Submitted by: Marcia Yudkin

“Help! We re stuck!” That s a lament I often hear from entrepreneurs who have tried to come up with a product or company name they like, that has some sort of available domain and that can be trademarked.

In many cases, the stuckness comes from limited ideas about how to brainstorm name ideas and elements. Prime yourself for fruitful naming with these crucial brainstorming tips.

1. Brainstorm many parts of speech. When I watch people brainstorm for names or look at their brainstormed lists, I can see that they primarily think up nouns, less often adjectives and very rarely verbs. Yet verbs can lead to strongly original names, as in GoDaddy (the domain name company), Hooked on Phonics (learn-to-read products) and Volvo (Latin for “I roll”). Even prepositions can trigger great ideas – for example, In Time For Christmas for a holiday-theme retail shop or Always After Four for an upscale bar. So consciously work on brainstorming as many parts of speech as you can.

2. Aim at quantity. In seminars, when I have asked individuals or groups to generate at least 50 words or phrases related to their naming theme, I can clearly see from their lists that they re just getting started. Professional namers develop enormous clusters of syllables, ideas and naming elements hundreds before they turn on their critical brain and begin plucking out the most promising one or tweaking ideas into names. You should do likewise.

3. Consider cultural references. For an educated clientele, go hunting for phrases in Shakespeare. That is where the investment information company Motley Fool got its name. For a mainstream audience, look at lists of popular movies, songs, slang, cartoon strips, TV shows and pastimes. This can prompt something like Play It Again, Pam for a game store, a play on a famous line from the film Casablanca. For a high-minded non-profit, searching the Bible might lead to resonant naming elements, such as Mustard Seed Farm Aid. This name comes from the Bible verse, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”

4. Get help. When I ve asked people to brainstorm independently, then compare their lists, I rarely see much overlap. Because we all have unique experiences, personalities and interests, our minds travel along different routes and in divergent directions. Bring in people from different generations, ethnic backgrounds and social classes for naming ideas. According to Google s Press Center, the renowned search engine company s name “is a play on the word googol, which refers to the number 1 followed by one hundred zeroes. The word was coined by the nine-year-old nephew of mathematician Edward Kasner.”

5. Try again. Put your brainstorming notes aside, let them sit overnight, then start again afresh, letting what you ve already thought up suggest new options. I find that with at least three separate sessions, I ve gone way farther along creative pathways than in just one sit-down. Furthermore, multiple brainstorming sessions help your subconscious mind get in on the hunt, kicking up names and ideas while you re in the shower, checking your email or walking the dog.

Follow those guidelines and you ll be rewarded with an abundance of name-worthy ideas.

About the Author: Marcia Yudkin is Head Stork of Named At Last, which brainstorms catchy tag lines, company names and product names according to the client s criteria. Download a free copy of “19 Steps to the Perfect Company Name, Product Name or Tag Line” at

namedatlast.com/19steps.htm

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