Though a great product with a mediocre name (no offense, Google) can still dominate in its respective industry, a great product armed with a unique name is unstoppable. Thus, develop a strong product first and foremost. For brand recognition to take off, however, a catchy name is a big asset.
Instructions
Develop a Great Product
1. Pinpoint your market. The younger demographic desires different products than the older generation. For example, a cell phone that enables instant messaging capabilities would be highly valued by high school students, but the older generation may not be interested in learning such technology. Thus, the "cool" in "cool product" has different meanings, depending on your market. Design a product based on the needs of that group, which is best determined by analyzing industry trends.
2. Document the strengths and weaknesses of competitors. Model your business based on what your competitors do well, and gain an edge over competition by showing strength where they show weakness. Continuing with the cell phone analogy, Gizmag.com notes that women play far more games on their mobile devices than men. If you notice your competitor offers few women-friendly games, introduce these games to the market to get a leg up.
3. Design the logo accordingly. The book "Logo Design that Works" explains that brands are used to elicit emotion and desire. Logos should be both meaningful and practical. Like your business name, your logo should be changed seldomly, if ever. Model your logo on the desires of your demographic while staying evergreen. If your market is to 'tween boys, design your logo using an appealing image such as flames. Keep the image evergreen by using clean fonts, shapes and a clean color palette.
Create a Unique Name
4. Do not use trendy or esoteric words. Using a trendy word for your business or product name could backfire as the word becomes outdated. "Far out" and "groovy" are common slang terms from the 1970s that have no place in a business today, just as the phrases "so money" and "sick" will likely become outdated. Ensure your name will survive the test of time. Likewise, using a word no one can pronounce or define may cause trouble down the road as your company strives for brand recognition.
5. Be witty, but not tacky. This is a very fine line. Some puns work well for businesses, such as, "Honest Tea." Some innuendo might be tolerated (such as "Fresh and Easy" grocery store), but witty does not include vulgar references, especially if the name offends one gender: This could cut your audience by 50 percent just by the name alone.
6. Keep the name simple and easy to remember. Consider using alliteration, such as "Sammy's Sandwiches." The business name should reflect the good or service provided as well. Brandidentityguru.com states that your brand name should "roll off the tongue" when pronounced aloud. Write and speak all brand name possibilities before deciding on one.
Tags: your business, your logo, your market, brand name, brand recognition, business name, cell phone