Author Archive

A name not fit for a queen

Why would a London pub called The Queen Boadicea change its name? Andy Kirk discusses heritage, change and the importance of relevance in naming.

Naming and the consumer

Real names. Real people. Andy Kirk and Peter Laybourne of Fathom International write about how naming research needs to adapt to add value to the naming process.

Posted on Jul 2nd 2012 by · Permalink · Leave a comment
In: Brand communications, Brand Strategy, Naming, Viewpoints · Tags: 

11 tips for researching new brand names

Research is becoming an increasingly important tool in finding the right brand name – to help you to select the right one – but also to add even more meaning to a name. Why then is researching a name so poorly handled, and how should it be done? Andy Kirk outlines the key principles for researching new names.

Yell to Hibu – a good naming decision?

Yell Group’s recent decision to rebrand as Hibu has generated a lot of negative responses around the name change. Is the new name a good one? Should it mean something? Andy Kirk discusses the response to a new name and what it really means for a brand.

8 tips to avoid the pitfalls in Naming

The third (and final) post from our expert Andy Kirk, providing top tips on Naming. Here we have 8 tips to help you to be aware of the problems in creating a brand name and how to stay on track.

Posted on May 15th 2012 by · Permalink · Leave a comment
In: Brand communications, Brand Strategy, Naming, Viewpoints · Tags: 

Brand naming with flavour

Technology products are going all out to take names from the kitchen cupboard. Android operating systems have been given dessert-related titles: Cupcake, Ice Cream Sandwich, Jellybean and Key Lime Pie. Perhaps we could call it ‘Ingredient Branding’ or ‘Recipe Naming’ but this is a great way to add some flavour to products and brands, to make their names memorable and add some personality into a portfolio.

7 naming tips: knowing the role of your name

Quality over quantity, knowing your audience, category rules and more in Andy’s 7 tips for creating great brand names.

6 things to get you started on a Naming project

Here’s the first in a series of three posts that share Andy’s tips and advice on how to find a great name for your brand. The first one: 6 things to get you started.

13 Tips on naming – unlucky for some?

Recently I read an article called ’13 Tips to Naming Your Startup’. It struck me as a great example of a website attempting to give good advice on brand naming, but ending up giving some poor or misleading advice. Here’s my feedback on the subject.

Studebaker revives the Lark, and the name

I was attracted to the story of R.W. Reed, CEO of the Studebaker Motor Company. He is reviving this classic American marque, attempting to reengineer it to bring modern values to a brand that has been off the production line for over fifty years. Why give yourself the heartache of looking for new names?

Posted on Feb 13th 2012 by · Permalink · One Comment
In: Naming, New launches, Viewpoints · Tags: ,