brand name

I need to name my product, something catchy and effective, so i have conducted research into existing brand names in the dairy sector, which are effective, and which aren't, and also on how to name a product successfully.

Product name research

descriptive - the name states what the brand is or what the product or service does - Toys R Us, Lactofree

evocative - it suggests associations to the brand without describing the offer precisely - Amazon, Flora, Gu

abstract - it makes no reference to the nature of the business - Ipod

amalgams - names created by putting words together - Nabisco ( national biscuit company )

rhyming - memorable and catchy - YouTube, Utterly Butterly

foreign word - sounds sophisticated - Perle De Lait, Petit Filous

Founders names - not too catchy, traditional -Sainsburys

Personification - gives a character - Green Giant

Clever statement - I Cant Believe Its Not Butter

Product naming is a critical part of the branding process, as it conveys messages about the company and the product.

key properties of a successful brand name -

- they imply the brands benefit

- they are available for legal protection

- they have a symbolic association that backs up the company ethos or image

- they appeal to the product target audience

existing milk brand names

LactoFree - This name is very obvious and is a descriptive style name - as it clearly describes the product, it implies the brand benefits well and will appeal to the target audience who will immediately understand it is for them. It is an obvious choice, but i think it is very effective as it immediately establishes the target audience .

Cravendale - This name is more abstract, but it is in fact quite evocative - the Crave part suggests longing and wanting, and a dale is a valley, associating the product with nature, conveying their message about cravendale being fresh and natural.

Yeo Valley - Whilst this is technically a brand name, it is the name they use for their milk too. It is an evocative brand name as the word "valley" also connotes nature, freshness, purity.

Countrylife - also a brand name that makes milk under the same name - also evocative of the brands image - it connotes the country, nature and once again freshness.

All of the brands have the evocative features in common, because they all suggest nature and the countryside, which in turn connotes freshness, heritage and ethical farming. These are all things which the company's would like the brands to be associated with.

I did a brainstorm around the main features or selling points of my product, using some of the words that came to mind when i thought about the product - descriptive words, and then looked at alternatives in a thesaurus, this would give me an evocative or descriptive brand name.

 

After this i used an online name generator with multiple options to generate random names -

http://www.naming.net/cgi-bin/names.cgi

I typed a word in, and played with the options which included combining the word with rhymes, common words, prefixes or word parts and sounds. This gave me a multitude of generated names, most of which were unusable

here are some examples of ones i considered to be the best-

FreshBell .   FreshBliss   . FreshBounce   . FreshSip   . EverFresh

- i then thought fresh didn't sound like a milk product, because it sounded too much like a hygiene product, and this wasn't giving a good association to the product. However i quite like FreshSip. I then thought of the obvious, and put "milk" into the generator

MilkMist.   DairyTree.   DairyFriend.   DairySip

DairyFriend- 

- I think DairyFriend has good connotations, as it suggests that the product is friendly and inviting,

- also that it will stick by you, this is the message I am trying to convey about the product, that it can be taken anywhere with you, like a companion.

- It is easy to say and remember and sound fairly inviting

- . However it is also very obvious, and doesnt neccesarily explain the products USP.

-  It makes the whole company sound friendly and inviting.

EverFresh

- However i also like EverFresh, it is a very obvious title, much like LactoFree, in that it is a fairly short way of explaining the products unique selling point, that it stays fresh.

- however is it too obvious? and therefore not particularly memorable? people often remember things they find funny or interesting.

 - Also, does it sound like a milk product? or does it sound too much like a feminine hygiene product? because that would be a terrible thing to associate the product name with. 

I took a vote between DairyFriend and EverFresh, not because they were deifntiely the final two to choose between, but because they seem like the best names currently, and simply to see the reaction they would get from possible consumers. comments i got were -

"what about DairyFresh? that would make more sense given the product description"

"DairyFriend is better, EverFresh sounds a bit like a deoderant name"

I am still undecided after this research, but I have come a great deal closer to settling on a product name, probably between DairyFriend and EverFresh, although the product name may evolve from these. I may do some more in depth audience research at a later date.