Overview
How much does a name matter? When it comes to your products, everything. Just ask the companies that’ve watched their rebrands flop or flourish based on a single word. A product name is the customer’s first impression, and with shelves overflowing with choices, yours must instantly stand out.
Get it wrong, and you’ll struggle to gain traction, no matter your quality. With so much at stake, it’s crucial to approach any product renaming with care. This article is a complete guide and provides all the essential steps necessary for the naming process.
You will learn various strategies for refreshing or replacing a name, ranging from subtle evolutions to complete overhauls. You’ll also discover how to test potential product names for maximum impact and avoid costly missteps that could set your product back for good.
Understanding the need for product renaming.
While an existing brand may have served a company well for years, circumstances constantly evolve. The market is dynamic, customer preferences shift, and competitors relentlessly innovate.
As a result, even the most established products may someday outlive their name. There are several common reasons companies ultimately decide that product renaming is necessary.
A clear example is when a brand’s strategy or positioning undergoes substantial changes. Altering the target audience or expanding into new categories often warrants aligning the name with the updated vision. Marketplace dynamics can similarly drive the need for renaming.
Emerging trends, disruptive technologies, or saturated categories may leave an existing brand less relevant. Companies may also rename after an acquisition or merger to bring disparate product lines under a unified identity.
Renaming further allows businesses to leave problems of the past behind. Negative brand perceptions stemming from quality issues or missteps need to be addressed to earn back trust. A fresh name presents an opportunity to start afresh.
While challenging an established brand is never taken lightly, product renaming can drive the necessary course corrections to meet tomorrow’s evolving demands. With care, a new name can reinforce a brand’s renewed purpose and contribute to its continued success.
Evaluating your existing brand identity and assets.
Before initiating the product renaming process, it is crucial to assess the existing brand identity and assets. It helps companies get a reference and easily measure the rebrand’s success by comparing the results with initial values.
Companies must step back to analyze all relevant elements objectively from various angles. It includes re-examining brand positioning in the market and any established naming conventions, taglines, and imagery. It’s also important to audit how the brand name resonates with current customers and whether any frustrations or points of confusion are expressed.
Interviews can provide deep insights. Additionally, an audit of digital assets, such as websites, social media profiles, and collateral, will reveal consistency and gaps to consider.
Analyzing brand recognition among existing customers.
Companies should conduct in-depth customer surveys and interviews to analyze brand recognition and perception. The goal is to understand the top-of-mind awareness of the existing brand name and any positive or negative associations customers have formed. Insights around perceived quality, reputation, emotional responses, and brand attributes will reveal likeability and identify aspects needing improvement to ensure a new name.
Here are some additional tips companies can follow to analyze brand recognition and perception among existing customers:
- Run online brand perception studies and collect unprompted feedback on social media to gauge spontaneous awareness
- Analyze customer support transcripts and online reviews for sentiment around the existing brand name
- Conduct in-person interviews with open-ended questions to uncover deeper feelings toward the brand beyond surface-level feedback.
- Test recognition of the brand name versus competitors through tools like brand recall surveys
- Evaluate if the existing name conveys the intended messaging or creates confusion through explicit questions.
- Look for correlations between demographics or customer segments with the most positive or negative associations.
- Consider quantitative data and rich qualitative insights when assessing brand recognition and perception.
Assessing the strength of existing branding.
Properly assessing the strength of existing branding and trademarks is vital for any product renaming efforts. Companies may analyze consistency across marketing materials, digital properties, and branded touchpoints. Evaluating trademark coverage and identifying any prior issues can reveal potential vulnerabilities. The positioning within the overall product naming architecture should also be considered, such as whether a name applies to a single variant or the entire product line. This upfront audit provides important context regarding protections and flexibility with the existing brand.
Review marketing collateral.
When reviewing existing branded materials, companies must audit all product marketing materials to identify consistency and areas that need updating. It includes an examination of collateral, such as brochures, case studies, and advertisements, as well as physical packaging, uniforms, signage, and digital assets, to ensure adherence to any product naming framework. Focusing on recently created and outdated items can show where improvements are required. This process reveals the extent of rebranding efforts and informs timelines.
Starting the renaming process.
Companies can initiate the rebranding process after understanding the need for product renaming and assessing the current situation, before implementing the rebranding strategy. Here are the essential steps to follow during the renaming process.
Forming a cross-functional team.
Once planning is complete, the brand name creation process begins with assembling a cross-functional team. This group should represent all key stakeholders across departments to drive strategy, creativity, and execution.
Whether you’re facing a complete brand renaming or changing product names across a portfolio, a unified team ensures alignment at every step. Their insights help shape the brand name change strategy, guide research, and bring structure to naming decisions from naming product lines to determining the name for a new market.
A diverse team is essential when branding a name change or changing a brand name. It ensures each perspective is considered, making your following brand name change not just a shift, but a strategic advantage.
Conducting competitive research.
Next, conducting thorough market research and analyzing competitors’ product naming conventions in depth is necessary. Understanding what resonates with current and potential customers informs brand positioning opportunities.
Exploratory brainstorming sessions should generate innovative naming ideas and concepts that align with the company’s strategic goals. Both logical and emotive options should emerge from these sessions.
Brainstorming naming ideas and concepts.
Brainstorming is a crucial step in the brand naming process that enables a company to cast a wide net and generate numerous potential names and concepts through structured product naming exercises. Practical sessions employ techniques such as limiting judgment of ideas, encouraging wild ideas without critique, and building on others’ suggestions to spark new thoughts.
The goal is to complete this initial brainstorming session with a wide range of options that can then be objectively assessed against established evaluation criteria. By broadening the product naming net through brainstorming, companies can explore diverse strategies and discover unexpected ideas.
Choosing the right new name.
After generating potential new names, companies must carefully evaluate options to select the ideal one. First, all names must align with the brand’s strategic goals and market positioning. A name that encapsulates the brand promise and resonates with target audiences will serve the business best.
Companies must also thoroughly test top names. Assessing clarity and memorability through customer surveys or focus groups provides essential feedback. Additionally, trademark searches are crucial to avoid costly conflicts down the road.
Conducting initial customer research on the most viable names allows observation of reactions and subconscious connections. Both qualitative and quantitative methods provide insights. Brands learn which names feel the most descriptive and premium, motivating purchase intent at first exposure.
Selecting the perfect new name is a pivotal decision that requires due diligence. Careful evaluation across these critical areas guides the selection of the option best primed to drive the business forward meaningfully.
Implementing the new name.
Once a new name is selected, careful implementation is crucial to its success. First, companies must update all marketing, sales, communication, and digital collateral with the new name, logo assets, and brand guidelines. It includes websites, packaging, advertising, and more.
A comprehensive education program should communicate the meaning and benefits of the new company name to essential audiences. Customers, partners, and employees must understand why the changes are made and gain acceptance and support.
Launching an integrated multi-channel marketing campaign debuts the new name to the world. Different tactics, such as public relations, social media, direct mail, and events, drive awareness and understanding. The goal is to transition external perceptions smoothly.
Internally, rollout support ensures a seamless switchover. Training programs instruct teams while signage, systems, and documentation updates cement the new identity.
Continued tracking gauges the new name’s impact on critical metrics. Brand tracking, sales data, website analytics, and user research provide insight into performance. Ongoing optimization ensures long-term success.
Additional tips for a successful renaming project.
Choosing the right product name may require a lot of effort, but it is worth it. Companies must research easy-to-remember, lucrative, and even descriptive names. Here are some additional tips for a successful renaming project that helps retain loyal customers and attract new ones.
Engage stakeholders early on.
Involving loyal customers, partners, employees, and other stakeholders from the outset of the rebranding exercises helps ensure buy-in and support for the new company or product name. Their insights are also valuable during the evaluation process.
Leverage social media.
Bring in key voices from the start. Involving employees, partners, loyal customers, and even potential customers helps build support and alignment around a great name.
Their input strengthens the evaluation process, whether you’re launching a new product or renaming an existing one. It also helps pressure-test each potential name against your naming convention and brand goals. The right name isn’t just a creative win. It’s a strategic decision, and early engagement strengthens it.
Consider a phased approach.
Branding a name change isn’t always about flipping a switch. A phased approach helps minimize disruption and reduce risk when changing a brand name or changing a product name.
Rolling out gradually, by audience, region, or channel, lets you monitor response, refine messaging, and maintain control. It’s especially effective when renaming a small business or renaming an existing business with loyal customers and established equity.
This approach also supports smoother product name changes, preserving brand continuity while moving toward a stronger, more aligned identity. Phased doesn’t mean slow. It means smart.
Test name alternatives.
A solid product naming strategy starts with testing. Before locking in brand names, validate multiple options with your target audience. This step shows how each performs in real-world scenarios and helps protect your brand equity.
Testing also supports your broader brand strategy by ensuring the name aligns with your positioning, tone, and long-term goals. Whether you’re launching something new or renaming to avoid confusion (think Corona beer during the pandemic), performance matters.
Market research identifies potential trademark issues and confirms that your domain name is available and aligned with your brand. It’s the final check before you move forward with confidence.
Get the data you need to choose the perfect name, not just one that sounds good.
Highlight strategic rationale.
Every rebranding project needs more than a new name; it needs a story that makes sense. Sharing the strategic rationale behind your naming strategy builds alignment, earns stakeholder support, and strengthens adoption across the business.
We help you communicate the why, whether you’re replacing a legacy name with negative connotations, evolving to reflect your target market, or modernizing your brand image.
Our product naming process ties every decision to data and consumer insight, not gut feel. That means you get names with purpose and the tools to explain them.
Need to shift perception like Opal Fruit becoming Starburst? Want to ensure your brand resonates across every touchpoint, including how people manage consent preferences online? We’ve done it before. We’ll do it with you.
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Data-driven approach to product renaming.
Naming shouldn’t be guesswork. Whether you’re rebranding for legal reasons, addressing trademark infringement, or repositioning around enhanced functionality, your product name needs to work quickly, clearly, and strategically.
At SmashBrand, we use a data-driven approach to product renaming that filters out weak options and zeroes in on names with proven impact. We test with potential customers, validate emotional resonance, and align with your corporate brand and market strategy.
Our process doesn’t end at the name. We integrate it into your packaging design and brand identity, ensuring it connects across every consumer touchpoint and wins support from internal stakeholders.
Protect your market share. Avoid missteps. Make naming a competitive advantage. Book a meeting and let’s find the name that earns its place on the shelf.
A seasoned veteran in the CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) industry, Jason Vaught brings a wealth of knowledge and hands-on experience as the director of content and marketing for SmashBrand. His comprehensive role at the forefront of brand communication ensures that CPG brands remain well-informed about the suite of services SmashBrand offers. Furthermore, his insights derived from the company's strategy, design, and testing services are invaluable to brand owners and managers seeking expert guidance.
From his early endeavors in launching a successful sports nutrition brand that gained prominence in significant bodybuilding and fitness retail spaces to his entrepreneurial ventures in kick-starting multiple brick-and-mortar and e-commerce startups across diverse industries, Jason's career is studded with substantial milestones. Notably, he has innovated numerous products later embraced by leading industry brands, showcasing his knack for anticipating market demands and setting trends.
Jason's journey in the CPG industry commenced at age 21. Over the years, he has worn multiple hats, ranging from a manufacturer and retailer to a distributor and brand owner. This multifaceted experience equips him with the rare ability to offer practical advice grounded in real-world expertise. His mission is to guide and support other CPG brand owners, directors, and managers on their path to success.
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