Five naming strategies to help tell your organization’s story

Are you involved in a new venture but just can’t find the right name? Are you part of an organization that has outgrown its name, perhaps because of geographic/product expansion or societal changes? Or worse, does your organization need to shed its name owing to scandal or unfortunate family association? While many entrepreneurs and managers understand intuitively that names are imbued with meaning and that this meaning helps convey a company’s identity and tell its story, they may not know what makes a great name. Even though choosing a name marks a universal rite of passage for an organization and a key strategic decision, there is surprisingly little practical, accessible, and consolidated guidance available to those in search of the “perfect” name. So, how can organizations improve their chances of crafting an outstanding name? We extract research-driven insights from a variety of disciplines to describe, examine, and evaluate five principal naming strategies. As such, we explore the effectiveness of organization names that are affiliated with the organization’s signature product/service, family, or geography, as well as those adopting humor or pursuing novelty via portmanteaus. We also offer recommendations for maximizing the cognitive fluency and emotional resonance of potential names.