Naming Do’s & Don’ts: Best Practices for Building a Strong Brand

Do anchor to strategy. Don’t start naming without a brief. Why: Without positioning, audience, and desired emotions, you’ll drift into clichés. Fix: Write a one-pager: purpose, audience, 3 emotions, 3 competitors to avoid, 3–5 territories to explore.

Do prioritize distinctiveness. Don’t choose names that cluster around your category’s favorite roots/suffixes. Why: Sound-alike names reduce recall and increase collision risk. Fix: Make a “no-go” list (e.g., -ly, -io, nova, meta, omni in some categories) and force yourself into new territories.

Do keep it simple, spellable, sayable. Don’t trade pronounceability for cleverness. Why: If people can’t say or spell it, they won’t search it—or recommend it. Fix: Run a “spell-hear” test: say it once on a call; can they type it correctly?

Do design for stretch. Don’t over-describe your first feature. Why: You’ll outgrow the name or be boxed in by perception. Fix: Prefer benefit or metaphor over feature. If descriptive, keep it broader than a single SKU.

Do explore by mechanics. Don’t brainstorm in one style. Why: Single-track ideation produces narrow, repetitive lists. Fix: Generate across tracks: Descriptive, Suggestive (real word), Associative/Metaphoric, Composite/Portmanteau, Invented/Abstract, Truncated, Alliterative/Rhyming, Non-English roots (only when relevant and respectful).

Do score names objectively. Don’t pick by vibes or internal vote. Why: Teams overweight personal taste. Fix: Score 1–5 for originality, fit, pronounceability, brandability, stretch, edge_factor. Keep the top 10–12.

Do map your shortlist. Don’t ship a cluster of near-identical tones. Why: Portfolios suffer when everything sits in one quadrant. Fix: Place names on a 2×2 matrix: Emotional↔Rational × Descriptive↔Associative. Aim for balance.

Do run light validation. Don’t skip early reality checks. Why: Quick tests kill weak names cheaply. Fix: 5–10 target users for pronouncing/recall; fast collision scan; cultural/profanity screen for key markets.

Do be pragmatic with domains. Don’t force a weak name just to get exact .com. Why: The name carries more long-term value than the exact domain. Fix: Use coherent patterns (getname.com, nameapp.com, usen ame.com) while you build equity.

Do protect it—at the right time. Don’t file before culling. Why: Clearance is costly; don’t clear losers. Fix: Shortlist → light screens → then legal/trademark counsel for finalists.