Generated by All in One SEO v5.0.0.1, this is an llms.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site.

# NameFlash

Brilliant names delivered in a flash!

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://nameflash.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website.

## Posts

- [When Visual Signals Don’t Align With Meaning](https://nameflash.com/2026/07/when-visual-signals-dont-align-with-meaning/) - Thanks to the Canadian wildfires, my home, Pittsburgh, PA, resembles the home of Star Wars hero Luke Skywalker, Tatooine (except we only have one sun). Yesterday, the Air Quality Index Level went from Orange to Red. Today it went up to Purple and then Maroon. And I knew it was getting worse, but when it
- [Why Love Is One of Branding’s Most Powerful Signals](https://nameflash.com/2026/06/why-love-is-one-of-brandings-most-powerful-signals/) - LOVE(Red Outside Violet Inside)Photo: Courtesy of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, California; Artwork: © Morgan Art Foundation Ltd./Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY Brands spend millions trying to win attention and trust. One of the most effective shortcuts may be surprisingly simple: love. In marketing, words and symbols associated with love can make people
- [(Don’t) Fill In The Blanks For A Better Name](https://nameflash.com/2026/05/dont-fill-in-the-blanks-for-a-better-name/) - Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash Want to create a memorable name for your company, product or service? Use the “fill in” technique, which makes your customer’s brain work (and thereby leads to greater memorability). Here is a great example of how the “filling in” process works. Quickly read the paragraph below: It deosn’t mttaer
- [How Anchoring Shapes Brand Names and Perception](https://nameflash.com/2026/04/how-anchoring-shapes-brand-names-and-perception/) - “Anchors aweigh, my boys, anchors aweigh.” Photo by Simon Abrams on Unsplash The famous line from the fight song of the United States Naval Academy refers to a simple nautical moment: when a ship’s anchor is lifted from the ocean floor and the vessel officially gets underway. But here’s the interesting thing about anchors. Even
- [Is Strange a Smart Naming Strategy?](https://nameflash.com/2026/03/is-strange-a-smart-naming-strategy/) - Photo by Dominik Vanyi on Unsplash In 1967, The Doors sang, “People are strange.” Decades later, some brand builders seem convinced that strange names are not just interesting — they’re unforgettable. In fact, a 2013 New York Times article boldly claimed, “No One Forgets a Name When It’s Strange.” That sounds great in theory. In
- [We Count Only Blue Cars - Why “White Car” Names Get Ignored](https://nameflash.com/2026/02/we-count-only-blue-cars-why-white-car-names-get-ignored/) - Most people don’t remember the white cars they pass every day. But if a bright blue one drives by? You notice it instantly. That simple observation reveals a powerful truth about human attention — and a costly mistake many companies make when naming products, services, and brands. The Problem with “White Car” Names When companies
- [Naming Is Framing](https://nameflash.com/2026/01/naming-is-framing/) - A lesson in brand building Photo by Yuriy Vertikov on Unsplash Before a baseball player steps up to the plate, they don’t just stand there waiting. They head to the on-deck circle, slip a weight onto the bat, and take a few practice swings. Then, when the weight comes off, the bat feels lighter. Faster.
- [Tyra Banks Has A Strange Naming Strategy](https://nameflash.com/2025/11/tyra-banks-has-a-strange-naming-strategy/) - In the 1967 song titled “People Are Strange,” vocalist Jim Morrison of The Doors sang “No one remembers your name when you’re strange.” The opposite may be true when it comes to branding. In 2013 David Colman wrote an article in the New York Times titled “No One Forgets a Name When It’s Strange.” Apparently,
- [“We're Sorry” Pants](https://nameflash.com/2025/09/were-sorry-pants/) - Hat tip to Duluth Trading for the most “customer centric” branding I’ve seen recently! Duluth Trading had launched pants that featured a cellphone pocket that was perfect. However, someone decided that a redesign was necessary, and they changed the way the cellphone pocket was designed. Boy, did they hear it from their loyal customers. So,
- [AI Model Names](https://nameflash.com/2025/08/ai-model-names/) - ChatGPT is a really bad name for a product. I can’t even begin to describe how bad it is. The history behind the name is very engineer-like. “Chat” means “chat,” an informal conversation. ChatGPT is a chatbot after all. GPT stands for “generative pre-trained transformer,” or a type of large language model (LLM): a neural
- [Brilliant Branding or Diabolical Branding?](https://nameflash.com/2025/06/brilliant-branding-or-diabolical-branding/) - How Perrier Tried to Retain All the Good with None of The Bad I spent over 25 years in Brand Management. One of the realities of hiring a new brand manager is the first thing he/she will do is change the packaging of the product. It doesn’t matter if the product is successful or not.
- [Our President. The Great Renamer.](https://nameflash.com/2025/05/our-president-the-great-renamer/) - I spent over 25 years in Brand Management. One of the realities of hiring a new brand manager is the first thing he/she will do is change the packaging of the product. It doesn’t matter if the product is successful or not. In some ways, this is similar to a dog or cat marking its
- [One Of These Things Is Not Like the Other](https://nameflash.com/2025/02/one-of-these-things-is-not-like-the-other/) - (A Lesson In Trademark Law) The Utah Hockey Club has a naming problem. Rushed into the National Hockey League as an Arizona Coyotes replacement this season, the club decided to use “The Utah Hockey Club” moniker until trademark issues could be resolved on their alternative name choices. Their original alternative name choices were Yeti (the
- [Is Odd Spelling of Names a Help or a Hinderance for Trademarks?](https://nameflash.com/2025/01/is-odd-spelling-of-names-a-help-or-a-hinderance-for-trademarks/) - Thumbzup Logo Per Website I’m not a big fan of odd spelling of names. Yes, I know using intentionally misspelled names is viewed as a clever thing to do in the startup community (see my previous blog post on this trend). But what happens when you try to trademark a name that is intentionally misspelled?
- [How Did Santa Claus Indiana Get Its Name?](https://nameflash.com/2024/12/how-did-santa-claus-indiana-get-its-name/) - Spencer County Visitors Bureau Full disclosure. I’ve been to Santa Claus Indiana, a small town of about 2600 people. It is a big deal if you are a fan of Christmas. And even though I am a professional name developer, I did not know the origin of its name. Seems obvious, right? Actually, nobody really
- [Science Says Odd Spelling Can Be Bad Branding](https://nameflash.com/2024/11/science-says-odd-spelling-can-be-bad-branding/) - Startups have a bad habit of using intentionally misspelled names. This is not a new trend, but the fact that it continues shows their ignorance of the science of branding. Crunchbase looked at names of recently founded startups and showed that founders are still using offbeat spelling in their company names (https://news.crunchbase.com/startups/offbeat-misspelled-names-ai-skild-lyft/). A 2023 study
- [Selective Use of Research](https://nameflash.com/2024/09/selective-use-of-research/) - Many years ago, the prevailing position was that light to moderate drinking, especially wine, provided a wide range of health benefits. Recent research has shown that any amount of drinking is bad for you. Which research do you believe? As reported in Wine Spectator, a new study sought to resolve that conundrum. The study was
- [C4 Versus 4C – Branding Too Close For Comfort?](https://nameflash.com/2024/07/c4-versus-4c-branding-too-close-for-comfort/) - My local BJ’s brochure advertised sales on these drink products: I did a double take – were these the same brand or owned by the same company? Very similar names and colors. Turns out they are different products owned by different companies. I investigated the trademark status of these names and found that they both
- [The Brilliance of “Same But Different” As A Naming Strategy](https://nameflash.com/2024/01/the-brilliance-of-same-but-different-as-a-naming-strategy/) - How McDonald’s Is Using This Strategy To Appeal To A Competitor’s Customers Did you know that if your name is Dennis, you are significantly more likely to choose dentistry as a career? While “Dennis the Dentist” might sound funny to you, there was a study done on the role of someone’s name on their career
- [Dad Jokes](https://nameflash.com/2024/05/dad-jokes/) - Photo Credit: https://babylonbee.com/news/dad-lands-dream-job-at-brewery-coming-up-with-puns-for-naming-beers We all have heard “Dad Jokes.” Heck, I’ve been known to throw out a few when my daughters were younger, and I thoroughly enjoyed their eye rolls when I delivered the punchline. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a Dad Joke as “a wholesome joke of the type said to be told by fathers
- [A "reverse euphemism?"](https://nameflash.com/2024/02/a-reverse-euphemism/) - Photo by Josefin on Unsplash You've heard of a euphemism (a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant). Think downsized instead of fired. A correctional facility instead of a jail. Light bladder leakage instead of incontinence. Well, here is a case
- [The “Same But Different” Naming Strategy Strikes Again](https://nameflash.com/2024/01/the-same-but-different-naming-strategy-strikes-again/) - Jeep Exploits This Strategy To Make Its Plug-In Hybrid More Accessible Last month I wrote a full debrief of the “Same But Different” naming strategy that McDonaldsTM is using with its CosMc’s beverage-focused chain. https://nameflash.com/2024/01/the-brilliance-of-same-but-different-as-a-naming-strategy/ I provided the science behind use of this strategy (and it is plentiful), but the TL; DR summary is familiarity
- [Five Steps To Develop Your Personal Brand](https://nameflash.com/2023/12/five-steps-to-develop-your-personal-brand/) - Personal Branding Is Not Just For Influencers — You Need It Too! Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com I know, not another article on personal branding! Here is a different way to think about it. “Personal Branding” is just a shortcut description of the process of figuring out who you are, what you stand for, how
- [Name It So Google Finds It](https://nameflash.com/2023/11/name-it-so-google-finds-it/) - A lot of new businesses have jumped on the “Name It So Google Can Find It” #naming trend. Here are a few examples: Thai Food Near Me™ (https://www.thaifoodnearmenyc.com/) Barber Shop Near Me ™ (https://www.barbershopnearmecoralsprings.com/) Plumber Near Me ™ (https://plumbernearmerva.com/) Launching your business with an SEO-driven name can be a powerful marketing tool, as long as
- [What Type of Name Do You Want?](https://nameflash.com/2023/10/what-type-of-name-do-you-want/) - Name generation is easier if you decide on the type of name you want before you start developing names Source: Author All Rights Reserved Before you start thinking about a new name for your business, product, or service, you should pause and think about what type of name you want. I developed the chart above
- [How to Use AI to Generate Names for Your Startup](https://nameflash.com/2023/09/how-to-use-ai-to-generate-names-for-your-startup/) - A professional name developer (me) suggesting that you use AI to generate names? Blasphemy! Photo by Alex Knight on Unsplash Yes, it’s true. I’m suggesting that you use AI to generate names. NOTE: I emphasized the word generate because I am not suggesting that you use AI to analyze or choose the name you will use. I’ve
- [The Naming Lesson From The Pac-12 Fiasco](https://nameflash.com/2023/08/the-naming-lesson-from-the-pac-12-fiasco/) - The Pac-12 college football conference no longer has 12 teams. In fact, after the recent departures, they are down to 4 teams. Conversely, the Big Ten Conference now has 14 teams and will soon have 18. The Big 12 conference will grow to 16 teams. Confused? Well, that is the issue with launching your brand
- [Taco Tuesday & The Trademark Bully](https://nameflash.com/2023/08/taco-tuesday-the-trademark-bully/) - Photo by ABDALLA M on Unsplash The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) defines trademark bullying as “the act where the trademark owner uses its trademark rights to harass and intimidate another business beyond what the law might be reasonably interpreted to allow.” The classic example of a trademark bully is Apple. Here is
- [How to Name Your Startup in 8 Simple Steps](https://nameflash.com/2023/06/how-to-name-your-startup-in-8-simple-steps/) - This article provides a process you can use to name your business, product, or service. There are 8 simple steps and if you do the work that is required, you can develop a great name very quickly. FULL DISCLOSURE: I am a professional name developer with 25+ years of experience in branding and marketing. Companies
- [Is The Economy Making Marketers Risk Averse?](https://nameflash.com/2023/04/is-the-economy-making-marketers-risk-averse/) - A few years ago, Heinz embarked on a journey to extend their Heinz condiment franchise. The concept was simple and straightforward: Let’s add some stuff to ketchup/mustard/mayo and see what happens! The branding was straightforward too. It was a very simple 1 + 1 = 3 idea of branding, as evidenced by the photos above
- [My Favorite April Fools' Event](https://nameflash.com/2023/04/my-favorite-april-fools-event/) - More than a few years ago, a clever marketing executive planned and executed the best April Fools' event I've ever seen. He took the front label of TUMS, one of the best known brand names in America, and turned it into this unique talk piece! How he managed to do this in an organization that
- [How To Communicate With Anyone](https://nameflash.com/2023/03/how-to-communicate-with-anyone/) - Just Understand How People Process Information If you’ve ever wondered why you understand things that other people do not, you might have a different learning style than other people. Or maybe you are frustrated because you cannot get other people to understand your point of view. Again, different learning styles might be the cause. In
- [3 Really Is the Magic Number](https://nameflash.com/2023/02/3-really-is-the-magic-number/) - If you can’t make your point in 3 then start over Schoolhouse Rock fans already knew this, but it took a January 2014 publication in the Journal of Marketing for marketers to get confirmation. The publication was titled: “When Three Charms but Four Alarms: Identifying the Optimal Number of Claims in Persuasion Settings.” The authors
- [Curiosity Killed the Cat](https://nameflash.com/2023/01/curiosity-killed-the-cat/) - But It Really Revs Your Brain! Photo by Cleyton Ewerton on Unsplash Almost everyone loves a good magician. The magician’s sleight of hand technique in making a coin or playing card disappear/reappear delights us, as we usually take pleasure in being fooled in this manner. Once fooled, our curious brain rapidly kicks into gear and
- [Simpler Is Better](https://nameflash.com/2022/12/simpler-is-better/) - Why is everything so complicated these days? Case in point. Starbucks Drink Sizes:Short (8 Oz.)Tall (12 Oz.)Grande (16 Oz.)Venti (Hot — 20 Oz., Cold — 24 Oz.)Trenta (30 Oz.) Brooklyn Fare had some fun with this in their coffee cup redesign, but there is a real point to be made here. Why do we complicate
- [We Count Only Blue Cars](https://nameflash.com/2022/11/we-count-only-blue-cars-2/) - To Be More Memorable, Be Familiar (But Different) There is a simple technique that can make you or your actions more memorable. The key is to be familiar (but different). Want to have your creative efforts stand out? People who are creative are perceived as being different, but you don’t want to be too different
- [](https://nameflash.com/2022/10/952/) - Liquid Death – Good Branding or Good Marketing? Let’s get this out of the way. Liquid Death is just water sold in beer cans. OK, now they are moving into flavors and fizzy water, but the brand was built on “mountain water in a beer can.” So how do you explain their success (they recently
- [Douchebags. A Lesson in Name Development.](https://nameflash.com/2022/09/douchebags-a-lesson-in-name-development/) - From the Merriam-Webster Dictionarydouchebag (noun)douche·bag | \ ˈdüsh-ˌbag \ usually douche bag: a bag used for giving douches; a rubber douche bagchiefly US slang: an obnoxious, offensive, or disgusting person From the Urban DictionaryDouchebagNoun - A person with an over inflated ego, coupled with a low intelligence, who has no idea people are making fun
- [Wordle Alternatives Teach A Valuable Lesson On Branding](https://nameflash.com/2022/08/wordle-alternatives-teach-a-valuable-lesson-on-branding/) - Who doesn’t love Wordle? The word game has become so popular that a number of alternative games using a similar format have emerged. Worldle – Geography based game Heardle - (aka the musical Wordle game) gives you a clip from a popular song and asks you to guess it SWordle – Star Wars based word
- [Another Naming Contest Gone Wrong](https://nameflash.com/2022/07/another-naming-contest-gone-wrong/) - Ithaca, NY restructured their Police Department to include five unarmed community solutions workers to a new department alongside the existing Police Department. This created a new Department of Community Safety. So far so good. However, Ithaca asked the community’s suggestions for naming the new department. Uh-oh…naming contests rarely generate positive outcomes. Here is the full
- [Would You Trust IKEA To Name Your Child?](https://nameflash.com/2022/06/would-you-trust-ikea-to-name-your-child/) - IKEA published a "name bank" to help expectant parents come up with names. https://www.fox29.com/news/ikea-baby-name-catalog-norway I dunno...would you trust IKEA for naming? Remember, this is the company that has named products like: FRIHETEN FJÄDERMOLN YPPERLIG BJÖRKSNÄS and so many more...
- [A Very Profitable Name Change](https://nameflash.com/2022/05/a-very-profitable-name-change/) - Apple Records was founded by the Beatles in 1968 with the intent for it to be a creative outlet for the Beatles, both as a group and individually, and to sign premier artists to contribute. The very first “non-Beatle” group signed at Apple Records was The Iveys in July of 1968. The group's first single,
- [Names Matter](https://nameflash.com/2022/04/names-matter-2/) - On 7/28/2021 I published a post about renaming Moderna/J&J vaccine as the “Trump Vaccine” to get more people interested in being vaccinated: https://nameflash.com/2021/07/take-the-trump-vaccine/ Researchers proved my point: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/06/opinion/covid-vaccine-republicans.html Pretending that Trump was supportive of vaccines dramatically increased vaccinations. #names are powerful
- [Target Market Relevance](https://nameflash.com/2022/03/target-market-relevance/) - A few days ago, a fellow name developer asked what I thought of the name Napkins Bar and Grill. My initial thought was that Napkins implies something that you’d need when eating BBQ, and in fact, the #1 Google search result for “Napkins Restaurant” is such a place located in Dirtbag Ales Brewery & Taproom
- [Name Generators](https://nameflash.com/2022/02/name-generators/) - The internet is full of them. For example, a Google Search for “name generator” returns over 14 million results. As a professional name developer, you might imagine that I would oppose the use of a name generator. Au contraire mon ami. There is nothing wrong with using a name generator. In fact, some of them
- [What Do People Name?](https://nameflash.com/2022/01/what-do-people-name/) - I recently found a fantastic tool that provides data on Google searches: www.answerthepublic.com. It is a fantastic search listening tool. Just for fun, I wanted to see what people search for under the category of “name my…” Here are the top-rated entries for each letter of the alphabet: A: Name my airpods B: Name my
- [Collective Nouns](https://nameflash.com/2022/01/collective-nouns/) - Anyone who has spent some time studying the English language would know about collective nouns, which are nouns that denote a group of things. As a professional name developer, I often use collective nouns as building blocks for names of companies, products, or services. Here are some examples of collective nouns: https://englishstudyhere.com/collective-nouns/collective-nouns-list/ I recently signed
- [What Do You Call Fake Eggs?](https://nameflash.com/2021/12/what-do-you-call-fake-eggs/) - A few years ago, the dairy industry took the plant-based milk industry (almond milk, etc.) to court over the use of the term “milk.” Here is what the dairy industry spokesperson said: “You haven’t ‘got milk’ if it comes from a seed, nut, or bean,” said Jim Mulhern, the president of the National Milk Producers
- [Genius In Naming](https://nameflash.com/2021/11/genius-in-naming/) - Sometimes you've got to take your hat off to a company that does a great job in naming. Today I want to honor Evil Genius Beer Company. First of all, let me go on record and tell you how hard this is for me. I live in Pittsburgh, and Evil Genius Beer Company is in
- [Good And Bad COVID Naming](https://nameflash.com/2021/10/good-and-bad-covid-naming/) - Credit: Marvel Studios We’ve seen some good branding and some bad branding with COVID medicines. Here is a rundown of some of the branding in the COVID space: Pfizer/BioNTech Vaccine = COMIRNATY® Here is what Pfizer says about the brand name COMIRNATY: “…represents a combination of the terms COVID-19, mRNA, community, and immunity, to highlight
- [Don’t Outgrow Your Name](https://nameflash.com/2021/10/dont-outgrow-your-name/) - Frank Winfield Woolworth, who founded the F. W. Woolworth Company in 1879, was the innovator in variety stores known as "Five-and-Ten-Cent Stores" which featured a wide selection of low-priced merchandise at a low fixed price. For many years the company did a strictly "five-and-ten cent" business, but in the spring of 1932, it added a
- [Freedom Phone – A Master Class in Branding and Positioning](https://nameflash.com/2021/09/freedom-phone-a-master-class-in-branding-and-positioning/) - A 22-year-old Bitcoin Millionaire has launched a “smartphone for Conservatives” called The Freedom Phone. Here is the New York Times article that details his effort. The name is great. The positioning is great (liberate Americans from their “Big Tech overlords”). The marketing has been great (his launch video has over 1.8 million views). And he’s
- [Take The Trump Vaccine!](https://nameflash.com/2021/07/take-the-trump-vaccine/) - The Delta variant of COVID is spreading like wildfire in the US and is having a devastating effect on the unvaccinated. At the present time, 99% of COVID deaths are among unvaccinated people. In fact, a recent Washington Post opinion piece estimated that the odds of dying from COVID if you have been vaccinated are
- [Hershey’s Versus Hershey’s](https://nameflash.com/2021/07/hersheys-versus-hersheys/) - Would you guess that the same company that makes Hershey’s Ice Cream also makes Hershey’s Chocolate? I did. However, despite being founded in the same city, in the same year and having the same name, Hershey’s ice cream and Hershey’s chocolate have no affiliation. The Hershey Chocolate Company was founded by Milton S. Hershey in
- [Domain Considerations vs Strategic Name Development](https://nameflash.com/2021/06/domain-considerations-vs-strategic-name-development/) - I have been approached numerous times about developing a name “…with a .com domain available and no more than 6 letters” or something like that. Limiting the number of letters and requiring a .com domain means you will end up with a random letter name/domain such as ksnhent.com (which is available!). Clients who insist on
- [Do It Yourself With Fiverr](https://nameflash.com/2021/04/do-it-yourself-with-fiverr/) - I've been asked several times recently if I could help a client design a logo for a name we developed for them. While that is certainly doable, I tell clients that is not in our wheelhouse. We are name developers and they would be better served by hiring a qualified graphics designer to bring their
- [Why Not Peepsi?](https://nameflash.com/2021/04/why-not-peepsi/) - Pepsi and Peeps are collaborating on a new drink that combines the taste of a Pepsi with the "pillowy-soft and sweet" marshmallow flavor of Peeps. The new cola is named "Pepsi x Peeps." Several bloggers are asserting that Pepsi should have named the drink “Peepsi.” Clever idea, but both Pepsi and Peeps were smart enough
- [The Annual Minor League Baseball Team Name Report](https://nameflash.com/2021/03/the-annual-minor-league-baseball-team-name-report/) - Every year I do a blog post on the interesting names of minor league baseball teams. Here is this year’s crop of names (all images By Source, Fair use, Wikipedia): Chattanooga Lookouts – Naming a baseball team the Lookouts might seem odd, but Lookout Mountain is just a few miles south of the city and
- [Marketing Euphemisms – Clean Wine](https://nameflash.com/2021/01/marketing-euphemisms-clean-wine/) - eu·phe·mism /ˈyo͞ofəˌmizəm/ noun a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing. We all know a euphemism when we see it (e.g., being downsized instead of being fired; a correctional facility instead of a jail). Sometimes marketers get a bit
- [The Cleveland Baseball Team (Formerly The Cleveland Indians)](https://nameflash.com/2020/12/the-cleveland-baseball-team-formerly-the-cleveland-indians/) - The Cleveland Indians just announced that they will change their name. The Team spokesperson suggested they would use input from the public to develop a new name. Here we go again! Public naming contests used to be a reasonable idea. However, today naming contests quickly become an effort to come up with really stupid names,
- [Racist Branding?](https://nameflash.com/2020/11/racist-branding/) - Notice the juxtaposition of the Chiefs branding with the "End Racism" end zone printing. The irony in this image is stunning! GABRIELLA TRUJILLO In 2020 there has been a strong push for sports teams to change their branding if they are using a Native American name as a team mascot. Earlier this year the Washington
- [Hurricane Names](https://nameflash.com/2020/09/hurricane-names/) - Today I learned that, after Hurricane Sally, the next named hurricane will be named Teddy. Hurricane Teddy? And to make matters worse, the two after that will be named Hurricane Vicky and Hurricane Wilfred. Here is the official list of hurricane names. https://geology.com/hurricanes/hurricane-names.shtml With all due respect to people named Teddy, Vicky and Wilfred, I
- [Almond Milk. Where Do You Draw The Line?](https://nameflash.com/2020/09/almond-milk-where-do-you-draw-the-line/) - Is almond milk really milk? It depends. Ask anyone associated with the US Dairy Industry and the answer is a resounding NO. They’ve sued to stop names like almond milk, oat milk, or soy milk. They would prefer names like “oat drink,” “soy beverage,” and “almond-based dairy alternative.” Those names certainly do not sound appetizing
- [The Ham Fighters](https://nameflash.com/2020/08/the-ham-fighters/) - Every year I do a blog post on the interesting names of minor league baseball teams. How can you not love team names such as the Modesto Nuts (the A League affiliate of the Colorado Rockies) or the Montgomery Biscuits (the AA affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays)? This year I expanded my search globally
- [BACD = Pay Attention To Me](https://nameflash.com/2020/06/bacd-pay-attention-to-me/) - I recently purchased some bar stools from Wayfair. As many of you know, much of the furniture sold on Wayfair requires assembly, and these bar stools were no exception. As a proficient assembler of IKEA furniture, I figured I could handle it. I started out by taking everything out of the box, and reading the
- [Branding Fail or Marketing Fail?](https://nameflash.com/2020/05/branding-fail-or-marketing-fail/) - In 2013, Burger King decided to take on McDonald’s famous French fries by launching a healthier alternative…Satisfries®. The Burger King fries were cooked in a less porous batter which resulted in less oil absorbed. This enabled Burger King to claim that Satisfries were healthier because they contained 40% less fat and 30% less calories than
- [Are Pseudo-Brands Really Brands?](https://nameflash.com/2020/03/are-pseudo-brands-really-brands/) - One of these things is not like the other. Actually, quite a few of them are very different. But all of them claim to be “brands.” I know this because they are names of various things being sold on Amazon and yes, these names are registered in the US Trademark Office. Illustration by The New
- [Brandless Is Dead – Long Live Brands!](https://nameflash.com/2020/02/brandless-is-dead-long-live-brands/) - About two and a half years ago, Brandless was launched. The company sold “unbranded” household, personal care, baby, and pet products on the cheap and was viewed as a breakthrough in the “anti-branding” movement. [Photo: John Sciulli/Getty Images for Brandless] At the time it launched, I got a lot of flack from “anti-branders” who claimed
- [Branding The Placebo Effect](https://nameflash.com/2020/01/branding-the-placebo-effect/) - For many years I’ve admired the positioning work behind the Nurofen brand of painkiller. They positioned the product as “targeted relief from pain” and had a wonderful demo that visually demonstrated how the product could target specific areas of pain. Reckitt Benckiser had several products that addressed specific pain areas, including Nurofen Back Pain, Nurofen
- [“That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” William Shakespeare](https://nameflash.com/2019/12/that-which-we-call-a-rose-by-any-other-name-would-smell-as-sweet-william-shakespeare/) - Have you eaten Patagonian toothfish? Ewww, right? Well, if you have eaten Chilean sea bass you have eaten Patagonian toothfish. An American fish wholesaler changed the name to make it more palatable, even though the toothfish is not related to bass and most of the fish labeled as Chilean sea bass does not come from
- [XLERATOR®](https://nameflash.com/2019/11/xlerator/) - Quick, how did you pronounce that name? Here is the logo design on the product…does it help or hurt the pronunciation? I won’t go into my thoughts on the name itself (i.e., is it a #GoodName or a #BadName?). But I will make a point about how you can use logo design to encourage proper
- [If You Have To Make A Video Explaining How To Pronounce Your Name, Is That A Good Name Or A Bad Name?](https://nameflash.com/2019/09/if-you-have-to-make-a-video-explaining-how-to-pronounce-your-name-is-that-a-good-name-or-a-bad-name/) - Porsche® announced its newest sports car which is an all-electric vehicle targeting Tesla buyers. The call it Taycan®. No, it's not pronounced tay-can. In fact, Porsche was so concerned about mis-pronunciation of the name it made a video about how to pronounce the name! https://youtu.be/t8oixMu703s Tie-con it is! It is a beautiful car, and I
- [Another Fail in International Branding](https://nameflash.com/2019/06/another-fail-in-international-branding/) - Yes folks, they actually call themselves Jen Italia. This is a curious name because there is no “j” in the Italian language…it is used only for foreign words. Yet, this Italian footwear store chose a name that references sex organs. Go figure. I’m guessing that the founders were oblivious to the way the name would
- [When Product Development Yields Portmanteau Names](https://nameflash.com/2019/05/when-product-development-yields-portmanteau-names/) - port·man·teau /ˌpôrtˈmantō/ noun A word blending the sounds and combining the meanings of two others, for example motel (from ‘motor’ and ‘hotel’) or brunch (from ‘breakfast’ and ‘lunch’). Sometimes portmanteau names can be great combinations that help communicate the concept behind the brand. Microsoft is a portmanteau of microcomputer and software. Groupon combines group and
- [Tell Me A Story](https://nameflash.com/2019/04/tell-me-a-story/) - Smart marketers know how to tell a story. One of Seth Godin’s early books, All Marketers Are Liars, explains the use of storytelling as a marketing tool. It is proven to work. If you want to up the degree of difficulty, try cueing a story with your name. It is not an easy thing to
- [This Is How You Do It](https://nameflash.com/2019/03/this-is-how-you-do-it/) - It’s that time of year! Baseball Spring Training is here! In honor of this, I’m looking at the fun names in Minor League Baseball. Some of them demonstrate the key principles of name development! Minor League Baseball team names can be dull and boring. For example, there are some that just reflect the name of
- [Can I Buy A Vowel?](https://nameflash.com/2019/02/can-i-buy-a-vowel/) - In a recent article in The New York Times, John Williams discussed the evolution of our language through the “vowel dropping” trend. He mentions the use of vowel dropping in naming tech companies, as tech companies like Tumblr and Flickr dropped vowels “…both for distinctiveness and because the altered names made it easier to trademark,
- [Who Needs A Name?](https://nameflash.com/2019/01/who-needs-a-name/) - Mastercard has become the latest company to shift to a “no name” approach to branding. Of course, they aren’t the first to do this (see Nike, Starbucks, Apple, Target, etc.). We are living in an image-driven world (e.g., Instagram) so this trend is not surprising. A Mastercard spokesperson said: “As the consumer and commerce landscape
- [A Better Way To Change Your Name (Or Not)](https://nameflash.com/2018/11/a-better-way-to-change-your-name-or-not/) - Last year I wrote a “Change Your Name Already” blog post about Overstock.com which described the painful way that Overstock.com was trying to communicate that their name did not fit what they were doing as a business…”we are so much more!” My response was to politely suggest that they call me to help them find
- [The Perils of Portmanteau Names](https://nameflash.com/2018/08/the-perils-of-portmanteau-names/) - A portmanteau is a linguistic blend of words in which parts of multiple words are combined into a new word. Common language examples include smog, which is a combination of the words smoke and fog, and motel which combines motor and hotel. Some big companies used the portmanteau technique to develop their names. Microsoft is
- [The Best Names Are Familiar But Different](https://nameflash.com/2018/07/the-best-names-are-familiar-but-different/) - I’ve just finished reading a fascinating book by Allen Gannett: The Creative Curve. The author discusses how important it is to develop the right idea at the right time. Innovative ideas are more well received when they are introduced at the right time. Too soon and they are viewed as being weird. Too late and
- [You've Got To See These Examples Of Bad Translation In Developing A Name](https://nameflash.com/2018/06/youve-got-to-see-these-examples-of-bad-translation-in-developing-a-name/) - Good Translation/Bad Translation
- [Artificial Intelligence Update: How About These Tomatoes!](https://nameflash.com/2018/05/artificial-intelligence-update-how-about-these-tomatoes/) - About 6 months ago I wrote a blog post about the future of name development and the use of Artificial Intelligence to name things. I also made a prediction that AI was going to get better and better as it practices name development. Since that time, AI is getting better at developing names. Check out
- [How Alexa Will Change The Way We Name Companies](https://nameflash.com/2018/02/how-alexa-will-change-the-way-we-name-companies/) - I read an interesting post on the Inc. magazine site about how Amazon Alexa will change the way we name companies. While I wholeheartedly agree with the author, there are many more considerations in developing a great name. My book 10 Steps To Successful Branding contains a simple 10 step checklist that enables you to
- [Is Artificial Intelligence The Future of Branding?](https://nameflash.com/2017/12/is-artificial-intelligence-the-future-of-branding/) - Janelle Shane (https://twitter.com/JanelleCShane) is a research scientist who likes to play around with neural networks. Recently she’s been having fun investigating whether neural networks can replace traditional means of creative development. As a professional name developer, I’m watching her work closely (http://lewisandquark.tumblr.com) because I’ve been told that my chosen career is about to be destroyed
- [Names Matter](https://nameflash.com/2017/10/names-matter/) - Ernest Hemingway wrote a book about his years as an aspiring novelist in Paris in the 1920's. He titled it, A Moveable Feast. It, of course, is one of his best works...a true classic. When translated into German, the book was titled Paris: Ein Fest Furs Leben or in English Paris: A Feast For Life.
- [Hello, My Name Is Dave](https://nameflash.com/2017/08/hello-my-name-is-dave/) - Mark Cuban held a variety of jobs in his youth including selling garbage bags door-to-door and being a bartender, a disco dancing instructor, and a party promoter. But one thing that frustrated him was bank overdraft fees. Now he’s helping to fund an app that claims it can help people avoid them by predicting incoming
- [Change Your Name Already!](https://nameflash.com/2017/05/change-your-name-already/) - I sometimes get asked by prospective clients if they should change their name, and I help them evaluate if a change is necessary. But sometimes there are stubborn companies who persist in marketing a name that is not right. Overstock.com is a prime example of this behavior. In early 1999, Dr. Patrick M. Byrne recognized
- [A Tipping Point For Super Bowl Advertisements?](https://nameflash.com/2017/03/a-tipping-point-for-super-bowl-advertisements/) - I was largely unimpressed with the crop of Super Bowl ads this year. It seemed to me that advertisers have chased “form over function” and have forgotten that when you spend $5 million for a 30-second ad you should probably sell some product to offset that cost. There were few ads that actually tried to
- [The End of Bland Names?](https://nameflash.com/2017/01/the-end-of-bland-names/) - Publicis Groupe, the holding company of worldwide marketing agencies, has been restructuring over the past year. In March they announced a major restructuring of their media arm Publicis Media that broke apart longtime media agency ZenithOptimedia. Zenith now operates as a standalone agency, while Optimedia joined forces with Blue 449 to form Optimedia | Blue
- [Increase Recall of Your Message By…](https://nameflash.com/2016/11/increase-recall-of-your-message-by/) - Yes, I know the title of this post is incomplete. That is what this post is all about. Marketers know that “unfinished tasks” are the most memorable. Your brain seeks “cognitive closure” and so you will remember unfinished tasks until you complete them. This effect is called the Zeigarnik effect after Bluma Zeigarnik who studied
- [Stealth Marketing:  How Marketers Use Emotions To Sneak Their Messaging Past Your Brain’s Filters](https://nameflash.com/2016/08/stealth-marketing-how-marketers-use-emotions-to-sneak-their-messaging-past-your-brains-filters/) - When your brain uncovers new information, it says: “You Shall Not Pass!” Fans of “The Lord of The Rings” will recognize this as Gandalf’s quote (https://youtu.be/V4UfAL9f74I) or perhaps will recall its use in the “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” movie (https://youtu.be/l7Z05Fq2f58). Your brain applies this gatekeeper logic to prevent itself from being overloaded by irrelevant information. Just
- [A Lesson In Reusing Historic Brand Names #TBT](https://nameflash.com/2016/07/a-lesson-in-reusing-historic-brand-names-tbt/) - The music streaming service Rhapsody just announced that they are rebranding themselves as Napster, a brand they acquired in 2011. Is bringing back this historic brand name a good idea? Let me go on record as saying I’m a huge fan of leveraging existing brand equity in historic brand names. However, you must do this
- [Fictitious Versus Fake Branding](https://nameflash.com/2016/05/fictitious-versus-fake-branding/) - Creating fictitious names for products is standard practice in many industries. Creating a brand that evokes a certain image or feeling is so commonplace that most of us don’t think twice about it. Consider Genova Tonno. In the Italian language, Genova is the city of Genoa, and Tonno is tuna. So you might infer that
- [Blink Versus Think – Which Branding Approach Is Better?](https://nameflash.com/2016/03/blink-versus-think-which-branding-approach-is-better/) - Sometimes a company will choose a “Blink” name for its product or service. Blink names are simple, straightforward and usually descriptive of what the product is or does. For example, you don’t have to think a lot about the name Zyliss gave their food chopper: Easy Chop, which pretty much says everything you need to
- [Get The Target Right](https://nameflash.com/2016/02/get-the-target-right/) - When a prospective client tells me that his/her product is “meant for everyone” I have to bite my tongue. You cannot target everyone. But that does not stop clients from trying to do so! The main reason clients want to target everyone is they do not want to eliminate any customers from consideration. Let’s be
- [Get A Small Idea!](https://nameflash.com/2016/01/get-a-small-idea/) - As we begin the New Year, many entrepreneurs are looking for “the next big idea” for 2016, as in trying to find “the next Google.” How about trying to find “the next small idea” instead? When introducing a new product or service it is usually best to think small. Thinking small requires you to be
- [Worst Line Extension Name Ever?](https://nameflash.com/2016/01/worst-line-extension-name-ever/) - Betty Crocker Lotion. Need I say more? This product is insane on two levels. First of all, the person at General Mills who allowed a license to use the Betty Crocker name on a lotion product should be fired. Why would you risk the damage to a great brand name that has been used since
- [How The Clouds Got Their Names](https://nameflash.com/2015/12/how-the-clouds-got-their-names/) - One of the websites I read regularly had this article about "How The Clouds Got Their Names." Fascinating. Check it out! https://www.brainpickings.org/2015/11/25/richard-hamblyn-clouds-ted-ed/?mc_cid=96da543da5&mc_eid=37c3f09d67
- [Weather Channel Releases Names For 2015-16 Winter Storms](https://nameflash.com/2015/10/weather-channel-releases-names-for-2015-16-winter-storms/) - I’m a big fan of naming hurricanes. A hurricane is a large and significant weather system that can cause a huge loss of life and money. Naming a hurricane can provide a shortcut that leads to better communication about the danger. And besides, we humans like to have a “person” to blame. There aren’t many
- [Very Superstitious](https://nameflash.com/2015/09/very-superstitious/) - “Very superstitious, writings on the wall, Very superstitious, ladders bout’ to fall.” “When you believe in things that you don’t understand, then you suffer. Superstition ain’t the way.” - Stevie Wonder lyrics for Superstition With all due respect to Mr. Wonder, when it comes to branding, superstition may actually be the way in certain cases.
- [Why Is The Trump Brand Doing So Well?](https://nameflash.com/2015/08/why-is-the-trump-brand-doing-so-well/) - Donald Trump is the leader in the race for the Republican nomination for President. A CNN/ORD national survey (conducted after his comments about John McCain) puts Donald Trump ahead with the support of 18% of Republicans, Jeb Bush at 15% and Scott Walker at 10%. Why is the Trump brand doing so well? Donald Trump
- [10 Reasons To Change Your Name](https://nameflash.com/2015/05/10-reasons-to-change-your-name/) - Here are 10 good reasons to consider a name change for your business, product or service offering.
- [Branding For Startups](https://nameflash.com/2015/03/branding-for-startups/) - I’m often hired for name development by entrepreneurs who are starting a business. However, many founders take the “do-it-yourself” approach to name development. Sometimes that works for them, but all too often they make a horrible mistake that is easily preventable. My basis for this conclusion? Here are a few of the names chosen by
- [ARE CRAFT BREWERS RUNNING OUT OF NAMES?](https://nameflash.com/2015/02/are-craft-brewers-running-out-of-names/) - A recent report by NPR indicated that the tremendous growth in craft breweries (now over 3000 of them) has resulted in them running out of names for their beers. Here is the complete story: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2015/01/05/369445171/craft-brewers-are-running-out-of-names-and-into-legal-spats Of course this is utter nonsense. Brewers will always be able to find unique names. They just may not be
- [The Science of Branding: 20 Proven Ways To Make Better Branding Decisions](https://nameflash.com/2015/02/the-science-of-branding-20-proven-ways-to-make-better-branding-decisions/) - I just wanted to announce my new book is now available on Amazon.com! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TBOL6YA
- [A Rhyme Can Be Sublime](https://nameflash.com/2015/01/a-rhyme-can-be-sublime/) - “Remember these words. If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit.” - Johnnie Cochran Johnnie Cochran, O. J. Simpson’s attorney for his murder trial, used that famous rhyme to drive home a message point. Would it have had the same impact if he had said “If it doesn’t fit then you must find my client to
- [Love Is All You Need](https://nameflash.com/2014/11/love-is-all-you-need/) - With apologies to The Beatles for borrowing a lyric from their song “All You Need Is Love” from The Magical Mystery Tour album, branding that uses “Love” or its symbols are scientifically proven to give persuasion a boost. Southwest Airlines has understood the power of love for quite a while (e.g., their stock exchange ticker
- [Unintended Cultural Confusion](https://nameflash.com/2014/08/unintended-cultural-confusion/) - Recently I discovered a wonderful infographic on the different meanings of colors in various cultures. It got me thinking that people who are branding a product, service or company might be unintentionally offending some of their potential customers. In the use of colors for example, Westerners/Americans would consider grey to be a good logo color
- [Simple Branding Is Better Branding](https://nameflash.com/2014/07/simple-branding-is-better-branding/) - There is a new drug for overactive bladder with the brand name Myrbetriq. I don’t know about you, but my first thought upon hearing the brand name was “HUH?” What is a Myrbetriq? How do I pronounce it? Surprisingly, the FAQ section on their website does not have a “how to pronounce Myrbetriq” button but
- [What Can A Magician Teach Us About Branding?](https://nameflash.com/2014/05/what-can-a-magician-teach-us-about-branding/) - Almost everyone loves a good magician. The magician’s sleight of hand technique in making a coin or playing card disappear delights us, as we usually take pleasure in being fooled in this manner. Once fooled, our brain rapidly kicks into gear and tries to figure out how he or she did the trick. Sometimes you
- [The Halo Effect of a Great Name](https://nameflash.com/2014/04/the-halo-effect-of-a-great-name/) - Tom Cruise is 5’ 7” tall, but you would never know it based on the way Hollywood portrays him in the movies. Just look at his relative height in these scenes from some of his movies. Hollywood uses technical tricks like having the leading man stand on “apple boxes” or wear lift shoes, or have the supporting
- [What Can Batting Practice Teach Us About Marketing?](https://nameflash.com/2014/03/what-can-batting-practice-teach-us-about-marketing/) - Since Spring Training is now in full swing (no pun intended), I thought I would use a baseball analogy to introduce a marketing concept. In a baseball game it is common for a player to go to the “on-deck circle” when awaiting his/her turn at bat. While in the circle, the player usually puts a
- [We Count Only Blue Cars ](https://nameflash.com/2014/02/we-count-only-blue-cars/) - Apologies to Dishwalla for borrowing the lyrics from their hit song “Counting Blue Cars,” but this lyric is actually a wonderful observation of human nature. It is also representative of a common mistake in naming. Nobody counts white cars. So why do so many companies give their products generic or descriptive “white car” names? I
- [The Big D](https://nameflash.com/2014/01/the-big-d/) - No, I’m not talking about Dallas. Nor am I referring to the hip hop rap MC of the same name. I’m talking about Differentiation. If you understand this Big D, then you will have a real key to building your business. Full disclosure: I consider myself a disciple of Al Ries and Jack Trout. They
- [The Minus One Moment of Truth – The Answer to Your Naming Challenge](https://nameflash.com/2013/10/the-minus-one-moment-of-truth-the-answer-to-your-naming-challenge/) - Back in the mid-2000s, A.G. Lafley (during his first tour of duty as CEO of P&G) championed the “First Moment of Truth” which represented the time when people are looking at the store shelf and trying to decide whether to buy the product. Later, P&G emphasized the “Second Moment of Truth,” which is when people
- [What Does Apple iPhone 5C Mean?](https://nameflash.com/2013/08/what-does-apple-iphone-5c-mean/) - So Apple is launching a new "lower cost" iPhone later this fall. They are planning to call it the iPhone 5C according to the Business Insider tech blog. So what does the "C" stand for? Apple claims it is for Color because this plastic backed phone will be available in a wide range of colors.
- [Branding Lessons from the Royal Naming](https://nameflash.com/2013/07/branding-lessons-from-the-royal-naming/) - Well, it hasn’t been long since we had the Royal Naming of the Royal Baby: George Alexander Louis. His Royal Highness Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge, to be exact. Across the pond the Brits are touting the historical significance of the name, while here in America many people are laughing. And the fact that
- [As Seen On TV](https://nameflash.com/2013/07/as-seen-on-tv/) - One of my local stores has a huge selection of “As Seen on TV” products. In reviewing their offerings, it occurred to me that the brand names are almost all descriptive & highly functional names that make it very clear what the product does. I’m talking about names like the “Furniture Fix™” chair and cushion
- [When Kate Spade Designed A Fragrance, The Name Came First](https://nameflash.com/2013/05/when-kate-spade-designed-a-fragrance-the-name-came-first/) - You might think fragrance houses would start with a fragrance then figure out a name. Actually, the name came first for Kate Spade. In a WSJ article, Deborah Lloyd, the president and creative director of the brand said, "We had the name before we had anything else." The name? Live Colorfully. Aligns with the bright
- [How Some People Create Names For Their Company](https://nameflash.com/2013/04/how-some-people-create-names-for-their-company/)
- [Is Strange A Good Naming Strategy?](https://nameflash.com/2013/03/is-strange-a-good-naming-strategy/) - In 1967 The Doors wrote a song called “People Are Strange.” In the chorus, the lyrics include the phrase, “No one remembers your name when you’re strange.” It seems like some current fashion labels think that advice no longer applies. "If you are building a brand from scratch, you're going to get more reaction from
- [The Worst Restaurant Name of 2012](https://nameflash.com/2013/01/the-worst-restaurant-name-of-2012/) - As a professional name developer, I am constantly struck by the “creativity” of small business owners. Sometimes the owners think they are being cute or clever. Sometimes they are just being stupid. Here are just a few examples of bad restaurant names I discovered in 2012. Which do you think is the “Worst Restaurant Name
- [Weather Channel To Name Winter Storms](https://nameflash.com/2012/10/weather-channel-to-name-winter-storms/) - Well, why not? Why should hurricanes have all the fun? For reference, details are provided in the link below, but really how many details do you need? Ideas like this don’t require a lot of explanation! The Weather Channel says naming the storms will result in clearer communication about the systems. Seriously? Telling me that
- [Drug Names Gone Wild](https://nameflash.com/2012/06/drug-names-gone-wild/) - I just saw that a new incontinence drug has been approved. The FDA approved Myrbetriq for Overactive Bladder. As a consumer, I must say…”HUH?” What is a Myrbetriq? How do I pronounce it? What is it for? Have pharmaceutical companies gone insane? I’ve named Rx drugs before and I can tell you that the landscape
- [The Perils of Naming Contests](https://nameflash.com/2012/05/the-perils-of-naming-contests/) - Naming contests. Sounds like a good idea, right? A company needs a new name and it decides to engage its employees to come up with a new name. What could go wrong? Well, you could end up with a name like Mondelez. Just to be clear, I’m a professional name developer, so you might think
- [What The Heck Is Going On?](https://nameflash.com/2012/03/what-the-heck-is-going-on/) - I’m beginning to think the world is losing it. This month we have witnessed incredible stupidity in name development. As a professional name developer, I am appalled. Let’s play a game. This is the name of a new company: Mondelez International. What does Mondelez International make? Give up? Mondelez International will be the corporate home
- [What's in a name? That which we call an iPad by any other name would sell as well.](https://nameflash.com/2012/03/whats-in-a-name-that-which-we-call-an-ipad-by-any-other-name-would-sell-as-well/) - "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." William Shakespeare With apologies to William Shakespeare, the title of this post reflects the fact that you could call “The New iPad” pretty much anything and it would be a gangbuster seller. But why not have a
- [The Dangers of Name Fusion](https://nameflash.com/2012/02/the-dangers-of-name-fusion/) - I illustrated several “Naming Faux Pas” in a blog post a while ago (https://nameflash.com/2010/06/naming-faux-pas/) but I just found an example of a common naming practice taken to the extreme. The naming practice is that of “word fusion” where you develop a name by bonding two or more words together and you overlap similar portions. For
- [Mascots Are Brands Too](https://nameflash.com/2012/02/mascots-are-brands-too/) - In a recent newspaper article (ow.ly/901Cl) the local sports editor presented some unusual team mascots that exist in our area and across the country. For example, in the Greater Pittsburgh area we have Big Macs (Canon-McMillan), Talbots (Hampton), Planets (Mars Area), Maples (Mapletown), Mighty Mikes (Carmichaels) and Hillers (Trinity). The Big Macs of Canon-McMillan were
- [A Blast From The Past](https://nameflash.com/2012/01/a-blast-from-the-past/) - At the North American International Auto Show, Dodge unveiled the 2013 Dodge Dart. This is not the first time Dodge has returned to a historic nameplate rather than introduce a new name. A few years ago Dodge reintroduced the muscle car, Challenger. The new Dodge Dart sounds like a great car. It reflects its Fiat
- [Cell Phone Name Generator](https://nameflash.com/2012/01/cell-phone-name-generator/) - As a build on my earlier post on Samsung’s smartphone naming structure, I discovered a website that the manufacturers of Android Smartphones can use to develop names. The amusing part is that it really does generate names that are similar to “real” names given to smartphones. Here it is: http://androidphonenamegenerator.com This is quite sad. The
- [Samsung Naming Confusion](https://nameflash.com/2012/01/samsung-naming-confusion/) - Last year Samsung announced that it was establishing a new naming structure for its Galaxy smartphone product line. This was so that people could better understand the phone they were buying by reading the letter in the name. The new naming architecture grouped its devices into five classes, each identified by a single alphabetical letter.
- [Hey Technorati...find me!](https://nameflash.com/2012/01/hey-technorati-find-me/) - Technorati will need to verify that you are an author of the blog by looking for a unique code. Please put the following short code ZWD9VZBERWWV within a new blog post and publish it.
- [Keep the Big Picture in Mind](https://nameflash.com/2012/01/keep-the-big-picture-in-mind/) - The New Year started out with a flurry of “How to Name Your Business” articles. I think that’s terrific! More PR for naming is always a good thing. But several articles were focused on very specific issues, such as “SEO Strategies You Must Take into Account When Naming Your Business.” I’m all for keeping SEO
- [The Worst Brand Name of 2011](https://nameflash.com/2011/12/the-worst-brand-name-of-2011/) - You may think it would be easy to pick the “Worst Brand Name of 2011,” but actually there are many strong candidates for this award. Someone launched a cereal in Canada called “Holy Crap” (OK, technically the launch was Q4 2010 but they did not much US exposure until 2011). Range Rover thinks Evoque is
- [When Acronyms Go Bad…or Just Sloppy Naming Work?](https://nameflash.com/2010/08/when-acronyms-go-bad…or-just-sloppy-naming-work/) - Name developers occasionally are asked to develop acronyms for clients. Sometimes acronyms are terrific short cuts that resonate. Who hasn’t heard of MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving)? Sometimes acronyms are trouble. The CNN article has numerous examples of “bad luck” with unfortunate acronyms (e.g., when your acronym develops a bad meaning). Perhaps some of these
- [It's All In How You Say It](https://nameflash.com/2010/12/its-all-in-how-you-say-it/) - A tutoring organization, Chyten (www.chyten.com), opened a new location near my home. Chyten tutors kindergarteners through graduate students, and the website looks nice enough—pictures of happy college students sitting cross-legged on the quad, a parent login, news and events…but the question is, how do you pronounce it? Apparently they like to go by “CHY (rhymes
- [Is the iPad Name Going Generic?](https://nameflash.com/2011/01/is-the-ipad-name-going-generic/) - Like many professional name developers, I opened 2010 by making fun of the Apple iPad name. Steve Jobs gave a strong case for naming the “tablet pc” in a way that was consistent with previous Apple naming conventions (iPod, iTunes, iPhone), but many of us poked fun at the similarity of the name with feminine
- [What Is P&G’s “Secret of Seven?”](https://nameflash.com/2011/03/what-is-pg’s-“secret-of-seven”/) - A few years ago, Procter & Gamble launched the Olay Total Effects line, and introduced us to “Anti aging skin care products that moisturize and fight seven signs of aging.” In case you don’t know, the “seven signs of aging” are “look of fine lines and wrinkles, rough texture, uneven skin tone, surface dullness, appearance
- [A Huge Trademark Mistake](https://nameflash.com/2011/04/a-huge-trademark-mistake/) - One of the unique features of my NameFlash name development process is how I do a trademark screen for the names I am planning to recommend. I do this trademark search because I want to present names that are available from a trademark standpoint. I also check domain name availability and common law use, because
- [The “Free Pizza” Solution to Name Development](https://nameflash.com/2011/06/the-“free-pizza”-solution-to-name-development/) - I’ve asked a lot of my advertising agency friends how their agencies would approach name development if a client asked for help in this area. The response, virtually without exception, is that they round up everyone they can at the end of the day, order a couple of pizzas, and hold a big brainstorming session
- [When Should You Change Your Name?](https://nameflash.com/2011/06/when-should-you-change-your-name/) - In my NameFlashSM name development business, I sometimes get asked by clients, “Should I change my brand name?” From a purely selfish standpoint my answer should be “YES!” because I get paid to generate names! But the reality is that there are times when you should not change your name, despite the negative impact on
- [An Open Letter To Toyota](https://nameflash.com/2011/06/an-open-letter-to-toyota/) - I just discovered the name for the new Prius wagon: v http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2011/06/toyota-prius-name-change-fouled-up-v-confusion/1#uslPageRetur C’mon you can do better than that. I am on my second Prius (a Prius V), and my second Lexus. Our first cars are being driven by our daughters. So yes, I qualify as a loyal customer. So why are you trying to
- [Code Names Decoded](https://nameflash.com/2011/07/code-names-decoded/) - I have a confession: I love code names! One of the pleasures in my 25+ year marketing career was how I often got to choose the official code name for projects. But instead of sticking with the pseudo-science approach where one picks a scientific term such as “Project Fusion,” I preferred to create “families” of
- [How Do You Know?](https://nameflash.com/2011/09/how-do-you-know/) - In my NameFlash™ name development business, I usually present 30 – 50 names for a company’s product/service, so picking a great name from the assortment of terrific names we present is often a challenge. Smaller companies usually pick a name and run with it while larger clients often have a series of Management/Board of Director
- [How David Can Beat Goliath](https://nameflash.com/2009/10/how-david-can-beat-goliath/) - How David Can Beat Goliath in Naming OTC Medicines After 25+ years in the highly competitive world of OTC medicines, I’ve learned some things about naming products. One thing I’ve learned is you have to understand the “Goliaths” of the category and zig when they zag. Many OTC categories are dominated by brands that have
- [To Google® Or Not To Google®](https://nameflash.com/2009/10/to-google®-or-not-to-google®/) - Full disclosure…I own Google stock. I like their products and their potential. However, I am more than a bit concerned about how they use their names and trademarks. Microsoft® names its products in a traditional fashion. Microsoft is the company; names like Windows, Silverlight, Bing are clearly the products. A very logical naming architecture that
- [The Single Most Important Marketing Effort For Your Product](https://nameflash.com/2009/10/the-single-most-important-marketing-effort-for-your-product/) - In the spring of 1971, a new marketing idea was hatched. Today, over 38 years later, the idea is still the most important thing you can do to achieve marketing success. In an ad in the April 7, 1971 New York Times, David Ogilvy outlined his 38 points for creating “advertising that sells.” He called
- [Naming The Store Brand](https://nameflash.com/2009/12/137/) - Every Sunday I go through the circulars in the paper looking for new products. I usually spend a lot of time with the ads from the national drug store chains (Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid). Recently, I observed that each chain seems to have a radically different philosophy on store brand naming. And while this
- [Is Xmas A Suitable Name for Christmas?](https://nameflash.com/2009/12/is-xmas-a-suitable-name-for-christmas/) - During this time of year you see a lot of use of Xmas as a substitute for Christmas. Now I will stay out of the religious debate that claims Xmas is the work of the devil because it essentially “X”s out Christ. While there are some references that indicate X was a substitute for Christ
- [You Should Always Check International Communication of Your Name, or Risk This!](https://nameflash.com/2009/12/why-should-you-check-international-communication-of-your-name/) - The photo below pretty much says it all. Assitalia is one of the biggest insurance companies in Italy. I am sure the company developed its name without thinking about international considerations. In Italy, the name is probably fine. But if they ever wanted to expand to an English speaking country...well, let’s just say there might
- [Lessons in Branding From Anti Monkey Butt Powder](https://nameflash.com/2010/01/lessons-in-branding-from-anti-monkey-butt-powder/) - A few weeks ago I posted a Twitter Poll (Follow me @NameFlash) to gather opinions on Anti Monkey Butt Powder…Good Name or Bad Name? The results indicated that about 70% of people thought Anti Monkey Butt Powder was a bad name. However, the real learning came from the comments I received about the post. The
- [What Happens When A Few Lights Go Out?](https://nameflash.com/2010/01/what-happens-when-a-few-lights-go-out/) - This falls into the category of "you can't think of everything when naming...can you?" Something that will crack me up and usually leave others staring at me is what store signage can spell when the bulbs in some of the letters in the names have burnt out. My personal favorite is from a Lone Star
- [Is It Smart To Throw Rocks At Yourself?](https://nameflash.com/2010/01/is-it-smart-to-throw-rocks-at-yourself/) - HEY EVERYBODY! Our Pizza Tastes Like Cardboard! Trash Talking Your Own Product Um…well…yes it does actually, and your sauce tastes like ketchup. That’s why I haven’t eaten your pizza since my daughter's 10th birthday when it snowed 3 feet and you were the only place open. The new Domino's Pizza ad campaign explains that they
- [Do Google Codenames Make You Hungry?](https://nameflash.com/2010/02/do-google-codenames-make-you-hungry/) - Google is using names of sweets for its codenames for Android Operating System versions. Listed alphabetically the names thus far are: 1.5 (Cupcake), 1.6 (Donut), 2.0/2.1 (Éclair) and now, 2.X –to be named Froyo (which means Frozen Yogurt). Am I the only one who finds this amusing? Some bloggers are actually attacking Google, saying that
- [Can Your Brand Pass The "10 Second" Test?](https://nameflash.com/2010/02/can-your-brand-pass-the-10-second-test/) - Can Your Brand Pass The "10 Second" Test? Aflac, the company that uses the duck as its advertising icon, has started a new "You Don't Know Quack" campaign. Their new campaign challenges NASCAR driver Carl Edwards to explain in 10 seconds how Aflac policies help protect people. Carl's response, obviously scripted, was "If you are
- [Is The Urban Dictionary A Bible For Branding?](https://nameflash.com/2010/04/is-the-urban-dictionary-a-bible-for-branding/) - The Urban Dictionary is a web-based dictionary of slang words and phrases. Anyone can submit to the Urban Dictionary, but submissions are reviewed by volunteer editors and are rated by site visitors. Some people in the naming business think the Urban Dictionary is the new “Bible for Branding.” I politely disagree. Last year a new
- [Naming Faux Pas](https://nameflash.com/2010/06/naming-faux-pas/) - As a professional name developer, I am often amused by the decisions companies make when naming products. Here are just a few of the naming faux pas I have observed. 1. Poor Visual Communication – Naming is an emotional decision and you often get caught up amongst the trees instead of seeing the whole forest.
- [Another Reason To Hire A Naming Professional](https://nameflash.com/2010/03/another-reason-to-hire-a-naming-professional/) - In the UK, Directgov, the sector of the government in charge of educating the public about the government, recently launched a site to explain Britain’s government to small children. It's called "Buster's World," and it features a cute dog named Buster who leads the site's patrons through a plethora of games, videos, and cartoons with
- [Naming Confusion](https://nameflash.com/2010/01/naming-confusion/) - So the owners of this store probably think they have a terrific name for their business: “Kids Exchange.” Well I beg to differ. First of all, what is a kids exchange, anyway? What do you do here? Swap your kids out when you get tired of them or turn them in for cash like those

## Pages

- [Contact Us](https://nameflash.com/contact-us/) - "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." William Shakespeare Contact Mark Prus (412) 287-8674 EMAIL For a faster response please send an email to the address above
- [](https://nameflash.com/837-2/)
- [Range of Services](https://nameflash.com/special-offers/) - "Call a spade a spade." Robert Burton NameFlash has a variety of service levels depending upon your budget and the amount of service that is required. The chart above is one example of the range of service offered. Please use the form on our Contact Us page to request a customized quote for your
- [Our People](https://nameflash.com/our-people/) - "We do what we must, and call it by the best names." Ralph Waldo Emerson All projects are led by Mark Prus, a marketing professional with over 25 years of experience in delivering captivating new products to the consumer marketplace. www.linkedin.com/in/markprus/ Names are reviewed by a trademark analyst to ensure that the
- [Range of Services](https://nameflash.com/promo/) - "Call a spade a spade." Robert Burton NameFlash has a variety of service levels depending upon your budget and the amount of service that is required. The chart above is one example of the range of service offered. Please use the form below to request a customized quote for your project!
- [Client List](https://nameflash.com/client-list/) - "The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right names." Chinese Proverb TESTIMONIALS Terrific job, best service! - has highly professional attitude, pays attention to details. - delivered results much faster than expected. - delivered more results than expected. - maintained communication, was easily accessible. Overall, terrific job and best customer service! People
- [Our Process](https://nameflash.com/our-process/) - "Names are not always what they seem." Mark Twain NameFlash generates names for a brand, new product, company, business, service, etc. The NameFlash process is summarized below; further details available upon request. YOUR SATISFACTION IS GUARANTEED! If the Client does not accept any of the recommended names, the project will be restarted from scratch
- [Why NameFlash?](https://nameflash.com/why-nameflash/) - "You do not merely want to be considered just the best of the rest. You want to be considered the only ones who do what you do." Jerry Garcia, The Grateful Dead The Problem: Name generation can be a lengthy process that is complicated and expensive. The Solution: NameFlash™ naming service is

## Categories

- [News](https://nameflash.com/category/news/)
- [Marketing](https://nameflash.com/category/marketing/)
- [Branding](https://nameflash.com/category/branding/)
- [Pharma](https://nameflash.com/category/pharma/)
- [Positioning](https://nameflash.com/category/positioning/)
- [Naming](https://nameflash.com/category/naming/)

## Tags

- [Twitter](https://nameflash.com/tag/twitter/)
- [Xmas](https://nameflash.com/tag/xmas/)
- [branding](https://nameflash.com/tag/branding/)
- [marketing](https://nameflash.com/tag/marketing/)
- [name](https://nameflash.com/tag/name/)
- [Trump](https://nameflash.com/tag/trump/)
- [Naming](https://nameflash.com/tag/naming/)
- [brand](https://nameflash.com/tag/brand/)
- [name generator](https://nameflash.com/tag/name-generator/)
- [#name](https://nameflash.com/tag/name-2/)
- [#naming](https://nameflash.com/tag/naming-2/)
- [#brand](https://nameflash.com/tag/brand-2/)
- [#branding](https://nameflash.com/tag/branding-2/)
- [branding marketing](https://nameflash.com/tag/branding-marketing/)
- [branding naming marketing](https://nameflash.com/tag/branding-naming-marketing/)