Our founder, Kyle Kostesich, was recently a guest on the Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur podcast. The host, Brian Lofrumento, dove into the topic of naming projects and the challenges of finding the perfect corporate identity.

At GRAY GIANT, we love a good naming project; but the truth is, they get harder every year. Why? Because with every passing day, new companies, products, and websites are hitting the market. But that doesn’t mean finding a name is impossible!

When we create names, we typically explore four category groupings to find out what resonates with our clients. Let’s take a look at the difference buckets, the pros and cons of each, and some real-world examples.

Descriptive

Descriptive names literally define the function or purpose of a company. Numerous organizations opt to take this approach. Adopting a descriptive name is the most straightforward — albeit least creative — approach to branding a company.

Pros? Descriptive names help inform consumers about your company and don’t require much, if any, additional context.
Cons? Descriptive names can make a company feel boring and serious. You should explore another approach if that persona doesn’t fit your corporate brand image.

Evocative

Evocative names employ suggestion through the use of metaphors or symbolism. These names don’t directly describe what the company does — instead, they aim to create memorable associations through creativity and originality.

Pros? When done well, evocative names can convey feelings and emotions that resonate with a brand’s mission, vision, and values. They can also create strong connections within their customer and stakeholder bases.
Cons? Because evocative names inspire emotion and pique curiosity, they often require an imaginative mind. Additionally, they do not directly relate to the key offerings of a company, so names need additional contextual storytelling.

NEOLOGIC

Neologic names are completely new words that have been invented for branding purposes. They typically have no prior meaning but sound important. Sometimes, neologic names lean into familiar linguistic tricks like leveraging Latin or Greek origins or evoking feelings through phonetic appeal.

These names don’t directly describe what the company does but instead aim to create a memorable connection with their audience through creativity
Pros? Because neologic names are new to the lexicon, there will be no brand confusion or overlap with competition.
Cons? Because neologic names are made up, audiences should be educated on the pronunciation. Additionally, the name needs to be presented with supporting context to help people understand what the company does and why it exists.

Lexical

Lexical names use creative wordplay to establish memorability. These names often lean into clever construction techniques or familiar language patterns. A neologic name may rely on alliteration, rhyming, abbreviations, or word blending to create an interesting brand identity. Generally, lexical names work best in the consumer space.

Pros? Lexical names can achieve memorability quickly because of their playful and recognizable nature. They can also make marketing tactics come effortlessly. Slogans, jingles, and advertising campaigns are often easier to develop with lexical-named companies.
Cons? Because lexical names tend to feel fun, playful, or witty, they may unintentionally lower the sophistication of your brand image.