Weird names are good for business

It all starts with a question

If you have an uncommon name, chances are this conversation has happened to you too many times.

Naming a company, product, or service operates on the same level — and having an uncommon name is actually a really good thing (despite the mispronunciations and repeating yourself).

Here’s why:

Unusual names get attention

In a world littered with advertisements and new brands being shoved in everyone’s faces on the daily, you only have a few seconds to make your mark. Your business name acts as a first impression. Unusual names take those precious few seconds and turn them into a novel experience.

A study in the Journal of Consumer Marketing notes that “… it has long been recognized that unusual, distinctive, contrasting, or novel stimuli easily capture attention.” Remember when you fell down a full flight of stairs? Or when you thought you were 15 minutes early but were actually 15 minutes late. How about the last time someone told you to calm down and you completely lost your shit? An out of the ordinary experience piques interest and shifts your mind out of the rote motions of everyday life into a learning state. Unusual names come to life in these moments. New = stimulating, and a business name that stands out from the crowd will attract the attention of your audience.

Unusual names are engaging

So we know that weird names get attention. Now let’s dig a little deeper into how that works. Unusual names provoke a response. And not just any response. They get you to actually think about the name and make your brain work a little harder to figure out what you’re interacting with. Wonder and curiosity go a long way and have the power to create a conversation like the opening one above. Instead of a person’s name, let’s swap that for your company, product, or service name:

Same concept, slightly different phrasing. People will engage with you through your company name — opening you up to pitch your business or product.

On the other hand, imagine you were introduced to someone who works at a company called Appify. Yawn. Nothing to see here folks. Good luck sounding enthused as you politely force yourself to ask what that is.

Unusual names are easier to remember

In addition to “the increased attraction power of the novel, unusual, or unique brand name,” unusual names boost your ability to remember them through the power of curiosity. The same study from the Journal of Consumer Marketing has shown that there is a “motivational component triggered by curiosity. This curiosity provides the conscious motivation necessary for the more extensive mental elaboration and depth of processing found to be positively associated with memory.” What this boils down to is a natural human attraction to the peculiar and a desire to make the unfamiliar familiar.

Our brains are constantly trying to make connections and associations. When we hear a unique company name, we pause and take a moment to understand what it means and how it could mesh with what we already know. Our brain sifts through existing connections and comes up with questions to fill the gaps. When we take a second to think about the meaning behind a name, we are more likely to remember it.

Unusual names on their own are powerful but coupling them with a story will give people something to grab onto. It will also give people a sense of who you are and what you’re trying to do. Did you know that Reebok is an alternative spelling of an African antelope rhebok? And Lego was coined from a Danish phrase (leg godt) which translates to “play well.” Stories like these give us a stronger chance at remembering a name and sharing it with others.

Unusual names are easier to own

In addition to attention, engagement, and memorability, an unusual name also makes the more logistical aspects of launching a new business easier. You have a better chance of obtaining a url and being able to register your name as a trademark. You won’t be buried beneath other sites on a Google search either. People will be able to find you easily online and off.

Okay so you don’t have to name your company Flying Machete Torpedo or Massive Red Whales to get people’s attention. You don’t need to have a ridiculous or nonsensical name, as long as it’s distinct in your category. Who knew that a company called Virgin would become a well respected airline? After all, virgin conveys a first-time and who would want an inexperienced flight crew? And what does an apple have to do with technology? Taking ordinary words likes these and applying them in a new context feels unique and interesting. Apple is a common word but it became distinctive when it was first applied to computers. Unusual names don’t have to be way out there to reach your audience.

Not everyone has the audacity to go the Virgin or Apple routes. You may be wary of risk or fearful of unusual names. You may not want to go against the grain or risk being misunderstood or judged. An unfamiliar name may seem like a big risk but the real risk here is picking a name that fits in with everyone else and spending the rest of your marketing budget trying to stand out.

Good names get your attention immediately. They veer in a different direction, get you to stop and think, and tell a meaningful story along the way. If you can be original and get a response, you’re already headed in the right direction. After all, “that’s the point of positioning — to be different than everyone else,” says elialtman, creative director of A Hundred Monkeys.

So take pride in mispronunciations and repeating yourself and ‘what was that again?’ These minor annoyances are actually an opportunity for people to engage with your brand. Remember a name acts as a small window to get your attention. An unusual name plays a critical role in starting a conversation — but the brand and experience behind it will close the deal.