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Are you looking for a perfect name for your new product? Do you want it to be distinct and distinguished? If yes, you must find a way to incorporate one or more product naming exercises into your strategy.
These exercises are a stimulating and creative way to generate unique and memorable names to help your product stand out. This article explores the various product naming exercises with expert tips & strategies to help you find the perfect name for your next big thing.
Whether you’re a seasoned brand manager, expert marketer, or startup entrepreneur, these exercises will help you unleash your creativity and create a product name that genuinely resonates with your target audience.
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What Is A Product Naming Exercise?
A product naming exercise refers to generating potential names for a new product. These exercises are a crucial aspect of product development and branding, as the name of a product significantly impacts its ability to penetrate and capture market share in every category.
A well-crafted product name effectively communicates the brand message, differentiating it from competitors and evoking emotions in the target audience. The naming process typically involves brainstorming sessions with experts, including marketers, designers, product developers, and a product naming agency.
Once the team has generated a list of potential names, they will evaluate each name based on various factors, such as its relevance to the brand, uniqueness, ease of pronunciation, and potential for trademark registration.
Then, we narrow the list to a few top contenders and conduct market research to determine which name best fits consumer preferences.
Why Product Naming Exercises Matter
Product naming exercises are essential in branding, as they play a crucial role in establishing a solid identity for a product. The careful selection of a product name can significantly impact its success in the market.
Let’s explore why product naming exercises matter:
- Branding: A well-chosen name can convey the brand values, personality, and positioning, helping to create a reliable and cohesive brand identity.
- Creative Ideation: Product naming exercises involve brainstorming sessions where creative teams generate potential names. These sessions encourage diverse perspectives, fostering innovative and memorable name ideas.
- Discovery: Naming exercises help teams explore the product’s core, distinctive qualities, and target audience. This process leads to a deeper understanding of the product and its market, enabling the development of a name that engages the potential customers.
- Brand Loyalty: A great name can contribute to building brand loyalty. When customers have positive experiences with a product whose name they love, they are more likely to develop an emotional connection with the brand.
- Potential Customer: The target audience takes center stage in product naming strategies. The name should appeal to this specific group and align with their needs. It makes the product name a powerful tool to attract an audience.
How To Conduct A Product Naming Exercise
The product naming process involves a good mix of creativity and structure. It is necessary to consider how the product will compete in each online and in-store retailer and how it will hold the attention of the desired customer group.
Most importantly, how the product will contribute to developing the brand identity, there must be criteria to evaluate product names according to specific parameters and make them suitable for the global market.
A company must ensure the following steps when coming up with a naming idea:
- Purpose & Scope
- Brainstorming Session
- Creativity Techniques
- Structure & Categorization
- Feedback & Collaboration
- Refine & Shortlist
- Research & Validation
- Present Final Options
- Testing & Feedback
- Selecting the Winning Name
A List Of Brand Naming Exercises
Finding the best-performing product name that aligns with your brand does take work, but it’s worth the effort. Here is a list of brand naming exercises to help you uniquely name your products and brand.
Consumer Persona Alignment
It is essential to thoroughly research the target audience, understand them from various viewpoints, and develop several consumer personas. Companies must generate product names perfectly aligned with the audience’s interests, preferences, and lifestyles, ensuring a more resonant and impactful connection.
Benefit-Focused Names
Product names that discuss benefits are more likely to drive sales than general names. Therefore, companies must name their products that highlight the key benefits.
If a product is a moisturizer that provides all-day hydration, companies may brainstorm words like “refresh,” “replenish,” and “hydrate.”
Category-Specific Terms
Another powerful naming exercise is by giving category-specific names to the products. Industry-specific terms and popular phrases related to the product category are the best way to establish a solid connection with consumers.
The term “smart” in the product name immediately conveys that the product is a watch with innovative features.
Suggestive Descriptions
Think about the primary function of your product and brainstorm words or phrases that suggest that function. For example, if your product is a hair brush that detangles hair, you might brainstorm words like “smooth,” “untangle,” and “comb.”
Consider using metaphors or analogies to describe the product’s function more creatively. Similarly, use descriptive adjectives to suggest the product’s benefits or features.
Sun Shield is an example of a name that can be conceived through suggestive naming exercises.
Cultural References
Incorporating cultural references is another powerful way of naming your product. Companies must use idioms and symbols to appeal to the target market. For example, a skincare product targeted at a younger audience might reference a famous social media influencer or meme.
However, all cultural references in the product name must be positive and appropriate for the global market. A product with a name in the US must not have any issues when sold in Italy, Japan, or China. So, use those idioms and symbols carefully.
Brand Story Integration
Use your brand’s mission statement or slogan to guide the naming process. For example, a brand that aims to empower women might use names that reflect strength, confidence, or independence.
Consider your brand’s tone of voice and personality when creating product names.
A brand that values humor and wit might use puns or wordplay in their product names, while a brand that values simplicity might use straightforward, descriptive names.
Seasonal or Limited Edition Names
Use names that evoke the specific time of year or season. For example, a limited edition winter coat might use “Frost” or “Snowdrift,” while a summer-themed beverage might be named “Sunburst” or “Beachcomber.” Highlight the exclusivity of the product with names that suggest rarity or luxury. It is another way of building curiosity around the product and increasing its value in the market.
Ingredient Emphasis
Products with high quality and unique ingredients must leverage its power to grab the attention of potential customers. Companies must use the name of the critical element in the product name. It’s essential to highlight the quality or uniqueness of the ingredient with descriptive adjectives.
A coffee that uses only the highest quality beans might consider the word “Premium” while working through naming exercises.
Evocative Imagery
Product names that evoke vivid imagery of the product’s usage tend to generate more sales. Therefore, brands must use terms that capture the customer’s imagination. These names must use descriptive words or phrases that depict the product’s usage or benefits.
Experiment using metaphors or analogies to convey the product’s benefits more creatively. Most importantly, using sensory language to evoke a specific feeling or experience.
Memorable Wordplay
Companies may also utilize the power of rhymes, alliterations, or puns to create unique and engaging product names. Such names are easy to remember and grab the customer’s attention.
Memorable wordplay naming exercises can lead to unique concepts such as Squatty Potty, which can potentially become household names.
Simplified Language
In contrast to the memorable wordplay naming exercise, simplified language naming uses simple, easy-to-spell and pronounce names. The goal is to avoid complex words or terms confusing potential customers.
It’s worth noting that using simplified language for product names can enhance accessibility, making them more inclusive to a broader audience, including those with limited English proficiency or cognitive disabilities.
Localization Consideration
Localization considerations suit products targeting specific countries, cities, or continents. It is best first to research the target market’s language and culture to ensure that the product names translate well and don’t have unintended negative connotations. For example, a product name that sounds catchy in English might have a negative meaning in another language. This product naming architecture is very powerful for food products as people love buying products from desirable geographic regions.
Positive Emotions
Product names that evoke positive emotions sell like hotcakes. Therefore, companies must craft product names that stir positive emotions, such as joy or excitement, to engage their audience emotionally.
One of the best ways is using playful or whimsical names that evoke a sense of fun or excitement.
Niche Targeting
Niche targeting is another effective way of distinguishing your product from the crowd. Experiment with jargon or slang specific to the niche market or subculture. For example, a skateboard brand might use words like “shred” or “grind” in their product names to appeal to the skateboarding community.
Packaging Visualization
Use aesthetically pleasing names to attract eyeballs on the store shelves. Consider using colors or graphics that complement the product name and create a cohesive visual identity.
Apple & Eve is a juice brand with all-natural ingredients. To support their name, the visual identity uses earthy tones and nature-inspired graphics to create a natural and organic feel.
The Importance Of Legal and Trademark Review
Conduct a thorough search of existing trademarks and copyrights to ensure the product names are legally available. It helps avoid potential legal issues and costly litigation. Consider hiring a trademark attorney to conduct a comprehensive trademark search and provide legal advice on the availability of the product names.
Conducting Surveys and Name Testing
Last but not least, involve your target audience when naming your products. Hire a market research firm or product naming agency to conduct surveys or focus groups to gather your target audience’s feedback on potential product names.
Use online survey tools like SurveyMonkey or Google Forms to create surveys that gather feedback on potential product names. It helps gather feedback quickly and efficiently from a large sample size.
Product Naming For CPG Brands
SmashBrand is the only agency to guarantee a performance lift. We work with consumer brands, helping them build a standout product that competes in the most demanding retail environments. Our product naming services are a part of our Path To Peformance™ process, where we create a brand strategy and packaging design that puts your best foot forward.
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