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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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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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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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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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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A History of English Pub Names

by Lydia Brian

A pint, a packet of crisps and a cheerful owner – even the notoriously ugly carpets of local English pubs hold a special place in the hearts of the English and these grand establishments are beginning to crop up over the channel in Europe. Besides the décor and frequent large ‘English Pub’ signs to clarify, one of the biggest giveaways is their names. If you’ve visited the nation, chances are you caught a glimpse of a Royal Oak on your…

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Brand Naming in China

by Bianca Oporto-Gola

At the heart of any brand is a recognisable name. Good branding can turn even the most awkward of names into a mainstay, but a good name makes it infinitely easier. In China, a name is crucial. Chinese characters can have multiple meanings, adding a semantic layer which English lacks, so brand names have to be carefully selected with an eye to alternate readings. Famous e-commerce brand “Taobao” can be read to mean “digging for buried treasure,” a name that…

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5 Linguistic Facts

by Bianca Oporto-Gola

1. In English, the schwa is the most common phonetic sound ə –> this is known as a mid-central vowel This sound sounds like the sound someone makes when they’re trying to figure out their next lie…i.e. “uhhhhh…I didn’t do it…she did!” 2. Standard British English (The Queen’s English) is officially referred to as Received Pronunciation (RP) in Linguistics 3. RP is probably the most widely studied and most frequently described variety of spoken English in the world, yet recent…

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What if naming people followed the same rules as naming brands ?

by Éléonore Toubin

The other day, I was browsing the internet and I chanced upon this picture. It made me wonder what it would be like if just like email addresses or brand names, our names had to be unique. What if a doctor or a town hall employee were to tell you: “I’m sorry Sir, the name Nicole is already taken. Nicole_435 and Nicole2323 are still available though. Do you want one of those or do you want to choose another name?”…

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From Duplo T to Brazuca, what’s in a football name ?

by Éléonore Toubin

As the FIFA World Cup is now in its second week you may have noticed the football at the start of matches when the referee picks it up off its plinth.  It may not have occurred to you but the ball has a name! In the old days, the name of the official ball was often global and transnational with little reference to local colour and culture. Nowadays, the ball name claims its origin and has turned into a powerful…

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