Today’s Tip
Best Practice: Attribute name provides a feature or strategic advantage to help people understand what you sell. Example: Jiffy Lube.
Today’s Article: Creating an Attribute Company Name
Attribute names provide a feature or strategic advantage to help people understand what you sell. Examples: build around speed: Jiffy Lube, Fast Sign, or Sir Speedy.
Pros: Allows the name to be associated with a main feature or strategic advantage.
Cons: May be difficult to find a trademark free matching domain name.
Other examples of attribute company names: Clean Energy Fuels, Clean Harbors, Discount Tire, Extended Stay America, Fast Retailing, First Data, Fresh Del Monte Produce, Genuine Parts, Good Times Restaurants, Mattress Firm, QuickTrip, Performance Food Group, Pure Cycle Corporation, Quicklogic Corporation, Save Mart Supermarkets, Service Now, Simply Be Well, Sports Authority, Superior Uniform Company, The Fresh Market, Urban Outfitters etc.
Brand Name Filter
The brand name filter below will help you objectively evaluate how available and good a name is.
Number System: 0-poor, 1-fair, 2-good, 3-excellent.
___ Easy to Say and Pronounce
___ Easy to Remember
___ Easy to Spell
___ Name is Web-Ready: Exact Match Domain Name with no hyphen (Domain Search)
___ Trademark is Available (Trademark Search)
___ Available in Your State (Online check with your State Department of Incorporation)
___ Social Media Identity Availability (Example Facebook (B2C), LinkedIn (B2B), etc.)
___ Stands out from the Competition in a Favorable Way
___ Has no Negative Meanings (Example: when translated to a foreign market’s language)
___ Name Allows You to Add New Services or Products in the Future
___ Number of Points
Action Step: Make a list of words to create a company name with a feature or strategic advantage to help people quickly understand what you sell. Take the list of words and start combining them until you come up with 1-3 that you like. Next go to the name filter above to evaluate them.
Note: If you are having trouble coming up with a name that you like and is rated high by the brand filter, it may be time to look for an outside source to help you i.e. Ask the Expert .
Recommendation: In a branding process, it is important to look at name possibilities in different name categories: Literal, Legacy, Initials/Numbers, Word Combination, New Invented, Related, Alliteration or Rhyme and Inquiring. This helps you expand they way you look at your company, to find the best name to connect with your target market, that stands out from the competition and reflects your brand position.
Additional Resources
Return to Company Naming Return to Brand Library Return to Brand Yourself
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