A few things to consider when naming

It is a rare pleasure that all of the Nomen branches get together at the same time but we were lucky enough to do just that recently at the group seminar. While there, we asked representatives of each branch what one tip they would give people to help with their naming process. This could be a specific attitude towards the naming or a behaviour to maintain to make your process smoother. Below are some of those thoughts:

* Be Bold: During the creation process, don’t hesitate to propose original names. Apart from making you stand out they are much more likely to be available when you carry out your legal checks. 

* Stand Out: Differentiate as much as possible from the competition. Many names simply reflect the exact same things as their competition. Use the opportunity to make yourself noticed.

* Take Time: Give the process the time it needs. If you leave your naming to the last minute you will usually be forced to accept something you are not entirely happy with. You will not be able to explore your options properly and, once some ideas have been lost through legal checks, you will be left with limited choices.

* Get Everyone Involved: Lots of projects go back to the drawing board when someone comes in late with conflicting opinions to everyone else. Try to incorporate all decision makers in the process as early as possible.

* Look Beyond Your Environment: Take some hints from cultural worlds: read a lot, go to theatres and exhibitions.  Don’t just look at technical worlds and your business. Even engineers can be creative!

* Consider Your Overall Strategy: Each product and service reflects on the corporate name and its branding. A solid naming strategy makes it possible to establish coherence between them.

* Decide the ‘Winning Formula’ Early: When it comes to the decision time, someone usually gets cold feet and starts picking holes in otherwise good ideas. Decide on the winning criteria early in the process and understand that not everyone will agree when it comes time to commit.

* Get Outside Opinions: It can be difficult to make a decision from a list of names when you were so involved in creating them. When it comes time to make your decisions, get the opinions of colleagues, friends and family… and naming consultants!