How to find a good name for a brand

Your process can become much easier if you have a methodology.

The first important naming I did was in 2013 at SmartDreamers, in my role as co-founder and branding / marketing manager.

It’s a Romanian start-up that attracted several million euros in investment and now works with very large clients globally.

Why is the name good?
Because it represents the team, the recruiters we were addressing, and the candidates we were targeting.

Besides that, the name represents the complete / ideal package — smart solutions, but also dreaming, in the sense of exploratory potential, people who don’t settle for banality but aim to reach their true potential.

The sweet spot was very fine because we had to attract, at the same time, both recruiters and candidates to generate results for each side.

Meanwhile, the business model has changed, but the name remained relevant.

Another example of a very good name for a project I was involved in is Motherful.

It perfectly expresses the brand idea.

The brand and business idea is that it helps mothers and their children to have an optimized and better life, both during pregnancy and after birth.

“At Motherful, our mission is to help parents make confident choices for themselves and their families — saving time, stress, and energy in the process.”

1. Define the brand idea and target audience

• What value do you offer?

• How do you help your target audience solve their problem?

Ideally, you shouldn’t offer just one specific benefit to customers, but a combination of benefits that synthesize into a greater value.

Motherful offers certain products and services, but the final benefits are broader — helping you save time, reduce stress, and save energy for these tasks.

2. Make a list of words that express the brand idea

For this brainstorming part, when thinking about name directions, you can use ChatGPT to generate ideas.

Then you can explore word variations around the directions that seem most relevant to the brand idea.

3. Select the best options

Ideally, the name should not be too complicated to understand or pronounce.
It also shouldn’t be too explicit (because it might get lost among competitors), but not too abstract either.

The good news is that you can balance this with a slogan:

• If you choose a more abstract name (like SmartDreamers), you can add a more explicit slogan.

• If you pick a very explicit name, you can add a more emotional/abstract slogan.

4. Check available domains and registered trademarks

Do research on domain availability and check if the brand name is already registered as a trademark.

5. Test the name

Ideally, test it with potential customers.
If that’s not possible, try with people in your social network.

If you need help, just reach out at hello@mariushuza.com

#naming #branding #brands #brand identity #how to #strategy #brandnames #marketing #business