Does your company name have the stamina to go the distance? Or is it more likely to simply collapse, gasping for breath partway through the race?
Most healthy names exhibit the same traits, which will ensure a company has the best chance to compete, otherwise it will never perform to the level you need. For maximum stamina and longevity a name should possess as many of the following lean traits as possible.
- Short: keep the name as short as possible. One-word names tend to be the most effective.
- Evocative: a name needs depth and dimension in order to rise to the top and evoke a reaction from your audience.
- Relevant: a name should have the ability to suggest corporate qualities like confidence, trustworthy, strength, warmth or humour.
- URL match: dot-com remains the gold standard, however less than 5% of company names have an identical dot-com match.
A name that is out of shape can seriously hurt business growth. When a name has too many of the following problems, it will simply struggle and stumble along well behind the competition.
- Diluted: are there far too many identical or similar-type names in the marketplace?
- Too descriptive: a descriptive name overlooks the fact that the whole point of marketing is to separate you from the pack. Is the name so long it could easily become some strange acronym?
- Too conservative: a name should punch through the marketplace clutter, not add to it. The most successful names are often those that are initially the most unconventional.
- Speak and spell problems: do customers pronounce the name four different ways? Do they spell it four different ways, too?
- Structural issues: do dingbat symbols replace letters, are vowels removed, similarly pronounced letters switched or a weird truncation purposely created? Creative overkill can hurt the effectiveness of the name.
- No URL match: does the name need an added word or two in order to find a URL match? This can dilute the impact of the actual company name.
Has your company name ever been reviewed to assess how it is performing and how it stacks up compared with the competition? What is the external perception of your company name (customers, partners, investors and competitors), compared with those held by the employees and management?
The ideas and suggestions outlined here are not hard-and-fast rules. As always, exceptions can always be found.
Once you know you have a healthy name it’s time to tackle the visual heart and soul (and face) of any company brand – the corporate identity (logo).
For maximum stamina and longevity, your corporate identity should possess as many of the following healthy traits as possible.
Simple and Memorable - This timeless approach transcends the trends and fashions of the day and ensures a commitment to longevity. The process requires that the mission and values of the company be condensed into the simplest graphic element possible.
Flexible - Do not design the identity around the most urgent application, such as a web site. It should be developed with the lowest common denominator in mind - a black and white application. Only then will it work for all possible applications.
Consistent - Maintain the look of the corporate identity across all media, so that each audience will receive the same clear corporate visual every time.
There are several telltale signs that can indicate whether your existing corporate identity is unhealthy and not really able to compete.
- Amateurish: wrong typeface choice, awkward proportions, 3-D effects, overembellished and ugly colours just to name a few. All these things will instantly lead to an unappealing and forgettable identity.
- Too complex: too many elements and too much detail can create numerous visual recognition problems, leaving the customer confused and instantly forgetting.
- Backwards logic: if the identity looks great on the website, then it should look great on all applications, right? Wrong. This approach will cause numerous consistency and cost problems down the road.
- Inconsistent: does the corporate identity look a little bit different every time it is reproduced? Colour not used correctly? How about the wrong colours altogether? Isn’t the symbol supposed to be on top and not beside the name?
- Outdated: was your corporate identity created last year? Does it look like something from the ’80s? A timeless visual quality is essential.
Before reviewing the corporate identity, it is important to evaluate the company’s internal willingness and current acceptance for change. Does the mention of this idea meet with resistance?
These are all important considerations when a company is trying to refine and improve its brand. The success of a new identity is usually closely tied to the company’s desire for change and willingness to commit appropriate resources to the process.