The Best Product Naming Strategies: ensuring your product is memorable for years to come

What’s in a name?

Though Shakespeare may not have had the highest opinion of nomenclature, names are the most important identifiers in today’s business climate. A product name should pique the customer’s interest and give them an idea about what the item is or does, but it should also be memorable enough that it sticks in the minds of consumers for years to come. As we’re sure you already know, choosing the perfect name for a product can be stressful, and it is not easy.

Whether you’re dealing with a team that simply cannot agree on a product name or just beginning to think about catchy monikers, here are some of our favorite product naming strategies for companies of all types.

Research, research, research.

Just like in fashion, there are product naming trends — remember the period when every app was named with one simple, evocative word that (usually) didn’t give you a clue about what the app did? This is why the most important product naming strategy is to research the current market. Of course, this can help you avoid naming your product after something that’s already out there, but it also gives you an idea of what consumers are interested in. As an added bonus, it also gives you insight into how effective your product name will be from an SEO standpoint — how difficult will it be to rank for that name? How much will it cost to advertise those words?

Seek feedback.

Once you have a list of product names, you can also employ the use of a focus group. Poll consumers and their peers to see how the general public will react to each name and which they like best to set your product up for success.

Keep it simple.

If you want your product to become a household name, it’s important that the name is easy to pronounce and understand. Even huge brands like Nike struggle with mispronunciation (have you ever heard someone pronounce Nike like “bike”?) so smaller brands with less exposure will have an even more difficult time communicating proper meanings with the public. For this reason, one of the best product naming strategies is to keep it simple. Think of names that are descriptive, but not excessively so — avoid names that sound like Amazon product listing titles — and can be easily pronounced by your target demographic.

Assign a specific product naming team (or hire one).

Product naming is an acquired skill, and it should be treated as such. Though it may be tempting to have every employee lend a hand and come up with product naming ideas (especially for small companies), this can often lead to long-running disagreements and unwise choices.

You can assign a specific product naming team from your own existing employee pool, but if you lack the right individuals, your best bet may be to hire a product naming service. Usually, subsects of marketing firms and product naming services have experts on hand with the know-how to create meaningful and memorable product names.

If you need a bit of help with your product naming strategy or simply don’t want to deal with it, RIDIL Group has you covered. Schedule a call with us today!