What's in a Name? A LOT!

By the time most clients call us, they have already chosen the name of their business, and they’ve hired us to create a logo for them. Sometimes I wished they would have thought it through before deciding on their name. After all, it’s your company’s first impression on your client, and the name that will identify you throughout the life of your business – hopefully.

This may seem like “common sense”, but you’d be surprised how many businesses make these simple mistakes. There are a few things to consider when choosing a name:

1) Is the name easy to remember? Easy to spell? Easy to say?
Even if you don’t use radio or television advertising, will your customer instantly recognize the name when they hear it? Or will they say "huh?" More importantly, will they be able to remember it? You want people to talk about you (favorably I hope) and spread the word! Will they have a tough time remembering how to say or spell your name, so that others understand?

2) Keep it simple. Keep it short.
Unless you are a legal firm that must name all of the partners (I love calling them, just to hear the receptionist run out of breath) , try to keep the name short. You don’t want to force your clients to flip your business card over in order to see the entire name!

At some point, you will probably want to develop a website (more about that in a later blog), and there is nothing worse than telling your customers, “Sure, you can view our products online! It’s at…..got a pencil? http://www.killebrumwiggetscompanywebsite.com." First, using your family name is great, but not everyone will be familiar with it, and know how to spell it. Second, avoid being “cute” with the spelling of your product. You’ll have to explain your way of spelling “wiggets” every time, (and it drives spellcheck crazy!) Third, do you really need to add all of the other fluff? (We'll talk about your website name later, too)

3) Let’s talk logo
The first thing that our clients ask is, “How much do you charge for a logo design?” Ok, I get it. You have a budget. But you should be seeking a designer that first asks you questions to better understand your business, your customer, your company’s mission, and your goals.

Logo designs are a process. I interview my clients extensively before I even start the first draft. If your logo doesn’t reflect your business, (and YES target your audience) then it’s useless – at ANY price!

Are colors important? There are extra charges in printing every time you add a color! You might want to consider what your logo looks like in black and white, if you plan to run newspaper advertising. Then, there are the issues of shading, gradations, even process colors. All of these factors play a part in your decisions.

Do you want a sig with your logo? Is it necessary? (The sig, incidentally is a symbol or graphic "plug" that is used in conjunction with - or in some cases, instead of - your logo) Think of the double arches for McDonald's! Or the K in Kmart.

Finally, be careful that your logo design is original. I recently had a client call me in a panic. It seems that the logo he had been using locally was designed for “free” by a friend. (Side bar: the client didn’t know this was not an orginal design.) We had been using it in all of his local advertising, which may have been ok, if his sales would have been confined to this region. When his business gained a much larger national audience, the “friend” called and told the client that he’d better not use that logo – he “stole” the design! Yikes! We were already in the middle of a national campaign! We had to scramble, and change it enough to make it “legal” to use.

Before you print your stationery or order that sign, let’s talk! It could save you a lot of money in the long run!

Vicki Miller - vmiller@eagletoo.com