Simple Tests to Determine the Success of Your Brand Name

The test to check what qualities your brand name should have is the SMILE Test. Essentially it stands for

Simple – easy to understand

Meaningful – one which your customers easily relate

Imagery – creates a strong visual association

Legs – it should have the ability to stay relevant for a long time

Emotional – builds a bond, entertains, evoke a strong feeling.

The SCRATCH test is one to determine the qualities a brand name should not have. It stands for

Spelling – it should not be complicated to write or remember

Copycat – should not sound like or remind one of a similar brand

Random – one which has no association with the product

Annoying – evoking negativity

Tame – has very feeble associations

Curse of Knowledge – is understood only by insiders

Hard to Pronounce – If they can’t say it, they can’t remember it.

A good brand should be able to pass each of these tests, for it to be memorable.

For example, our company used to be Auer Agency named after Mariellen Auer, the owner, but no one could find us even though we were a well-known sports agency that created logos and apparel for teams, retail and events. We started writing down what keywords we found that people were typing in and then …Ta Dah!! Custom Apparel Source (CAS). Our owner, is very CAS-SY so we think it’s perfect and we’ve gone on to work with many emerging brands and products along with creating the logo and the brand that makes them stand out.