“On Fleek” Steps For Product Name Creation
I spend my 9-5 as a Creative Director at a marketing agency and work with a lot of creative makers of digital things: writers, editors, producers, designers, animators…etc. The good ones think of their work as art. Maybe that’s you? You really care about the quality and craftsmanship. But the entrepreneur in me believes that my creative friends are missing an opportunity to do more with your craft. By “more” I mean have people pay more money in exchange for the bedazzled rainbow flavored creations that your vocation churns out on the reg. In fact, I want to encourage all the artists out there to apply their creative minds to the business side of what they do. This is especially valuable to the renegade freelancers and small design houses that play the role of both artist and marketer.
Let’s Define The Term”On Fleek”
Imagine the possibilities…Yikes!
Here’s some context…Imagine walking into a local bakery and there’s no menu. You ask the shopkeeper “What kind of delicious baked goods do you offer sir?” He kindly replies “Well we can make anything that you could ever imagine?” Your mind flashes back through all the muffins, cupcakes, bagels and doughnuts you’ve enjoyed in the past. You picture sprinkles, strudels, cakes and sponge bread…new hybrids of flavors and icings that may or may not exist.
“Your brain fills up with so many delicious possibilities that it actually explodes and you die.”
Or maybe you just don’t know what to think and leave. Either way, the experience sucked and you don’t buy. But you would’ve if you had a few simple choices sitting in the display case. You would point and say, “I’ll take one of those please.”
Here’s the thing: even though we are true artists, we need to make it easy for potential customers to buy our art. This is especially important if we want to make a living. Besides, turning your craft into a product is an art form in itself. The best way to kick the tires on this process is by giving your product a name. This is the cool part. I always like to start with the product naming process because it gets me in the right headspace. Here are 3 quick steps to guide you.
3 Steps to name your product
- Start with value – When we think of our art, we tend to think of the skills associated with it. We say I’m an illustrator, editor, writer…etc. But skills are not tangible enough. Instead think about the end deliverable or value your customer is getting. If you’re a writer it’s “scripts, white papers or blogs. If you’re a video editor, then you produce videos. Now give it a value descriptor. What type of video are we talking about? If they are instructional in nature call them “Teaching Videos”. If you’re an animator call them “Explainer Animations.” Or add a little cheese and go with “Explain-imations”. Even if the name is not unique, it’s ok. Start by making the value tangible.
- No pain, no name – Before anyone purchases a product, they have some sort of pain or need to fulfill. Put yourself in their shoes and empathize. Maybe they have a need to get your art faster. I recently needed a few t-shirts printed within 24 hours. With a quick search I found a place that could print in one hour! Their product was “One Hour T-shirts.” Here’s another example. A startup needs to make their first video about a service but they don’t know where to start. The marketer in charge feels overwhelmed with the complexity of video production. They need help but they don’t know how to qualify an outside vendor artist. If you’re able to help them simplify that complexity, then consider going with something like “Videos Made Easy” as an example. This addresses the pain of complexity and communicates your value.
- Add personality – This is the fun part where you get to brainstorm your unique style and brand. The company I work for created a product called the “White Board Narrative.” We used the word “narrative” because we apply a unique narrative structure to everything we create. It’s part of our brand and how we talk about ourselves. Maybe your brand is adding a personal touch. I recently came across someone that makes “Enjoyanimations” and her name is…well…Joy. When people ask her story, I’m sure they get a kick out of that little detail. It helps her stand out.
Now if you have dreams of going to Hollywood or joining a big production company, this might not click. But if you’re a small shop or flying solo, then you have to think like a sales person. Of course, there is a lot more that goes into product creation. This will start you on the right path. If you found this helpful and have friends that could benefit, please share the love. Good luck in all that you do! For some musical humorist exploits hit me up on Twitter here.
– Matt C
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