CHOOSING A COMPANY NAME: A Blend of Art, Science

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CHOOSING A COMPANY NAME A Blend of Art, Science
Whimsy

• Michael Piczak
• March 2006

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HOW TO CHOOSE

• The activity of choosing company names has trends
  just like any other aspect of business
• Choosing names is a blend of fashion, science,
  art, alchemy, whimsy, expedience and playfulness

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SQUEAK OR STRATEGIC RELEVANCE?

• Some will argue that the name means nothing as
  names represent squeaks from our voice boxes
• Others will argue that choosing a name is a
  strategic act and that the name selected should
  reflect choices gauged against CAREFULLY selected
  criteria

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SOME CRITERIA

• Being memorable but easy to spell (Warner
  Brothers Xerox IBM)
• Possessing a visual element (Memorex Virgin
  Airlines Village Roadshow Pictures)
• Possessing a positive connotation (Waste
  Management Corp. not Waste or Garbage
  Corporation Waxman Recyclers not Waxman Scrap
  Metal Virtucon Corp.)

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MORE CRITERIA

• Needing to include information about what your
  business does (Zenon Environment Services Abell
  Pest Control)
• Being fairly short (Fido, Bell, ABB)
• Being unique by choosing a coined word that has
  no meaning (look at drug names)
• Being able to use the name in an internet based
  environment (.com, .org, etc.)

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AVOID

• Employing the "train wreck" method of creating a
  name where there is a collision of two names made
  into one (QualiServ)
• Using words so plain they'll never stand out in a
  crowd (1ST National Bank, GE and GM get away with
  it as they are the first and now the biggest)
• Taking the atlas approach and using a map to name
  your company (St. Petersburg Plumbing)
• Making your business name so obscure, customers
  will never know what it means (Aegius Ltd.)
• Getting overly hung up on phonetics (Kwalitee) as
  you try to come up with a unique name
• 5th Third Bank???

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NAMING TRENDS

• mystery letter X
• Q in naming radio stations
• Z in the name
• e (electronic)
• i (internet)
• names that work in English and French
• Roman, Latin or Greek sounding names (Aegius,
  Maximus, Rensus, Altria, etc.)
• the latest - using first name branding also known
  as user friendly names (Tommy, Fido, Ben
  Jerrys, Annie (a call center), Ben (a cell
  phone), Alex (on-line broker), Lulu (an on-line
  publisher)
• Fashionable words (magic, virtual)
• letters strung together that mean nothing in any
  language (Celica, Toyota, Corolla)

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SOME SAMPLES 1

• HMV Records (His Masters Voice)
• RCA (Radio Corporation of America)
• CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System)
• CNN (Cable News Network)
• SKG Dreamworks Pictures (Spielberg, Katzenburg,
  and Geffen)
• IBM (International Business Machines)
• Rand Corporation (Research and Development Corp.)
• BMW (Bavarian Motor Works)
• VW (Volkswagen)
• GO Train Service ( of )
• DELCO (Dayton Electric Company)
• MMs

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SOME SAMPLES 2

• EFFEM Foods
• ABB (Asea, Brown, Boveri)
• Yahoo
• Google
• Budget Environmental Disposal Corp.
• Exxon
• Amblin Entertainment
• THX Sound
• Moe-Tion Pictures Productions
• Apple Computers
• Apple Records

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SOME SAMPLES 3

• Virgin Records
• Bubba Gump Shrimp Restaurant
• Dofasco
• Stelco
• USX
• Tim Hortons
• 3M (MINNESOTA MINING AND MANUFACTURING)
• Decca Records
• MoTown Records

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SOME SAMPLES 4

• AAAAAAA AAAAAAA AAAAAAA AAABCO Door Company (this
  is a real onecheck the phone book)
• KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken)
• Two Small Guys with a Big Heart Moving Company
• Two Guys with a Truck Moving Company
• iPod

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SOME SAMPLES 5

• Z28 Camaro
• Z3 BMW
• Z103
• Jeep (General Purpose Vehicle)
• MGs (Morris Garage Car Co)
• Give me some more

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LOOKING FOR TROUBLE?

• WRAPTORS
• BLOOMINGDALES
• OLYMPICS ANYTHING
• PETER PAN RESTAURANT
• STARBUCKS COFFEE SHOP
• HAIDABUCKS CAFE

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QUESTIONABLE NAMES

• High Maintenance Bitch
• 10W30
• Sins Flower Shop
• Haynes Fanny Hose

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TO THE NET IN .13 SECONDS
HOW MANY HITS?
THE SEARCH ARGUMENT
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How many?
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AT THE END OF THE DAY

• It is your call
• Most names represent a compromise across the
  various criteria cited
• Prioritize your criteria
• Stay away from mistakes
• No swear words
• Check NUANS Who is net search

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TOP NAMES???

• Cats Pee on a Gooseberry Bush
• 2 Small Guys with a Big Heart Moving Company
• Budget Environmental
• Scrotum-Design Limited

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CHOOSING A COMPANY NAME A Blend of Art, Science
Whimsy

• Michael Piczak
• March 2006
• THE END