Desirable qualities for a brand name include:

(1) It should suggest something about the product’s benefits and qualities. Examples: DieHard, Easy-Off, Craftsman, Sunkist, Spic and Span, Snuggles, Merry Maids, NationsBank.

(2) It should be easy to pronounce, recognize, and remember. Short names help. Examples: Tide, Aim, Puffs. But longer ones are sometimes effective. Example: “Love My Carpet” carpet cleaner; “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” margarine, Better Business Bureau.

(3) The brand name should distinctive. Examples: Taurus, Kodak, Exxon.

(4) The name should translate easily into foreign languages. Before spending $100 million to change its name to Exxon, Standard Oil of New Jersey tested several names in 54 languages in more than 150 foreign markets. It found that the name Enco, when pronounced in Japanese, referred to a stalled engine.

(5) It should be capable of registration and legal protection. A brand name cannot be registered if it infringes on existing brand names.