What's in a Name? {Political Lessons in Naming a Business, Building a Brand}

Naming a business is challenging. But naming my marketing practice is one of the hardest things I've ever done...at least as a marketer, anyway. The name has to fit me, my purpose, my practice. Just as the names we use for our political leaders shouldn't be too casual or flippant, a brand name can't be too this or that.

What's in a name?

It's no surprise that in this charged political moment, I recently found myself having a conversation with my politically-aware seven-year-old about the subtle messages people communicate when they refer to Donald Trump as "Donald Trump" or Trump and, in the same breath, refer to Hillary Clinton as simply: Hillary.

Referring to someone on a first-name basis suggests a certain level of familiarity. It's casual, almost intimate. And so, generally, a person who's reached a certain level of authority or prestige commands a certain level of respect when spoken of by others. You might refer to your doctor as Dr. Smith, but maybe not as simply Mark -- at least not without a close relationship. Maybe it's just me. I still can't get used to referring to my children's teachers by their first names. Their teachers! 

Names matter in marketing, too.

Years ago, I was producing a client case study featuring a female Dean from an acclaimed university. At one point in the copy, she was referred to by her first name. The client called this out quickly, recommended we refer to her as Dean Smith (not her last name), and questioned whether the same approach would've been taken were the Dean a man.

Bu the same token, any presidential nominee deserves the respect of being referred to with her full name or last name, as any nominee ever has been, least of all one who has earned the moniker of Secretary. As in Secretary of State. As in 4th in line for the Presidency should chaos ensue. Whether you believe that referring to Secretary Clinton as "Hillary" just another gender-based dog-whistle technique or not, it's worth considering -- especially if you're in marketing or PR. Words matter. And when words are your job, they matter even more.

Names can give subtle (or not-so-subtle) messages about who we are, what we think of ourselves, what we want others to think of us. And I've been thinking about this even more because I'm in the process of naming my marketing practice.

Picking the right name for your business.

I've read tons on the subject of naming a business. I've brainstormed 200+ ideas, crossed off the ones that were already in use or for which I couldn't get a good domain (there seemed to be no way I could snag my top favorite from the domain squatter who owns it). I reached out to friends, family, colleagues, and of course my altMBA people, to get their thoughts on the finalists.

In the end, I had to stick to what felt right to me. What I felt represented who I am and why I'm here. (Yes, the big reveal is coming. But not yet.) Because words matter. Words have power to influence and affirm, or to minimize and detract. And we each get to decide how we're going to use our words to align with our intentions.

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