|
Article Directory
|
+ Authors
+ Articles
|
|
|
|
For a Better New Product Name or New Company Name, Create a Scorecard
Copyright (c) 2009-2010 Marcia Yudkin
Imagine being asked to judge a martial arts competition while never having studied karate, tai chi, judo or the like. You might latch on to a favorite whose moves you admire only to learn from people in the know that this competitor's form was actually embarrassingly and even dangerously bad. Or you might feel completely frozen in your ignorance, unable to recognize a competitor whose power and style were clearly head and shoulders above the rest.
You'd do better with a list of judging criteria, such as "posture," "balance," "presence," "power," and so on. By knowing what you're looking for, you more easily see it when it's in front of you.
This analogy applies neatly to business naming, whether for companies or products. I've seen organizations pass over a strong, winning name in favor of a weaker one when they go on nothing other than their feelings. And I've seen companies struggle to finalize a perfect name because they can't feel confident that it truly fits the bill. They have no firm criteria with which to assess competing possibilities.
For brainstorming a list of names, you don't need guidelines on what the final name must be like. Indeed, it's often best to generate possible names wildly, profusely and without censoring, and only later to winnow them.
Before attempting to narrow down your list of candidates, create a list of criteria or a scorecard. To name a new sporting goods product, for instance, the criteria might include:
Must make sense at first hearing to both basketball and soccer players.
Should be easy to say out loud and relatively easy to spell.
Must convey that the product has something to do with safety.
Needs to be trademarkable and have a matching domain name available.
Should have a fun sound and positive connotation, without being corny.
Using such a list, you'd go through the name candidates and eliminate all the ones that didn't fit the criteria.
A company in the same line of business but with a different history, goals and corporate personality might generate quite a different list of criteria.
A scorecard would be a bit more complicated than a list of criteria. Not only would you write down the qualities your ideal name should have, you would also give each quality a numerical weight so that some items on the list have more impact in determining the suitability of a name than others. Using this system, a name might turn out to be acceptable even though it didn't meet every qualification if it met the most important points.
A freelance namer for my company, in looking at the memo I created for a product naming assignment, quoted to me this saying by Charles F. Kettering: "A problem well stated is a problem half solved." I agree wholeheartedly. The scorecard enables you to know whether you've come up with a winner, you need to keep at the task longer or you should really scrap the efforts so far and make a fresh start.
|
Marcia Yudkin is Head Stork of Named At Last, a company that brainstorms creative business names, product names and tag lines for clients. For a systematic process of coming up with an appealing and effective name or tag line, download a free copy of "19 Steps to the Perfect Company Name, Product Name or Tag Line" at http://www.namedatlast.com/19steps.htm
|
Follow "The Phantom Writers" on Twitter
(@phantomwriters)
to be notified when new articles are made available.
VOTE ON THIS ARTICLE
Needs Work >>
0 -
1 -
2 -
3 -
4 -
5
<< Excellent Article
Tell our authors what you think about their article.
|
Top-Level Category: Business Online Articles || Related Categories: Business Offline Articles
10 Most Recent Articles Written by Marcia Yudkin
Four Warnings Regarding a Foreign-Sounding (or Foreign-Looking) New Business Name
Written by: Marcia Yudkin |
Distributed: 2010-02-09 |
Word Count: 726 |
Page Views: 261
| Votes: 1 |
Rating: 2.00
Foreign names for companies or products sometimes do very
well in the American market. We also see plenty of
pseudo-foreign names - created by misapplying spelling
patterns found in foreign languages. Use my four-point
checklist to make sure you're branding well by giving your
name a foreign flavor rather than burdening your creation
with a seriously disadvantageous name.
Your New Business Name: Three Problems That Could Spell Trouble
Written by: Marcia Yudkin |
Distributed: 2010-02-04 |
Word Count: 596 |
Page Views: 262
| Votes: 1 |
Rating: 3.00
If customers, referral sources and media people can't
correctly translate the spoken version of your business name
into writing, or if they can't make sense of it when they
hear the name, word of mouth publicity hits a major snag.
Avoid these serious problems when deciding on your new
company name.
A Company Catchphrase: Creating a Motto or Slogan That Promotes Your Business
Written by: Marcia Yudkin |
Distributed: 2010-02-02 |
Word Count: 608 |
Page Views: 745
| Votes: 2 |
Rating: 3.50
Catchphrases, mottoes and slogans truly influence customers,
and that's why you want one for your own company. In just
three steps, here's how to make one up for your company.
Naming Your Business: Five Hidden Pittfalls of Using Creative Spelling in Your New Company Name
Written by: Marcia Yudkin |
Distributed: 2010-01-28 |
Word Count: 549 |
Page Views: 247
| Votes: 1 |
Rating: 4.00
Many companies put the quirks of the English language to
work by concocting an alternate spelling of a key word for
their name. This associates their organization with a
certain quality while standing out with a unique-looking
name. However, creative spelling in a name has five
significant disadvantages.
Crowdsourcing: Three Ways You Can Find a Great New Company or Product Name Free or at Low Cost
Written by: Marcia Yudkin |
Distributed: 2010-01-26 |
Word Count: 782 |
Page Views: 276
| Votes: 2 |
Rating: 2.50
Increasingly popular, "crowdsourcing" involves inviting a
large number of people to perform a task, with a prize
promised to the person or team whose work is selected as the
winner. Discover three methods of crowdsourcing, five
advantages of generating a new company or product name this
way and five disadvantages.
Crowdsourcing: 9 Hidden Pitfalls of This New Method of Generating Your New Business Name
Written by: Marcia Yudkin |
Distributed: 2010-01-21 |
Word Count: 1053 |
Page Views: 471
| Votes: 1 |
Rating: 2.00
Want to get a spiffy new company name or product name fast,
at low cost? A lot of Internet-savvy people are looking into
a method of finding new names called "crowdsourcing."
Although it produces possible names fast, at low cost,
crowdsourcing carries with it nine significant
disadvantages.
Company or Product Naming: 7 Ways to Add Pizzazz to a Boring Business Name
Written by: Marcia Yudkin |
Distributed: 2010-01-19 |
Word Count: 407 |
Page Views: 333
| Votes: 2 |
Rating: 3.50
You're starting a new company, launching a new product or
trying to inject pizzazz into an existing company or product
that seems way too boring and ordinary. Try these 7
techniques to shape the basic facts about your business into
a name with energy and zing.
Five Ways to Make Your Company Slogan Catchy or Your Tag Line Terrific
Written by: Marcia Yudkin |
Distributed: 2010-01-14 |
Word Count: 526 |
Page Views: 994
| Votes: 4 |
Rating: 4.00
Your company slogan should say something interesting in a
snappy way. It performs marketing magic by making the
company stand out from competitors and stick in the minds of
customers. In this article, we start with a couple of bland
company names and then jazz them up with five tag line
techniques...
Generate Your New Product Name: Brainstorming Tips
Written by: Marcia Yudkin |
Distributed: 2010-01-12 |
Word Count: 595 |
Page Views: 506
| Votes: 4 |
Rating: 1.75
Use these nine methods of brainstorming to pile up loads of
naming ingredients for your new product. Then combine and
tweak them to create possible names. Have fun while doing
this, because a playful attitude promotes creativity.
What Science Says About Selecting the Best Business Name for Your Company
Written by: Marcia Yudkin |
Distributed: 2009-08-13 |
Word Count: 729 |
Page Views: 339
| Votes: 10 |
Rating: 2.30
If you turn away from the idea of naming as a black art, you
can find some secrets of branding in scientific studies that
have been published after having been reviewed by academic
authorities as reliable. Here are four points on which
researchers have given us insights that help guide the
creation of effective business names.
All of Author's Articles on this site: Marcia Yudkin Articles
Most Recent "Business Online" Articles
Online Brand Management - 5 Benefits of Viral Videos
Written by: Enzo F. Cesario |
Distributed: 2010-08-31 |
Word Count: 854 |
Page Views: 87
Viral video is simultaneously the most entertaining and the
most infuriating element of online marketing. Let's clear
the air quickly: No one can promise you a viral video
success. Ever. Viral videos succeed because the audience
likes them and spreads them on to other people. If the
audience doesn't get it, the video doesn't go viral, and
there is nothing that can guarantee the response you want.
Let us consider the success of one particular viral series
to see some of the benefits available from this branding
tactic.
Building Brand Identity - Five Reasons Your Blog Needs a Ghostwriter
Written by: Enzo F. Cesario |
Distributed: 2010-08-24 |
Word Count: 907 |
Page Views: 99
A ghostwriter is any writer who creates content for a
project that will be presented under another name. Every
blog needs a writer to direct it, and blogs do best when
guided by one or two voices in a consistent direction.
Sometimes, however, the originator of a business or idea
isn't the one who can best capture that direction, and
that's when you should turn to a ghostwriter.
Building Brand Identity: How Wikipedia Defines Branding Success
Written by: Enzo F. Cesario |
Distributed: 2010-08-19 |
Word Count: 917 |
Page Views: 101
It is instructive and inspiring to take a look at the people
who have succeeded in your field. Whether it's an attempt
to learn from their mistakes and victories or just a pause
to reflect on the admirable accomplishments of another,
studying the work of those who've set the benchmark can
inspire reflection and spur us on to greater heights.
Creative Conjuring for Your Writing Team
Written by: Enzo F. Cesario |
Distributed: 2010-08-17 |
Word Count: 870 |
Page Views: 121
Let us suppose for a moment that you have made the decision
to hire a permanent, in-house writing team as opposed to
seeking out writers on a more per-contract basis. Now that
you've got them, what's the best way to maximize their
creativity? Have a look at a handful of techniques that have
been demonstrated to help spur productivity and creativity
in your writers.
Building Brand Identity - Tag, You're It
Written by: Enzo F. Cesario |
Distributed: 2010-08-12 |
Word Count: 955 |
Page Views: 98
A good tagline needs to be both memorable -and- honest,
focused on the brand and the truth about that brand. When
saying, 'tag, you're it,' the stress is on the -you-.
Make the tagline about your brand, and nothing else. Here
are some tag line tips to think about.
In or Out - Choosing the Content Service for Your Brand
Written by: Enzo F. Cesario |
Distributed: 2010-08-10 |
Word Count: 884 |
Page Views: 104
It's only a bit of an exaggeration to describe the debate
over in-house writers vs. an outside content service as
"raging." For any organization dedicated to producing
written content as part of its brand, it is an important
matter that eventually will need to be addressed. Each
method, of course, has its advantages and disadvantages;
there are no quick answers. But here are some considerations
that should make the decision a little easier:
How To Out-Socialize The Gurus On Twitter And Other Social Media
Written by: Marty Bradfield |
Distributed: 2010-08-06 |
Word Count: 1064 |
Page Views: 239
| Votes: 1 |
Rating: 5.00
Social media has long been touted as the latest and greatest
Internet marketing tool that will bring new people to any
online business seeking new customers... For most online
marketers, the social media environment appears over-hyped
and ineffective... But, this article will show you how to
find real success with social media marketing...
How To Get Your Syndicated Articles Opened, Read And Published
Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2010-08-05 |
Word Count: 1318 |
Page Views: 205
Syndicated articles can be a very powerful promotion tool in
the hands of the person who knows how to use them... This is
the reason why article marketing is generally a hot topic of
conversation... Unfortunately, not all of the conversation
is positive, because the vast majority of people who attempt
to utilize article marketing for the promotion of their
online business are absolutely clueless as to how to use
article marketing to its fullest potential...
Marketing Tip: There Is A Time For Selling And A Time For Closing The Sale
Written by: Marty Bradfield |
Distributed: 2010-08-05 |
Word Count: 1070 |
Page Views: 92
Most commercial webmasters enter the online sales process at
a great disadvantage... The disadvantage is that they have
never worked in sales, nor have they studied the fine art of
copy writing... Many webmasters spend a considerable amount
of time second-guessing themselves about when and where to
ask for the sale...
Online Brand Management - Deliver the Best of Your Brand with an Online Newsletter
Written by: Enzo F. Cesario |
Distributed: 2010-08-05 |
Word Count: 904 |
Page Views: 85
Emailed newsletters have the benefit of requiring fewer
resources, going out faster, reaching a wider audience with
less effort and being easier to correct if a mistake slips
in. However, many of them end up being ignored just as much
as their physical counterpart. Here are several tips for
making sure that even a newsletter can have the desired
effect and reach audiences with the message you want them to
get.
Most Viewed "Business Online" Articles
Attracting Readers to your Book
Written by: Alastair Hall |
Distributed: 2006-05-18 |
Word Count: 708 |
Page Views: 41636
| Votes: 9 |
Rating: 2.11
One of the common and obvious ways to market a self-published
book is having your own website. The harder part is how to
attract your target audience and then convert the sale.
How To Make Visitors Bookmark Your Site
Written by: Cheryl Miller |
Distributed: 2006-10-10 |
Word Count: 536 |
Page Views: 33979
| Votes: 13 |
Rating: 2.38
When visitors bookmark your site it is a sign that you have built
a great website and are pleasing them. Visitors think highly
enough of your site to want to return and possibly tell others
about it. You are not only increasing traffic from your existing
clientele you are encouraging new traffic by means of viral
marketing.
Treat Online 'Guests' With Respect
Written by: Rick Sloboda |
Distributed: 2007-07-27 |
Word Count: 472 |
Page Views: 26312
| Votes: 24 |
Rating: 3.71
Does your website show your customers lack of respect? Review the
following checklist to find out.
How I Got 70,000 Useless Visitors To My Site In One Day! (One Internet Marketer's Analysis of Social Bookmark Traffic)
Written by: Titus Hoskins |
Distributed: 2007-11-06 |
Word Count: 1545 |
Page Views: 22936
| Votes: 8 |
Rating: 2.13
Is social bookmark traffic useless? Is it even worth cultivating
for your site? Can it be used from an online marketing
perspective? Read to discover one Internet Marketer's analysis
of social bookmark/media traffic...
Tips For Building Your First Website
Written by: Benny Tsabba |
Distributed: 2007-05-30 |
Word Count: 1511 |
Page Views: 13203
| Votes: 9 |
Rating: 2.00
New people are coming online everyday. And many of those people
desire to turn their spare time into spare cash. So begins their
journey.
Increasing Productivity In Your Online Business
Written by: Willie Crawford |
Distributed: 2006-06-14 |
Word Count: 1407 |
Page Views: 3598
| Votes: 32 |
Rating: 3.72
Running an online "empire" of approximately 1600 websites and
blogs, selling a variety of products, services and ideas, I
have to be much more productive than the average person in a
"regular job."
A New Home Business
Written by: Angela Recchia |
Distributed: 2006-09-08 |
Word Count: 319 |
Page Views: 3415
| Votes: 7 |
Rating: 2.57
When joining a new affiliate program, many people do not know
where to go next. They join thinking that's all that is needed
without a plan of action. What is needed is promotion of your
program and getting others to join you. If you are motivated and
have the drive and knowledge to get you started. Then you are on
your way.
Who Else Wants to Know How-To Write an Effective Advertisement?
Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2007-11-09 |
Word Count: 1431 |
Page Views: 3250
| Votes: 20 |
Rating: 2.40
Webmasters struggle everyday with the question of how they should
advertise their website. There are so many advertising venues; it
is hard to know which is the right venue or the right combination
of advertising venues.
Credit Card Growth
Written by: Scott Burke |
Distributed: 2006-07-05 |
Word Count: 384 |
Page Views: 3199
| Votes: 9 |
Rating: 2.44
Industries that expand at such a rapid rate often are vulnerable
to fraud schemes devised by those seeking to capitalize on
newfound criminal opportunities, dated security measures, and
outdated laws. The credit card sector is no exception.
Click Fraud: Defining the Context of a Problem (Part 1)
Written by: Jim Hedger |
Distributed: 2006-10-12 |
Word Count: 1426 |
Page Views: 3194
| Votes: 11 |
Rating: 2.55
Everyone involved in search marketing considers Click Fraud a
problem issue though to what degree problems exist depends on who
is looking at the issues. Pay-Per-Click (PPC) search advertising
is the golden goose that makes the major engines financially
viable but the success of the PPC model, mixed with the nature of
the 'net can make PPC advertising a double-edged sword for
advertisers.
Highest Ranked "Business Online" Articles
What Kind Of Backlinks Are Best At Helping Your Website In Google?
Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2009-11-09 |
Word Count: 439 |
Page Views: 789
| Votes: 5 |
Rating: 4.80
I was in the Warrior Forum, and someone asked what kinds of
Backlinks are worth pursuing. This is my answer to that
query.
Making Money with High Paying Adsense Keywords
Written by: Blake Evans |
Distributed: 2008-12-18 |
Word Count: 536 |
Page Views: 574
| Votes: 5 |
Rating: 4.20
Google was ingenious when they came up with Adsense. Not only do
they get an opportunity to make additional money from their
search engines, but they also allow Internet marketers a chance
to make money in an easier manner. Why is this so? Well, with
traditional affiliate marketing, you must make a sale before you
receive commission. But with Adsense, all you have to do is
create content that will produce ads that readers will click on.
How to Keep Your Article Content Fresh and Interesting
Written by: Craig Ritsema |
Distributed: 2006-08-29 |
Word Count: 699 |
Page Views: 1358
| Votes: 17 |
Rating: 4.18
Webmasters everywhere are constantly on the lookout for fresh and
interesting content for their website. Along with these content
qualities is the requirement that it be unique. Everyone wants
their website to stand out above the others in the search engine
results. So what is the trick for you to keep a steady supply of
this quality content coming your way?
Is Your Business 'Out Of Site'? Employ The Ultimate Marketing Tool
Written by: Rick Sloboda |
Distributed: 2007-01-09 |
Word Count: 445 |
Page Views: 1393
| Votes: 18 |
Rating: 4.11
With the rapid expansion of the digital economy, the web site is
conceivably the most powerful marketing and sales tool you can employ.
Find out what a web site can do for you.
How To Use Your Race To Get Rich
Written by: Herbert Harris |
Distributed: 2009-07-07 |
Word Count: 1407 |
Page Views: 1722
| Votes: 40 |
Rating: 4.05
Amid recent news reports that there continues to be an ongoing
and substantial gap between the net worth of Whites and other
racial groups, it is easy to be distracted and overwhelmed by the
raw data. However, I am immediately reminded of a quote offered
by an economic expert from the past... "There are lies, damned
lies, and statistics!"
Secrets of Domain Parking - An Innovative and Easier Way to Make Money
Written by: John Khu |
Distributed: 2009-02-27 |
Word Count: 484 |
Page Views: 491
| Votes: 7 |
Rating: 4.00
Using a good domain parking services to monetize expired domain
names seems to be a neglected aspect with a number of domain
names traders. Domain parking is also an unfamiliar concept to
many inexperienced domain name traders. Read this article to
better understand domain parking and how it can be of benefit to
you.
Expired Domain Gains - Simple Ideas to Create an Income Base
Written by: John Khu |
Distributed: 2009-07-31 |
Word Count: 549 |
Page Views: 2407
| Votes: 14 |
Rating: 4.00
You can use a number of simple methods and plans to create a
solid income base that earns a monthly ongoing income base.
For many expired domain entrepreneurs (both full-time and
part time), expired domains offer an opportunity to
supplement their current income with money earned out of
dealing with expired domains.
The Most Important Ingredient for Info Product Success (is You)
Written by: Judy Murdoch |
Distributed: 2008-04-15 |
Word Count: 981 |
Page Views: 643
| Votes: 13 |
Rating: 3.92
Last week I was attending a conference and mentioned to someone I
help small business owners create information products. The other
person was very friendly until I said "information products."
Then the temperature in the room dropped about 10-degrees
How To Build A Website That Will Rank Well In The Search Engines?
Written by: Fred Schebesta |
Distributed: 2007-04-23 |
Word Count: 1064 |
Page Views: 1377
| Votes: 9 |
Rating: 3.89
Redeveloping your website can be a real challenge when you assume
your web designers and developers understand search engine
marketing. Unfortunately this is not usually the case. Most
designers are great at making pretty pictures and developers are
great at making great technology. But pretty pictures and great
technology don't necessarily give you great search engine
results.
How to Prosper Beyond Virtual Real Estate
Written by: Kamau Austin |
Distributed: 2006-10-17 |
Word Count: 1263 |
Page Views: 974
| Votes: 7 |
Rating: 3.86
We explore virtual real estate (VRE) sites as sites primarily
embedded with Google Adsense(tm) or Yahoo Publisher's Network (YPN)
ads.
|
|
|
Article Statistics
|
Find This Article Title In The Search Engines:
Widow Search
Right Blinker
Google
Yahoo!
Zuula
Bing
Cuil
Last Distribution Date:
2009-07-29 10:48:00
Word Count: 501
Total Views: 618
Views This Month: 11
Views Last Month: 54
Article Rating: 2.11 of 5
Votes Cast: 18
Author Overall Stats:
Times Viewed Overall: 20927
Author Overall Rating: 2.43 of 5
Votes Cast Overall: 341
More Articles By This Author:
Articles On This Website
|
|
|
Article Reprint Rights
|

This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons License
You are not required to show the creative commons license notice when you reprint this work.
|
|