Don't Get Cute With Naming

By Guest Blogger Susan E. Jacobsen

I recently came across a blog with relatively decent content, but with just the oddest of names -- Outhouse General Counsel. I had a hard time taking what the blogger wrote seriously because I kept getting caught up in the blog/company name. It struck me as odd and I couldn’t help but shake my head. It was a play on words and while he explained his (il)logic for the name, it really would not jive with anyone outside of the industry he was targeting. The concept made sense, and certainly would be a service that small businesses would welcome, but I couldn’t help but wonder, "Did he really want to hurt his chances of getting business because someone was a bit befuddled by his word choice?!" You may have a fantastic story to back up your company name but without the right positioning - from the get-go - trying to be "cute" can backfire and bite you where it hurts...your bottom, er, bottom-line.



Whether you’re talking about launching a new product, company, some content or blog, there will always be much debate over what constitutes the correct name. Some look to state the obvious, some stay in the abstract and others, well, they just want to be cutesie. It’s easy to get caught up in the name game... spend thousands upon thousands for a professional “naming firm” to do research, competitive analysis and focus groups, or brainstorm with friends and colleagues on a white board.



Any type of name can be effective if it has the right marketing and communications strategy to back it up. As Richard (@laermer) noted in Jumping off the Branding Bandwagon, companies that "bring differentiation to life through compelling communications that motivate customers to love—and buy—it" are the ones that will stand out.

Dennis Goris (@DennisGoris), who has acted as a sounding board for me when I have an idea or creative whim, has been at the helm of identity projects for a number of companies. His work includes name and tagline development. Dennis told me that people make similar mistakes when it comes to the moniker, regardless of what it is they want to name. He subscribes to not "naming the book" until after it's written: “Chances are very high that the perfect title is already somewhere in the copy. This process is more about uncovering the name than thinking one up,” he said. And while that doesn't mean you can't uncover something clever, but “you have a better chance of getting the right name vs. something off base, but so cute you can't let go of.”

It’s easy to get caught up in what you think versus what others will see (“believing your own bull crap”). Sometimes we’re too close to see big picture from potential clients’ viewpoint. Take this photograph for instance. Stare at the image of Einstein for about 30 seconds, and then close your eyes, step away from your computer and then open your eyes. Who do you see now?



A name should convey value (e.g., uniqueness, differentiation) of whatever you are touting—that goes without saying. As entrepreneurs embark on new ventures and others jump on the bandwagon of the blog, the challenge of finding the right name – one that has not been used or disabused – is supremely challenging. Think about why you started your business or what you hoped to accomplish with your entity. What were the criteria you began with? What are your business objectives? What name resonates? What about with others? The best companies and names speak for themselves. Wikipedia's legendary list of company names and naming origins is a handy (and fun) resource.

Blackberry, the stylish top product of Canada’s Research in Motion (RIM), wanted a name for its proud lead product. Ten years ago, the word "blackberry" referred to a spiky purplish-black fruit you probably enjoyed only when it was turned into sweet preserves. Blackberry today is synonymous with an incredibly addictive (CrackBerry) PDA with which we email, phone and browse, among other delicious attributes. When the corporation set out to re-name its lowbrow “RIM pager,” they hired Lexicon Branding. Lexicon’s leader steered away from names that were directly linked to the word email, as their research showed that the word at the time “increased clients' blood pressure.” They soon came to realize that the little buttons on the device appeared to be a “collection of seeds,” so they explored names that were in fact—fruity. While strawberry, melon and, even, veggies were discussed, they chose the blackest of berries. They thought it to be pleasing to most ears and, at the time, the device was entirely black.



Choosing an arbitrary name is risky, sure, but Blackberry had the marketing muscle to support the investment of a new name. Blackberry had an advantage in choosing the name of a fruit because the US Patent and Trademark Office will not trademark generic names.

Product and service naming is a process filled with creative input that, too, requires legal know-how. You to need to create legally permissible, yet creative and unforgettable, names to stop people in their tracks. Those of us in PR then promote these new ditties, so it helps when we believe in what we’re promoting. When we’re hindered by a name that doesn’t resonate - or worse has a negative connation – we’re pushed on to a troubling high wire. The marketing and promotional plans for a name have to coincide with the development of the name itself. Whether it’s a large organization or a solo practitioner, the added benefit of fresh perspectives, from different POVs (the client versus public) is invaluable.

Being cute won’t cut it. As Twitter ingratiates itself into 140-character self into more companies, industries, sports leagues, et al, people continue to feel the need to “Twitterize” everything; that is, putting TW in front of a word to make it cute or funny or quippish! There are Twitter Dictionaries for all things of the tweet. But as HARO founder Peter Shankman (@skydiver) told us in a tweet: “There is a higher than 98% chance that putting “TW" in front of a word is NOT cute, but rather, makes u look sad.”

Companies who wish to be clever but not smart about product/service names are falling short in this networked world; frankly, they have no respect for the audience. We’ve all come to expect quick, decisive results and we look to the products and services we use to help us achieve our goals. Being stymied by a weird name is a distraction we don’t have time for. Take into account the focused group you want to reach what matters to them! Deliver the value your name stands for, or should stand for!

Bottom line: Don’t be cute – be good.

PR pro and all around fantastic person Susan E. Jacobsen @susanejacobsen and at her firm’s site www.luv2xlpr.com