Do you believe you know the fashion industry well and are ready to make it big with your own fashion brand? You must have read how the iconic fashion brands of today had started their journey modestly before reaching where they are today. In the current hyper-competitive market, when all big or small fashion brands have their online store product pages jazzed up, you would have done your homework to carve out a place for yourself. In this digital age, with your own smart marketing strategy, social media influencer campaigns, innovative business models, and unique products, your own clothing line launched from a small online store can be the next “big” thing.
Where to start? Find a brand name that has a distinct brand identity and creates an emotional bond with your potential customers.
Why An Engaging Brand Name Is Essential?
If you have strong entrepreneurship traits and are ready for the rigor to make your own clothing brand a reality, you will succeed. Note that finding an engaging brand name is not easy. It takes much more effort than running your keywords in a clothing brand name generator. Taking the help of a brand expert can be cost-prohibitive for a fledgling entrepreneur. For starters, remember that your brand name should be based on sound research, identify with the theme of your business, be part of your overall marketing strategy, have the potential to be remembered and pronounced easily, and should immediately create an emotional bond with your audience. When rightly selected, your brand name would connect your business with your first customers, impress them, and eventually turn them into lifetime advocates of your brand.
Should You Follow The Leaders?
You may wonder whether the names of the world’s most recognizable brands are a result of superb marketing strategy or just coincidence, but if you see the brand names, you will not see any visible pattern. Nike got its name from the Greek Goddess of Victory. Coca-Cola was inspired by two ingredients: Coca leaves and Cola berries. Pepsi got its name from the digestive enzyme “pepsin”, although pepsin is not an ingredient in the drink. Google was derived from “googol”, which means 1 followed by 100 zeros. Among famous fashion brands, Armani, Louis Vuitton, Ralph Lauren, Prada, Fendi, H&M are all named after their founders. Spanish apparel retailer Zara (stylized as ZARA) got its name when its founder Amancio Ortega Gaona had to change the original name Zorba, as there was a bar with a similar name in the vicinity.
What is common for these brands is: Most of them started very humbly, and their popularity and success are results of amazing quality, daring creativity, perfectionist mindset, innovative thinking, great marketing strategies, superior brand positioning, and so on.
How To Create A Brand Name That Resonates
An engaging name can create an instant connection, position you favorably in the crowded market, and create a culture that is distinct and recognizable. But, finding a brand name that instantly connects can seem to be an ordeal.
To demystify the process, here are a few proven tips that will help you:
Create a brand story: We all love a good story. Masterful storytellers create beautiful stories about businesses, include brand names in their narratives, and blend it all into the marketing strategy. Fashion brands across the world frequently apply the art of storytelling across their product pages and their online and offline stores in the most unique and creative ways.
Gucci is a great example. Don’t think that only marketing strategy has helped Gucci gain its iconic status. Look at Gucci’s product pages and social media accounts, and you will be amazed how it has collaborated with poets, illustrators, artists, and fashion designers to create a distinct style.
H&M, another widely popular fashion brand, has been propagating “fast fashion.” It is a known fact that clothes are hard to recycle. H&M has reinvented its label by practicing sustainable fashion. Call it a marketing strategy, but they have done it expertly.
Keep it short:
While creating your brand name, remember that “less is better.” Your brand name should be easier to remember and pronounce. Descriptive brand names are harder to remember, and you always run the risk of being obscure among hundreds of competitors.
Be quirky:
A quick Google search of fashion brands and clothing brands will throw many bizarre names. It may be a clever marketing strategy or imagination running wild. But the main reason is to stand out on social media and in Google search results. Rewoolution, Runway Lingerie, Wicked Stitch, Gunmetal Streetwear, Bomba Bambola are examples that not only make your brand name stand out, but are search engine worthy and help create a distinct brand identity.
The takeaway is: allow your brand name to be unconventional. It can very well be something that people might not expect for your business. The surprise element in your brand name will draw people towards it. For example your domain extensions. Instead of going for a .com, opt for a new domain extension such as .STORE, .SPACE, .ONLINE, etc.
Give Subtle Hints:
Add hints of what your business is about, but do not overdo it. A subtle hint, a hesitant guessing, and the sudden dawning! The audience would love to make the connection themselves with your brand name and your business.
Do Not Imitate:
The industry is inundated with copycats. Most of the imitations, even with tweaking, do not work. From the audience perspective, the offerings or the brand generally seem a mere copy and they lose interest easily. Be yourself.
Be Brave:
There is nothing factual in naming. It is purely emotional. Do not play safe when you decide your brand name. Experiment, dare, be unconventional, and you will likely see your business name becoming an effective brand name.
Do Not Overthink:
You can spend significant time going through all the permutations and combinations of a name, take numerous opinions, conduct surveys, or take expert help, but remember that at the end, all that matters is the brand experience. When brand experience gets merged with an engaging brand name that evokes style, boldness, and distinctness and complements your marketing strategy, your clothing or fashion brand will get the success you visualize.
Summing It Up!
All the iconic brands of today started somewhere. As a budding entrepreneur trying to connect with your potential customers, finding an engaging brand name will be critical. Build your marketing strategy on your brand, create a distinct brand identity, and create a drool-worthy product page and online store to turn visitors into customers. With these tips, you are ready to create your own legacy in the fashion world.
