I never used to charge a client to develop a new product name or slogan. I would just brainstorm a few possibilities as a bonus when writing all the other copy. Then one client, a Fortune 500 company, used one of my slogans as the cornerstone of a marketing campaign, and eventually registered it as a trademark! So, these days, I charge accordingly.
The fees for product name or slogan development are all over the map. I know a firm that charges $50,000 for this service. We mortal copywriters, however, can expect $500-$1,500 or more for developing a good list of 10 possibilities. Not bad. In fact, it can be very profitable.
So how do you develop a good list of potential names or slogans for a client? Here is an eight-step brainstorming process that will help:
Step 1:
Study the description — and especially the USP or positioning statement — for the product or service. Get clear about the key benefits, advantages over the competition, target audience, and the one thing that makes the product or service truly unique.
Step 2:
Brainstorm a list of keywords and phrases that are related in any way to the product or service. Don’t be judgmental. Don’t hold back. Write down as many options as come to mind. The longer the list, the better.
Step 3:
Expand on the list from Step 2 by using “word tools.” Dig out your dictionary, thesaurus, synonym finder, and rhyming dictionary. Use an unabridged dictionary, as the origin and history of a word can be a great source of ideas. Most of these reference books are available online, making searching and compiling results even faster.
Step 4:
Play with all the words and phrases on your list. Move them around. Discover interesting ways you can put them together. Often, two seemingly unrelated phrases can be effective. For example, “Healthy lawns. Healthy families.” would make an ideal slogan for a lawn care company that uses only safe, chemical-free products. If any potential names or slogans jump off the page, highlight them. But don’t make any final decisions yet.
Step 5:
Create a list of your top 20 to 30 possibilities. For slogans, don’t worry if a phrase is not yet fully developed. You can polish it later.
Step 6:
To narrow your list, focus on those candidates that represent benefits and results for the target audience. For a courier service, that might be those words and phrases that describe speed, accuracy, timeliness, and reliability. For a coffee machine, possibly style, speed, ease of use, convenience, and great taste.
Step 7:
Get opinions. Circulate your list to friends and colleagues. Don’t explain anything. Don’t tell them your favorites. What you want to get is their reaction, not their opinion.
Step 8:
By this step, you probably have several good candidates. Which ones are easier to say? Which ones linger in the mind? Which ones fit the personality of the brand?
The best names and slogans:
- are memorable,
- imply a meaningful benefit, and
- clearly distinguish the product or service from the competition.
Now, whittle your list down to 10. (Or whatever number you have agreed to submit to your client.)
You can work through these steps on your own. But it’s far more effective to collaborate with others, such as a fellow copywriter or a designer you work with regularly. Chances are, they will come up with ideas and options that you would have never discovered on your own.
Product name and slogan development is one of those rare copywriting tasks where too many cooks in the kitchen is actually a good thing!
