What are some common mistakes to avoid when developing a business name or slogan?

BRAND NAME MISTAKES

A brand name is crucial as it is often the 1st impression consumers have of your company. Here are some common mistakes I often see from my past clients:

1. Not Checking Trademark Availability
   • Investing time and resources in promoting a name only to discover it's legally protected by another company can lead to legal issues and a costly rebrand.
   • Prevention: Always conduct a thorough trademark search in your target markets before finalizing your brand name.
2. Creating a Name Similar Sounding to Another Word:
   • A name that sounds too similar to another business or word can confuse customers or dilute your brand identity.
   • i.e. If you choose a name like "BriteBite" for a dental product, it might be easily confused with "BrightByte," a tech product.
3. Culturally Inappropriate Names:
   • A name that sounds appropriate or catchy in one language might carry negative or humorous connotations in another.
   • i.e. PeeCola is a popular soda in Ghana, might raise eyebrows or elicit laughter in English-speaking countries due to the sound association with "pee."

SLOGAN MISTAKES

A slogan distills your brand's promise into a memorable phrase but making it effective involves avoiding these pitfalls:

1. Not Speaking to Your Audience
   • A slogan that doesn’t resonate with your target audience might fail to engage them or convey the intended message.
   • i.e. A luxury car brand using a slogan like "Cheap and Cheerful" would not appeal to its target market seeking premium, high-quality products.
2. Not Relating Back to Offering
   •  If your slogan doesn’t clearly connect with what you’re selling, it can lead to customer confusion.
   • i.e. A fitness gym using the slogan "Beyond Limits" might be too vague without indicating it's about pushing fitness boundaries, not general lifestyle or professional ambitions.
3. Not Aligning with Brand Values
   • A slogan that contradicts your brand values can undermine your brand identity and trust.
   • i.e. If a brand prides itself on sustainability but uses a slogan like "Indulge in Excess," it contradicts the value of environmental conservation.

These considerations are crucial for creating a brand name and slogan that effectively communicate your brand identity and resonate with your target audience.

The biggest mistake you can make during the brand name research and design process is falling in love with your first ideas.

I have made the big mistake in the past of getting too attached to a brand name that, in itself, was "perfect" for the project. I built the brand's personality around it and created a logo, and a website... only to discover later, when I approached brand naming with more awareness, that it was the worst name I could have chosen because it was too similar to competitors' brands that also operated in my same area.

Every brand naming project needs to be approached with pragmatism and the right amount of creativity. However, a well-structured process and thorough checks will allow any brand to have the best possible name. Unique, simple, memorable, and above all, one you can truly own and legally defend.

Today, when I work on brand naming projects for my clients, I don't make the same mistake. Each name is evaluated based on the criteria agreed upon during the briefing, and checked for potential linguistic and territorial issues, and a preliminary legal check is also conducted to assess the trademark's registrability.