Consider name hierarchies and brand architecture before naming a product or service.

In other words, spend some time thinking about what you’re naming and the long-range implications of that name on your company’s portfolio of offerings, current and future.

Name hierarchies have to do with a product or product line line and how it “fits” within a company’s family of products, product lines, product models, product styles and product extensions.

Brand architecture addresses the structure of brands within a company’s portfolio of products and services. For instance, will the corporate brand, aka master brand, dominate or assume a background role to product brands. It also considers co-branding under the corporate umbrella and with strategic partners. The internal organization – division, subsidiary, department, function, technology or other brand-associated structures – also needs to be known and considered. These questions are strategic in nature. That means chief executives need to provide guidance here.

Here’s a simple set of classifications I ask my clients to consider so both of us know the scope and implications of a naming project.

Is the new offering…

Market-specific, application-specific
General-market, application-specific
Market-specific, multiple application
General-market, multiple application
Member of existing product/service family
Unique product/service bearing no relationship to existing products/services
Unique product/service that replaces an existing product/service
A new family of products/services

This is an example of “first things first”.

Martin Jelsema
303-242-5975

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1. Naming Tips – Number 40 in a Series
2. Brand the Business or Brand Its Offerings?
3. Naming Tips: Number 13 in a series
4. Branding: a function of strategy
5. Naming tips – Number 14 in a series