How Much Thought Should You Give to Naming Your Social Enterprise?

Imagine what you’d assume if you were hearing the names of some well known brands for the first time today. “Applebee’s” might sound like a place to go for organic produce, not an inexpensive family dinner. “Xbox One” might sound like a math problem to solve, not a video game console to play. And “Apple,” well, that one would be pretty obvious, wouldn’t it?

At some names, we might even draw a blank. It’s like consumer experience designer Craig LaRosa once said in a Fast Company article, “What’s a Verizon?”

So if these names can defy assumptions and work in ways they shouldn’t, how much thought should you give to naming your social enterprise?

Actually, quite a bit.

A good name developed with a thoughtful criteria for success can do wonders for business growth. It can accelerate market acceptance and motivate customers to share it verbally with friends. A name is a powerful impact brand building asset that’s worthy of an appropriate amount of focused and objective development.

In the end, however, the value of your brand will be less about your social enterprise’s name and more about the associations you tirelessly pour into it. Like your logo and brand identity system, your name is a vital piece of brand identification. But it’s also a mental trigger for customers. Hearing or reading the name of your social enterprise should replay memories of delightful experiences customers have had with your company. Experiences they want to repeat.

So the success of the name you choose won’t be solely due to the attributes of the name itself. Its value will largely be derived from the hard work you put into creating memorable experiences with your social enterprise.

I certainly want you to do your due diligence to create a name that’s easy to say, easy to spell, easy to like, and easy to remember. But then I want you get to work creating those delightful, promise-keeping, reputation building experiences that will pour meaning and value into it. This way, when your social enterprise’s name is said, heard or read, customers will know exactly what it is and what to expect from it.