Branding in Print on Demand: Finding a Good Brand Name

Brand names as an important part of branding

Branding in print on demand quickly and cost-effectively increases the value of goods and services. We explain how you can find a really good and memorable brand name. Is it enough for it to be short and catchy, like “Apple” or “Netflix”?

Brand names accompany us in everyday life. They are everywhere and contribute to the success of a product or service. Branding promotes a brand over the long term. The key is to clearly work out what the brand stands for. If this is achieved through the name itself, that is ideal — especially when customers associate positive thoughts and feelings with it.

What Is a Brand Name?

A brand stands for a company and everything that defines it. It skilfully sets a business apart and distinguishes it from others. The logo creates a unique image and helps customers recognise the brand quickly.

A classic approach here is the founder's family name, as with “Disney” or “Bosch”. However, if it is a long or hard-to-pronounce name, it is better to choose a creative brand name that is self-explanatory. When it conveys a company's vision in concentrated form, it sticks in the memory more deeply and explains the added value the business offers. Successful examples are “PayPal”, “Airbus” and “Burger King”.

Why Is the Brand Name Important?

A brand's name forges the emotional bond with the product or service. It represents that bond, creates positive associations with it and increases customer loyalty. Because customers identify with the company and its mission through the brand name. This is why an item with a passionate brand, such as “Mon Chérie”, feels so much more irresistible.

What Makes a Good Name?

Short and memorable

A good brand name is short, simple and memorable, like “Nike” and “Tui”. Brevity is the soul of wit. It is best to plan for this right from the start, which saves having to shorten things later. Accordingly, “August Horch & Cie.” is now better known by the Latin name “Audi”, which means “horch” (listen)! Likewise, everyone knows the merger of “The Shell Transport and Trading Company p. l. c.” and “N. V. Koninklijke Nederlandse Petroleum Maatschappij” under the “Shell” logo.

Timeless

It always pays to think about the future. That is why company names should always sound current! Uplifting evergreens among them are therefore “Fedex”, “Skype” and “Rolex”.

Findability and risk of confusion

Names that match common search terms, like “Puma” or “Kinder Schokolade”, automatically receive more clicks but also have to contend with more competition in the search results. Very similar company names, however, can cause confusion. This happens more often with “Kaufhalle” and “Kaufhof”, or with the company “Avena”, which produces comfort clothing in Rhineland-Palatinate, while “Avena Cerealien” in Brandenburg makes high-quality oat flakes.

New and innovative

Most domain names are already taken. What can you do? It can be worth switching between upper and lower case or using special characters here. Examples are “BiFi” as a paraphrase of “beefy” and “BioNTech”.

Culture-independent and international

Ideal are short names that are easy to pronounce in all languages, like “Kia”, “Pepsi” or “Tesla”! You should also make sure the brand name does not already exist as a word in another language where it has a less fitting meaning.

How Do You Find a Good Brand Name?

1. Use name generators. A first port of call when searching for a suitable brand name is name generators. They suggest a wide range of fitting options and approaches and can be used as a starting point for further naming work. After all, your own online shop or new store should carry the perfectly fitting brand name. It should be brand new and easy to find.
2. Convey positive emotions. How do you find an unforgettable brand name that captivates and inspires? Simply address what triggers intense feelings. So “Bioland” sounds sustainable, “Zeit” sounds current, and with “Lachgummi” the product (wine gum) was simply given a positive twist. “Sky” conveys the freedom to choose your TV programme, while “Starbucks” gives coffee a special touch.
3. Create catchy abbreviations. If a name is particularly long, a shorter variant of it can also work well. Beautiful brand names are therefore often possible through abbreviations and synonyms too. For example, “Hanuta” is the abbreviation for “Haselnusstafel”, “Fanta” comes from “Fantasie”, and “Haribo” was formed from the founder's name and home town. Other well-known examples are “BMW” or “H&M”. Original ones include “Labello” from “labius bellus”, “beautiful lips”, and the witty synonym “Almdudler” for herbal lemonade.
4. Incorporate the target group's values. What the brand offers is what matters. Which activities or qualities does it stand for? When these factors are also used in forming the name, it strengthens brand perception and the emotional bond. “Alltours” and “Schauinsland Reisen” evoke a desire to travel. “Dior” and “Tiffany”, on the other hand, promise elegance. The choice of name can therefore already carry a certain image with it. That is why it is just as important to choose a name that fits the company well and does not simply sound good.

How Is the Desired Name Secured?

To settle on your desired brand name, a few steps are necessary:

1. Check the name with a search engine like Google to see whether it is still available or whether a similar form of it already exists. A look at the trademark register also provides certainty that the brand has not already been claimed.
2. Now create the domain and social media accounts. This reserves your own brand.
3. If the name is to be trademarked, the German Patent and Trade Mark Office protects it from imitation.

Found your brand name? Then install the MarketPrint app now and open your own shop!