When parents have a child they typically put months of thought into choosing the best name. A brand is the same: choosing a name will have a long-term impact.
What's in a name?
In this Internet Age, brand names matter more than they ever did. Gone are the days when people searched by looking down a list and, as long as your name was at the first part of the alphabet, you would be found.Now they search online. How can you guarantee you will be found?
Your brand is the name of the game. Does your actual registered business name matter? Not so much.
What we are concerned about here is the public-facing names: your guesthouse or tour or rental company. It's really important you consider the role your business or property or tour name plays in it being noticed and remembered. These names are vital parts of your marketing.
Here are some travel brand naming guidelines:
Distinctive and memorable
If it's too generic, it'll either be easily forgotten or confused with all the other places named the same thing. Ocean View... Blue Horizon... Clifftop Bungalows... Or you're heading to Arugam Bay and a friend mentioned they love Surf and Sea, and you go onto Booking.com and see Surf and Sun, aren't you likely to click on that without thinking? But if it were called Silver Surfers or The Surfing Elephant, you'd be more likely to remember that, right? And how well do you think people remember the difference between Blue Wave Villas and Blue Ocean Villas?Easy to pronounce and spell
An alternative spelling might be fun, but remember the power of word-of-mouth advertising: when somebody looks you up online because they've been told your name, how are they likely to spell it?Your brand name must work in all of your markets. Think about your target audience's home language: might a Sinhalese-speaking person spell something differently to an English-speaking person? Which of the two are you most wanting to appeal to, both now and in the future?
AirBnB is a good example. Weird name, right? So certainly distinctive and memorable. But also very easy to pronounce and to spell: you hear somebody saying the name, and it's obvious how to spell it.
(By the way, you want to know where that name comes from? In the early days, the founders just imagined homeowners might want to make a bit of money out of offering a cheap extra space bed in their homes: they'd put an inflatable mattress " what the Americans call an -air bed' " out for paying guests. Voila: Air Bed and Breakfast.)
Include local and landmarks
Using a local name is a good idea: perhaps your family name or a geographical feature. But beware: Arugam Bay Beach Bungalows might be confused with Arugam Bay Beach Cabanas, right? Though Polonnaruwa Hotel and Polonnaruwa Resort might seem very different to you, will the potential guest remember which is which? And, though it might be fun and tempting to play on the name Polonnaruwa by calling your trendy new bar The Polo Club, will somebody who searches for it online find a thousand real polo clubs around the world instead?When using a real name, one way to make it a bit more distinctive and user-friendly is to shorten it: when you're speaking about Batticaloa, you don't always use the full name, do you? So feel free to shorten it in your brand name: Batti and Bodhi Tours and Travel, or Ben's Batti Bungalows.
Also remember that, if your business expands and you want to trademark the name internationally, family names and geographical landmarks might not be easy or possible to register.
Keep it short
Why?
Imagine somebody searching for you on Facebook or Google Maps on their mobile: the less they have to type in, the easier it is for them, and the less chance they'll type it wrong and so not find you.Short names are much easier to fit on brochures, Facebook and on the sign outside your door.
Plus, if your company's name is long, the brand's email address will be even longer.
Be a bit specific. But not too much
Since you can't be an expert in everything, you'll need to narrow it down by finding a travel niche. Name your tourism business so people know what it is: no point in calling yourself Lanka Travel if your tours are only on the East Coast, right?But, don't be too specific until you're absolutely sure of your brand niche. Why? Let's say you named your tour company Ocean Adventures. But then you found you actually get quite seasick and you'd rather take people forest trekking. You'd have to rename your business, right?
So don't let your brand name tie you to a single product.
Avoid existing brand names
If you call your hotel Holiday Inn, it will be really difficult for potential customers to find you: your online social media presence will be swamped by the big international brand.?Plus: you might get sued.?
The international travel company now known as G Adventures used to be GAP Adventures (short for The Great Adventure People)—that is until they were sued by GAP clothing for trademark infringement. After an expensive 5-year litigation process, they were forced to change names.
And that's where straplines come in:
Taglines
The tagline or strapline is that second bit of information that is sometimes attached to a name. A slogan that gives more information about your brand name.Your brand does not have to have a tagline, but it's a useful tool to help differentiate you. Particularly if your name is not ideal, or if you have changed direction a bit. After all, it's better to change your tagline than your name.
Taglines follow similar guidelines to brand name selection:
- Keep it short and simple.
- Focus on what makes you different.
- Make it timeless.
- A slogan should be able to stand alone.
- Consider your target market " is this the language and style that would appeal to them?
- Make it meaningful and memorable.
The digital age brand name to-do list
- Brainstorm a list of names. Come up with at least 15 then shortlist to five. Now show these to friends, but don't ask: -Do you like this?' Ask -Why does this make you think of?'
- Make sure the website URL and social media handles are available: Check on a domain registrar site like GoDaddy to make sure the domain is available. And take a look at Facebook and Instagram.
- Google it. Does it compete with an Internet giant and so you'll never be found?
- See how your name looks brochures and business cards. Does the name fit in a small space nicely?
- Make sure it's not trademarked already. Check your potential name to make sure that the name is not already trademarked!
- Reserve your social media URLs and handles. As soon as you have decided on your name, grab those social media accounts too!
Summary
Ideally, your brand name should fulfil most of the following criteria:- Distinctive and memorable
- Easy to pronounce and spell
- Include local or landmarks
- Short
- Specific. But not too much so
- Avoid existing brand names