For Rookie Instructional Designers

How to invent company names – a quick guide

Q) Why do you need to think so much while creating a company name – after all, it’s just a scenario and hey, it’s fictitious, right?

A) Wrong. The name that you create for this yes, fictitious company is extremely important in the whole run. There are several reasons for this:

• It is the first association with the rest of the case that the student makes so it needs to be realistic. Remember, when a student reads a case, he is also forming pictures in his mind. Any hint of non-realism or contradictory information will actually detract him from the task he needs to perform.
• It needs to create the necessary impact for the student to be interested to know the whats – of the situation and the problem he needs to solve.

Steps

1. Sit back. Close your eyes and imagine your company – what does it look like? What do the people who work there look like – bustling with energy or going about their work seriously? What are they wearing – formal/informal clothing? Do you see more machines or men? Etc…It is very important to have seen beyond just a name because the rest of your case study will be molded around this vision. No vision=ambiguous/contradictory information.
2. Based on the permutation-combination of all your responses to this introspective series of questions, select a name that represents:
   the company’s core business – for example, SuperSpeed Airways. This aspect is especially important when you are naming companies in the ‘manufacturing’ vs. ‘service’ industry.
   the company’s image as you visualized it – for example, let’s say you have to create a name for a company that manufactures mobile phones - if you visualized a formal setting for this company, a name like ‘Competel’ would suit the image (representing ‘competent’ and ‘telecom’). On the other hand, an informal setting could possibly lead to a name like “Chirpen Telecom’ …or something!
   Since you are obviously aware of the key task and situation you want to weave in the case at this point, it would be a good idea to check if this name matches those series of situations.

Do’s

1. Keep them as realistic to ‘real’ company names as possible. For example, Garbledeegook Software Solutions may be your private snigger/joke but may not exactly create the relevant impact.
2. Very important: Once invented, do a Google search to ensure that such a registered company does not exist – else they can sue you J … but if you are inventive enough, they might just hire you for naming their next product!

Dont’s

For God’s sake, avoid the mistake of naming the company with something that would reflect their product or image in a negative manner. For example, who would want to buy SquirtJet Printers or LeakaLot pens, etc.


Good luck and happy inventing!