Top Naming Agencies

A brand naming agency is an agency that develops names for businesses, products, and services. Brand naming is a niche business that involves a strategic process involving thorough brand analysis, competitor research, testing, and legal compliance to create a name that effectively represents a client’s image. These agencies help clients develop a brand identity that fosters trust, loyalty, and satisfaction among customers. 

Brand specialists carefully consider many different factors in creating a brand name: 

• Simplicity and easy pronunciation: A simple brand name increases customers’ recall, recognition, and association. It enables the business to cater to a broader audience because simple brand names transcend age, consumer background, and even language.  
• Uniqueness: A name that stands out can spark intrigue around the brand. Coin new words, use wordplay or metaphors, or combine existing words, and make it effective by reflecting the brand’s core values that will resonate with the target market. 
• Logo and visual representation: Logos and brand names are a brand’s core assets. Studies show that over 60% of Fortune 500 companies use combination logos, which often include the brand name and a symbolic icon. Ensuring they complement one another will determine potential brand reach in the long run. 
• Meaning: A brand name created with meaning evokes positive feelings with its target audience. It makes the product or service feel more authentic – a value customers consider the most when purchasing or supporting it.  
• Availability: One of the most critical aspects of brand naming is ensuring that the name is not taken by another company or brand. In the US, checking the Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS) is the easiest way to see a name's availability, as is scanning across domains and social media to look for similar brands. 

Beyond aesthetics and concept, a brand name is the first building block to an emotional connection with customers, affecting how they perceive a business and their purchasing decisions. It is the first touchpoint between a product and its audience, and when used effectively, it increases brand recognition and awareness. According to a study, 75% of consumers trust their favorite brand because its name guarantees satisfaction.  

Carmax is one of the prime examples of brand naming done right. The client, Circuit City, reached out to Namestormers and asked its team to create a name that was automotive-related and easy to understand; one that suggested an optimal car-buying experience to potential customers. 

Of all the brand names Namestormers provided, the client selected Carmax. “Car” directly implies the automotive business, and “max” suggests maximum inventory, service, and enjoyment. Additionally, it has winning brand name characteristics: it is short, easy to remember, and unlikely to be mispronounced or misspelled. Decades after its inception, Carmax remains a household name in the industry, affirming its brand name’s effectiveness.  

Brand naming agencies provide the end-to-end process of creating a suitable name for a company, product, or service, namely: 

• Naming and research: A collaborative process between the agency and client to understand the subject's DNA, whether it’s a company, a product, an event, a service, or an app. At this stage, the brand is studied based on its vision, target audience, and values compared to its competitors.  
• Brainstorming and ideation: Brand naming specialists blend research, creative insights, and expertise in brand identity to ideate potential names. Cultural and linguistic checks are also done to ensure that the name translates well to its audience and avoids any unintended meanings or negative connotations in other languages. The best options are shortlisted based on relevance, uniqueness, and recall.  
• Tagline development: This involves creating catchy taglines to differentiate a brand name from its competitors. A brand’s core values and unique selling points are often showcased in the tagline to better position the product or service’s name in the market. 
• Name presentation and selection: Shortlisted brand names are contextualized and presented through creative concepts. To determine the feasibility of the names, they are tested on an industry-specific demographic through surveys, focus group discussions, and other methods. Based on results, clients will select the best brand name. 

Some brand naming companies also offer additional services, such as:  

• Domain name integration: Acquiring and integrating a domain that aligns with the client’s product and service to secure its digital presence.  
• Brand architecture: Maintaining naming consistency is crucial if a brand has a family of products or services. Developing a brand architecture system ensures that all product or service names share a cohesive style and connection to the primary brand name. It also provides a unified brand experience for target audiences across all platforms. 
• Brand voice and messaging refinement: Ensuring brand voice and messaging connect seamlessly with the chosen name through brand voice workshops and brand guide development.  

Coco + Watts is a premier supplier of chocolate mug cakes. Its brand name is the brainchild of Wonsupona. The client wanted to communicate the cake’s high quality and requested a name that sounded a little hipster.  

Wonsupona purposely avoided names that sounded mainstream and explored a more subtle approach. Coco + Watts, when deconstructed, reveals that “coco” means chocolate, and “watts” represents the equipment needed to make a mug cake: the microwave.  

With a brand name that evokes curiosity, Wonsupona enabled Coco + Watts to tell a deeper story behind its name and provided a lot of creative scope for further branding strategies.  

Brand name development services cost $10,000 to over $75,000, depending on the size of the business and the scope of the agency’s involvement in the process.  

Here is the breakdown of a brand naming agency’s pricing models: 

• Basic company naming: Price ranges from $10,000 to $15,000. This includes pre-screened company names, taglines, and domain names. It is recommended for companies in the early stages of product and service development. 
• Mid-level company naming: Price ranges from $15,000 to $45,000. It involves basic company naming services along with extensive trademark research, brand positioning, and logo design. This type of package benefits established businesses looking to expand their brand potential core values internally or externally. 
• Comprehensive company naming: Price ranges from $45,000 to over $75,000. It covers comprehensive services, including name development, brand positioning, corporate logo design, global trademark research, brand validation, and implementation strategies. It is usually used for company naming or rebranding. 

On DesignRush, the top 50 brand naming agencies charge an average of $141 per hour. Roughly 20.7% of the brand naming services on DesignRush accept projects with a minimum budget of less than $1,000, while 1.1% require a $50,000+ minimum budget. 

You should hire a brand naming agency to create a name that makes your product or service stand out from competitors. A powerful brand name is an essential part of every branding strategy. This is emphasized by a Sprout Social study which found that 45% of consumers say showcasing a brand’s personality online fosters connection. 

Collaborating with a brand naming agency enables businesses to work with specialists who can create high-value and scalable names that encapsulate a brand’s tone and speak authentically to its audience. Hiring a brand naming service also opens your business to a lot of opportunities, such as: 

• Guaranteed name quality: Brand naming agencies act as strategic partners. They will guide you through the naming process by providing valuable expertise, relevant market trends, and legal considerations. They are well-versed in analyzing consumer behaviors and deeply understand how names can influence brand perception.  
• New perspectives: A brand naming agency provides objective viewpoints unattached to pre-conceived notions. They can evaluate potential names based on market relevance, target audience appeal, and overall brand strategy, identifying options you might have overlooked. 
• Brand growth: Investing in a strong brand naming service also means setting up your business for long-term brand growth. A memorable and cohesive brand name increases brand awareness, builds customer trust and loyalty, and improves online visibility.   
• Cohesive branding: Enhancing brand cohesiveness with names that embody your identity and integrate seamlessly with your visual design paves the way for a more unified customer experience. Brand naming agencies can help you maintain a consistent image across all touchpoints, which has been proven to increase revenue growth.  
• Efficiency: Brand naming agencies bring a structured process with cutting-edge tools to conduct extensive research, evaluate name availability, and effectively brainstorm to create a strong brand name. It allows you to focus on your core business and other aspects of your brand strategy. 

One example of how hiring a brand naming agency benefits businesses is the case study of Yodel, a name crafted by Pollywog. This was for a Park City entrepreneur who sought help to name her new personal assistant service. The aim was to free clients' time for loved ones and outdoor activities.  

Pollywog connected the unique qualities of the brand with its ski-town location, like how the sound of a yodel carries across mountains. This short, memorable name was ideal for a brand, and the client further built upon it with the tagline, “If you need anything, just yodel.” The agency also secured a matching website domain, which amplified their branding even more.  

To choose the best brand naming agencies, follow these steps: 

1. Define your brand voice: Identify the tone and feel of your brand. Consider the primary emotion or personality you want your brand name to express. Do you want it to be playful, sophisticated, high-tech, or a mix of various descriptors? It would also help to pinpoint the scope of creativity that the agency can work around. For example, do you want your brand name to be made only of existing words? Or are you open to using blended and made-up terms? Determining these elements will help the agency draft potential names to meet your preferences, ensuring a more streamlined process.  
2. Prepare a brand brief: A brand brief clearly outlines your company’s mission, vision, target market, and a summary of your brand personality. With this, agencies will know your expectations upfront. It allows them to focus on inquiries that fit their services well, leading to a more productive selection process for you and the brand naming agencies.  
3. Research potential candidates: Browse online directories like DesignRush to find prospective brand naming services that will suit your business needs. 
4. Evaluate industry expertise: Explore agency websites to gain insights into their expertise, approach, and scope of services. This will help you assess their suitability for your brand's needs. See if they have similar clients within the same niche and how the brand naming service improved their business.   
5. Request for a client portfolio and reference: Agency portfolios will give you a deeper look at the brand naming projects they have worked on. Contact client references to learn about the agency's communication style, availability, and work ethic. 
6. Look into the agency’s soft skills: Soft skills are crucial to the success of our partnership with a brand naming agency. After all, the process should be collaborative. Look for an agency with highly creative people who will take the time to listen and understand your brand. Observe how they present their ideas and note how they approach the challenges you encounter. The agency’s ability to solve problems and find common ground is essential for a successful collaboration. 
7. Shortlist the candidates: Pick up to five suitable agencies and communicate your intentions to work with them. 
8. Send a request for proposal: Send a request for proposal (RFP) and ask for a project breakdown, including milestones, scope, schedule, costs, and other critical details. 
9. Check the brand team’s expertise: Asses the skill set of team members who will work on your project and understand their proficiency in the brand naming field. 
10. Discuss legal ownership: Copyright and trademark ownership should be discussed with the brand naming agencies to ensure that both parties come to an agreement. Ask the agency about their standard procedure for transferring the ownership of the chosen name to you. This typically involves a signed agreement outlining the transfer of rights. 
11. Consider other services: Some agencies offer additional brand strategy services like tagline creation, brand architecture for naming consistency across product lines, and consultations on visual identity. If you plan to scale your business, consider the value of these offers when evaluating your options. 
12. Make a choice: Review contracts and select your ideal agency partner.  

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You can find the best brand naming agencies on DesignRush that fit your budget by utilizing its filters. Narrow your search based on the lowest minimum budget of under $1,000 or the highest minimum budget of over $50,000. It also has mid-range prices starting at $25,000, offering you a variety of options depending on your company’s size and project scope. DesignRush also indicates the hourly rate of brand naming services in its listings. However, for some companies, rates are only available upon inquiry.  

You can reach these agencies through the agency portfolios on the DesignRush marketplace, which also feature a short overview of the company and client reviews you can read to gain insights into projects the company has worked on. These can help you assess the best brand naming agency that matches your needs and budget. 

You should ask these questions before hiring a brand naming agency to learn about their process and see if their brand specialists are the right fit for your business:  

Its Relevant Background 

1. How many years have you been in the brand naming niche? 
2. Do you offer other branding services aside from brand naming? 
3. Can you outline your brand naming process? 
4. Can you tell me about projects you’ve worked on within the same industry?  
5. What tools does your team use to create a strong brand name? 

Company Services and Processes 

1. What is your brand naming strategy to help my brand stand out? 
2. How long does your brand naming process take? 
3. What specific deliverables can we expect from your brand naming package? 
4. Do you offer strategy consultations before the brand naming process begins? 
5. How do you handle brand naming projects involving multiple decision-makers with differing opinions? 

The Project 

1. How many brand name options will you present? 
2. How many revisions can you accommodate? 
3. What steps does your agency take to ensure the confidentiality of the brand name during the development process? 
4. How do you plan to get to know my brand?  
5. Do you offer domain integration? 
6. How often will your team communicate with me during the brand naming process? 
7. What is your copyright and trademark transfer process?  

The top brand naming agencies in the US are: 

1. Propaganda Creative 
   • 4.9 stars on DesignRush (12 reviews) 
   • 5.0 stars on Google (63 reviews) 
   • Top clients: Lilac City Legends, Canopy Credit Union, Hoopfest, HDG Architecture 
2. The Bureau of Small Projects 
   • 4.8 stars on DesignRush (30 reviews) 
   • 4.9 stars on Google (27 reviews) 
   • Top clients: Monolith, Shop-Ware, Stanford University, AmyriAD 
3. 500 Designs 
   • 4.8 stars on DesignRush (5 reviews) 
   • 5.0 stars on Google (17 reviews) 
   • Top clients: Google, Fresh Del Monte, 3M, Cisco 
4. Workshop Built 
   • 4.9 stars on DesignRush (16reviews) 
   • Top clients: IQHQ Real Estate Investment Trust, Climadjust, Revolve Growth Partners, TAG Cushman Wakefield 
5. Lounge Lizard  
   • 4.8 stars on DesignRush (10 reviews) 
   • 3.7 stars on Google (3 reviews) 
   • Top clients: Honeywell, Disney, Dylan’s Candy Bar, Canon