I launched this newsletter last year under the name OnlyBrands.
It was cheeky.
A bit controversial.
And ultimately, limiting.
I struggled to align with it long-term because I felt boxed in.
Like I could only talk about branding, when I'm actually drawn to broader themes.
I’m interested in human behavior at large.
Why we do what we do?
And how does that relate to marketing, management, and brand building?
So I changed the name.
Before I reveal it, let me share what I've learned about choosing a good brand name.
(Having worked with many founders launching ecommerce brands.)
Packaging matters more than you think.
Possibly more than the product itself.
Because no matter how good your product is, people won't care unless you can bring attention to it and show how it makes life better.
Marketing is about setting the right expectations.
It promises to solve people's problems.
Good marketing keeps those promises.
And your brand name is what they'll recall (or won't) when they're ready to buy.
Four questions for naming anything.
Whether you're choosing a brand name, product name, or headline, ask yourself:
Is it clear what this is about?
Does this spark curiosity?
Does this build trust?
Does this give me room to grow?
The name of the game is memorability.
And something that inspires you, the creative, to show up.
With these in mind, I'm renaming this newsletter to ScratchNotes.
Definition: jottings based on observations and field work
ScratchNotes gives me a bigger umbrella to explore creativity as it relates to marketing, management, and the human side of brand building.
It's a known term.
It evokes an image.
And it also refers to scratch art paper.
Fitting for writing about the creative process.
Most importantly, it feels aligned with what I want to share moving forward.
Remember drawing on scratch paper? Very 5th grade.
Your turn.
Think about something you're naming right now. A project, a product, a piece of content.
Run it through those four questions:
Is it clear?
Does it spark curiosity?
Does it build trust?
Does it give you room to grow?
In the case of naming a brand, run these gut check tests too:
Is it easy to spell and say? (Helps with word of mouth and organic searches)
Can you own it? (Domain, social handles, trademark)
Then ask yourself the most important question:
Does it feel aligned with what you actually want to create?
Because no matter what you name your work, what matters most is that you're aligned.
Alignment is what lets you show up consistently.
It's what helps you keep your marketing promises.
And it's what turns a good name into a great brand experience.
-Annabel
