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Episode 86 – Bad Company Names and How to Avoid Them

April 25, 2022 | Kevin & Amy | ,
Brand Archetypes
Brand Archetypes
Episode 86 - Bad Company Names and How to Avoid Them
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You see ALL kinds of company names out there.  Almost 2/3 of a million new companies, in the U.S. alone, are spawned each year.  And, although some of those names are good, what we’re talking about today is bad company names and how to avoid them!

Here are some things to consider:

  • Make it Memorable
    • Brevity matters … however, don’t go too short as it can make it hard to remember.
  • Make it defensible
    • You MUST check the UPSTO.gov website!!
  • Stay Within Brand
    • Emotion-based
    • This is more important than just about any other issue!!!
    • A story behind it:  Benjamin Holt – Caterpillar Tractor
  • What to avoid
    • Names That are Too long
      • Examples:
        • International Consolidated Airlines Group SA
        • Perpetual Income & Growth Investment Trust PLC
      • Hint: If you fall asleep in the middle of the name, it’s too long.
    • Too descriptive
      • Auto-repair specialists
      • Adding a name helps but still not emotion-based
      • Understand the SEO impact and how this makes you harder to find on the Web.
    • Too complex, hard to remember
      • Includes: hard to spell, hard to pronounce
      • Two edges:  purposeful misspellings are now OK.  about half of all new names employ this strategy
    • Too Cliché
      • This one gets me bent. I hate it, hate it, hate it!
      • Kelly’s Klip-n-Kurl (Extra bad because of the KKK acronym … Sadly, I’ve actually see this one)
      • Curl Up and Dye (recently seen by another branding dude)
    • Similarly, Don’t base it on current trends
      • e.g. Disco, mood rings, colored skinny jeans
    • Don’t be Offensive
      • Wong, Doody, Crandall & Weiner
      • Morning Wood, Co
      • Doggie Style (Philadelphia)
      • Could be HUGELY memorable, but you have to be careful.
    • Tied to a specific thing (object, product, service, etc.)
      • Don’t be limiting

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Kevin & Amy

Kevin Skarritt and Amy Zander are the co-creators of the Brand Archetypes podcast and co-authors of the book by the same name. Explore the world of Brand Archetypes and find out how they can transform your company!

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