Choosing the right name for your brand is one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make. Whether you’re a new business looking to make your mark or an established brand seeking to reposition yourself for future success, the name you choose plays a significant role in how you’re perceived by your audience. This decision can influence customer engagement, brand loyalty, and long-term growth, impacting both brand identity and brand strategy.
In today's competitive marketplace, particularly with the rise of digital commerce, naming is more complex than ever. It’s not just about creating a memorable brand name, but also ensuring the digital domain, trademark protection, and brand positioning are aligned to secure a distinctive footprint for your business.
A name is more than just a label—it's the first step in establishing your brand identity.
The right name will communicate your values, vision, and the essence of your business.
It’s often the first impression your customers will have, and as the saying goes, you only get one chance to make a first impression.
A well-chosen brand name should:
Consider Pepsi-Cola—originally called Brad's Drink.
The original name lacked market appeal and failed to evoke the essence of the product. In contrast, Pepsi-Cola communicates the drink's refreshing qualities while being catchy and easy to remember. This change helped Pepsi become one of the world's largest beverage companies.
In the digital age, a strong online presence is crucial for any business. A brand name is incomplete without a matching domain name, as it serves as your digital storefront. Securing the right domain name has become an essential part of any brand strategy.
However, the challenge for many businesses is that the most obvious domain names might already be taken. This is why creativity and forward-thinking are essential when choosing both a name and a domain. When Dropbox was initially conceived, the name was simple and reflected the core offering of the service, making it easy to secure the domain dropbox.com, which was key to its success.
Once you've settled on a name and secured the appropriate domain, the next crucial step is protecting your intellectual property through trademark registration. Without proper legal protection, you risk others using your name or something similar, diluting your brand's uniqueness and value.
A good example of trademark protection is Apple.
Apple is a brand that fiercely defends its trademarks to ensure that no other company can capitalise on the power of the Apple brand. By securing trademarks and intellectual property rights, Apple has maintained its brand’s exclusivity. But it was a very difficult and complicated journey getting to that place. It had a 30-year legal battle with Apple Corp., the company set up to produce music for the Beetles, which had been established in 1968. Apple Inc. had to go through multiple trademark infringement suits and pay very large sums of money to Apple Corp. to continue using the brand Apple. They eventually settled in 2007, when Apple Inc. . bought all of the rights to use Apple from Apple Corp., giving them full control over their brand in the tech and music distribution spaces whilst allowing Apple Corp. to continue operating their successful brand in the music production business.
Many successful companies have undergone rebranding or renaming exercises to better reflect their evolving businesses. Here are some notable examples:
Initially named BackRub, Google’s founders quickly realised that the original name didn’t capture the breadth and scale of their mission. Google—a play on the mathematical term "googol"—better reflected the company’s goal to organise vast amounts of information.
To reflect its growing focus on beverages and a broader array of offerings beyond just donuts, Dunkin' Doughnuts shortened its name to Dunkin'. The simplified name helped modernise the brand and reinforce its commitment to quick, convenient food and drinks.
Dapulse was originally launched in 2014 as a tool aimed at improving project collaboration and team communication. Despite the product's strong capabilities, the founders realised that the name "dapulse" was ambiguous and didn't clearly convey what the company offered. The decision was made to rebrand the company to Monday.com in 2017, with the idea being that Monday is universally recognised as the start of the workweek, symbolising productivity and organisation. The rebrand was strategic, designed to better reflect the platform’s mission of organising workflows and improving efficiency for teams. The rebrand to Monday.com was a turning point for the company. The new name resonated with users, making it easier for potential customers to understand the product’s purpose. Monday.com has since grown significantly, becoming one of the leading project management and team collaboration tools in the market. In 2021, Monday.com went public, and the rebranding is often credited as a key moment in the company’s successful trajectory.
Unfortunately, not all renaming efforts succeed. Poor execution or lack of customer research can lead to significant backlash and brand confusion.
In 2001, Royal Mail attempted to rebrand itself as Consignia in an effort to reflect its broader range of services. However, the abstract, corporate-sounding name failed to resonate with customers. Within 16 months, the company reverted to Royal Mail, but not without incurring significant costs and damage to its reputation.
In the competitive world of business, a brand’s name can be one of its most valuable assets. It should be a reflection of your company's core values and mission, crafted to connect with your target audience. For businesses looking to make a lasting impression, partnering with professionals who understand the art and science of brand naming is crucial. Through careful brand strategy, a name can communicate your brand identity and leave a mark in the marketplace.