WHAT’S IN A (CANNABIS) BRAND NAME?

 It’s a curious thing that a mere brand name can persuade us to engage emotionally with a product or company. Sometimes, we even develop an unwitting loyalty or long-lasting aversion to a brand, though we might know little about it. How is this possible? The old Shakespearian adage would have us believe that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, but how does this really play out in the world of brand names?

           Naming is a complex blend of science and art, a fusion of unstructured creativity and meticulous logic. The idea phase is elaborate: inspiration comes from abstract concepts, topical themes, sounds, and different languages. Literally, hundreds of names can be generated for each project, but if creating names can be challenging, selecting one is even more so.

 Does A Brand Name Matter?

Since most companies start small with an emphasis on the idea for the product or service rather than the brand, the name arises as an afterthought. There is a strong likelihood that the name will be chosen on emotive grounds rather than solid scientific research. Since every company needs a name and because one name is just as good as another, why not pluck it out of the air? Often it is.

           Choosing a brand name is an important and intensive exercise. The name should last, it should fit the company’s personality, have the right connotation, and be remembered.

“There is evidence to suggest that if the mind has to work harder to understand and recognize the name, it will be more likely to be retained in the longer lasting memory than a familiar name that fails to become lodged.”

How To Choose A Brand Name

Brand names should be easy to understand, pronounce, and spell. Two words in the name should be considered the maximum. They should be vivid in imagery, presenting strong memory cues.

A name should be familiar so that the information it relates to is already stored in the mind. They should also be distinctive, attracting attention and standing out from other brands.

           These guidelines are not necessarily mutually compatible. It may be difficult to find names that are simple, vivid, familiar, and distinctive. Evidence suggests that consumers are more likely to remember a name if the mind has to work harder to understand and recognize it. Familiar words may facilitate brand recall, but distinctive words work better at building brand recognition. An example of this in the cannabis space is the brand Avitas. Strangely familiar, it’s sativa spelled backward.

           Linguists are often consulted to brainstorm appropriate names for brands, products, and companies. Indeed, there are a number of popular linguistic devices that can be used to form effective brand names, such as the phonetic alliteration in Coca-Cola, the morphological elements in Craftmatic, or semantic allusions in Nike.

           Semantic metaphors that convey visible, clear meanings ensure that iconic brand names like Apple and Jaguar continue to be popular, but even brand names built on solid naming principles can fail. It turns out that the mere letters and sounds used in a brand name can have a curious impact on its reception by the public, persuading us to develop an emotional bond with the product.

           Based on studies of popular brand names and experiments involving made up brand names, linguists and psychologists have found some interesting patterns that may have an impact on future trends in branding.

           A 2007 study by Tina M. Lowrey and L. J. Shrum on phonetic symbolism and brand names suggests that consonants and vowels can convey symbolic meaning. Certain sounds can positively or negatively emphasize certain properties of a product.

 Other Variables In Branding

The reality of today’s digital world also means that domain availability can be a crucial deciding factor. There are over 220 million domain names registered worldwide, and some experts believe that over 99.9% of the dictionary is registered as a domain name.

           The process is especially challenging because there are more than 24 million businesses in the United States. U.S. trademark law protects business names, so when you find one you like, make sure you can use it. Infringing on copyright could force you to abandon your new business name after investing a lot of time and money in it.

Protect The Brand Name

It’s important to protect your name to the appropriate degree. If a name infringes on another company’s copyright, the company could receive a cease-and-desist letter and have to go to court or change its name after months or even years of use.

           Some experts believe that the best names are abstract, a blank slate upon which to create an image. Others think that names should be informative so customers know immediately what the business is. Some believe that coined names (made-up words) are more memorable than names that use real words. Others think they’re forgettable.

           In reality, any name can be effective if it’s backed by the appropriate marketing strategy. From both a marketing and legal standpoint, it’s important to develop brand names that are both distinctive and protectable. Incorporating overused terms can lead to brand confusion, and it certainly won’t make the brand stand out.

   ��       The industry is riddled with “canna” brands such as Canna Care, Cannabis Culture, Cannabis Now, and Cannabis Times. Similarly, brands with “420” or “green” as the dominant component are prevalent—and hard to protect. Keep in mind that U.S. trademark and copyright law protects names for the benefit of consumers. A trademark, therefore, is not necessarily owned by the first person to use it.

           The legal standard for a protectable name is something that distinguishes the product from its competitors by communicating to a relevant consumer, a unique source for the product at issue. It could be a word, symbol, slogan, design element, logo, color, texture, sound, or motion—but the actual name is still important.

Conclusion

As momentum for cannabis legalization grows nationally, the commercialization of cannabis is no longer a pipe dream. In fact, it could become a reality sooner rather than later, providing companies with the opportunity to build enduring brands. Brand owners must give considerable thought to the names they choose for their businesses and products.

           From a marketing perspective, the brand should not only incorporate a name that a customer can remember and distinguish from competitors. It is much more than a name: it is also shorthand for its identity in the marketplace. If the brand name sounds too much like another company’s, the goodwill it builds up diffuses to anybody with a similar name.

Naming Categories

• Acronym: UPS, IBM
• Descriptive: Whole Foods
• Alliteration and Rhyme: Dunkin’ Donuts
• Evocative: Patagonia, Virgin
• Neologisms: Wii, Häagen-Dazs
• Foreign Word: Volvo, Samsung
• Founders’ Names: Hewlett-Packard, Chanel, Disney
• Geography: Cisco, Fuji Film
• Personification: Uncle Ben’s, Betty Crocker
• Punny: Lord of the Fries, Wok On Water, Eggscetera
• Combination: Microsoft, FedEx
• Myth: Nike, Mercury

Read In Dope Magazine_April 2016 Issue

About the Author

With 20+ years of brand-building and consumer marketing experience serving American Express, MasterCard, PepsiCo, and Microsoft – along with 12 years in the cannabis industry working as the VP, Licensing & Brand Partnerships at DOPE Magazine, and as the Chief Brand Officer at Evergreen Herbal, Washington’s number one cannabis processor – David is perhaps best known for his writings and thought-leadership on cannabis branding and marketing. His book, “Branding Bud: The Commercialization of Cannabis” is the first and bestselling book on cannabis branding. As Founder of the Branding Bud Consulting Group, he now consults on many aspects of legal cannabis to those both currently in the industry and to those wanting to enter it. 

Contact him at david@brandingbud.com

Follow him at @dpaleschuck