What's in a name?

There's a lot to ponder when you're naming a company, product, or service. A name probably won't make or break your company, but it can give you an advantage. The following pointers may help you put your best foot forward.

• Length of name
  Short is sweet. And yes, this is one that Finishing Software should have pondered a bit more many years ago. In addition to the number of characters, you may also want to consider the number of syllables. An admirable target is three syllables or less, but that should not be a hard and fast rule.
• Pronunciation and spelling
  Is the name hard to say or spell correctly? Conduct a simple poll of people who haven't seen or heard the name before to determine this. Of course, you should confirm that those you're polling have reasonably good spelling and phonetic abilities. There are times when a common misspelling can even work to your advantage, as in the case of using a double entendre to make the name particularly memorable.
• Meaning
  What are you trying to convey and to whom are you trying to convey the message? You don't have to be literal. It's OK to convey the essence of an important attribute. For example, Pepsi conveys the essence of the beverage, but didn't have a literal meaning. If your product will be marketed to diverse cultures, investigate its meaning in other languages. A frequently cited naming faux pas is the Chevy Nova. In Spanish no va means "it won't go", which sends an undesired message to prospective car buyers.
• Availability
  Before engaging legal counsel, there are several tests you can perform yourself. Is it important that you be able to obtain the corresponding Internet domain name with the .com, .net, or .org suffix? (Those are the most coveted ones!) If so, start by checking on the domain name availabilty. If it's taken, you may want to move on to another name unless the name is being sold for a reasonable price. If the domain name is free, you may also want to perform additional searches using your favorite search engine. You may be able to quickly rule out potential trademark conflicts using this method. By all means, seek legal advice on the one or two names that you prefer. An attorney can further advise you on risks as well as the appropriate protective actions to take with regard to the name.

Have fun with the process. A group brainstorming session where some preliminary suggestions are examined for their pros and cons may inspire participants to think of new and better alternatives--both during and after the session.

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