Branding time.

• Position: Marketing News - Requirements for a brand name - Brief Article

What makes a brand name? Marketing consultant Jack Sims says the requirements for a memorable brand name can be summed up in three words: "consistency," "difference" and "target."

Consistency. "The biggest mistake I see from companies is the lack of consistency in their marketing communications," he says. "All of your pieces (ads, fliers, etc.) must look as if they come from the same place or person; otherwise, you can't expect consumers to get the essence that your brand really represents."

Difference. Sims says he's talking about the difference between good design and creative and great design and creative. "The production costs of all these pieces will be the same. So the point is that by investing only the difference between poor design and great design and creative is actually minimal. Especially when those costs are amortized over the millions of impressions you'll be making."

Target. This means more than...