If you want your product to stand out from competitors then you need to create a different message. For instance, for many years toothpaste commercials have used simple messages about eliminating bad breath and achieving sparkling teeth.

Now brands highlight other benefits of their product such as maintaining healthy teeth. For instance, they use messages to highlight the product ingredients and how they help strengthen teeth, reduce sensitivity and even take care of gums. These benefits help audiences connect to a brand and feel good about the health benefits for themselves and their family. As parents become more and more discerning about the products they purchase and are offered a wide choice, brands need to answer the specific needs of their audience and create real benefits. Audiences are much more savvy these days and will research products thoroughly to find something that meets their needs.

Strategic name development is a fine art. Indeed, it’s not an easy task to get to the core of your brand in a few syllables. Below are some of the processes that may be helpful.

1. Evaluate the competition.
The first step in beginning a naming project, or creative one for that matter, is knowing the competition. Note what names are used for competing companies or products and be sure to stay well clear of these names in order to drive your point of difference.

2. Establish a project vocabulary.
Essentially this is a list of words that describe what the name should communicate to the viewer. These words may not actually end up being the name or part of the name, but this list will help to serve as a guide when brainstorming.

4. Explore translating words to other languages.
You can start the project vocabulary and look at how some of these words translate to  different languages.

5. Explore suffixes/prefixes.
You can create a set of cards with prefixes and suffixes in order to pair them together as needed. It definitely helps to see the word, not just hear it.

6. Explore conceptual options.
Sometimes referred to as “blue sky territory” this step involves thinking about more abstract concepts that could be related to the company or product being named. This could include stories or fables that relate to what the company or product does.

7. Filter.
The final step involves filtering all of the names that were generated. Usually there are a few that stand out, but it’s time to evaluate each one individually and see if there’s cause to keep each. Typically this could take a couple rounds to get down to a handful of names. Also, this is a good place to evaluate possible URLs for the names. Typically we’re thinking about what unique URLs are open throughout the entire naming process.

8. Rate the final names.
Lastly you can rate the names that have made your shortlist as a group, thinking about the below attributes for each.

The attributes may include:

Appearance – rate how the word looks visually
Distinctive – is the name memorable or unique in the marketplace?
Depth – evaluate the meaning of the word as it relates to the company/product
Energy – what kind of energy does the name have when seen or heard?
Humanity – does the name have a human warmth to it?
Positioning – how does the name stack up against competitors?
Sound – evaluate the name when pronounced: is it easy to say/spell?
X Factor – rate the intangibles: cool sounding, double-meaning, etc.
Trademark – is the name protectable?
URL – can a unique URL be found for the name?
Tagline-ability – will the name “play nice” with a tagline?

An advertisement in Berlin for the all-new 2012 Audi A7 Sportback looks fairly normal—except it was created with spray paint and takes up 10,800 square feet. Translated to English, the billboard reads, “Nothing is more inspiring than a blank sheet of paper. It is the opportunity to create something unique.”

This is a grand example of the advertisers ability to think laterally to engage and attract it’s audience. In this case it is the process of creating the billboard that underpins the campaign message, engaging us through it’s brand story – going beyond a simple printed outcome.

There are several factors that make up the life force for an effective brand, whether personal or corporate. Starting from the colors you utilise to the aspects you seek to emphasize, there are a lot of elements that must be managed. Unfortunately, this often results in some of the most important and valuable questions being overlooked. As you build a brand, ask yourself this essential question: Does my brand speak to my target market?

Isn’t it obvious when you think about it? You’d be surpassed how many professionals have devoted time, money and energy into creating a dynamic brand only to realize that their audience doesn’t appreciate it.

How can you be sure to avoid this brand misstep? Here are three tips to help you along the way:

1. Analyse the competition.
As you begin to build your brand, start by examining the competition. Successful businesses can serve as a good frame of reference, while less successful competitors should typically be considered examples of what not to do. From selecting colors to creating a brand tagline, start by taking note of what works and what doesn’t in your field.

2. Communicate common customer challenges.
What is the core problem you are seeking to solve for your clients and customers? Are you going to provide trusted legal advice? Are you going to give your customers perfect vision through surgery that has eluded them for years? Identify the central solutions you and your business will provide, and pivot your brand around them.

3. Reiterate your value.
Why should a potential customer pay attention to you? How are you going to change their lives for the better? The answer can be complex or simple—but you need to have an answer. If your brand doesn’t give your audience a reason to pay attention, they won’t. Identify your unique selling points and work it into your brand.

Successful branding is much more than a slick logo or a robust media strategy. In fact, you can invest millions into a brand and still miss the mark completely—if you don’t start with the fundamental goal of creating a brand that speaks to your audience.

These days anyone can do their own product research and read personal endorsements, we are in a whole new era—people connecting to brands on their own terms. Indeed, people are using the internet and social media to purchase and be introduced to a brand. This trend is having a revolutionary effect on the advertising industry.

More and more people are finding and experiencing brands for the first time not through advertising or marketing, but through review sites and word of mouth (social media, i.e. Facebook, Twitter). These review sites provide a great way for a potential consumer to find what they need to make a buying decision.

So those companies wanting to “advertise” in the digital age must work on authentic tribe-building through great customer service, great products, and providing a place where their happy customers can advocate their product or service with a review. Interesting enough, the numbers show that people are even taking the time to express themselves and conduct more online product research after the purchase.

Marketers now need to target people at each stage of the purchase cycle: discovery, consideration, evaluation, purchase and after purchase. Now, the after purchase is more important than ever before because that’s is the same place the pre-consumer is discovering your brand.