T

he great English playwright, William Shakespeare, once said, '€œWhat'€™s in a name?'€

According to Shakespeare, who lived in the 16th century, a name was unimportant. He believed that the essence of a person or a thing would remain the same due to its character, not its name. Hence, Shakespeare stated that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. Is this really the case, however?

Maybe it is true that a rose will retain its perfume even if it is not called a rose. However, each person who smells it will know from the aroma that it is a rose. By associating the aroma, character and name, a person will always remember the rose. In the same way, a name is important for an individual, as with it, they can be remembered by others.

This is also what happens with a brand. The name, or what is known in the branding world as the '€œbrand name'€, forms the identity of the brand and provides a picture of the brand character. A great name can fuel a brand to grow, while a name that does not sound good, for example, it is too generic or sounds too similar to another brand, can '€œkill'€ its own success.

A brand name is hugely influential in terms of branding. The name is what the brand comes to be known as by the consumer. Furthermore, the series of words that form the name of a brand provide a picture or story of the essence of the brand, and create an emotional link with the consumer. In general, a great brand name is made from the words that have the power to touch the hearts and minds of unaware consumers. This can only be achieved when the brand positioning or brand essence is translated into the naming process.

How is a great brand name achieved? Actually, it is very simple. What is needed to create a brand name is a communication of the brand strategy; this is the key. What is meant by '€œbrand strategy'€ is the strategy of how the brand will be perceived by consumers. This strategy can be seen from the brand positioning or brand essence, which is the essence or core values of a brand, such as, for example, a brand that provides comfort, or a brand that guarantees happiness. In this context, a brand name could be a word that clarifies functionality professionally and explicitly, such as the example of the ready-to-drink mineral water, Aqua.

There are also examples of names that are more emotional, such as Nestlé Pure Life, which is also a mineral water brand. They both exist within the same category, but have a different brand name approach. No one choice is better than another in choosing between a literal or emotional name; it depends on what strategy a company wishes to communicate through the name: functionality or a particular feeling with which they want consumers to identify.

There are several other approaches that can be used in naming a brand, including an acronym '€” a name made up from an abbreviation, such as IBM (International Business Machines Corporation) or BCA (Bank Central Asia). Or a company may use a neologism, which is the creation of a new word that did not previously exist. Kodak is an example.

The word Kodak itself has no meaning at all, but it sounds positive. Using the name of the owner is another approach to naming a brand. Examples include Ayam Goreng Suharti, Jamu Nyonya Meneer or Krisbow, which is a contraction of the name of the firm'€™s founder, Kristian Wibowo. Another approach frequently used is the geographic approach, where a brand name is taken from the place of origin, such as Fuji Film. The final approach is personification, which names a brand by taking the characteristics of an object or other figure.

However, there are several other aspects that need to be considered in the brand-naming process. First, avoid a generic brand name. Often, brands given literal names based on functionality fall into this category. Even though they are businesslike, brand names still have to be different and unique. It is equally important to avoid names that resemble or copy other brands. Many brands think that using a name that resembles that of a competitor or other major brand will make their brand just as great.

However, what happens is just the opposite. Consumers will conclude that the brand is a '€œme-too'€ product that lacks innovation and just copies other brands. If this occurs, there will be no opportunity for the brand to grow and develop into a major brand. Finally, a brand name must be easy to spell and to pronounce. Consumers will frequently mention a brand on a daily basis, so the brand name needs to be clear to facilitate consumers remembering and mentioning the brand.

So in conclusion, a brand name is one of the most important aspects in shaping a brand because a name shapes the character and identity associated with the brand. Besides this, the brand name also provides and communicates information regarding the positioning and essence of the brand.

Consequently, a brand name must be chosen with great care and thoroughness. To create a great brand name, the following should be considered: a positive association and meaning, providing consumer information, having a name that is unique and ensuring it is easy to spell, pronounce and remember.

The writer is a senior brand consultant at DM IDHOLLAND.