The name can give your customers a signal about the business idea of the company, or about the product or the content of the service, and it is the name that is the basis for the important customer loyalty.
What should the name express?
Should it say something about the sender or about the recipient? Either fresh and surprising, or sober and confidence-inspiring? Should it point to an industry, a geographical area or to a function? Should the name suggest an answer to a need or the solution to a task? Should it play against the graphic tools and logo, or is phonetic pronunciation most important? Should the name bring out a feeling, or should it primarily be easy to remember?
It is often the case that the more descriptive the name, the less distinctive it is. For example, "Oslo Bilglass" is descriptive of a company, and at the same time rather bland and something many companies that change car routes could call themselves. The name "Ruterknekt", on the other hand, still has something descriptive about it, but is both original, concrete and easy to remember. The same can be said about the name of the firm that offers legal services in maritime law: "Rett til sjøs". Associative names are another way to go in the naming process. Such names are less descriptive, but open up more for associations. A well-known example is "Oslo sporvegar" which became "Ruter". The new, short name brings to mind bus and tram routes, or being on schedule. The Norwegian Public Roads Administration's "Mesta" is also a typical associative name, which plays freely on the verb "to master". Other examples of associative names are "Virke" (the main organization in the service industry), "Aleris" (health and care services) and Statoil's transition to "Equinor". A name that neither has anything to say nor points towards associations, but fills the name with content through systematic branding. Examples of such names are JIF, Nike and IKEA.
– When you want to gain access to an open market, the name is one of the most important tools you have. It is the name that will distinguish you from your competitors, and that can give you the desired identity or profile.
Jacob Calmeyer
Jacob Calmeyer
Is the name available?
When you have circled possible names, it is important to check whether the name is in use by others. If you use a name that others in your industry already use, there may be a risk of confusion in the customer group, and you may be refused further use of the name. In the worst case, you may be liable for damages to the original owner of the name. By searching online, you can easily discover whether names are in widespread use. A simple way to get an overview of other people's registered naming rights is to use the service Name search . With one search here, you will be informed whether the name is registered as a trademark, domain name and business name. The Norwegian Industrial Property Ofice (NIPO), NORID and the Business Register in Brønnøysund are behind this service.
What about registration and rights?
As a characteristic of the company, product or service, the name can actually become your greatest asset. That is why you must think about dishes as early as possible. Remember that registered rights are not only a protection against imitations, but also a security that can strengthen negotiating positions in business collaborations, acquisitions and licensing. Also remember that the more descriptive the name is for the product or service, the more difficult it is to get it registered as a trademark. When setting up a new business, it may be wise to think about the sequence of any registrations: if the domain name is important, it may be smart to start with it. Partly because it can be difficult to find a free domain name and partly because of so-called "name grabbing". This means that some keep an eye on recent registrations in the Brønnøysund register and are quick to register the corresponding name as a domain, in the hope of being able to sell it later.
What do the experts say?
Lars Olsen is a professor of marketing at BI , and has extensive experience in seeing names from a brand perspective:
The name is the part of the brand that the customers must recall from memory, and to which we want them to associate positive and relevant associations.
Olsen believes that the brand name has two main functions:
- It should help customers understand which category the brand belongs to - for example Elkjøp, TVNorge or Right Price Tiles
- It should help to create relevant, beneficial and positive associations - for example, Brelett or PayPal. From time to time, names should help highlight important attributes and benefits - such as Vita hjertego' or Comfyballs. Other times, the whole point of the name is just to create positive feelings among the customers.
- Who wouldn't be happy to hear the name Bamsemums or Tusenfryd?, Olsen asks rhetorically.
The professor cautions against developing new brand names without taking cultural context into account. In Norway, one has to think about whether relevant target groups put the same thing in the brand name as the owner intended. Abroad, you should carry out thorough language analyzes and ensure that the name does not have a different meaning than what you think. And as Olsen claims: "Not all bad words are in the dictionary!"
He cites classic examples of brand name nonsense: the Japanese travel agency Kinki Nippon Tourist Agency, the French soft drink brand Pschitt, the Polish candy Fart bar and the Finnish potato snack Megapussi.
- Aass draft beer makes many foreigners smile, and my personal favorite is seeing the transport company Toten Transport with its trailers on German autobahns, Olsen chuckles.
Can be an expensive "affair"
Tove Pharo Ronde is the day-to-day manager of NameAbrand, a company that specializes in name development and trademark legal services. Few know the possibilities and pitfalls surrounding the important choice of name better than her:
She points out that the competition is no longer between companies, products and services, but between names combined with good design.
Pharo Ronde reckons that around half of a name development process consists of the legal work; checks and assessments in various registers.
– There is little point in carrying out time-consuming creative processes and submitting name proposals for the customer if the legal requirements are not met. It can also be a particularly expensive affair. A good name is characterized by distinctiveness and registrability as a trademark, communication of desired values, that the name is easy to remember, pronounce and easy to find as a web address.
Tove Pharo Ronde
Tove Pharo Ronde
The head of NameAbrand also mentioned the cultural aspect of the name selection.
- The language should be checked carefully, so that the name does not have a negative meaning in markets where it is to be launched. It is always possible to change the strategy, positioning, profile, packaging and communication platform along the way, but if the name has to be changed - because it is owned by others, is mistaken for a registered trademark or because someone claims the incorporation of an unregistered brand with an identical name in the market - yes, then you are actually right back at the starting point.
What about abroad?
If you are aiming abroad, you should consider registering the name as a trademark there as well. It is reasonable to register, and there are simple application systems where you can choose the countries that are relevant to you with the help of one application.
