The most common company naming trap is this – creating a new business name that’s accurate and descriptive, but utterly forgettable. And it’s easy to see how it happens. Unlike real life application, naming is usually done in a vacuum — with no context, no accompanying logo, web site or brochure copy. A group of […]
Distilling the Essence of Your Business You’re at a conference. Someone steps in the elevator, notices your name tag and asks, “So what do you guys do?” Quick! What’s your answer? You’ve got about 15 seconds before the doors open. For most business owners, getting to the crux of what they really do is the […]
The long-term cost of promoting a poor company name is far greater than the initial investment in a good brand name
“Ideally, a company’s identity should revolve around one “pivot point,” a common thread that runs through everything a company says and does.”
I took a call from Jason Del Rey a few weeks back about an interesting branding story he was working for Inc. Magazine, for which he needed an expert opinion. Skinner Baking Company had long supplied regional grocery store chains with an unbranded pastry for their bakeries. Now the owner wanted to “brand” the product […]
Looking to create a new company name? Ask yourself these four important branding questions before creating your new business identity. With the all the bumps in the economy the past few years, many experienced mid and upper level professionals are striking out on their own, leveraging their expertise to build their own future and control […]
In a “down economy” (are you just a bit tired of hearing that phrase?) it’s easy to resort to knee jerk reactions when it comes to marketing your brand. When business is good, it just seems to pour in with little to no effort. When things slow down, it’s tempting to start hunting clients vs. […]
Inc.com today announced their list of the top ten best and worst company names of all time, based on feedback of top naming experts nationwide. Tungsten Branding’s recommendations comprised two of the top ten names (Amazon and JetBlue) as well as three of the ten worst names (Books-A-Million, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, CompUSA). Naming is […]
Laura Ries makes a compelling case for the addictive quality of creating line/brand extensions. In her view, the temptation to increase market share, by borrowing on the equity in a well established brand, is just too great for many business owners and brand managers. In many ways it parallels the way we Americans have tapped […]
Company Brand Names That Use Alliteration When naming a company, one of the most important branding criteria is memorability – the likelihood that a customer will retain and recall the business name. The more “sticky” the brand name, the greater the recall. One of the stickiest techniques in company naming is the use of alliteration […]
Tag lines can make or break a company. Nike’s “Just Do It” is arguably just as famous as the company itself. For years, Coca Cola ads extolled “Coke Is It” and later “Coke Adds Life.” I can still recall (okay… I’m not that old, I just have a really good memory…) that “Winston tastes good, […]
Not all invented/coined words are created equal. Some have no linguistic basis and therefore no meaning (i.e. Xerox, Kodak, etc.). Every ounce of brand equity then has to be earned and instilled through years of hard work, money, and gradual customer acquisition. Most entrepreneurs and start ups don’t have the luxury of time or money […]
