How to Choose a Brand Name Published Mon Jan 21 17:19:00 SAST 2013

When considering a potential brand name, use my Branding Litmus Test™:

1. Repeat the name out loud ten times.
2. Listen for distortion, slurring or ambiguity.
3. Good names do not distort.

This simple metric is a first line of defence when choosing a name for a new project. Combine it with nine other key branding criteria to select a great brand for your next business.

Most of The World's Top Brands score well on this test, but you can brand anything if you throw enough marketing dollars at it, e.g. Accenture (do you hear "eccentric"?).

10 Branding Criteria

1. Distortion - Passes the Branding Litmus Test™ by not slurring or distorting when spoken.
2. Relevance - Self-explanatory of your business?

• Pronounceability - Easy to say over the phone.
• Uniqueness - How many Google results for a keyword search?
• Spelling - No hard words.
• Length - Less is more.
• Unambiguous - No double-meanings. Not confusing.
• Syllables - freshcode with 2 syllables is better than xjd5 with 4 syllables, even if it's longer.
• Readability - No bunched up letters, gliding or silent vowels with difficult phonetic transitions like froth.
• Typeability - Easy to type. Good keyboard spread. No double letters. E.g. abetted is hard to type on a QWERTY keyboard.