First impressions matter.

Apologies to those involved  but every time I see this zipping about it makes me smile.

It’s eye catching, the van is always clean, and the company has taken the time and effort to create a logo and identity that stands out. But is it just me..or does this scream premenstrual syndrome rather than property maintenance..? The colour too!

It is always wise, when you create a name and brand identity, to get a diverse range of opinions to sense check what you’re proposing.

I am being light-hearted; naming is an important and integral part of brand creation. It should never be left to the last minute and the brand look and feel should work cohesively with the name to bring the product or service to life.

I could write a thesis on naming alone; those that challenged conventions: think Apple, those that changed the paradigm: think EasyJet, or for humour: think Anusol, (really, who are behind these pharma product names?).

Moderna for instance just created, ‘Spikevax’, for the new name for its Covid 19 vaccine – if you’re nervous about needles this won’t help.

Having been both agency and client side, I must admit that I have found the whole name generation lark a little irritating. The, way too long-winded, pretentious processes often resulting in nonsensical hybrid words at considerable cost. It often gives agencies a bad name when the price tag comes out for a name for a big corporate. How many times have you heard “my six-year-old could’ve done better!”

Even worse is when an agency comes up with a name for your new face cream brand, the name you absolutely love, that you’ve presented to your team/boss/client as a winner. Only to start again when you discover that it is in fact the number one brand of suppository in Russia and is trademarked and highly protected. How many times a bit of due diligence is lacking never ceases to amaze.

Naming is important and it takes time and thought. It also requires careful consultation and buy in if you have multiple stake holders, I get it.

For a smart, common-sense and clever approach to naming and brand identity get in touch now. That’s just one good reason.