The ultimate guide to naming your product or business has been updated throughout with twice as many resources as before, new stories (of both hits and flops), and an entirely new chapter on the power of names in the workplace.

Too many new companies and products have names that look like the results of a drunken Scrabble game (Xobni, Svbtle, Doostang). In this entertaining and engaging book, ace-naming consultant Alexandra Watkins explains how anyone—even noncreative types—can create memorable and effective brand names. No degree in linguistics required.

The heart of the book is Watkins' proven SMILE and SCRATCH test. A great name makes you SMILE because it is Suggestive—evokes something about your brand; is Memorable—makes an association with the familiar; uses Imagery—aids memory through evocative visuals; has Legs—lends itself to a theme for extended mileage; and is Emotional—moves people.

A bad name, on the other hand, makes you SCRATCH your head because it is Spelling challenged—looks like a typo; is a Copycat—similar to competitors' names; is Restrictive—limits future growth; is Annoying—seems forced and frustrates customers; is Tame—feels flat, merely descriptive, and uninspired; suffers from the Curse of knowledge—speaks only to insiders; and is Hard to pronounce—confuses and distances customers.

This 50 percent–new second edition has double the number of brainstorming tools and techniques, even more secrets and strategies to nab an available domain name, a brand-new chapter on how companies are using creative names around the office to add personality to everything from cafeterias to conference rooms, and much more.

Claire Buchignani

Voice