We're delighted that we have finally got round to changing our registered business name to Cherry Fusion Ltd. Prior to this Cherry Fusion was a trading name of the company name "Cherry Red Digital Ltd", which was the original company set up nearly 4 years ago.
The conception of Cherry Fusion came in a few stages. Initially, all I could visualise for my new venture was a rich pinky-red colour that I wanted to use in the logo. I decided the colour was called 'Cherry Red', the digital bit was added at the last second when I discovered that Cherry Red Ltd already existed... Not the greatest way to choose a business name!
The vision for the company has changed with time, and therefore so has the name. Cherry Fusion came about when we wanted to keep the heritage of the company alive, but portray the mix of new and traditional direct marketing techniques we use - it's the combination that creates marketing success, so this was vital to include in the name and the word 'fusion' seemed to describe this concept nicely.
With this in mind I wanted to share my thoughts on possible routes for choosing a business name:
1. The "Does-what-it-says-on-the-tin" name. A lot of businesses stick to this tried and tested method. It's simple, it avoids the need for any explanation, strap lines or heavy investment in brand-building. There are also online search benefits to a name like this, and it lends itself to word-of-mouth marketing. The downside, is that if you operate in a competitive marketplace you'll have to work hard to be remembered, plus it lacks a bit of creativity and inspiration which some companies MUST have to reflect their brand.
2. The "Wacky Word" name. This is a current favourite for new & upcoming companies. They tend to have a clean-looking 'responsive' website that makes the process so simple a monkey could do it, efficient and accessible. A name like this is sometimes also a product of the lack of .co.uk or .com domain names available these days, where people resort to making a word up. If the word is chosen carefully and marketed correctly, the name will sneak into your long-term memory and serve you, and the customer well. Examples include MailChimp, Moonfruit, Facebook, Buffer, or Wufoo.
3. The Acronym - This type of name immediately gives a business an air of authorisation and sincerity to it, after all it sits in the company of enterprise companies like IBM, HBSC, TSB, BBC, GSK, and BP. Perfect for a B2B business offering, but be prepared for some serious work on developing the brand so that customers know what the acryonm stands for, and actually remember it.
4. The Surname title - From Jones & Co, to Disney, Johnson & Johnson, Cadbury and Sainsbury's. If you've got a great surname that will help your business stand out from the crowd, this is a great route to go down. Often used for professions, it generates feelings of trust, heritage and personal service, you know there's a person behind their brand and that they are literally putting their name on the line - it's a guarantee of great service. Again however, you'll need to support the name with an explanation, to explain what you do.
5. The word-association name - I.e. Febreeze, Hawaiian Tropic, Activia, Blue Dragon, Graze, Lovefilm. A clever concept that can work extraordinarily well to subtly explain what the business offering is, but give you stand out in the market place, in once fell swoop. Perfect for brand names. This type of name however, can sometimes be slightly limiting if you want to change your brand proposition in the future - the key is finding a word-association that is descriptive of the general area of operation and not specific to the product or function.
6. Random & disruptive names - designed to make you smile, frown or generally just sit up and listen. Often can produce a strong reaction and debate, which is perfect if that's what you're looking for. Particularly good for creative companies, bands and frankly any business looking to promote themselves as having creative clout and wanting to make a statement. Examples include band name Does It Offend You Yeah?, Pizza Underground or Hamster Sandwich, or London agencies Mother, Steak, Taxi and Naked.
7. Location-reflective name - If your brand values have a dependency on location, then it makes sense to include a location in your name, whether it comes from there or not. Particularly good for produce (i.e. Buxton water, or most wine brands), or brands looking to portray a sense of location (Aussie hair care, Bertolli). It can also perhaps be limiting if you're not a multi-million pound brand, as it could give the impression that you only operate regionally.
The key to a successful brand name is positive word-association, reflective of brand values/vision, memorable and ideally inspirational. Also don't forget that it has to work nicely as a logo, work as a URL, and be available to register at companies house (if going Ltd) or not taken by a competitor - if in doubt, always Google!
For more information on Cherry Fusion Marketing please visit www.cherryfusion.co.uk
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