The Transformational Power of a Memorable Brand Name

Our guest on the podcast today is Alexandra Watkins, a leading and outspoken authority on brand names with buzz. For nearly 20 years, she and her naming firm, Eat My Words, have created love-at-first sight brand names for countless companies including Amazon, Coca-Cola, Disney, Twitter, and Google. Her breakthrough creativity book, “Hello, My Name is Awesome: How to Create Brand Names That Stick,” was named a Top 10 Marketing Book by Inc. Magazine. Her personal name hall of fame includes the Wendy’s Baconator, Neato robotic vacuum, Burger King’s Mac n’ Cheetos, Spanish language school Gringo Lingo, and the frozen yogurt franchise Spoon Me.

In today’s conversation, we explore the importance of a name in establishing and expressing a brand's personality, and how a well-thought-out and creative name can convey a company's spirit and create a strong presence in the marketplace. A well-crafted name serves as the soul of a company, embodying its essence, attracting customers, and speaking volumes about its brand.

Listen in as Alexandra shares her 12-point name evaluation test, known as the ‘Smile and Scratch Test.' The 'smile' refers to the five qualities that make a great name, while 'scratch' refers to the seven deal-breakers that should lead to a name being discarded. So incredibly insightful! If you want to stand out, capture the soul of your brand and business in an effective way then I encourage you to listen to Alexandra for insights. You’ll enjoy Alexandra's perspective on what you can do to get noticed in your market.

Key Takeaways

• What makes a good brand name?
• Creating a transformational brand name with the ability to move people
• How a name has the potential to convey the soul of your business
• The 5 qualities that make a name strong and the 7 elements that weaken your brand name
• What to do when your domain name is not available

Memorable Quote

“Your name is the soul of your brand. It really can be. It can say so much about you.”—Alexandra Watkins

Episode Resources:

• Eat My Words Website
• Alexandra’s Linkedin Profile
• BOOK: Hello, My Name Is Awesome By Alexandra Watkins
• TEST: Smile & Scratch Name Evaluation Test
• SacredChangemakers.com
• Jayne Warrilow on Linkedin

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