Jonathan McGrain
PRINCIPAL, CAMBER STRATEGY
Naming takes more than creativity. It requires strategy, discipline, and objectivity.
Two things I've learned from working on dozens of corporate naming projects: everyone wants to be strategic about naming, and everyone thinks it'll be fun.
The first is easier said than done, and the second rarely survives the process. Personal preferences, off-topic associations, and the fear of choosing something unfamiliar or making the wrong decision can overwhelm even the most thoughtful approach. Keeping these influences in check is one of the biggest challenges of naming.
So, if you're naming a company, product, or platform, take a breath. Your objective isn't to find the “perfect” name. That doesn't exist. Just as there aren't perfect companies or managers, there are no flawless names. A better goal: choose a name that fits your brand strategy, performs well across channels, and can grow with your business.
What makes a good name?
An effective name supports positioning — for today and tomorrow. It conveys the right strategic message to key audiences and works as a communication tool.
There are two key types of criteria to consider:
Image criteria: What you want to project
Based on your brand positioning, your name should reflect the attributes you want to convey. Qualities like these:
Creative
Cutting-edge
Experienced
Safe
Smart
Sophisticated
No single name can convey everything. Prioritize the one or two attributes most central to your brand.
Functional criteria: How the name performs
These are more tactical, but just as important:
Non-limiting — Should support your current business plan but leave room for future product lines and markets.
Brief — Ideally one word. Easy to say, spell, and remember.
Legally acceptable — Must pass trademark screening and regulatory requirements. Check domain name availability, too.
Flexible — Should work across business units, subsidiaries, and geographies.
Memorable — Distinctiveness counts. Unusual names can be easier to remember and may offer advantages in securing trademark protection.
Follow a process (even if it feels messy)
Naming is a creative process, but don’t treat it like a brainstorming free-for-all or a fun distraction after the “real” work. It requires structure, focus, and stakeholder discipline.
Here’s a typical path:
1. Brand positioning — Clarify what your brand stands for before you start name development.
2. Competitive survey — Understand the landscape. What kinds of names dominate your category? Which ones stand out?
3. Name objectives — Based on your brand, what should the name do for you? Again, focus on the one or two most important attributes.
4. Name development & evaluation — Explore and pressure-test multiple candidates. Expect discomfort — names that are unfamiliar often feel risky, but it’s important to give potential names a chance. Let them marinate. Initial reactions change over time, and strong names grow on people.
5. Legal screening — Work with an IP attorney to clear trademarks and service marks. Don’t forget to check domain availability.
6. Research & testing — Consider qualitative testing with target audiences to uncover associations — positive and negative.
7. Logo & tagline development — Once a name is chosen, extend it visually and verbally to support your positioning.
Naming don’ts
Don’t get personal — “I like it” or “It reminds me of…” isn’t helpful feedback. Keep it objective. What supports your brand goals?
Be cautious with family names — Unless the founder is publicly recognizable, personal names can limit scale and flexibility.
Skip the acronyms — Harry Beckwith, author of Selling the Invisible, said it best: monogram your shirts, not your company. Unless you’re IBM (or have a comparable brand budget), acronyms are easily forgotten, lost in an alphabet soup of indistinctive corporate identities.
Resist trendy spellings — Cute misspellings or made-up words rarely age well. Think “Krazy Kleanerz.” Enough said
Consider outside help
It’s not impossible to run an effective naming process internally, especially if your team includes experienced brand and marketing professionals. But an outside resource — a branding agency or naming consultant — can offer two things that are hard to generate on your own: fresh perspective and objectivity. A good external partner won’t just contribute creative ideas; they’ll also help keep the process honest, strategic, and on track when internal politics, personal preferences, or fear of risk start to creep in.
Final thought
A name won’t carry your brand alone. Its real meaning will be earned through consistent delivery and experience over time. The best names are strategic choices — not emotional ones — and that’s how they become foundations of great brands.
