Why do some businesses change their names?

A business name is not just a word that people can Google search to find your website. A business name is your identity that brings your brand to life. It’s the identifier associated with who you are, what you do and your company values.

It’s also what must be included in all your marketing activities (unlike the infamous turd banana logo on The Apprentice). So, it’s essential to choose your name wisely.

Ideally, when choosing your name, it should be something simple, easy to spell and something that can stick in your mind. This makes you easier to remember and more accessible to find online.

You also need to consider if someone could tell what you do when picking a name. This connection is created through word association and the conventions established by businesses in your industry.

Look at clothing brands. High-end clothes brands are usually named after a designer. In comparison, fast fashion clothing retailers may have a name that hints at how someone will look in their clothes, such as New Look, Pretty Little Things, Top Man and Forever 21.

If your business type is difficult to establish from just a name, include this information in the name itself.

For example, Bacon Marketing indicates we offer marketing services. Footlocker implies they sell shoes. The Body Shop suggest body beauty products.

If potential clients can tell what a business offers before they even read the details, they will be more likely to click on an advert, read a social post, or navigate your website.

Shortening a name

As a business becomes more popular, you can shorten your name without losing any recognisability.

Let’s look at Apple. We know that they sell computers and not fruit. But this was not always the case. Up until 2007, they were once Apple Computer Company. As Apple is now a worldwide brand with $330 Billion net worth, most people know who they are.

Other examples:

Starbucks Coffee is now Starbucks
Kentucky Fried Chicken is now KFC
Weight Watchers is now WW.

Changing a name to change direction

However, as the business develops past its original offerings or decides to go in another direction, it can completely change its name.

We have seen recently that Facebook changed its name to Meta. Meta is derived from Metaverse, which relates to Facebook’s collection of brands and their expansion into AI and other futuristic technologies.

Meaning a change of name can tell customers that you have decided to adapt your business or that you have decided to move into a different and more impressive direction.

You can also change your name to create a buzz.

Pretty much everyone was talking about the change from Facebook to Meta. But a much more famous example was when IHOP (International House of Pancakes) temporarily changed their name to IHOB (International House of Burgers). This highlighted that they also sell burgers, which created a massive spike in their social media engagement and pushed sales.

According to IHOP chief marketing officer Brad Haley after the name change, IHOP initially sold four times what they’d done previously and are still selling at double their regular rate.

Changing your name for negative associations

Other past name changes have been caused by legal problems, such as issues with Copyright or negative connotations. A significant historical case was Amazon changing their name from “Cadabra” in 1995. Bezos changed the name to Amazon after a lawyer misheard its original name as “cadaver”. A cadaver means a body used for medical or scientific research.

Many may not know this, but Tinder had to change their name from MatchBox. The name Matchbox was originally chosen to signify the connection between love and heat, but the name was too similar to Match.com, so they changed the name to remove the association with their competitors.

Need help getting your name out there?

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