Marketing: Naming and Branding Written by Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting, LLC. Copyright 1997-2008. To effectively promote your product, you must have a concise, yet meaningful description of the product. This can be much more complicated than merely picking a name. There are consultancies built around helping organizations to name or brand their products and services. You have to be sure that you're not using a name that is already trademarked or servicemarked. You should not have a name that closely resembles an already established name in your area, or customers will confuse your services with those referred to by the other name -- or, the organization with the other name may choose to sue you. You need a name that makes sense locally, but if you grow, the name will still be understood elsewhere. The name you choose for your product will be around for a long time and can have substantial impact on your products are perceived. Therefore, seriously consider some basic forms of market research to glean impressions of different names. For example, convene several focus groups to glean their reactions to various names. Have survey cards that clients can complete to suggest names. Sections of This Topic Include: 3 Golden Rules of Naming Definitions Behind Business Name Jargon Are You Legally Permitted to Use Your Chosen Business Name? The Five Key Steps To Naming An Internet Business Also consider Basic Methods to Get Customer Feedback Some Major Sources of Market Research Information (also see "Naming Your Website")

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