Naming and Tagline: What's in a name?

In a globalized world, where markets get increasingly complex, products numerous, and competition menacing, choosing a fit name is fundamental to distinguishing yourself. 

What does naming imply?

Naming is the process of identifying a name for a brand, product, or service. Since it introduces them to the market, a name represents a long-term decision.

How to choose

The perfect name results from a mixture of imagination and tactic: creativity is not enough without shrewdness. Your brand name should be unique, memorable, and strategic.

What to keep in mind

An effective name satisfies all branding requirements: 

• Identification: without a name, your brand does not exist;
• Differentiation: your name allows you to stand out; 
• Personalization: your name sums up the identity of your brand and your offering; 
• Communication: your name addresses the audience;
• Customer Loyalty: the name is the most enduring element of your brand;
• Protection against counterfeiting: your brand name is an intellectual property of your business;
• Capitalization: your brand name is an intangible asset.

However, branding does not have to explain your product. 

Naming and brand identity

Once defined, verbal and visual elements should enhance your name with a logo, tagline, patterns, and all other components connected to your visual identity.

Another important element of the brand: the payoff

Your brand tagline represents the promise you are making to your customers. It is an integral and unchangeable part of your brand narrative and differs from the claim, which relates to a specific product or service campaign.

A tagline is a short, easy, mnemonic, and original text.

• Short: easy to memorize and consisting of only a few words;
• Easy: devised to be accessible and simple to understand;
• Mnemonic: catchy and persistent; 
• Original: unique.

How to write a tagline

1. A tagline needs to be both catchy and specific. It should underline the value associated with your brand.
2. Your tagline should express a single concept, not a list of meanings.
3. Be creative. There are "99 ways to tell a story", to quote Raymond Queneau. 
4. The simpler, the better. As already pointed out, a good tagline is easy to understand and remember. Make it concise.

Consider the following taglines:

Think different.

Just do it.

I’m lovin’ it.

Can you recognize the brands?
Almost anyone can identify them as each one of these brands has correctly applied the few essential guidelines we have listed for a great tagline.