A product name helps differentiate your offerings from the competition. Unique and compelling names for your products make it easier for customers to remember and connect with your brand. So, how do you choose a product name that resonates and sticks with your audience?
Let’s learn the essentials of the product naming process — from how to name a product to its value and role for a brand and the best examples.
Key Takeaways
- Your product name should be memorable, readable, flexible, meaningful, and easy to recall.
- Don’t rush the naming process — take all the time you need to create a name that presents your brand’s mission and vision.
- Your product name is incredibly valuable, as it’s the first connection customers make with your brand.
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How To Name a Product in 2024
The product naming process, like every part of the product design cycle, shouldn’t be rushed. Creating a unique name will let you emphasize your individuality on the market and stand out.
But how do you name a product? Here are three steps you can follow:
1. Collaborate and Brainstorm
Come up with an idea or word bank comprising the many ways you define your merchandise. What message would you like to communicate with it? This is the time to be your most creative and inventive.
A product name is the perfect chance to be playful and experiment with different words until you find what truly describes your business. During your brainstorming sessions, think about these tips to get a creative jolt:
- Create a whole new word.
- Find inspiration in descriptive words.
- Move syllables around.
- Blend words.
- Use a completely unrelated word.
- Make an acronym using initials.
- Shift and adjust spellings.
- When in doubt, use the founder’s name.
2. Keep Your Brand in Mind
Think of your product as an extension of your branding. It must embody the personality and characteristics of your branding while functioning to fulfill your business objectives.
To create a strong product name, keep these three things in mind:
- It should be readable, memorable, and easy to use: Visualize how your product and its name will appear on your website or social media. This gives you an idea of how consumers will encounter and interact with your brand from day to day.
- Make it meaningful: Apart from being easy to remember, the name should mean something. There’s a story to tell with your product, and this makes it relatable to your audience.
- Make it flexible: Consider how the name might change or evolve depending on your brand and the platform it’s listed on, as well as how it will stand the test of time.
3. Conduct Market Studies
Research is crucial to understanding the market your product will enter. Determine the answers to the following questions through market research:
- What has been done before?
- What is being done now?
- What is likely to be done soon?
- Which of these has been successful or is expected to be?
Gather how the audience receives your brand and its offers, and let this data guide your business decisions moving forward. With some research and testing, your naming choices can be as informed as possible.
Tip: No matter the size of your business, it’s always a good idea to consult the naming experts and learn what they have to say.
Product Naming Examples
To understand the product naming process better, here’s a table with some examples and the ideas behind them:
| Idea | Example |
| Descriptive | Band-Aid, PayPal, Whole Foods |
| Suggestive | Twitter, Dove, Uber |
| Abstract | Rolex, Spotify, Visa |
| Made-up Words | Sharpie, Dulux, Nintendo Wii |
| Word Combos | Snapchat, FedEx, Facebook |
Product Naming Things To Avoid
The product naming process can be easy if you have a general idea of what you want. However, to ensure you’re on the right track, avoid these common pitfalls:
- Don’t rush the process: Take your time in creating a name for your brand that accurately represents your company’s values and mission. Whether it takes days or weeks, don’t rush or get discouraged — your product name is a crucial first impression.
- Avoid long names: Having a long name will only make it harder for customers to remember your brand. Plus, it is harder to pronounce, which means buyers may steer clear of it. Stick to something concise and catchy to make a lasting impression.
- Don’t try too hard: Everyone wants to stand out and create an entirely unique product name. But trying too hard can have the opposite effect — it can make your name overly complicated or sound dull.
- Don’t let your emotions guide your reason: Your product name should prioritize connection with your customers over personal preference. Hence, there is no room for emotions and tailoring the name to one that simply appeals to you.
- Don’t use a random number generator: It might be tempting to simply use a random name generator, but this approach often falls short, and many product design, prototype, and marketing agencies have advised against it. Instead, start from scratch and establish your product’s fundamental substance.
- Think outside the box: In using different product naming strategies, remember to think outside of the box. Using only descriptive or technical terms can limit your products’ appeal and may not be enough to tell your customers what you’re selling.
The Role of Your Product’s Name
Your product name plays a critical role in representing your business and your brand. It’s the solution you’re presenting to address your customers’ needs. Within a word or two, you must be able to communicate its use, value, and advantage over competitors. While slogans and taglines can support this, it all starts with the product name.
It goes hand-in-hand with your brand’s name. Consider iconic brands and their products:
- Apple: MacBook, iPhone, and iPad
- Samsung: The Note and the Galaxy
- Microsoft: Windows OS
- Google: Pixel and Chrome.
These product names are nearly synonymous with their brands. Customers know they can depend on these products because of the promises these businesses made and fulfilled in the past.
While this is a challenge for newer brands, since they have yet to prove themselves and their items, it’s not an impossible feat. Establish a strong brand and foundation, deliver quality products or services, and ensure consistency throughout your brand. Additionally, your brand’s unique voice should resonate through your product names and the content you create to market and advertise them.
The Value of Your Product’s Name
Your product name is one of the cornerstones of your business. Here are a few ways on how your product name serves your brand:
- Captures attention and imagination
- Presents the benefit of investing
- Communicates the product’s function
- Helps your product gain credibility
1. Captures Attention and Imagination
A product name can catch your customers' attention and single you out from the competition. Moreover, a unique or creative name can stick with your target audience, making it easily identifiable among similar offerings.
Besides getting attention, some names are specifically crafted to spark the imagination of the customers. For example, Dove’s name instantly links you to a dove, which aligns with the brand’s logo. This stimulates the imagination and associates the brand with something pure and gentle — exactly what Dove products embody.
2. Presents the Benefit of Investing
Top brands don’t just sell products; they also sell their product’s name and what it stands for. Building a strong product name allows customers to easily associate it with your brand’s reputation. This allows buyers to not just own the product or service but also become part of a bigger community.
Take Apple as an example. While competitors offer similar types of products, many people choose Apple not just for functionality but for what its prestigious brand name represents. Apple products are the tech products today. When you invest in Apple, you’re buying into a brand that signifies status, prestige, and a sense of accomplishment.
3. Communicates the Product’s Function
The value of your product name can also be seen in its ability to communicate the brand’s goal. While the brand name doesn’t always need to be on the nose, it is a good way to hide the brand’s mission in plain sight.
Take FedEx as an example here. FedEx stands for Federal Express — its name itself provides a clear hint about what the company does: shipping packages around the world in a matter of days.
4. Helps Your Product Gain Credibility
As we already mentioned, a product name can create a strong association with your brand. Google, for instance, offers a wide range of tools — from storage to keyword research tools and more. Each product bears the Google name, and that’s enough for customers to know the product is legit, high quality, and worth every penny. This consistent branding reassures customers that every Google product meets high standards.
Naming a Product Takeaways
Standing out from the competition is more challenging and more crucial than ever. Hence, a unique and memorable product name is one of the most powerful tools to differentiate your brand.
While coming up with a name for your product isn’t easy, it’s a process that’s been tried and tested by many entrepreneurs before you. Remember to stay true to your brand’s voice and mission, and avoid common pitfalls like long names and rushing the process.
And if all else fails, don’t hesitate to reach out to the experts. With their guidance and research, you’ll create a product name that resonates with your audience in no time.
