Choosing a Brand Name That’s Unforgettable

Brand names come from a variety of places, such as someone’s last name, a merger between two companies or perhaps a Latin word. Some have stood the test of time, while others quickly faded. Wherever they originated, the most successful brands have names that their customers can easily remember. 

Here are some techniques to consider when creating a brand name that’s unforgettable. 

Rhyme is an effective device to use for generating a brand name because it makes your name fun to say – and thus easier to remember. It’s much easier to remember a poem or a song when it rhymes; there’s a musicality to it. Rhymes are pleasing and entertaining. 

Some brand names that employ this tactic include:

• Mello Yello

• StubHub

• 7-Eleven

Like rhyming names, alliterative names are fun to say. They also stick in the brain better than non-alliterative names, improving the chances of retention and recall. Alliteration occurs when two words start with the same letter or sound. This strategy is particularly effective when the first sound is hard sound (as in Coca-Cola). 

These big brands applied alliteration when choosing their neat names:

• Coca-Cola

• Dunkin’ Donuts

• PayPal

When we see a word spelled just a little bit incorrectly, it tends to stand out in our minds. The unusual spelling trend of dropping vowels was prevalent among tech companies in the early aughts and is still found among brands today (remember Flickr and Tumblr?). Dropping the vowels is a controversial – though effective – tactic because it helps the brand name stick. 

Don’t turn your spellcheck on when you’re typing these brand names:

• Krispy Kreme

• Lyft

• Playskool

Not just the bane of spelling bee contestants everywhere, onomatopoeia is a useful tool for developing brand names. Onomatopoeia is a word that sounds like the sound it’s describing – think of words like ‘snap,’ ‘crackle’ and ‘pop’ (another example of great branding). 

Onomatopoetic brand names include:

• Meow Mix 

• Twitter

• ZipCar

This one is thinking ahead a bit but hear us out. How often have you said one of the following?

• “I’ll Uber over there.”

• “Google it.”

• “I’ll Venmo you.”

Those are brand names that have become part of our everyday lexicon. There are dozens of examples of products or services where we use a brand name instead of the name of the product. This won’t be the case for all businesses, but if you’re creating a social platform or service, think about how it will sound when someone asks a friend to “Spin them a video” (hey, that sounds pretty cool!).  

Developing a memorable brand will set you apart from the competition and help your brand to develop a following. The team at Spin Creative combines our expertise in brand strategy and video to help marketers make impactful brand connections. Say hello!

About Us

Spin Creative is a video production company and creative agency helping marketers create winning video and creative strategies that engage, inspire and activate targeted audiences. Spin is headquartered in Seattle with offices in San Francisco and London, serving brands around the globe.