Naming : creating a brand name for a GreenTech startup 

by Lauranne Rivière

Written by Lauranne RivièreTranslated by Alisa Kazinets By working through the 3 examples, 2 of which are Nomen’s creations: Baqio and Nooco, let’s analyse the pathways that lead to a successful naming of a Greentech company. Before diving into the specifics of naming a Greentech brand, let’s recap the basics. The golden rule of naming is that the name must stand out to you! It must be memorable and easy to remember. The first way to give yourself a head…

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Word of the Day #6 – Pantagruelian & Gargantuan

by Éléonore Toubin

Today is your lucky day: I’m feeling generous so you get two Words of the Day instead of one. And not just any words at that; these words play a huge role in French literary history as the books they appeared in had a lasting impact on French literature, enriching the language in a significant way. As may be the case with Shakespeare’s works for native English speakers, the books of this author are a must-read for French students. Many…

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The changing face of banking

by Ellie Gibbins

Banking as our parents and grandparents knew it is now part of history. Gone are the days of long queues and piles of paper to fill out and sign. Welcome to the world of digital banking. Challenger banks have entered the market. What are they? They do what they say on the tin: they challenge the business model of the traditional clearing banks.   The big 4 clearing banks in the UK have traditionally provided savings and loans products to…

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Words Trivia Quiz #3

by Éléonore Toubin

How well do you know the English language? Whether or not you are a native speaker, take this quiz to find out – and enjoy a good opportunity to learn a few funny vocabulary facts at the same time.

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How do you name a brand?

by Éléonore Toubin

Starting a business, launching a new product or simply looking for a new start; those are a few of the reasons that lead people to seek names for their brands. Once the decision to look for a name has been made, the next obvious question is: How do you name a brand? In the past, traditionally, most companies would take their founder’s name – usually because the companies would be passed from father to son for generations. On top of…

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Word of the Day #5 – Behemotian

by Éléonore Toubin

When I was researching brobdingnagian, the previous Word of the Day, I also looked up its synonyms and found plethora of adjectives that would make perfect candidates for the next Word of the Day. Amongst the few words that caught my eyes – and made it on my Word of the Day candidates list – this one has an especially rich history. It dates back to a time when monsters and mythical creatures were still thought to roam the earth…

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Brand names and domain names – Difficult Internet bedfellows?

by Emmanuelle Haincaud

Most brands are present on the Internet. It is obvious that the closest the domain name (website address) is to the brand name, the easier it will be found on the web. Unfortunately, for brand holding corporations, it isn’t always easy to name their website using their brand name because the domain names aren’t always available. A domain name must be registered with the competent authorities to have the right to be used exclusively. But registration works on a first…

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Do you know your brand history? (True or False series #8)

by Éléonore Toubin

Do you really know your favourite brands’ history as well as you think you do? Test your knowledge thanks to the sixth part of the True or False series.   In 1994, Jeff Bezos resigned from his well-paid Wall Street job as the vice-president of a global investment management firm and moved to Seattle to launch a start-up. He ended up founding Amazon, which was originally called Cadabra; the name was later changed to Amazon partly because the Cadabra sounded…

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Can a word be trademarked as a brand name?

by Emmanuelle Haincaud

A brand name isn’t necessarily a neologism. It isn’t rare for a word to be used as a brand name (ex: Apple, Windows, Bonobo, etc.). This can lead to legal issues when this word is used by another brand for one of its products. Is this a word and therefore everybody can use it or is it a protected brand name? The general principle, known as “the Principle of Specification”, is that a word, a household name can only be…

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Do you know your brand history? (True or False series #7)

by Éléonore Toubin

Do you really know your favourite brands’ history as well as you think you do? Test your knowledge thanks to the sixth part of the True or False series. René Lacoste (1904-1996) was a French tennis player whose victories in both national and international tournaments were notorious during the 1920’s. His tenacity on the tennis courts gained him the nickname “the Crocodile”. When the first tennis shirts were produced, René Lacoste took to wearing one on the courts and personalised…

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