Choose a Brand Name Like You’re Hiring a CMO

A name has work to do. Create a job description for it.

It’s natural to put together a list of asks for your name that includes things like credibility, trust, reliability, honesty, transparency, quality, yada yada yada.

But a name is a specialist, and these types of foundational brand positioning qualities are common to every business in existence. They need to be established by the other touch points of your brand. “Not my job” should be the response of any name candidate asked to perform these duties. In fact, using such qualities when grading name candidates will result in the best qualified names not even receiving an offer:

Google

Credibility, Trust, Reliability, Honesty, Transparency, Quality

Slack

Credibility, Trust, Reliability, Honesty, Transparency, Quality

Impossible

Credibility, Trust, Reliability, Honesty, Transparency, Quality

Away

Credibility, Trust, Reliability, Honesty, Transparency, Quality

Goop

Credibility, Trust, Reliability, Honesty, Transparency, Quality

None of the over-performing names above can pass the Credibility, Trust, Reliability, Honesty, Transparency, Quality test.

Which is great, because your audience doesn’t look to your name for these sort of reassurances. But more importantly, it leaves the name free to have the kinds of qualities it needs to be exceptionally good at its job : Unexpected, Human, Engaging, Thought Provoking, Memorable, Disruptive, etc.  

Brand Name Job Description:

Responsibilities 

–Demonstrate to the world that you’re different, creating clear & wide separation from your competitors.

– Go viral, propelling itself through the world on its own, becoming a no-cost, self-sustaining PR vehicle.

-Redefine and own  your category.

-Reinforce a unique positioning platform.

-Create a positive and lasting engagement with your audience.

-Provide a deep well of marketing and advertising images.

-Be the genesis of a brand that rises above the goods and services you provide, so that you’re not selling a commodity and/or competing on price.

-Be unforgettable.

-Support the positioning of the product/company

And so on.

 Qualifications

Depending on the positioning of the product or company the name will represent, you’ll further screen name candidates for specifics, such as:

–Personality – Warm? Fun? Futuristic? Mysterious? Sexy? Scientific? Confident? Superhuman? Quiet?

–Communication Skills – What part of the conversation in you industry should the name address, define, redefine, express, demonstrate or dominate?

–Personal Appearance – The way a name looks and sounds can communicate volumes, independent of the meaning of the word.  Computer processor name “Trillium” has as a sci-fi look and sound, though it’s a type of flower.  A.I. company name “Megagon” has the attitude of one of Godzilla’s rivals, though it’s a mathematical term that describes vectors, harmony, and a million things coming together as one.

But what if you find the perfect candidate, except they have a criminal past? As long as they can carry out the Responsibilities and have the Qualifications, it’ll be fine: Hotwire, Accomplice, Wheelman, and walking the talk, Igor.

Bad breath and a ghoulish smile? Don’t count them out: Bluetooth.  A complete lack of experience? Sign them up: Virgin.

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Sidebar: B2B vs. B2C Brand Naming

And while we’re here, let’s once and for all time bury that old, shriveled chestnut, “That’s fine for B2C, but a B2B name needs to play by more buttoned up rules.” It comes from a core belief that businesses make buying decisions for purely business reasons, and are immune to the emotional branding that captivates the B2C consumer. It’s what lead most experts to wrongly assert that the emotionally branded, impractical, keyboardless, overpriced Apple iPhone could never displace the utilitarian, more secure, cost effective Blackberry’s hold on the B2B market. Even the once ultraconservative B2B cardio surgery device sector, where buying decisions are literally a matter of life and death,  began giving their products memorable, disruptive names decades ago – to great financial and brand equity reward.  Final relief from this old trope may have arrived in the form of Slack, but stoic B2B diehards will cling to the notion that Slack is an aberration, or that their own company is the exception. All the merrier for B2B branders who know the truth – that language, words and names have a universal way of tapping into our collective consciousness, effecting, connecting and inspiring people – B2B and B2C people alike.

Names are market agnostic.

They should never be asked to communicate foundational assurances. It leads to garbage like “Truist“. 

Slack certainly hopes their competitors never learn this lesson. 

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More Unsolicited Brand Naming Advice:

Want To Create A Powerful Brand Name? Beware The Literalist.

Igor Brand Naming Guide 

“Vanillacide”: How Radical Concepts Are Destroyed By Too Much Consultation

Performing a Competitive Name Analysis is Essential 

Outwitting Squirrels

TASER Name Origin

TASER is an acronym for “Thomas A. Swift’s Electric Rifle”. The name is a tribute to Victor Appleton’s 1911 book, “Tom Swift and his Electric Rifle,” though the middle initial “A” is gratuitous.

Want To Create A Breakout Brand Name? Don’t Be A Literalist.

This is the most overlooked, counterintuitive truth in naming – the biggest hurdle to adopting a powerful name is the gulf between the way an internal naming committee will evaluate potential brand names and the way their target audience will receive them. Want To Create A Breakout Brand Name? Don’t Be A Literalist

Every viral/disruptive/breakout name is a provocation: Slack, Virgin, lululemon, Target, Yahoo, Caterpillar, Hotwire, Bluetooth, Google,  Oracle. To qualify as a provocation, a name must contain what most people would call “negative messages” for the goods and services the name represents.

Why? The most powerful words, those that we humans are drawn to, gather both positive and negative uses over time because we love to use them. “Mother” is associated with everything from the revered and nurturing propagator of life to mother fucker and everything in between; one tough mother, mothership, mother lode, mother earth, mother tongue, mother of invention, mother-of-pearl, motherboard, mother of 12 bastards, et al.

Fortunately, consumers process any of these negative messages positively. As long as one of the name’s usages maps to one of the positioning points of the brand, consumers never take its meaning literally, and the negative aspects of the name just give it greater depth.

A viral name must contain negative qualities.

Nothing is more powerful than taking a word with a strong, specific connotation, grabbing a slice of it, mapping that slice to a portion of your positioning, and therefore redefining it. This naming strategy is without question the most powerful one of all.

Potential names must be judged on how well they map to positioning, memorability, stopping power, emotional impact, connections to the collective consciousness, and distinction from competitors – the sum of which answers the most important naming question, “Is this name interesting?“.

Instead, on a naming committee, the literalist will negatively critique names based on dictionary definitions or a singular association, reliably in the form of an objection. Their claim will be that a word’s negative meaning or association(correlation) means that the value of the word as a name will also be negative(causation). The evidence they cite in their efforts to kill a name is irrefutable fact, yet irrelevant and counterproductive.  

Here are the types of objections a literalist will use to kill great name, attacking the very essence of what makes these names powerful – the tension created by positive and negative forces:

Slack

-In business, Slack means “characterized by a lack of work or activity; quiet.

-A Slacker is someone who works as little as possible. A terrible message for our target audience

– Slack means slow, sluggish, or indolent, not active or busy; dull; not brisk. Moving very slowly, as the tide, wind, or water.

lululemon

-We are an upscale brand for women, lululemon sounds like a character from a 3-year olds’ picture book: “lululemon and her best friends annabanana and sallystrawberry were climbing Gumdrop Hill, when suddenly from behind a rainbow the queen of the unicorns appeared…”

Virgin Air

-Says “we’re new at this!”.

-Public wants airlines to be experienced, safe, and professional.

-Investors won’t take us seriously-Religious people will be offended.

Hotwire

-It has one meaning, “to steal a car!”

-Crime is the last thing we need to be associated with.

Yahoo!

-Yahoo!! It’s Mountain Dew!

-Yoohoo! It’s a chocolate drink in a can!

-Nobody will take stock quotes and world news seriously from a bunch of “Yahoos”.

Oracle 

-Unscientific.

-Unreliable.

-Only foretold death and destruction.

-Only fools put their faith in an Oracle.

-Sounds like “orifice” – people will make fun of us.

Caterpillar

-Tiny, creepy-crawly bug

-Not macho enough – easy to squash

-Why not “bull” or “workhorse”?

-Destroys trees, crops, responsible for famine

Banana Republic

-Derogatory cultural slur

-You’ll be picketed by people from small, hot countries

Target

-Target of an investigation

-To have a Target on your back

-A Target gets shot; killed; slaughtered.

-The Target of a manhunt

This is a family show, so you’ll have to create your own misguided, literalist list of reasons that In-N-Out, Dick’s, BJ’s , Cornhole and LoveSac should fail as brand names.

No sane person cares about any of these literal negatives, because people process these ‘negative’ connotations either positively or not at all. As long as the name maps to one of the positioning points of the brand, consumers never take its meaning literally, and the negative aspects of the name just make it more memorable and engaging.

These literal, negative objections are not reasons to abandon a name, rather they have demonstrably positive effects on a target audience. They’re what make a name engaging, differentiating & unforgettable.  Consumers don’t process names literally, they process them emotionally. Getting your committee to acknowledge this difference and to interact as the public does with names, rather than the way the dictionary does, is essential.

If you encounter a literalist, keep your distance, maintain eye contact, and take the threat seriously. Do not run in any direction. Don’t bend over, crouch down or go fetal. Wave your arms in an alpha manner. Throw any toxic item you can find – Keurig pods, inspirational posters, focus group data, etc. If attacked, fight back. If this doesn’t work, your last chance for survival is to enlighten the literalist:

Slack

-Positioning: DISRUPTIVE, naming the problem we solve!

-Qualities:  Interesting! Confident, different, and focused on solving the target’s problem.

Hotwire

-Positioning: DISRUPTIVE, a travel hack, exciting, fun.

– Hotwiring a car is a hack, Hotwire.com is a travel hack. That’s why this name works.

-Qualities: Interesting! Exciting, different, memorable, viral.

Virgin

-Positioning: DISRUPTIVE, different, confident, exciting, alive, human, provocative, fun. The innovative name forces people to create a separate box in their head to put it in.

-Qualities: Interesting! Self-propelling, connects emotionally, deep well.

Oracle

-Positioning: DISRUPTIVE, different, confident, superhuman, evocative, powerful, forward-thinking.

-Qualities: Interesting! Self-propelling, connects emotionally, deep well.

The common wisdom that naming in large groups will discourage a literalist attack is nothing more than an urban legend. In fact, the larger the committee, the more likely an attack will be.

Why is GoDaddy a Despised Brand?

Is it because:

1)They are domain squatters who drive up the price of starting a business?

2) The company was built on a long history of misogynistic ads?

2) Or because in December 2020 the company tricked employees into thinking they had earned a bonus of $650.00; instead, they were told they had failed a phishing test and were required to do social engineering training?

3) Or is it that CEO Bob Parsons illegally shot and killed an elephant in Zimbabwe and then posted it on his blog. NBC News said, “It’s definitely the kind of thing only a super-rich CEO/founder of a privately-held company could get away with.”?

Artisanal Snowflakes Falling in Brooklyn

Choose a Brand Name Like You’re Hiring a CMO

A name has work to do. Create a job description for it.

It’s natural to put together a list of asks for your name that includes things like credibility, trust, reliability, honesty, transparency, quality, yada yada yada.

But a name is a specialist, and these types of foundational brand positioning qualities are common to every business in existence. They need to be established by the other touch points of your brand. “Not my job” should be the response of any name candidate asked to perform these duties. In fact, using such qualities when grading name candidates will result in the best qualified names not even receiving an offer:

Google

Credibility, Trust, Reliability, Honesty, Transparency, Quality

Slack

Credibility, Trust, Reliability, Honesty, Transparency, Quality

Impossible

Credibility, Trust, Reliability, Honesty, Transparency, Quality

Away

Credibility, Trust, Reliability, Honesty, Transparency, Quality

Goop

Credibility, Trust, Reliability, Honesty, Transparency, Quality

None of the over-performing names above can pass the Credibility, Trust, Reliability, Honesty, Transparency, Quality test.

Which is great, because your audience doesn’t look to your name for these sort of reassurances. But more importantly, it leaves the name free to have the kinds of qualities it needs to be exceptionally good at its job : Unexpected, Human, Engaging, Thought Provoking, Memorable, Disruptive, etc.  

Brand Name Job Description:

Responsibilities 

–Demonstrate to the world that you’re different, creating clear & wide separation from your competitors.

– Go viral, propelling itself through the world on its own, becoming a no-cost, self-sustaining PR vehicle.

-Redefine and own  your category.

-Reinforce a unique positioning platform.

-Create a positive and lasting engagement with your audience.

-Provide a deep well of marketing and advertising images.

-Be the genesis of a brand that rises above the goods and services you provide, so that you’re not selling a commodity and/or competing on price.

-Be unforgettable.

-Support the positioning of the product/company

And so on.

 Qualifications

Depending on the positioning of the product or company the name will represent, you’ll further screen name candidates for specifics, such as:

–Personality – Warm? Fun? Futuristic? Mysterious? Sexy? Scientific? Confident? Superhuman? Quiet?

–Communication Skills – What part of the conversation in you industry should the name address, define, redefine, express, demonstrate or dominate?

–Personal Appearance – The way a name looks and sounds can communicate volumes, independent of the meaning of the word.  Computer processor name “Trillium” has as a sci-fi look and sound, though it’s a type of flower.  A.I. company name “Megagon” has the attitude of one of Godzilla’s rivals, though it’s a mathematical term that describes vectors, harmony, and a million things coming together as one.

But what if you find the perfect candidate, except they have a criminal past? As long as they can carry out the Responsibilities and have the Qualifications, it’ll be fine: Hotwire, Accomplice, Wheelman, and walking the talk, Igor.

Bad breath and a ghoulish smile? Don’t count them out: Bluetooth.  A complete lack of experience? Sign them up: Virgin.

---

Sidebar: B2B vs. B2C Brand Naming

And while we’re here, let’s once and for all time bury that old, shriveled chestnut, “That’s fine for B2C, but a B2B name needs to play by more buttoned up rules.” It comes from a core belief that businesses make buying decisions for purely business reasons, and are immune to the emotional branding that captivates the B2C consumer. It’s what lead most experts to wrongly assert that the emotionally branded, impractical, keyboardless, overpriced Apple iPhone could never displace the utilitarian, more secure, cost effective Blackberry’s hold on the B2B market. Even the once ultraconservative B2B cardio surgery device sector, where buying decisions are literally a matter of life and death,  began giving their products memorable, disruptive names decades ago – to great financial and brand equity reward.  Final relief from this old trope may have arrived in the form of Slack, but stoic B2B diehards will cling to the notion that Slack is an aberration, or that their own company is the exception. All the merrier for B2B branders who know the truth – that language, words and names have a universal way of tapping into our collective consciousness, effecting, connecting and inspiring people – B2B and B2C people alike.

Names are market agnostic.

They should never be asked to communicate foundational assurances. It leads to garbage like “Truist“. 

Slack certainly hopes their competitors never learn this lesson. 

---

More Unsolicited Brand Naming Advice:

Want To Create A Powerful Brand Name? Beware The Literalist.

Igor Brand Naming Guide 

“Vanillacide”: How Radical Concepts Are Destroyed By Too Much Consultation

Performing a Competitive Name Analysis is Essential 

Outwitting Squirrels

If you really want to get ahead in life, do these 5 things before you turn 30

Ever wonder how some people reach massive success in their 30s and 40s, while others seem to be playing catch-up?

The truth is, what you do in your twenties plays a huge role in shaping your future success — yet it’s so easy to overlook.

Hindsight is 20/20, and if I could go back, there are a handful of things I’d make sure to focus on during those years.

It’s the little habits, decisions, and mindset shifts you make now that have a compounding effect later in life.

Here’s what I wish I knew back then.

1) Embrace mindfulness

Mindfulness isn’t just a buzzword, it’s a practice that can significantly impact your life, especially when adopted early.

Harnessing the power of mindfulness involves being fully present in the moment, aware of where we are and what we’re doing. It’s about not being overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.

This practice can help us make better decisions, reduce stress, and improve our overall quality of life. It’s a tool that successful people use to maintain balance and perspective, even in the midst of life’s challenges.

And guess what? You don’t need to meditate for hours to achieve mindfulness. It can be as simple as taking a few minutes each day to focus on your breathing, or being fully engaged in whatever task you’re doing.

Incorporating mindfulness into your daily routine before you turn 30 can set a solid foundation for a successful life ahead.

2) Establish an exercise habit

In your twenties, it’s easy to feel invincible. You can eat what you want, stay up all night, and skip the gym without much consequence — at least that’s how it felt for me.

But the truth is, while you might not see the immediate effects of skipping exercise now, it’s a different story as you get older.

The lack of regular exercise can eventually catch up to you, leading to not just physical issues like weight gain or reduced strength, but also mental impacts such as lower energy levels, increased stress, and reduced mental clarity.

On the other hand, getting into an exercise routine brings a whole host of benefits. As noted by Healthline, regular exercise can help control weight, increase energy levels, boost brain health and memory, improve mood, and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

In short, exercise is a powerful tool for not only your physical health but also your mental and emotional well-being.

That’s why it’s so important to establish an exercise habit earlier rather than later. When you make fitness a non-negotiable part of your life in your twenties, it becomes second nature — a habit that will serve you well as you age, keeping you sharp, healthy, and ready to tackle whatever life throws your way.

Trust me, it’s one of the best gifts you can give your future self.

3) Build a strong network

Creating a robust personal and professional network is another key ingredient for success that you should be investing in before hitting 30.

Let me share a personal example. When I first started Hack Spirit, I had a vision but not many resources.

What I did have, though, was a network of support. Friends offered their expertise, shared the website on their social media, and even contributed content. And because of these connections, Hack Spirit grew and thrived.

Your network can provide opportunities, advice, and support in both your personal and professional life.

It’s not just about knowing a lot of people. It’s about knowing the right people – the ones who challenge you, support you, and help you grow.

4) Define what success means to you

What does success look like to you? It’s a serious question.

So many people spend their twenties following a script laid out by society — go to college, get a “good” job, buy a house, and settle down.  For some, that’s the dream, and if that’s what fulfills you, that’s fantastic.

But for others, those milestones might not hold the same meaning, and they end up working hard to reach them, only to realize later that it’s not what they truly wanted.

The key is knowing what you want. You’re better off figuring that out as early as possible, so you can put your energy into a life that genuinely aligns with your values and passions.

As the philosopher Seneca once said, “If a man knows not to which port he sails, no wind is favorable.” In other words, if you don’t know what success looks like for you, it’s easy to spend years adrift, working hard for a life that never feels quite right.

Too many people hit their 30s and 40s feeling lost, stuck in careers or lifestyles they didn’t intentionally choose. Don’t be that person.

Take the time now to dig deep, reflect on what really matters to you, and define success on your own terms. That way, every step you take is one that moves you closer to the life you actually want — not the one you think you’re supposed to have.

5) Take financial steps to secure your future

I know, talking about finances might not seem exciting when you’re in your twenties, but this is one of those practical moves that can make life a whole lot easier down the road.

The reality is that most people don’t start thinking seriously about long-term finances until they’re much older, and by then, it’s a lot harder to build wealth.

And no, this isn’t about becoming a millionaire. It’s about taking small but meaningful steps early on to ensure you have financial security and freedom. Because here’s the thing: having money gives you options, and with options come choices and peace of mind — two things that are priceless.

Some financial steps you can take in your twenties include creating and sticking to a budget, paying off high-interest debt like credit cards, building an emergency fund, and starting to invest, even if it’s a small amount.

If your job offers a retirement plan like a 401(k), contribute to it, especially if there’s an employer match (that’s essentially free money). Or you can set up your own IRA (Individual Retirement Account).

These simple moves may seem small now, but they compound over time. By establishing good financial habits early on, you’ll not only be more prepared for life’s unexpected challenges, but you’ll also have the ability to pursue opportunities that align with your goals, without constantly worrying about money.

Trust me — a little financial savvy now can go a long way later.

Final thoughts: It’s all about choices

By the time you reach your 30s, you’ll want to look back and feel confident about the choices you made, the habits you built, and the life you’ve created.

Your twenties are a crucial time to do this — a decade where the foundations for your future are laid.

So, go on — start creating the life you want today. It’s not just about getting ahead; it’s about becoming the person you want to be and living the life that makes you feel fulfilled. You’ve got this!

The post If you really want to get ahead in life, do these 5 things before you turn 30 appeared first on Personal Branding Blog.