Brand-name design criteria — Part 3: association & distinctiveness
Two forces that decide whether a name owns its own space: the associations it builds, and how distinctive it dares to be.
Creative names & associative meaning
Apple and its logo are everywhere. The apple symbol is so distinct that the company rarely uses the name — it isn't even on the homepage; only the logo. You could even call an Apple store a 'Mac Store' or 'iPhone Store.'
Today 'Apple' is linked to associative, non-linear ideas. Normally you wouldn't connect an apple to a phone, but Apple now holds a broad set of associations beyond its literal or figurative meaning: the phone in your pocket, your music library, your computer — even a certain person-stereotype in a café.
The associative meaning between a brand and its name comes naturally over time. A name starts out literal or figurative; as the company becomes established, the name's meaning overlaps with what it offers. You don't have to wait for that to happen on its own — as a startup, you can work on associative meaning during naming. What association do you want your name to carry? Remember: the name you choose and its associations will be with you for a long time.
For original names: unusualness
Most people assume they want an unusual, creative name. You can achieve it in different ways — by combining unusual words, as in Coca-Cola, or by using misspelled words. Deciding how unusual you need to be is the first criterion. Unusualness is a spectrum: a new word at one pole, a common word at the other. Both can work, but the best option may be somewhere in between.
To complicate things, there's competition to use single words as names. Regardless of how common or rare they are, some companies share the same or similar names. That's probably fine if they operate in different sectors — no confusion, and a unique identity for both. But if two brands compete with similar names in a high-competition sector, it can harm both. So choosing an original name is the right move.
How to decide how unusual your name should be
First, assess how much your competitors advertise. In general, the more something (a company or product) is advertised, the higher its name competition. Think about your sector: a construction-equipment brand faces competitive names, but not as much name competition as other sectors; that rival probably advertises less than someone selling supplements online.
Second, consider geography. What's your geographic footprint — a neighborhood, a town, a metro area? Is your service or product national or international? Where you operate matters: the smaller your footprint, the less competition for original names, and the less you need to emphasize originality.
As you work on your criteria, unusualness, originality and creativity are key — they determine how deep you must go and what kinds of names to focus on. If you want a truly rare name, you'll spend more time working on invented words or unearthing rarely used ones.