The naming business There are really only a handful of businesses that deal exclusively in names, and their services can cost thousands of dollars. In addition to coming up with names, they also determine what names are available for trademark, which URLs are available, and they conduct linguistic checks to ensure that the potential names are pronounceable, unique, and appropriate in languages around the world. Linguistic checks can be vital: Catchword was once naming a toy and one of the names they had come up with for it turned out to mean “a small device that doesn’t work” in Japanese. So they ruled out that option. Types of product names At one end of the spectrum you have descriptive names, which just describe what the thing is – like Raisin Bran and Shredded Wheat. Descriptive names can be great because they’re selfexplanatory. But they are also hard to own and can be limiting. Descriptive names contributed to the downfall of a lot of specific start-ups in the ’90s, like estamps.com, which had trouble expanding services beyond its name. On the other end of the spectrum are so-called arbitrary names, which don’t tell you anything about the product or service. Like Apple. Arbitrary names allow for flexibility – in Apple’s case, the name allows them to make anything. Arbitrary names can also be completely made up. These kinds of names are called ‘empty vessels’. Names such as Hulu, Exxon, and Kodak mean nothing on their own, and were largely chosen because they are short, unique, and sound appealing. Arbitrary names and empty vessels are easy to trademark, easy to get the domain name for, and are usually effective in languages around the world. Drawback: They are hard to market. You have to put a lot of money behind these kinds of names to tell people what they mean. Most names fall somewhere in between the two poles of descriptive and arbitrary names. These are ‘semi-descriptive’ or ‘suggestive names’ – like Microsoft, which kind of says ‘software for microcomputers’, but not explicitly. Microsoft is a ‘coined word’ – a word that doesn’t exist in an English dictionary but is made up of familiar words, word parts, or sounds. Spotify, Nespresso, and Netflix are also coined words. Name taxonomy The naming company A Hundred Monkeys, for instance, doesn’t make coined words or empty vessels. They prefer to come up with names based around a narrative, inspired by anatomical charts, constellations, secret service code names, rundown theatres, types of wind, and ocean currents. They strive for names that lead to conversation. For example, they named an online textbook company Inkling. Rather than a naming spectrum, A Hundred Monkeys sees more of a sort of name taxonomy in which classifications break down into 25 categories of names. Some examples: • Names of real people (Tesla Motors, Jack Daniels, Newman’s Own) • Names of imaginary mascots (Jolly Green Giant, Dr Pepper, Captain Morgan) • Mythical names (Nike, Pandora, Hermès) • Lifestyle statement names (Forever 21, True Religion, Livestrong) The takeaway is this: If you have enough money, the name can be anything. When the iPad was about to come out, you heard all kinds of sanitary napkin jokes. Now, through sheer force of will and advertising dollars, you don’t think twice about the word ‘iPad’. Language skills Extras Explore 10 From design to brands 137 Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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