We get bombarded by hundreds of different names and brands every day, starting with the clothes we put on and the coffee we drink in the morning, to the brand of toothbrush we use before hopping into bed at night. When choosing a brand name for your product or service, what types of names does the brain remember best ?
Studies of the grey matter over the last few years have shown that our brains remember those names that are unique, distinctive and outstanding. I'll give you two examples.
The vodka business is very competitive. There are over 200 different brands of vodka in the world, and I'm sure you can name at least two or three off the top of your head. One of the most distinctive names is that of Absolut Vodka. It stands out from the crowd because it uses a very deliberate misspelling of an English word, made to look similar to a Swedish word. The brain instantly recognises the word, then spots the misspelling - and that's why you remember it.
It's the same for ice-cream. There are many different ice cream brands, but one that stands out is Häagen-Dazs. It's not actually a word in any language, and although it conjures up images of beautiful smooth ice-cream imported from somewhere in Nordic Scandinavia, it actually started life in the Bronx, New York. The two founders wanted their ice-cream to stand out from the rest, so made their name look like foreign word. The result is a very distinctive word that's easy to remember, although maybe not so easy to pronounce.
So distinctive names are easier to remember, and being remembered is one of the keys to getting more business. An ordinary name implies an ordinary product or service. A distinctive name implies a distinctive product or service - and that is exactly the type of impression you want to make. In a world full of brands for every conceivable thing, you need to stand out from the crowd.
Be distinctive and memorable, and start with your name.
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