# Brand Naming Strategies > Use when naming or renaming a company, product, or startup, generating or scoring name candidates… Use when naming or renaming a company, product, or startup, generating or scoring name candidates, or checking domain and trademark availability for a name. Keywords - brand name, naming strategy, SMILE and SCRATCH test, descriptive vs invented vs abstract names, sound symbolism, naming matrix, domain availability, trademark screening. - Page: https://ss33.ai/skills/mike-coulbourn/brand-naming-strategies-75858613394 - Publisher: mike-coulbourn - Category: [Business](https://ss33.ai/skills/category/business-y1h0vy) › [Branding & design](https://ss33.ai/skills/category/business-y1h0vy/branding-and-design-e25ohe) - License: MIT - Source: https://github.com/mike-coulbourn/claude-vibes/blob/1f8b5083ab2406d71b16fbc06e80c21f4b1f1235/plugins/vibes/skills/brand-naming-strategies/SKILL.md ## Skill SKILL.md: https://ss33.ai/api/v1/ss33/download/mike-coulbourn/brand-naming-strategies-75858613394 # Brand Naming Strategies Quick reference for strategic brand naming using expert methodologies from Lexicon, Eat My Words, Catchword, and Igor. > "A name should make you smile instead of scratch your head. If it makes you scratch your head, scratch it off the list." — Alexandra Watkins --- ## Key statistics - **2.5x increase** in company value after Emode renamed to Tickle (4 months) - **30% traffic increase** from name change alone - **2 syllables** = optimal for memorability - **1,000-3,000 candidates** needed before finding gems (Lexicon) --- ## The SMILE & SCRATCH framework (Alexandra Watkins) ### SMILE: 5 qualities of a great name | Letter | Quality | Description | Example | |--------|---------|-------------|---------| | **S** | Suggestive | Evokes something about your brand | Amazon suggests vastness | | **M** | Memorable | Makes an association with the familiar | Apple connects to something everyone knows | | **I** | Imagery | Aids memory through evocative visuals | Jaguar creates immediate mental picture | | **L** | Legs | Lends itself to extended wordplay and branding | Nike allows "Just Do It" mythology | | **E** | Emotional | Moves people | Patagonia evokes adventure | **"Legs" explained**: A name should provide "a theme with mileage you can build a brand around." ### SCRATCH: 7 deal breakers | Letter | Deal Breaker | Red Flag | |--------|--------------|----------| | **S** | Spelling Challenged | Looks like a typo | | **C** | Copycat | Sounds like existing brand | | **R** | Restrictive | Limits future growth (Boston Market) | | **A** | Annoying | Forced, excessive wordplay | | **T** | Tame | Flat, descriptive, uninspired | | **C** | Curse of Knowledge | Speaks only to insiders | | **H** | Hard to Pronounce | If people avoid saying it, they avoid you | --- ## Sound symbolism quick guide (Lexicon/Placek) | Sound | Psychological Impact | Example Names | |-------|---------------------|---------------| | **V** | Vibrant, alive | Corvette, Vercel, Viagra | | **B** | Reliable, solid | BlackBerry | | **Z** | Attention-getting | Azure, Zara | | **X** | Innovative | Xerox, SpaceX | | **Plosives (b, c, k, p)** | Memorable | Coca-Cola, Kodak | | **Soft sounds (l, m, n)** | Approachable | Lululemon, Amazon | --- ## The Naming Matrix Position names on two axes: **Approach** (descriptive to abstract) and **Construct** (real-word to coined): ``` CONSTRUCT Real-Word Compound Coined ↓ ↓ ↓ ┌─────────┬─────────────┬──────────┐ Abstract │ Roku │ YouTube │ Xerox │ │ Apple │ Snapchat │ Kodak │ ↑ ├─────────┼─────────────┼──────────┤ │ │ Amazon │ Airbnb │ Spotify │ Suggestive│ Slack │ Pinterest │ Verizon │ │ ├─────────┼─────────────┼──────────┤ ↓ │ PayPal │ Salesforce │Accenture │ Descriptive│General │ TripAdvisor │ (rare) │ │Motors │ │ │ └─────────┴─────────────┴──────────┘ APPROACH ``` ### The clarity vs. creativity spectrum ``` Descriptive ─────────── Suggestive ─────────── Abstract 100% clarity Sweet spot 100% creativity 0% creativity Balance of both 0% clarity ``` **Sweet spot for most startups**: Suggestive names (Netflix, Airbnb, Slack) --- ## Marty Neumeier's 8 criteria A great name should be: 1. **Distinctive**: Stands apart from competitors 2. **Brief**: Short enough to remember and type 3. **Appropriate**: Fits the brand personality 4. **Easy to spell**: No guessing required 5. **Easy to pronounce**: Flows naturally when spoken 6. **Likeable**: Creates positive first impression 7. **Extendible**: Works across products and markets 8. **Protectable**: Can be trademarked --- ## Catchword's 10 touchstones | # | Touchstone | What It Means | |---|------------|---------------| | 1 | Available | .com and social handles obtainable | | 2 | Trademarkable | Can be legally protected | | 3 | Memorable | Sticks after one hearing | | 4 | Scalable | Allows business expansion | | 5 | Short | Few syllables, easy to type | | 6 | Positive Affect | Creates good feelings | | 7 | Good for SEO | Searchable, not too generic | | 8 | Easy to Pronounce | No stumbling | | 9 | Easy to Spell | Intuitive spelling | | 10 | Distinctive | Unique in category | --- ## Name generation techniques (quick reference) 1. **Three Words Technique**: Each person writes 3 words that should describe the brand 2. **Syllable Recombination**: Cut words into syllables, combine randomly 3. **Root Word Mining**: Greek/Latin roots for professional-sounding names (Xerox from "xeros") 4. **Portmanteau Creation**: Blend two words (Pinterest = Pin + Interest) 5. **Sound Symbolism**: Use letters that evoke desired feelings 6. **Free Association**: Idioms, proverbs, song lyrics, foreign words 7. **Novel Spelling**: Phonetically equivalent spellings (careful: don't fail SCRATCH) **Key principle**: Generate 1,000+ candidates before evaluating. Quantity leads to quality. --- ## The naming funnel ``` ┌─────────────────────────────────────┐ │ 1,000-3,000 candidates │ ← Wide generation ├─────────────────────────────────────┤ │ 200-300 initial screen │ ← Basic criteria ├─────────────────────────────────────┤ │ 30 for availability │ ← Domain/TM checks ├─────────────────────────────────────┤ │ 10-15 for presentation │ ← Full vetting ├─────────────────────────────────────┤ │ 5-7 vetted options │ ← Client decision └─────────────────────────────────────┘ ``` --- ## Domain strategy ### Priority order 1. **[name].com**: Always check first, highest value 2. **[name].io**: Strong for tech startups 3. **[name].co**: Viable alternative 4. **[name]app.com**: If product-focused 5. **get[name].com**: Action-oriented alternative ### Social handle considerations - Keep under 15 characters for Twitter/X - Check consistency across platforms - Tools: BrandSnag, Namechk, Knowem --- ## Common naming mistakes 1. **Generic/Descriptive**: "Best Tech Solutions" fails to differentiate 2. **Ignoring Availability**: Falling in love before checking domains 3. **Cultural Blindspots**: Names with negative meanings in other languages 4. **Too Complex**: Long, hard-to-spell names frustrate customers 5. **Trendy Suffixes**: "-ify", "-io", "-ly" date quickly 6. **Beauty Contest Testing**: Testing for likeability produces bland names --- ## Key principles > **"You need 1,000 to 1,500 names before you'll find gems."** — David Placek (Lexicon) > **"Comfort has no power in brand naming."** — David Placek (Sonos was initially rejected) > **"It's called branding, not blanding."** — Catchword > **"The hard part of naming is not coming up with a great idea. The hard part is finding an available name."** — Jeremy Miller ### Universal truths 1. **Names are strategic assets**: Every marketing dollar spent on a good name compounds 2. **Memorability beats cleverness**: If they can't remember it, nothing else matters 3. **Sound shapes perception**: Phonetics work subconsciously before meaning registers 4. **Legs enable growth**: Names with extension potential multiply brand investment 5. **Availability is non-negotiable**: Fall in love with names that are free to own --- ## Templates Read [reference/templates.md](reference/templates.md) when producing a deliverable the user will keep, such as a filled worksheet, a documented decision, or a final write-up. Skip it for conceptual questions and quick recommendations, which this file covers. It opens with a table of contents, so load only the template needed: - Name evaluation scorecard (SMILE + SCRATCH) - Naming brief template (discovery questions) - Name candidate table (for presenting options) - Comparison matrix template - Domain availability tracker - Final selection documentation template - Output validation checklist --- ## When to apply this knowledge ### During name development - Use SMILE test to evaluate candidates - Apply SCRATCH filter to eliminate deal-breakers - Consider sound symbolism for strategic impact ### During name evaluation - Reference Catchword's 10 touchstones - Check Marty Neumeier's 8 criteria - Use comparison matrix for objective scoring ### During presentation - Position names on the Naming Matrix - Explain strategic rationale for each - Prioritize .com availability ### During final selection - Verify domain still available (can change quickly) - Recommend immediate purchase - Check trademark conflicts --- ## Deep methodology For full naming sessions, the `brand-naming-specialist` agent contains 800+ lines of methodology including detailed output formats, generation exercises, and the full professional process.