How We Create Brand Names
Paper Laundry’s creative and strategic process for choosing the right brand name.
Your brand’s name is a way to announce yourself to your audience. It’s a great opportunity to set an expectation of your vibe and your offerings. But how do you come up with the perfect moniker for your business?
At Paper Laundry, our branding process often includes name development in addition to identity design. Coming up with a name is a deeply strategic and creative process, and spending the time to get it right can set your business up for better success. Here’s a look at our process for creating the perfect names for our clients.
Positioning
As with all brand projects, our process begins by learning the ins and outs of your business. This helps us figure out who your brand is and isn’t along with the unique juju that sets it apart. Your strategy will become your guide to making decisions about whether or not something is “on brand” — including your name.
Name Development
After positioning is complete, the name brainstorm begins! We use several criteria to help us come with a list of our top options:
Meaning: We brainstorm words that connect with the offerings and personality of your brand. We have our favorite tools for word associations that help us create a list of power words.
Growth: The right name should have the flexibility to grow with your business. You don’t want a name that will feel limiting in a few years — so we keep your future goals in mind.
Catchiness: Sometimes a name just sounds right and is able to capture the vibe of your brand. Good names don’t always need to be literal either.
Name-ability: Some words look great on paper, but then they’re hard to pronounce or spell or even search online. We keep this in mind while coming up with options.
Trademark and Usage
Another big part of naming is making sure that the name you choose is available in your market. You don’t want to end up in any legal trouble or get confused for something else. We do preliminary searches to check for any existing trademarks, as well as looking at domain names, social handles, and other areas where you want your name to be available.
Names in Action
Take a look at some of the names we’ve created over the years and the strategies that inspired them. If your business needs a name and a brand — get in touch and we’ll find your perfect fit.
The Strategy: An apartment complex with a clubhouse vibe located in Denver’s Lower Highland neighborhood, inspired by the vibe of SoHo House.
The Name: LoHi House
The Meaning: A wink and a nod to SoHo House using the preferred nickname for the lower highlands.
The Strategy: A Mexican rooftop cantina where people come for connection, nightlife, and delicious cocktails.
The Name: Arriba Abajo.
The Meaning: Arriba Abajo means “up, down” in Spanish, which is also part of the popular toast ¡Arriba, abajo, al centro, pa' dentro!
The Strategy: A sweat-proof makeup brand for women who want a look that lasts through the workout.
The Name: Hustle
The Meaning: We love a name that’s so self-explanatory. Makeup that stays on no matter the hustle.
Other names we’ve helped create:
Bougie Syrups
Regular Architecture
Stokely
The Lark
Melosa
Cypress Estates
The Range
Lírica
Westy’s
The Upland
Ready to name your brand?