Naming Products

Q: I need to come up with a name for a new pizza brand for supermarkets. This pizza is certified organic. Of course, this and/or the Italian aspect can be incorporated into the name.

A: Product names are often composed of multiple components - including the brand itself followed by a brief description - usually one to four words. An example in the pizza category is "DiGiorno Rising Crust Pizza" where the brand is "DiGiorno" and the description is "Rising Crust Pizza."

This approach enables a single brand to be created in the marketplace while supporting multiple products. The Name-Description product naming approach provides substantial economic and consumer mind-share leverage for a business. And when a brand becomes well known, the description is often dropped by consumers and marketers alike. For example, consider the number of people who call "Domino's Pizza" simply "Domino's" or "Coca Cola" simply "Coke."

It is always helpful to think about selecting a name for your product in a similar fashion. The brand can be very aspirational, reflecting an overall feeling or positioning what you wish to convey followed by a description of the product. Suggestions for the Italian pizza question include:

Momma Mia's Organic Pizza
Italiano, Naturally Organic Pizza

As the brand and name are being developed, it is essential that their availablity be determined. We suggest:

Conducting a search on Google, Yahoo! and MSN
Ensuring the corresponding domain name is available, for sale or otherwise not in active use
Searching existing registered trademarks and applications at the United States Patent and Trademark Office

Recall, a trademark is the legal right to exclusively use a name within a specific industry, segment or product category.