Provides brand naming frameworks, evaluation criteria, and templates for startup naming work. Auto-activates during brand name development, name evaluation, domain checking, and trademark research. Use when discussing brand name, company name, product name, naming strategy, SMILE SCRATCH framework,

Brand Naming Strategies Quick reference for strategic brand naming using expert methodologies from Lexicon, Eat My Words, Catchword, and Igor. "A name should make you smile instead of scratch your head. If it makes you scratch your head, scratch it off the list." — Alexandra Watkins Key statistics 2.5x increase in company value after Emode renamed to Tickle (4 months) 30% traffic increase from name change alone 2 syllables = optimal for memorability 1,000 3,000 candidates needed before finding gems (Lexicon) The SMILE & SCRATCH framework (Alexandra Watkins) SMILE: 5 qualities of a great name Letter Quality Description Example S Suggestive Evokes something about your brand Amazon suggests vastness M Memorable Makes an association with the familiar Apple connects to something everyone knows I Imagery Aids memory through evocative visuals Jaguar creates immediate mental picture L Legs Lends itself to extended wordplay and branding Nike allows "Just Do It" mythology E Emotional Moves people Patagonia evokes adventure "Legs" explained : A name should provide "a theme with mileage you can build a brand around." SCRATCH: 7 deal breakers Letter Deal Breaker Red Flag S Spelling Challenged Looks like a typo C Copycat Sounds like existing brand R Restrictive Limits future growth (Boston Market) A Annoying Forced, excessive wordplay T Tame Flat, descriptive, uninspired C Curse of Knowledge Speaks only to insiders H Hard to Pronounce If people avoid saying it, they avoid you Sound symbolism quick guide (Lexicon/Placek) Sound Psychological Impact Example Names V Vibrant, alive Corvette, Vercel, Viagra B Reliable, solid BlackBerry Z Attention getting Azure, Zara X Innovative Xerox, SpaceX Plosives (b, c, k, p) Memorable Coca Cola, Kodak Soft sounds (l, m, n) Approachable Lululemon, Amazon The Naming Matrix Position names on two axes: Approach (descriptive to abstract) and Construct (real word to coined): The clarity vs. creativity spectrum Sweet spot for most startups : Suggestive names (Netflix, Airbnb, Slack) Marty Neumeier's 8 criteria A great name should be: 1. Distinctive : Stands apart from competitors 2. Brief : Short enough to remember and type 3. Appropriate : Fits the brand personality 4. Easy to spell : No guessing required 5. Easy to pronounce : Flows naturally when spoken 6. Likeable : Creates positive first impression 7. Extendible : Works across products and markets 8. Protectable : Can be trademarked Catchword's 10 touchstones Touchstone What It Means 1 Available .com and social handles obtainable 2 Trademarkable Can be legally protected 3 Memorable Sticks after one hearing 4 Scalable Allows business expansion 5 Short Few syllables, easy to type 6 Positive Affect Creates good feelings 7 Good for SEO Searchable, not too generic 8 Easy to Pronounce No stumbling 9 Easy to Spell Intuitive spelling 10 Distinctive Unique in category Name generation techniques (quick reference) 1. Three Words Technique : Each person writes 3 words that should describe the brand 2. Syllable Recombination : Cut words into syllables, combine randomly 3. Root Word Mining : Greek/Latin roots for professional sounding names (Xerox from "xeros") 4. Portmanteau Creation : Blend two words (Pinterest = Pin + Interest) 5. Sound Symbolism : Use letters that evoke desired feelings 6. Free Association : Idioms, proverbs, song lyrics, foreign words 7. Novel Spelling : Phonetically equivalent spellings (careful: don't fail SCRATCH) Key principle : Generate 1,000+ candidates before evaluating. Quantity leads to quality. The naming funnel Domain strategy Priority order 1. [name].com : Always check first, highest value 2. [name].io : Strong for tech startups 3. [name].co : Viable alternative 4. [name]app.com : If product focused 5. get[name].com : Action oriented alternative Social handle considerations Keep under 15 characters for Twitter/X Check consistency across platforms Tools: BrandSnag, Namechk, Knowem Common naming mistakes 1. Generic/Descriptive : "Best Tech Solutions" fails to differentiate 2. Ignoring Availability : Falling in love before checking domains 3. Cultural Blindspots : Names with negative meanings in other languages 4. Too Complex : Long, hard to spell names frustrate customers 5. Trendy Suffixes : " ify", " io", " ly" date quickly 6. Beauty Contest Testing : Testing for likeability produces bland names Key principles "You need 1,000 to 1,500 names before you'll find gems." — David Placek (Lexicon) "Comfort has no power in brand naming." — David Placek (Sonos was initially rejected) "It's called branding, not blanding." — Catchword "The hard part of naming is not coming up with a great idea. The hard part is finding an available name." — Jeremy Miller Universal truths 1. Names are strategic assets : Every marketing dollar spent on a good name compounds 2. Memorability beats cleverness : If they can't remember it, nothing else matters 3. Sound shapes perception : Phonetics work subconsciously before meaning registers 4. Legs enable growth : Names with extension potential multiply brand investment 5. Availability is non negotiable : Fall in love with names that are free to own Templates Read [reference/templates.md](reference/templates.md) when producing a deliverable the user will keep, such as a filled worksheet, a documented decision, or a final write up. Skip it for conceptual questions and quick recommendations, which this file covers. It opens with a table of contents, so load only the template needed: Name evaluation scorecard (SMILE + SCRATCH) Naming brief template (discovery questions) Name candidate table (for presenting options) Comparison matrix template Domain availability tracker Final selection documentation template Output validation checklist When to apply this knowledge During name development Use SMILE test to evaluate candidates Apply SCRATCH filter to eliminate deal breakers Consider sound symbolism for strategic impact During name evaluation Reference Catchword's 10 touchstones Check Marty Neumeier's 8 criteria Use comparison matrix for objective scoring During presentation Position names on the Naming Matrix Explain strategic rationale for each Prioritize .com availability During final selection Verify domain still available (can change quickly) Recommend immediate purchase Check trademark conflicts Deep methodology For full naming sessions, the brand naming specialist agent contains 800+ lines of methodology including detailed output formats, generation exercises, and the full professional process.

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