Choosing a Catchy Business or Brand Name: The story of 'Ben'
Speaking of longevity with names, let's look at the Netherlands and a first-name brand that, at first, seemed to be a great business name, but in the end, didn't stand the test of time very well.
In 1999, a mobile telephone company was formed in the Netherlands with a very different name than the highly technical-named Netherland mobile telephone companies. As opposed to names like KPN, Libertel, Telfort and Dutchtone, this company called itself and its brand,'Ben.'
This is according to an article, written for the website brandchannel.com, by Freelance Business Writer Erwin Wijman. According to Wijman, 'Ben' was the fastest-growing mobile telephone brand in the Netherlands during their first year of operation: 1999.
By 2002, it had the number three position in the Dutch market. Everybody, it seemed, loved 'Ben' and vice versa. But when mobile telephone goliath T-Mobile bought Ben from its Danish and Belgian owners, Ben died an early death at the young age of four, and was reincarnated as T-Mobile in 2003.
Choose a name for letterhead and business cards
It's not something that you would think of, initially, when deciding on a business or brand name; however, it is an important factor in making a name decision.
Think about whether the name would look good on a business card or letterhead, because once you choose the name, that's the first image your audience will see.
This further reinforces the fact that you need to choose a name that reflects and promotes the aspects of your business that you want to convey to your audience.
Create your business or brand name, with the understanding that a graphic artist will take that name and turn the name into a logo.
