• brand strategy
• corporate identity
• name generation
• brand guidelines

Great brand names are very powerful - they differentiate you from the competition and make an emotional connection with your audience. At Large, we believe a great brand name is the result of a carefully planned, clear and methodical process gaining stakeholder buy-in at every stage. The resulting name will encapsulate your brand position in a word or two and be distinctive and meaningful. Gut reaction works for the gifted few but most great brands are based on indepth market research and analysis.

The process
Every name generation project is unique but if you examine the most admired brands, the one thing that will be very apparent will be that they leave no doubt as to what their brand position is. Through a systematic process utilising proven tools and techniques, case studies and workshops we will help you clearly articulate your brand position and establish a strategic set of criteria upon which to establish your brand name.

Workshop 1 - Esablishing criteria
When it comes to evaluating the names, it is essential to avoid subjectivity and avoid the “my husband said” syndrome. Do not evaluate the names based on a like / dislike basis, but against criteria based on strategic objectives. These criteria will vary on a case by case basis but are likely to include:

• Simple to say and spell
• Memorable
• Difficult to mispronounce
• Free from negative connotations
• Available URL
• It must not infringe on an existing trademark

Workshop 2 - Types of name
Once we identify the criteria against which we will assess any proposed name, we can narrow the task down further by establishing the type of brand name that will work best for your product or service. Large split names into six key catagories: Descriptive; Heritage; Alpha-numeric; Synthetic; Metaphoric and Evocative. By examing the successful qualities of existing company names we can establish which category of name we should develop.

1. Descriptive brand names: Descriptive brand names are often drawn from a small pool of relevant keywords and are useful if you need people to quickly understand your proposition. An example would be Vision Express. However, descriptive names are often restrictive making it difficult to expand your offering.

2. Heritage brand names: These are often named after the founder or a historic product e.g. Ford. These names take time before they resonate with consumers and are often inappropriate for newly launched products, services or companies. It is only when the name is synonymous with a certain level of service that there strength is demonstrated.

3. Alpha-numeric brand names: Alpha-numeric names, e.g. KFC, often arise because their existing names are descriptive and do not support the shift in their business strategy. They may also arise because of a merger or a more global appeal transcending language, e.g. HSBC or O2. Alphanumeric names have the advantage in some cases of avoiding lengthy Trademark registration process.

4. Synthetic brand Names: Synthetic names eliminate the potential for trademark conflict. Examples include Google and Kodak. For companies looking for a hassle-free way to secure a domain name without a modifier, this is the path of least resistance. A disadvantage is that they can lack gravitas but this can be countered by building names based upon Greek or Latin roots.

5. Metaphoric brand names: Metaphoric names are very popular online, an obvious example being the web browsers, Explorer, Navigator, Safari etc. They make sense to the consumer because they relate directly to the consumer's experience and because they require little explanation, metaphoric names are also easily approved in a corporate process. However, because they are so intuitive, metaphoric names are very popular, making them harder to trademark.

6. Evocative brand names: Evocative brand names are more difficult to define but generally they are brand names that challenge conventions and therefore stand out from the crowd. For example, Apple deliberately tried to distance itself from other computer companies like IBM, NEC, SAP and Texas Instruments. Other examples include Virgin and Large.

Workshop 3 - Shortlist
Once we have developed a number of a names - which can be anywhere between 3 and 100 - we need to assess them against the criteria established at workshop 1. This removes the emotion from the process and results in logical decisions based on rational choices. Names that initially make you feel uncomfortable, should not be dismissed – often these are the ones with greater impact and differentiation in the marketplace. Finally, allow the names to sit with you for a while - favourites don’t always rise to the top immediately, they need time to sink in.