What's in a name?

Everything.

From naming your products to naming your blog post, the title you choose can make or break your success.

Take, for example, a tv commercial for some medication. I sat at home one day, enjoying some lazy couch time, when an ad came on detailing the typical struggles and strife of being a woman. Oh the pain, the moodiness, the this, the that. They finally get to the end of this seen-it-before commercial, and what's the product called? Previfem.

I can't even make this stuff up. Who decided that was a great brand name? I can only imagine some group of men sat around thinking "Okay, we've got this birth control, right? Ok. It does what all the other ones does... it prevents, uhhh, female stuff. Like, feminine business. Let's call it Previfem!"

Granted, it's memorable, I'll give you that, but Previfem? The last thing a lady wants to do is ask her doctor for something to prevent femininity. It sends the completely wrong message. Why not focus on the positive - something about strength? About taking control over your body, your life? Now, pharmaceuticals may not be the best case study, but you see my point:

With one, simple mistake - like naming your product something that ridicules your target audience - you edge yourself out of the market.

Your product name should speak to its purpose, but you need to be careful with being too detached from how it makes people feel. Say it out loud, check how it sounds and what feelings/images it evokes.

Beyond individual products, naming your blog posts and articles is almost more important than the information you put in it. A well-crafted title draws readers in. It entices your audience and makes them want to learn more.

While you may want to be clever or funny, or think something off-the-wall will intrigue people, your title isn't something to play with. It should be eye-catching, maybe include numbers, be engaging enough to make people want to click, but straightforward enough for them to know what they're getting into.

Whether it's a single product, and whole line, or a title of an article, the name you choose can have serious repercussions. Consider your audience! Will it speak to them? Does it make sense? Will they want to take positive action from it?

Have you found any blatant naming missteps? Any examples of great names?