Helping Companies Choose the Perfect Business Name and Identity (5/7)

Helping Companies Choose the Perfect Business Name and Identity

Naming a company or product isn't as easy as it may seem. There are many factors to consider: Does the name accurately represent the company? Does it have a positive connotation? Will it translate well into other languages? Fortunately, there is help available for business owners who are stumped about what to call their great new product, their new business division or their core company.

Founded in 1993 by Tania von Allmen, Sacramento, Calif.-based Logo Lab is one of many firms that specialize in helping small- to medium-sized businesses establish identities that make sense for them. "We know from experience that not having a clear focus can kill a new enterprise; it almost killed ours," says von Allmen, adding that an identity "turning point" occurred within her own firm with a business name change from Von Allmen Design to Logo Lab. "We applied for a U.S. Federal Trademark and reserved 800-LOGOLAB. This new, congruent focus energized the business in ways we could not have imagined."

Later, Logo Lab discovered that other business owners were also struggling with their identities, and added an "ImagiName" service to its menu to help customers choose the right name for their companies, products or services. Today, Logo Lab serves a worldwide client base and takes advantage of new technologies like e-mail, Internet Web pages and "interactive sessions," where each new client receives software that allows them to dial into Logo Lab's computer system and collaborate with the company in real time.

With trademark infringement becoming a growing issue -- due, in part, to the Internet's effectiveness as a sales channel - Logo lab also provides name formulation and trademark searches for companies of all sizes. "Prior to the advent of the Internet, a business only had to consider naming issues for a 30-square-mile radius," says von Allmen, adding that Logo Lab also provides name formulation and trademark searches for businesses of all sizes. "Today, the odds of obtaining, say, an Internet domain name that conflicts with someone else's trademark, are very high."

Additional help comes in the form of a free naming guide created by The Namestormers, a site created by veterans of the branding business. The new service helps name new products, companies, services and Web sites, according to Mike Carr, who has been creating names for industry leaders like Michelin, Nestle, Merck and Carrier since 1986.

"Once on our site, [visitors] simply select the 'Naming Guide' icon to find an easy-to-follow, do-it-yourself checklist for name development, a discussion of techniques and tools for naming, and a resource section to help create that perfect name," says Carr, who was senior vice president of an A. C. Nielsen subsidiary before diving into brand-name creation 13 years ago. "For example, our guide can hotlink [a visitor] directly to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office's Web site, where they can obtain free information on how to register a name as a trademark."

There are myriad other sites on the Web that can help with brand identity, and business owners would be wise to enlist their help before slapping a name on their marquee and hanging it out on the street. In addition to issues like trademark infringement -- which can be time-consuming and costly to resolve -- the importance of having a clear, recognizable name and image is vital to the success of all business entities.