How to Make Your Business Name Memorable

I often have people asking my advice on naming their business and creating their logos and my short answer is: find something you really like and focus your time and energy on what matters most—strategy and execution. But I get it, choosing a business name is a big decision, and not always an easy one so if you’re stuck here are some great guidelines to follow.

Follow the phonological rhythm for successful names
Names that have rhythm, rhyme or alliteration have a much higher chance of being remembered and, psychologically, these little tricks allow you to connect with your customer a little more. Think of brands like ACDC, YouTube, Passion Pit, and Suzanne Somers. It doesn’t have to necessarily rhyme but having a certain rhythm definitely helps.

In addition, if you have a tagline or slogan (and you should) do it in triplicate. For example Nike’s “Just Do It,” or like my latest company, “We Brand Better!” You’ll notice that a lot of companies and businesses use this tactic. It’s much easier to get an appealing rhythmic flow with three words than it is with four and five, plus it taps into another phonological loop that makes certain phrases memorable.

Have powerful unconscious associations
To optimize your brand name even further, create powerful unconscious associations. Think of how some of the best lyricists spit rhymes full of double entendre and deeper meanings. Applying this technique to your business name will add a sense of dexterity, quality, and cleverness to your brand. Here are some powerful examples:

• Amazon: a global e-commerce company named after a fast, powerful river

• kayak: a travel site making reference to an adventure sport and means of transportation

• Marval
  

  : an IT company making a play on the word “marvel” which means a wonderful or astonishing thing

• Google: a creative spelling of googol, a number equal to 10 to the 100th power, or basically an unfathomable number, a fitting name for the world’s most popular and powerful search engine

Use power words that are results oriented
Power words help elicit emotion and trigger curiosity, two things that every single human being connect with. Emotional marketing is an awesome way to build brands and connects your business to your core audience. You want words that pack a punch and assure your customer they can count on your brand. This works really well for taglines and slogans too. Great examples include BMW’s “The Ultimate Driving Machine,” General Electric’s “Imagination at Work,” and De Beers “A Diamond is Forever.”

Make sure it is cohesive with your brand vision
The general goal when creating your brand is to be “cohesive” and to create an uninterrupted experience for your customer. The smoother that experience is the better they will remember your name and logo. When naming your next product or business, simply make sure it flows well with the rest of your brand identity.

That’s it! If you’ve been stressing over naming your brand and creating your tagline, these four simple steps should help you create some ideas your customer base will love. Once you come up with a solid list, literally just repeat them over and over again until you find the one that rolls off your tongue best. In the end, the goal is to simply create a name that is timeless, powerful, and best demonstrates the quality of your brand