Naming & Trademark Articles

experienced naming consultant

The following insider articles are provided to enlighten and entertain all those wishing to learn more about names, brands, branding and trademarks.

Gain an insider’s knowledge of this fascinating, creative art and the science behind it so that you can help your business prosper.

Naming Hints and Articles:

Naming consulting project pricing.
What will my naming project cost? See our fixed prices based on your company size.
The devil is in the trademark details
Why trademark checking can be so simple or so complicated.
The Power and Value of a Trademark
Learn why trademarks are so important even for small businesses and how they can be used to valuate companies
How to select a naming agency
Learn about the four broad categories of naming agencies and which one is best for you.
How do you get International Trademark protection?
How you can learn more about International Trademarks and do your own initial checks.
You have received a “cease and desist” letter. Now what?
Do not panic. But do take action. What is the real intent behind these letter?
How one product can have many different names and trademarks
This is an industrial product example of how the same basic product can rightfully show up with different names – even from different owners.
What Roles Do Copyright and Patents Play in Protecting Names?
Unless you went to law school, you might still be confused about how to protect names. Understand it once and for all here.
Predictions for 2014 and Free Annual Kickoff Offer
What will happen with product naming in 2014 across most industries? Free name check offer or free tagline with any full company name project.
International, National and Regional Name Styles
What effect does location play in naming? Both your location as the namer, the locations you have lived in (especially recently) and the target market locations? We are, after all, influenced greatly by our environment and the constant barrage of brand messages by media channel in a given region.
Planning for All the New Domain Names
After fighting over a few web domain gTLDs for many years, we are soon going to have a lot more to choose from. Will you just stick with .com or .org, or will you also get .tech or .music, for example?
The Right Names Go Down in History
Almost impossible to plan for – but when that name is just right, it will become a classic forever. This article also shows how once again little things make a big difference.
A Small Business Branding Case Study
Yosemite Gifts show you how to brand a small retail gift and jewelry store the right way. A complete and active brand promise of a great experience every step of the way.
Phonetics
The study of speech and pronunciation and the big role it plays in naming
Back to Basics: The Communications Pyramid
Where do names and taglines fit in the communications messaging world. This pyramid idea helps summarize it for most companies.
Top 10 Characteristics That Make Names Memorable
Not all names are memorable. In fact, the majority are not. And a name can only do so much for you. Your business still has to execute successfully. But at least know what style names you are considering, and see their chances of being memorable.
Naming Protection via Incorporation
How you register your new company name will affect what implicit name protection rights you have. Legal issue can be expensive, but marketing and business changes are worse if you have to change later.
Pragmatic Naming: Full Product Name Development
This is a full in-depth article for product managers to help them understand their role, and the major relevant issues, in product naming. A brief overview of the full process is provided to help bring them up to speed.
When to Change a Name?
Before you rush to change, make sure there is a problem or a major upside. Why not do your own name audit or bring in professionals to do one? Much quicker and better payoff than general market research.
Want to be Heard? Break from the Herd.
How come so many people don’t study competitor names before they think of their own? This is the first of two articles showing how having a different style name is a big plus.
Conference and Expo Naming
Do trade show conferences, expos and other events have to have such long descriptive names? And who owns these names anyway?
Does your Brand have a High Thread Count?
These two classic examples can help you revisit and rethink your brand promise and experience.
Top 10 Ways to Find a Free .com Name
.com names are disappearing at the rate of one million a month, so if you are just waking up to the big shortage, things have changed.
Brand Basics for the Little Guy
Consistency is somehow only for the big guys and those we consult with. Not for ourselves. No… it is the proper start for little guys too.
Having Fun with Place Nicknames
The USA (and beyond) has some interesting regional and city nicknames. See how many you know.
The Difference between a Name and a Brand
A name is not a brand. So what is a brand? What are its key characteristics and what is the delivery promise?
Software Product Naming Challenges
Fast moving products in a fast evolving world, with independent engineers, make naming software an extra challenge.
Why Naming is like the Drug Discovery Process
See how these two processes parallel each other in many regards – other than time.
What is a Brand and how to Develop a Brand?
At the heart of it, a brand is a promise of an experience. What are the most important factors in developing and preserving this promise?
Naming during a Merger or Acquisition
How to handle naming issues during a merger or acquisition, or creation of a new partnership or entity.
WOM:
Word of Mouth Branding
So powerful, but what is the word?
Market Research can ruin a good U.S. Name for any Brand
The conservative US constituents are more likely to drop your great name down to the lowest common denominator instead.
Why a Name costs 10 times more than a Logo
Online logos shops turn them out for $500. Why can’t namers do the same? It’s all about availability.
Protecting your Product or Service Name
Company names get registered with your state or county. But how do you protect a product or service name?
Do Name Generators Work?
Can they help you name your company or new product line?
Ambushing Famous Name Roots
Is it safe to “ambush” part of some major brand name?
Why your Name is not your Brand
A brand is not a name, a logo an identity. It is so much more.
But what then is it?
Creating New Business Names
Some basic hints on how to get creative and coin some very English-like names of your own.
Measuring your Brand Touch Points
A simple, formal method to measure and rate your brand touch points and efforts.
Nothing But Initials. Lost in the Alphabet Soup.
Should I give my company a longer name that quickly gets abbreviated?
Definitely not – read why.
Where is Silicon Valley and how did it get its Name?
Famous as the major technology hub of the world, where is it actually and where does the name come from?
What Makes a Name Cool?
Why do we find some names are cool and others are not?
Diamonds in the Rough
Why finding the right name is so similar to finding the right diamond.
Brands of Emotion
A name is the most common shorthand for your brand. Is there an emotional connection?
Linguistics and Onomastics
The science and study of languages
Top 10 Characteristics of a Good Name
See what the pros think are the most important factors of a good name. Use these as a guideline for your next naming project.
Why your Name should NOT be Front of the Alphabet
Why do people still mistakenly think their name should start with a letter at the beginning of the alphabet?
Saving Money with a Naming Agency
Why a naming agency will save you a lot of money and headaches!
Everything you wanted to know about naming but didn’t know who to ask.
I have a New Name. Now what?
Check list of steps to establish and use your new company name.
The Name Effect
What effect will your name have on your prospective audience?
Big Brand Name Origins
Ever wondered where that name came from? Somebody picked them all.
But why?
Famous Name Changes
Many famous brand names are actually the result of a name change.
See how many of these you know.
Celebrity and Movie Star Name Changes
Many famous Hollywood and Celebrity names are not their birth names.
See how many of these you know.
Naming Biases and Influences
Every person has their own naming style. Everyone is influenced by their environment. How to avoid having a faulty bias in your name.
Save $6,000 in Trademark Legal Fees
This is what many companies pay on average for basic corporate trademark searches. Don’t waste it all.
10 Steps to Develop a Process so you too can be a Consultant
Good consultants have good processes so that they can deliver results without wasting your time or money.
Sample process frameworks from industry leading consultants
Here are some sample proven process frameworks as documented by leading consultancies.
You named it What?
A late 2018 State of the Art summary.
4 Common branding mistakes
We can all be better brandmeisters

 

 

Basic Trademark Articles:

9 Steps to File Your Own Registered Trademark
You can try it at home if you are a small business.
Trademark vs Tradename
The differences between a trademark and a tradename.
Where are the Trademark Police?
Your trademarks are very valuable. Who will police and protect them?

All articles copyright Brighter Naming. You are welcome to link to these articles, but not to copy them in any manner whatsoever.

See also Resources section for more definitions, as well as direct links to all the important trademark and business registration entities around the world.

You can’t have everything… where would you put it?…. Coolsig oneliners.

Recent Naming Articles

Brand insider articles from an experienced marketing team.

Mar 2023: Pricing your naming project

Oct 2021: The devil is in the trademark details

Mar 2019:The Power and Value of a Trademark

Jan 2019:4 common branding mistakes

Oct 2018: You named it What?

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See his industry naming commentary (where he takes a critical look at names) via the blog on this site