Playing The Name Game

The naming of new drugs, new products, new health care devices, health plan services, new hospital services, and even renaming hospitals themselves has become a difficult and perplexing task for most brand managers and hospital administrators.

The problem is even further complicated by growing number of specialized companies that focus on naming. New names are being generated at the speed of light and many names are beginning to sound the same.

Some key questions to answer when developing a name:

• What is your company or product known for?
• What are your aspirations for the brand or product?
• What qualities are you aiming to project in the brand or product?
• How distinctive is your name?
• what associations does it engender?
• How appealing is your name?

In the world of name generation companies, it typically costs a minimum of $75,000 per name. Sometimes the cost of developing a name can run into millions of dollars. However, spending this kind of money for names that have no distinctiveness, that are not unusual, that are confusing, difficult to remember, and often misleading. In addition, new names are often sterile, antiseptic, and simply bland.

Cooper Research is a firm believer in the rigors of qualitative and quantitative testing of new names. Our view is that it is much easier to pick a winner based on statistical testing than it is to simply guess.

Some of the key attributes we test include: quality, customer focused, friendly, adapted to your customers needs, a caring attitude, strength competence, etc.

At Cooper, we have a careful process that involves examining the history and culture of the company, the aspirations for the brand, the vision of the brand, and careful quantitative testing of all names so that the opportunities of picking a great name are measurably enhanced.

Picking a name that is a winner is no easy task. Call Cooper Research today at 513-489-8838 and let us assist you in picking a name that is right for your organization.

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