Twenty boys on a winter campout were given three sledding hill options. The camp director told them they could sled on 1. the road by the cabins, 2. the road above the cabins, 3. if they wanted to hike up the hill they could sled on… (dramatic pause) “HAMMERHEAD”. Given the three options, there was only one obvious choice for the boys.

As we marched to Hammerhead we passed the other two sledding roads. Both were much longer, fairly steep and had ample opportunities to build jumps and other challenges. “Hammerhead” was steep but short, with a narrow path so only one boy at a time could sled—in my mind, a lesser option.

If the sledding roads had names like “Annihilation Blizzard”, “Nightmare Tornado” or “Triple Avalanche” I guarantee they’d have a line of boys a mile long to ride them. Instead, they chose a lesser product.

Naming your product may seem like it’s just a creative activity. In reality there needs to be some “science” behind it, as well as a bit of good judgment.

To properly name your product or service you need to understand your buyer. A teenage boy will most likely relate to adventure, danger, and excitement. But is that what his mom wants? Nope. She want a sledding hill named, “Safety Zone”, “Slo-Mo”, or “Momma’s Boy”. Who are you targeting: the boy or the mom or both? Creating a persona will help you understand your buyer and your consumer and what they prefer. Here’s a great model I recommend from  UXPressia.com.

Once you understand your target audience everything you do will be better, not just naming your product, but creating your value proposition, packaging, messaging and all other components of your marketing. It’s not an easy task yet if you put in the time you will find immense benefits that will last a lot longer than a ride down Hammerhead.

Think: Talk with two friends about products they use and what they think of the name.

Thought: “Your parents name you, but they haven’t a clue who you are. Your friends nickname you because they know exactly who you are. You can be born Elvis Presley. But Reg Dwight is not going to make it unless he has this ritual where he becomes Elton John.” —Sting (aka Gordon Sumner)

(NOTE: I’ve discussed naming issues before in this blog as they relate to how NOAA names hurricanes.)