How Brand and Product Research Can Help the Naming Process

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Posted Oct 03, 2011
Susan Gunelius

When you think about how brand and product research can help your business through the naming process, take off the blinders and realize that there is a lot more to be gained from research then identifying a creative name. In fact, it can help your business in far more ways than the obvious.

Naming research can help help streamline the naming process and provide unbiased direction, which enables everyone involved in choosing the new name to collaborate more efficiently and successfully.

A list of some of the ways your business can benefit from brand and product name research follows. If you're still not sold on the value of market research, you should be by the time you're done reading this article.

1. Make the Best Choices Rise to the Top

Real world behaviors don't always mimic research results. However, research can point you in the right direction. By researching potential brand and product names, you'll see the best names come up again and again while the others fall to the wayside.

2. Justify Giving Names the Axe

Naming decisions are typically decisions made by committee, meaning multiple players weigh in on the final name. Often an executive will latch onto a specific brand or product name regardless of any other person's opinion. Therefore, research results can give you the numeric, measurable data you need to make a case for eliminating that name from contention.

3. Identify Areas of Confusion

A brand or product name that makes perfect sense to you might be utterly confusing to consumers. Research helps you identify potential areas of confusion so you can either tweak your name or adjust your marketing messages so roll out is successful.

4. Raise Red Flags

You need to look at your brand and product names from all angles and perspectives. Different people interpret names, words, and phrases very differently. You don't want to roll out a name that you love only to learn later that it's offensive to a specific audience segment.

5. Remove Yourself and Your Employees from the Equation

It's nearly impossible for employees to offer unbiased opinions about brand and product names. Therefore, market research helps remove internal influence from the equation entirely and separate biased opinions from the data analysis process.

6. Tip the Scale Enabling a Decision to be Made

As brand naming expert Anthony Shore of Operative Words explains, "sometimes another data point provides the extra push to get through analysis paralysis." He's absolutely correct. Making the final name decision is a big one and often no one wants to be the one to make that final decision. Use research data to offer the confidence level decision makers need to choose the best brand or product name.

If you missed my previous articles about naming brands and products, follow the links below to read them now so you can name your next brand or product with confidence!

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