The sound of a brand name can make a world of difference in how a brand is perceived - how successful it will be.  If you take connotations and associations out of the equation all you are left with is the sound of the name.

In a study of 200 top brands it was found that companies with brand names containing what we call plosives were historically more successful. A plosive is a consonant sound that causes you to build up air pressure in your mouth and forcefully pronounce the sound. Many world languages actually use the same plosive sounds [p], [t], [k], [n], and [m].

Plosives make a noticeable noise and cut through the cacophony of everyday language. Think best global brands: Coca-Cola, IBM, Nokia, Microsoft, and Toyota etc.

As for product brand names Prozac is a good example, not only because our team members were involved in creating it, but also because it's the kind of word that has a plosive to start; then, with the [z -zzzz-] with a build up in force for the final plosive [ac]! It has been a hugely successful product brand name for our former client Eli Lilly and Co.

GK Brand – Tribe Global holds a unique position in the branding market offering full creative and naming capabilities including: in-depth trademark research, linguistic analysis, global testing  and competitive market research.

What makes a great name?

We’ve worked with clients all over the world for more than 30 years, helping them to develop great names for their companies, products and services. That leads to the question: What makes a great name anyway? Here are some of my thoughts.
•    A great name makes an emotional connection with your customer.
•    A great name communicates the essence of your company and its products and services.
•    A great name becomes its own advertisement, saving millions in marketing dollars.
•    A great name helps you stand out in a crowd.
•    A great name communicates volumes about the benefits of your product.
•    A great name is unique and ownable; it can survive the most rigorous trademark screening.
•    A great name is evocative and exciting.
•    A great name transcends geographical boundaries, is culturally appropriate and communicates effectively across languages.
•    A great name is a valuable and tangible asset.
•    A great name is one you will never have to explain.
•    A great name often emerges from your first instincts; it sometimes is the most obvious choice.
•    A great name is often a brand new word coined to communicate volumes about your product.
•    A great name makes your engineers as happy as your marketing people.
•    A great name is believable; it impresses without overstating.
•    A great name is short, sharp and smart.
•    A great name is easy to remember, spell and pronounce.
•    A great pharmaceutical name has no potential for confusion with other products, assuring patient safety.
•    A great name is capable of expanding as you grow.
 
What’s involved in name testing?

At GK Brand, we conduct market research, and run surveys, interviews and focus groups as part of our name testing process. Our goal is to ensure that names are robustly and thoroughly tested, whether they are company brand names or the names of products or services.

Take a peek behind the curtain at our name testing process.

Trademark search

Throughout the brand naming process we engage in a thorough trademark search to ensure your trademark is fully available. Whether you are seeking a product brand name, a service brand name or a company brand name, our trademark search avoids having your brand name challenged at any point in the future and offers you peace of mind.

After a thorough trademark search, we provide your legal counsel with our findings and reports to provide the highest level of reassurance. We also offer our analysis and opinion.

URL analysis

It is essential that your brand name be available as a domain name, so we test the viability of domain names within the overall trademark search and linguistic analysis process. We also search misspellings of your domain name!

Global research and analysis and linguistic analysis

We undertake worldwide screening searches within global trademark databases across different categories for brand name candidates. This process checks for exact matches, phonetically similar marks and plurals of brand name candidates.

Our global research and analysis also evaluates specific cultural reactions from target audiences of the selected brand name. This assessment includes valuable insight on cultural, demographic and psychographic responses to flag any potential problems in your brand name candidates.
With the results of our global analysis, we assess whether the brand name triggers any other meanings, besides the implied, to indigenous speakers. In particular, we determine whether the brand name could be interpreted as vulgar, obscene or inappropriate in different parts of the world. We ensure there are no other similar indigenous words, phrases, colloquialisms or trademarks that could cause confusion with your proposed brand name. In addition, we want to know if there are issues with the sound, pronunciation and articulation of the potential brand name.

Cultural impact

We determine the cultural impact of a brand name with the help of our partner Tribe Global offices around the world. They provide us with inside information and local knowledge to measure and evaluate how specific cultures and target audiences will react to a brand name.

Only after taking all this information into consideration do our naming specialists deliver the perfect brand name candidates to you – names that can help create powerful sustainable brands with lasting recognition.

Vásken Kalayjian, CEO
GK Brand, Inc.
© 2013 GK Brand, Inc.