ABSTRACT
The choice for a new brand name occurs with new products and with name changes (“rebranding”). Those are the moments when the choice for a new name is important. One important reason is that acceptance of a new name is easier if the name already includes a reference to brand positioning. Yet that is not the main reason. People can learn to link associations to any word or combination of letters and symbols. Besides acceptance, there are four other requirements for a brand name. First of all a brand name has to be distinctive. Functional names consisting of existing words are the least distinctive. Functional names also often do not meet two other requirements: online availability and the possibility to create legal protection. Finally, a name should not generate wrong associations, for example in another language. Hiring a brand naming agency increases the probability of finding a suitable name. This certainly also applies to the choice of visual identity: the use of an external agency is usually preferred. When hiring an agency it is important to have a clear positioning and thus make a clear briefing: the design that is created should fit well with the desired identity of the brand.
