The Naming Brief is the first line of communication that you will have with the team of Creatives who will be working with you on your branding project. A well-drafted brief is one of the four key ingredients for a successful request! 

Here are the four essential brief-writing tips that our consultants use again and again to kick off a successful branding request. 

Tip 1: Explain the brand, not the business 

If you write 

We are opening a high-end seafood restaurant in Everett, Washington.

The creatives will hear 

• High-end = classic name

• Everett =  local restaurant and location themes

This may - but likely will not - fit your vision.  

If you write 

We are opening a unique, hip, seafood restaurant. The decor will be minimalistic. The food will be top-notch, but the ambiance will be more casual. 

The creatives will hear

• Unique, hip = fresh, unique, and modern name

• Minimalist decor = straightforward name 

The two short descriptions above could easily be about the same venture. However, the first focuses on business details, and the second explains a brand. The first can easily lead the process down the wrong path; the second will provide a great foundation for a successful request. 

When writing your brief 

• Explain the essence

• Describe feelings 

• Include key differentiators and benefits

• Share foundational words and ideas

Tip Two: Focus on psychographics and behavior

If you write

Women, 18 - 29, living in an urban area. 

Creatives will likely hear

• Feminine 

• Trendy

• Cutesy 

If you write
Young-adult women (18 - 29) who want to feel strong and accomplished. They have leadership roles at work and an active social life.  

Creatives will hear

• Strong

• Avoid highly masculine sounding names 

• Align with success and fun

As you can see, when you describe your avatar or persona instead of your target customer’s demographics, you will guide the project in a much more precise and meaningful way. 

Tip Three: Create a Project Statement

When it comes to naming, most people have a gut understanding of where they want to end up. Brand descriptors like modern, hip, preeminent, and fun are exactly what you are trying to capture in your name. 

Create a one or two-sentence project statement based on these examples:

• We need a fresh, modern name that captures one of our key ideas - connectivity, productivity, and gratitude. 

• We need a descriptive name that captures our value proposition - we are a payment solution that is easier and more user-friendly than anything out there (PayPal?). 

• We need a strong name that establishes us as a preeminent solution. However, we also want to stand outside from the standard industry names. 

• We need an elegant name that immediately sounds like a high-end women’s fashion brand. 

Tip Four: Keep your brief brief

Now that you know the essentials of writing a strong brief, there is one more principle that we’d like to share: Don’t hide the key information in a long brief! 

Here's an example 

Imagine you are, in fact, opening a Seafood restaurant in Everett. In your brief, you’ve explained that your name must embody a hip, classy, minimalist restaurant - but you’re also interested in exploring some names with a local twist. 

Request -  

“What is truly essential for our name is embodying a hip, classy, minimalist seafood restaurant - but we’d love to see some name ideas that explore local themes...” 

Requests allow you to keep your brief short, focusing on the most critical information, without losing the ability to share additional details and explore further angles. 

If you’re still not comfortable, we recommend our Managed Design, Creative as a Service (CaaS), where one of our Branding Consultants will create your brief and manage content production. 

We’re excited to work with you!