WHAT’S NEW, PUSSYCAT?

Since this book was first published in 2014, I’ve amassed enough new stories, eye-opening examples, and lucrative brainstorming sources to practically write a new book about brand names. That’s what this fifth-anniversary second edition feels like.

More than 50 percent of the content here is brand spankin’ new. Not “new” as in I was too lazy to add anything of substance so I regurgitated the old content and fattened up the pages with extraneous fluff. Nope. New as in I was hell-bent on writing a bigger and better book because I had so much valuable new material to share and wanted to give you the Fort Knox of naming knowhow. This is solid gold, Baby!

Here are just a few of the many updates:

I’ve doubled the number of brainstorming tools and techniques, digging deeper into the hidden treasures of the online goldmine. You’ll discover that it’s never been easier to come up with loads of creative names quickly. My new list of 10 Bonus Brainstorming Sources includes a little-known website where you’ll discover more than 1,200 idea-inspiring name generators. (You’ll be surprised at what looking at mutant species names will spark.)

You’ll find even more secrets and strategies to nab an available domain name. Not the verbal vomit that looks like someone got drunk and played Scrabble. You’ll learn how to get a domain name that people can actually pronounce and spell. And I’ll show you how to get great domain names without having to fork over big bucks. You’ll be inspired by all the creative solutions people have come up with, including one for a turkey company that will make even vegans smile.

I’ve made a significant modification to my 12-point name evaluation filter, the SMILE & SCRATCH test. The M in SMILE, which formerly stood for “Meaningful,” now stands for “Memorable.” (The importance of your name being meaningful is woven throughout the book.) You’ll learn how the names we are most likely to remember are associated with words and concepts we already know. I illustrate this with several amusing stories and personal anecdotes, including tales of a teetering tiki bar and my encounter with a surfer dude named Coconut Joel. Plus, you’ll read about a name millions of us have exclaimed with glee. (Hint: it kinda rhymes with macaroni and is just as much fun to say.)

This book tells so many cautionary tales of massive fails that it could have been titled “Hello, My Name Is Bonehead.” Wait until you read about the blunder Whole Foods made when they partnered with a restaurant in 2018. (Perhaps you saw the news headline: “Come for the racism. Stay for the disease.”) Diseases run rampant throughout this book. I suppose I could have also titled the book “Hello, My Name Is Infectious.”

The antidote to ill-fated names is of course awesome names, of which you will find plenty. In fact, one of them is the name Plenty. This vertical-farming startup raised more than $200M in funding after it changed its name from one that was holding it back. There’s no holding back companies with some of the risqué names you’ll read about, including a nail salon in San Francisco with a name that would make your father blush.

This new edition also covers B2B (business-to-business) names. You’ll soon rethink the common belief that business-to-business names can’t have a sense of humor. You might also become a fan of Jimmy Buffett, even if you aren’t a Parrothead. You’ll get a kick out of the names of new 55-plus communities inspired by his songs and laid-back lifestyle.

Finally, I’m most excited for you to read my brand new chapter, Corporate Creativity. Even if you don’t work for a big company, you’ll enjoy reading how companies, from LinkedIn to McDonald’s, are using creative names around the office to add personality to everything from cafeterias to conference rooms. You’ll devour those names faster than a bowl of Fleetwood Mac ’n’ Cheese. (Honestly, that’s the name of a meeting room.)

Enjoy Awesome 2.0!

Alexandra Watkins

P.S. Please don’t whiz by the Preface. It has your name written all over it.