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.