YOUR BRAND IS NOT YOUR CHILD: 5 REASONS TO PROVE IT

Many entrepreneurs and startup owners perceive their brands as children. And it makes sense – they have created their businesses as miraculously as a sudden conception, they make their research and preparations before the launch like parents prepare for the birth, they take care of the brand’s health once it’s launched like parents take care of their babies, they make sure their brand is positioned in the right way on the market, just like moms and dads make sure their children find their place in society and so on. Similarly, business owners also get personal when it comes to naming their brand, just like parents carefully choose names for their little ones. However, children and brands are too different and the approach to naming these should also be different.

What are the 5 main differences?

1. Specific to target audience
Brand names should be created suitable for the target group, while baby names are usually created as if the target group is the family with one very influential opinion leader – the mother.

2. Uniqueness
Baby names, with small exceptions, are existing names or derived from existing names. Brand names can’t afford that due to issues like trademark infringement and authenticity. 

3. Domain availability
Brand names don’t really exist in the modern world unless they have a website with a matching domain name. Fortunately, parents should not worry about domains, at all.

4. Rationale
Some human names are derived from specific words and evoke a certain idea, like Joyce (derived from joy) or Pierre (French for stone), but those names are given before or shortly after birth, therefore the name is not related to the baby’s quality, unless by chance. In the business world, you can’t really leave this to chance – a funeral agency can’t be called Joyce.

5. Nationality and religion
Baby names are usually specific to the nationality and the religion of the family. Brand names should be in line with the nationality of the target market(s) or with a global sounding, as well as preferably not related to any religion.

In conclusion, being a business owner is close to being a parent but you should be careful with the naming. The good news is that you can always rebrand your business if it’s not working right.