What is Brand Identity & How To Create a Great One
The most comprehensive guide online to creating a strong brand identity for your business or organization.
When you’re just starting a business, the right name for your business is much more important than most people think.
A strong business name can help your business get a competitive advantage. A weak, forgettable business name can lead to failure.
Based in the Rocky Mountains this financial planner draws attention to his local surroundings with a name that feels strong and powerful. A timberline is what is seen from a distance much like the financial planners role is to point out the direction and set goals to reach it. The connection to nature gives an opportunity for the brand to adopt a client base that wants to invest in sustainable investments.
Investing can feel complicated and scary. The name serenity focuses on the feeling the firm wants to evoke in its clients.
This group draws a connection between wealth and a biblical reference to the miraculous manna in the dessert. A great brand for someone who is religious and is working with clients familiar with the reference.
The shield of Zeus is a powerful name for a financial firm charged with protecting your assets. The tie to antiquity provides even a new firm with a storied foundation. There is also a visual element that can be incorporated into the brand.
This Austin, Texas firm specializes in a holistic approach to finances that involves coaching, accountability and planning. The name allows them to convey a broad base of services instead of a name like 'asset management' They show their expertise by talking about their craft as an art instead of as a commodity.
Crowdspring is an online design and naming platform linking businesses like yours with over 220,000 design and naming experts. Instead of investing over $10,000 with a branding agency - or paying an unknown freelancer for a single design or name you hope you like - crowdspring delivers dozens of custom designs or names to choose from for every project. With over 12 years of experience, we’re the reliable, affordable solution for small business.
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Stay away from these unimaginative and overused investment company names.
You want customers to think specifically about your investment business when the name is mentioned and you want them to understand what makes you unique. These names do neither of those things:
Branding your investment company after your name is a common practice. However, there are times when you don’t want to follow this strategy. Stay away from this practice when your first and last name are common, your name is hard to pronounce or spell, you will have additional people working for you, or you want your name to explain your niche specialty.
When you say the name can you think of the colors or visuals that would make up your company logo or website design. 'Timberline' immediately provide a color palette or visual with which to build the rest of the company’s visual brand.
When you say the name do you think of another company? Consider making up a unique word or building a brand around a word without an established brand like Apple did.
Once a name has been trademarked in the U.S., that name is protected in all 50 states. If you use a name (or even a significant part of a name) that is already under trademark, you should anticipate a cease and desist letter in your future – along with the need to find a new business name. The best way to avoid this problem is to come up with a completely custom name for your investment business. When the 'Artisan Spice Company' (boring and generic) received a cease and desist letter for trademark infringement they came to crowdspring for a custom name. After dozens of unique names were submitted they chose 'Asabasa' because it was fun to say, memorable and stood out from all the other spice companies.
Here’s everything you need to know about the important principles and theories that can supercharge your marketing and influence people to buy your products or services.
A name has to be considered with your target audience in mind.
Are you targeting young adults or retirees? Are you targeting the serious or playful side of this audience? A name like 'The Art of Finance' is great for someone who knows they need a little financial education but might not be as effective for a wealthy individual who is seeking more respect.
A great way to think about your audience and how it relates to a name is to pick from brand opposites.
Literal names are the easiest names to come up with and represent most small business names.
They are boring and uninspiring names like, 'Wealth Builders', or 'Capital Group'. Adding depth and imagination to your name will help your business stand out and communicate why you are unique.
Names need to be short and easy to both pronounce and spell. Something too complicated will make it harder to remember.
Words are made of phoneme (pronounced fonem) which are the noticeable differences in sound in each part of a word.
Research has shown that we associate certain traits to different sounds.
Words starting with 'st' sound powerful (strong, Starbucks, state).
Words ending in 'a' sound feminine.
'P', 'T' and 'K' are associated with sharp shapes.
'M', 'N' and 'L' are associated with round shapes.
The sound 'ee' as in flea and 'i' as in fly are categorized as smaller sized and less powerful.
The sound 'ou' as in bout and 'oo' as in boot are categorized as larger and more powerful.
Ask someone to describe your name and see if it matches your brand.
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A brand is a name, term, design, or symbol that differentiates a business, organization, firm, product or services from its rivals, in the eyes of the customer.
A strong brand name communicates what your company does, how it does it, and at the same time, establishes trust and credibility with your prospects and customers. Strong business names are important for every type of entity, including corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies (LLC), LLP, PLC, joint ventures, and others.
Business names can be real words, made-up words, or combinations of words. For example, Hospira, a name selected by the company's employees, was derived from the words hospital, spirit, inspire, and the Latin word spero, which means hope. Bosch, a German diversified technology-based corporation, was named after its founder, Robert Bosch.
Some famous companies started operating under different names but later changed those names. For example, Google was initially called BackRub. Pepsi-Cola was initially called Brad's Drink. Sony was initially known as Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo. BP, formerly British Petroleum, was shortened as part of a rebranding effort in 2000.
Some companies choose to operate under a trade name, or trading name, which is a pseudonym frequently used by companies to operate under a name different from their registered legal name.
How many of these and other successful companies do you think used a 10-second business name creator to get a creative brand name in seconds or to generate business names instantly? If you answered 'none', you are correct. No successful company has ever jumped from naming a brand to securing the domain name, to starting a small business - all in a few clicks.
If you have an existing name that no longer fits your brand, you can learn more about the why and how to rename your business, and review the 10 tips for naming your startup or small business on our award-winning business marketing blog.
Every business has a legal name. But, sometimes you don’t want to operate your business under your registered legal business name.
There are many reasons for this. For example, the legal name might be confusing, unrelated to your business, or no longer descriptive of your business. Or you just might want a new name without changing your incorporation or registration documents.
You can easily do this by registering a DBA (doing business as). A DBA is like a nickname for your business. A DBA is sometimes also called an 'assumed name', 'fictitious business name', or 'trade name'.
Importantly, registering a DBA does not excuse you from forming a legal business entity. You must first create a business structure, like a corporation, LLC, limited partnership, or another structure, before you can register a DBA.
You can operate your business under as many DBA names as you want - there are no limits. But, each DBA name must be registered in the state where you operate. This is required because the public has a legal right to know that a particular person or legal entity is conducting a business under a name that differs from its legal name.
There are many reasons you should consider registering a DBA for your business: you don’t want to use your personal name for the business, your bank requires a DBA, you’re taking your business in a new direction, you want to improve credibility, and it’s better for marketing. The legal name of a business might be complicated or hard to pronounce. A DBA will allow you to market a memorable, accessible brand name that’s more search engine friendly.
The cost to set up a DBA varies by state, county, city, and business structure. In general, you will end up spending from $10 to $100 on registering your DBA.
Here’s a useful starting point to file a DBA, with insights, FAQs, links, and state requirements to help you file a DBA in any U.S. state or territory.
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Here are the 10 things you should consider when deciding on a new business name.
Businesses located in rural areas and serving rural communities may want to project a smaller, hometown feel with their name. However, businesses planning to focus on bigger markets or bigger customers might want to project a larger, more corporate image with their name.
While brainstorming, look up Greek and Latin translations of your words – you might find new ideas from doing that exercise. Look at foreign words too (we spent some time with a Swahili dictionary looking for strong names).
Obscure business names are often difficult to write and even more difficult to remember. This is a problem because for most startups and small businesses, word-of-mouth advertising is the most successful form of marketing. If your customers can’t remember your name or can’t spell it for others, it will make it difficult for them to help promote your business.
While it might be tempting, avoid using a K in place of a Q or a Ph in place of an F when coming up with your company name. Such letter substitutions make spelling the name very difficult.
Also, don’t forget to consider the acronym of your company name (an acronym is composed of the first letter of each word in a phrase). You might not use an acronym, but your customers might refer to your business by an acronym. A name such as Apple Support Services can result in an unfavorable acronym – ASS.
The same advice applies even if your company sells a niche product. For example, if you sell antique lamps, you should consider whether you might sell more than lamps in the future. Naming your business Joan’s Antique Lamps may be too limiting when you start selling antique clocks and furniture.
There are exceptions. General Electric is one of the most successful companies in the world and its name is composed of two plain words. But, General Electric was one of the first companies in its product/service category and was able to get away with a plain name.
So, look for a company name that is also available for registration as a domain (ideally, as a .com domain). You should understand that .com domains are very popular and you’ll struggle to find available domains that match your company name. Many people worry about this and that’s why every proposed business name on crowdspring has a matching domain name.
Here are 10 things to consider when determining a good business name or product name:
1. Think about what you want your company name to convey. Service oriented businesses should consider whether it will be easy for their prospective customers to recognize what services the business provides, based on the name of the company (example: Friendly Dog Walkers or Bright Accounting). Businesses located in rural areas and serving rural communities may want to project a smaller, hometown feel with their name. However, businesses planning to focus on bigger markets or bigger customers might want to project a larger, more corporate image with their name.
2. Brainstorm name possibilities. Think about words that describe your industry or the products/services you offer. Think about words that describe your competitors and words that describe the differences between your products and services and those of your competitors. Also, consider words that describe the benefits of using your products or services. Finally, think about words and phrases that evoke the feelings you want your customers to feel when they see your company name.
3. Keep the name short, simple, and easy to write and remember. Obscure business names are often difficult to write and even more difficult to remember. This is a problem because for most startups and small businesses, word-of-mouth advertising is the most successful form of marketing. If your customers can’t remember your name or can’t spell it for others, it will make it difficult for them to help promote your business. While it might be tempting, avoid using a K in place of a Q or a Ph in place of an F when coming up with your company name. Such letter substitutions make spelling the name very difficult. Also, don’t forget to consider the acronym of your company name (an acronym is composed of the first letter of each word in a phrase). You might not use an acronym, but your customers might refer to your business by an acronym. A name such as Apple Support Services can result in an unfavorable acronym - ASS.
4. Avoid names that are too narrow or too literal. Think about how your company may evolve over time and make sure that the company name can evolve with the business. For example, if you name your company iPhone Accessories and later expand to sell accessories for other products, your original name will be too narrow and restrictive.
In addition to the 4 tips we offered above, here are 6 more tips.
5. Avoid decision by committee. You’ll find yourself trying to find consensus – which can lead to a very plain name. If you must involve others, pick a small group of people who understand you and your business (and pick a mix of right-brain types and left-brain types so that you can have some variety.
6. Avoid plain words. Plain words make it very difficult to differentiate your company from your competitors. For example, there were hundreds of thousands of logo design businesses around the world when we started thinking about crowdspring. We knew that we would be expanding to many different industries (graphic design, web design, industrial design, writing, and many more) and so we didn’t want to name our business Great Logo Design or ManyDesigners – it would have been descriptive, but not memorable and certainly not sufficiently unique.
7. Be careful with geographic names. Some people use their city, state or region as part of their company name. If you plan only to work in your city, then this might serve you well. But a geographic name could hinder you later.
8. Avoid obscure words. Obscure words or references might be difficult to spell or pronounce. Be especially sensitive if you're trying to reach a mass audience (such as on the Internet). Obscure or invented names can work – Xerox is a great example – but this often requires a huge marketing budget and tremendous effort.
9. Avoid trends and fads. You’ll want your company’s name to evolve as trends evolve, so be careful to identify the trends and to avoid following them. For example, in the late 1990’s, it was trendy to use a .com after your company name if your company was an Internet business. After the Internet bubble burst, the .com became synonymous with having no business model and those companies who survived very quickly dropped .com from their names.
10. Consider the domain. Look for a name that is also available for registration as a domain (ideally, as a .com domain). You should understand that .com domains are very popular and you’ll struggle to find available domains that match your company name. Many people obsess during this process. That's why name suggestions on crowdspring include a matching domain name!
Creatives on crowdspring suggest not only names, but also URLs to accompany those names!
Now it's not always possible to find an identical URL when you have a name you love. But that's a smaller problem today than it used to be.
The number of people who type in URLs is shrinking every day. Small business owners still seem to be obsessing over getting the pure URL as MyCompanyName.com, but the larger organizations have adapted. The URL is becoming much less important. Nowadays people are putting the name into Google to find sites. The sad fact is that the vast majority of names we consider are ‘camped’ by squatters hoping to make a quick buck. If you don’t have deep pockets or a convincing story to share you’re going to get taken to the cleaners.
Google is a great tool for getting around this issue—if you’ve got a strong brand and you’re getting links from people you’ll end up as the number one response for your name even if it isn’t the pure dotcom domain.
Yes. Keep the business name short and make it easy to pronounce and spell. Some new businesses make the mistake of picking what sounds like a cool name - but one that is very difficult for people to pronounce or spell. If people can’t pronounce or spell your business name, they'll have difficulty recommending your business to their friends and colleagues.
When you pick your business name, you should think a bit about how the name will translate into a visual identity. It's premature to start picturing your logo design when you name the company, but most people associate words with images, so it's important for you to consider this as you pick your company name. Make sure that the images your business name conjures up in prospective customers are positive. Once you have a strong name, you'll want to think about ways to strengthen the name with a great logo design.
The major search engines, like Google, Bing, and Yahoo, all index your company name. That means it's really important to think carefully before coming up with a name for your business. Are you facing heavy competition from others in your industry? Is your name confusing for the industry it belongs to? Is the name so generic that people cannot find it?
Since you’ll be competing with other businesses in your industry for search results, you’ll have to get pretty crafty. Make sure that the name you choose for your company gives you an advantage and doesn't act as a hindrance to how readily searchable you are on the web.
Big companies run focus group tests to ask potential customers how they feel about a possible business name or product name. You can do something very similar by running prospective names by your friends, family, or your customers or potential customers. You also can ask your vendors or suppliers. These informal focus groups might suggest some improvements or might offer some feedback on why certain names are better than other company names.
It’s not easy to name a new company or product. At times, it feels like every name in the dictionary is already taken. And just when you think you have found the perfect name, you realize that you can’t get the matching domain name.
Naming consultants want to charge you thousands or tens of thousands of dollars to help name your company or product. Few business owners can afford such fees. There’s a better alternative.
Crowdspring is home to the world’s best creative team.
Unlike the traditional freelancer or agency market, crowdspring is a crowdsourcing marketplace. On crowdspring, tens of thousands of creatives from over 195 countries around the world compete for your business. You will get choice when you look to name your new business or product that you will not get anywhere else. In fact, we guarantee that you’ll get at least 100 name suggestions. If you don’t find a name you like when you receive fewer than 100 suggestions, just let us know within 30 days and we’ll refund your fees in full – no questions asked.
Our unique model and process addresses many of the concerns encountered when pricing naming a business or product. We take a lot of the work and stress out of the equation for you: you won’t need to get quotes in advance for the work, or interview people or agencies.
Your set the price for your project, and creatives from around the world will suggest names (and URLs) to your project for you to review. When your project ends, you choose the name you like the best. It’s that simple!
We have one of the most talented communities of creatives on the planet. Over the past decade, our team has helped tens of thousands of small business owners, entrepreneurs, agencies, and non-profits. The vast majority of our clients find a great name they love. But we know that sometimes, you just won't find something you love. It's pretty rare, but it happens. That's why we offer you a simple promise: if your naming project doesn’t receive at least 100 entries, just let us know within 30 days and we’ll promptly refund what you paid.
The most comprehensive guide online to creating a strong brand identity for your business or organization.
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