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Naming

Distinctive names like Nike, Google, or Arc'teryx don't just fall from the sky. Your brand's name is usually the first point of contact with your customers, so it must directly build a connection to you. Cultural aspects, values, services, and more can be easily communicated with a suitable name, thus forming the foundation stone of your brand. A fitting name doesn't come by chance and is developed through a variety of processes.
Spektrum
Vom Namen selbst bis zur passenden Domain: Naming umfasst viele Touchpoints.
Anwendung
Eine Marke ohne Namen ist nur ein Projekt.
Details
Auch die Prüfung eines Vorschlags auf mögliche Fauxpas in anderen Sprachen gehört dazu!

From briefing to a checked shortlist

It starts with a briefing that sets the frame. Which language regions does the name have to work in? Will it be spelled out over the phone? Does it stand alone or next to a parent brand name? Should it describe the offer, or deliberately leave room so that later extensions still fit?

From there we work in categories: descriptive names, associative names, coined words, short forms, and names drawn from origin or founding story. Each category has different consequences for how protectable the name is and how much communication it will need.

A large pool of candidates is then filtered against hard criteria: pronunciation in the target languages, how easily it is mistyped when dictated, unwanted meanings and connotations, length in real use.

Availability runs in parallel. We check domains across the relevant extensions, company registers and business directories, handles on social networks and app stores, and the registers of the German DPMA and the EU office EUIPO in the Nice classes that match your offer. The outcome is a short list with reasoning, documented research and a recommendation.

When naming is due and when it is not

The obvious occasion is a new company. Just as frequent are new product lines that need a sender of their own, and spin-offs where a division is not allowed to keep the former group name.

A second kind of occasion is forced: renaming after a trade mark conflict, after a merger, or because the current name is already protected in the market you want to enter. Internationalisation leads to the same point when a name is unpronounceable in the target language or carries an unfortunate meaning there.

In every case a settled positioning is the precondition. Without it there is no yardstick, and the choice comes down to the taste of whoever is in the room. A company running several brands should also know beforehand whether the new name stands on its own or visibly belongs to the parent brand, because that determines how independent it is allowed to be.

What is not an occasion: a name that is established and working but simply looks dated in its current typography. That is a design job, not a naming one.

Availability decides, not the idea

Most good name ideas fail on research rather than on creativity. Short, pronounceable words are taken almost everywhere in the common extensions, frequently by domain traders who never use them. In the trade mark registers it is also not enough that nobody holds the identical name. What counts legally is likelihood of confusion, and that can arise from a similar sound, a similar written appearance or the same meaning within the same class.

So we check early and in parallel with idea generation, never at the end. Anything else produces the sequence many companies know: the name is agreed internally, the logo is drawn, the packaging is in production, and then the opposition arrives.

The identical domain is not a must. An added word, a different extension or a deliberately chosen short form are all defensible, as long as the spelling stays identical across the website, email addresses and profiles. The trade mark filing itself belongs with a law firm. We do the groundwork, secure domains and handles, and make sure the order of steps is right.

Frequently asked questions

Do you also check whether a name is free as a trade mark?

We search the DPMA and EUIPO registers in the classes that match your offer, and we look at similar marks, not only identical ones. The result is a solid shortlist together with an assessment of the risk. The legally binding opinion and the filing itself are handled by a firm specialising in industrial property. That separation is standard practice and protects you from a misjudgement.

What if the domain we want is already taken?

First find out whether the address is in use or merely parked. If a similar business is actively using it, the name is usually out anyway. If it is only being held, a purchase is possible but hard to budget for. A variant is more practical: an additional word that suits the brand, a different extension, or a short form. The one condition is that you then use that spelling consistently everywhere.

Descriptive name or coined word?

Descriptive names explain themselves immediately, but they are hard to protect and become restrictive as soon as the offer grows. Coined words are protectable and can be filled with whatever meaning you build, but they need communication before anyone associates them with anything. For regional providers with a clear service profile, descriptive elements work well. For companies planning growth or export, a distinctive word usually holds up better.

How many name proposals do we get to see?

We agree that in the briefing. A manageable selection that has already survived the availability checks is more useful than a long list made up mostly of candidates that are legally or technically impossible. We document the rejected proposals with the reason in each case, so the same idea does not resurface in the next round and you can follow how the decision was reached.

When should we start the naming process?

After the positioning and before the design work. Without a positioning there is no yardstick for judging candidates. After the design work, every correction becomes expensive because the logo, the packaging and the website already build on the name. It is also worth settling beforehand whether the name stands alone or sits under a parent brand, and in which markets it will be used from when.

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