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What to include in a naming brief

Rob Meyerson · How Brands Are Built Free Intermediate

Rob Meyerson is a naming consultant, and this is the clearest short read on why a brief produces distinct results: it makes everyone agree on what the name should convey and what is out of bounds before the ideas start. He breaks the brief into six concrete parts (description, ideas to convey, naming approach and construct, tonality, audience, competitors) with real examples like JetBlue and Kodak. Read this first, then fill in the template, so you understand what each field is actually for.

• Naming approach (descriptive vs abstract) and construct (real word, compound, or coined) are the choices that most control how varied your candidates come out.
• Tonality is why two names that both mean fast, like Javelin and Zippity, feel completely different, so specify the feeling, not just the meaning.
• Listing competitor names in the brief is what keeps your options from drifting into look-alike territory.