This is a quick post on choosing an Amazon brand name, as opposed to my usual long posts. I hope to alleviate confusion and frustration for beginners.

Amazon Brand Name – Expensive vs Cheap

There is an expensive way to find the ideal Amazon seller brand name, which is through SquadHelp. Honestly, this saves a lot of time, as hundreds of people from around the world will do the brainstorming for you.

Now it’s likely you’re starting with limited capital but have some time to spare for brainstorming. At the same time, you don’t want to waste weeks thinking about it. If that’s you, then I hope this guide is of great use.

Consider your product base

Your product base should be consistent with your brand name to a degree. Nike, for example, has no relevance with shoes, but it does sound good. Gaiam, however, does suggest that this is a yoga brand.

Having a brand name with Smith Importing would be a terrible idea. A generic name could be The Smith Collective or Smith & Reynolds. Narrowing down, Smith Sports or a play-on-words could be Smithison.

Use non-dictionary words

I prefer looking at non-dictionary words. If your brand name has two words, then one of the words can be a usual dictionary words. For example, Manaashe Candles. ‘Manaashe’ doesn’t mean anything, whilst ‘Candles’ is very descriptive.

Also consider international dictionary words. If you’re looking for a Scandanavian name, then this is an excellent idea. I look for typical English words, then throw them into Google Translate.

The importance of trademarks

These two points raised above have been mentioned for the main purpose of trademarking. It’s challenging to trademark dictionary words or those which could create a brand/product confusion. For example, Jensen Jewellery suggests that you’re selling jewellery, yet you’re selling water taps?

Getting a trademark on your Amazon brand name is a very wise idea to stop listing hijackers. This process with the USPTO takes up to 12 months and up to several thousand dollars, so getting the brand name right is paramount. Even if you find the ideal brand name, your attorney may still reject it, as she did for my previous brand name.

Consistency with other brands

Remember that your brand name, and particular your logo, needs to have consistency in your marketplace. At the same time, it should also stand out too.

Go into any sports and outdoor store, or just jump on Anaconda, and you’ll see how connected they are. The brand names and logos speak out outdoors, mountaineering and adventures. Whilst you don’t want to copy or mimic another brand name, seek to get close.

Consider international markets

There are more places to sell goods than just in the United States via Amazon. The UK, for example, has almost just as much buyer volume.

Your brand name now needs to not to mean something strange or simply naughty in another popular language such as French, Spanish or German. How can you find out? Hire someone off Upwork for $50.

Lastly, take the time needed

Whilst I’ve written this guide as a way to (hopefully) reduce the time it takes to find that ideal brand name, you don’t need to rush to find the brand name in the first 5 minutes. My 2nd brand took almost 2 weeks and thousands of names, before deciding on a play on words. The first thing I did was check the USPTO website.

You may wish to consider Squadhelp if you’re still stuck. Their pricing is quite reasonable and you’ll get thrown literally hundreds of unique words that are relevant.

My last piece of advice would always be to communicate with an attorney. Pay for that 1 hour of consulting time, as it will save your backside in the long run. Trust me.

They’ll be able to tell you whether your brand name has a good chance of trademarking before you spend thousands on the product and packaging. This is one mistake I did which is now costing me a lot of time and money to have branding re-done.

The bigger picture

In closing, this Amazon journey is a long one. Choosing your brand name is one critical component, but is one of many things to consider too. You may wish to run with a generic brand name, for now, simply to get yourself live before choosing a more official and trademark-official name.

This might be a frustration step. I know – it was for me. “Will people like it?” was something I questioned often. It’s wise to get feedback from friends, family or your Mastermind.

See these Amazon brain-storming sessions as a part of the bigger picture. You won’t be making money on Amazon in 5 minutes. It took me almost 18 months to make my first $1. Just another process you’ll have to go through on this journey, one that reduces competition as many people aren’t willing to do the work.

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