleaning product for mountain bikes. These names waste no time explaining exactly what the product does.
Some companies seem to get away with this – after all, what the hell is a Google? This is possible by being the first company in a field, but the rest of us have to play by far simpler rules.
Give your business or product a simple, descriptive name. Let the name explain what you do. Anything kooky here will likely just serve to confuse and damage your ability to get to market. I wish I had thought of this when I called my own business Bowler Hat. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.
