DEVELOP A BRAND NAME

“A name will last longer than any other

investment you make in your business.
Whether people see it on your storefront,
read it on your badge at a tradeshow, or see
it on their caller ID, your brand name makes
a critical first impression--even more than
your shoes.”
Branding - a way of defining your business
to yourself, your team and your external
audiences. It could be called the business’
“identity”, that it embodies the core of
what the business is and its values, not just
what it looks and sounds like.
Benefits of a Good Brand
1. It leads to
higher sales and better brand
differentiation because customers
connect emotively to a brand
 2. IT leads to
loyalty, advocacy and can even protect
the price in times when competitors rely
on promotional discounts to drive sales
3. It gives the
business the ideal platform from which
to extend its offering or range.
How to Successfully Implement Branding
1. Start by defining your brand. Know
the character that your brand is trying to
portray, and use it well to connect with
your customers and differentiate you in
the market.
2. When building your brand, think of
it as a person. Like any human being
with his own personality, understand
the “personality” behind your brand.
3. Consider what is driving your
business. Consider the company vision,
mission, and its brand heroes. They can
help establish your emotive brand
positioning and inform the identity and
character for brand communications.
4. Aim to build long-term relationships
with your customers. Don’t dress up
your offering and raise expectations that
result in broken promises, create trust
with honest branding — be clear who
your company is and be true to the
values that drive it every day.
5. Speak to your customers with a
consistent tone of voice. It will help
reinforce the business’ character and
clarify its offering so customers are
aware exactly what to expect from the
product or service.
6. Don't repeat the same message in
the same way over and over
again. Alternatively, aim to make your
key messages work together to build a
coherent identity.
7. Don’t try to mimic the look of chains
or big brands. Leverage on customers
who are looking for something more
original and authentic that aligns with
how they feel about themselves.
 8. Be innovative, bold and daring –
stand for something you believe in. Be
flexible and try to always meet the ever-
changing needs of customers.
9. Always consider your branding
when communicating with customers.
Don't lose your pride or dilute your
brand positioning with indiscriminate
discounting. Try offering more, rather
than slashing prices. Promotions are an
opportunity to reinforce your brand
mission.
10. The old way of stamping your logo
on everything won't cut it. The future of
branding is fluid and engaging — respect
your customers' intelligence by not
giving everything away up front.
Generate some intrigue and allow them
to unearth more about your brand for
themselves.
Common Brand Name Problems:
1. Names are not spelled the way they
sound
 2. They cause problems for journalists
and word processing spell checkers
3. Names are meaningful to company
founders but not to customers
(examples are Squrl, Ipiit, Mogad,
Loud3r, SmolkSignal, Xboni, and Tcho
Qualities of a Great brand name
Suggestive. Evokes a positive brand
experience. When Jeff Bezos decided to call
his new online retailer Amazon, he knew
that the name was synonymous with
enormous. And, that is indeed what the
retailer has become.
Meaningful. Your customers "get it." A
name must resonate with potential
customers no matter when and where they
encounter it--chances are, you won't be
around to explain it to them. Examples
include Kryptonite bike locks and Repel
insect repellent.
Imagery. Visually evocative to aid in
memory. It's much easier for your
customers to remember a name that
conjures up a memorable image in their
minds than one that is tied to a random
acronym or unfamiliar name. Examples
include Irish Spring soap and Range Rover
SUVs.
Legs. Lends itself to a theme for extended
mileage. These names provide lots of
potential for wordplay and verbal branding
opportunities. Examples include Get a Grip
tea (Republic of Tea) and Chunky Monkey
ice cream (Ben & Jerry's).
Emotional. Moves people, and makes an
emotional connection. Examples include
Obsession fragrance and Snuggle fabric
softener.