Business Names & Slogan Business Name & Slogan 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Before finalizing a business name in the US, an entrepreneur should first:
- Search state records and the USPTO database for conflicts (Correct answer)
- Print business cards to test the design
- Buy every possible social media handle
- File federal taxes under the new name
Correct answer: Search state records and the USPTO database for conflicts
Checking state business registries and the USPTO database prevents costly naming conflicts and infringement claims.
Question 2: A slogan differs from a tagline primarily in that a slogan is often:
- Campaign-specific, while a tagline is a long-term brand statement (Correct answer)
- Legally required, while a tagline is optional
- Longer than a full paragraph
- Only used in print media
Correct answer: Campaign-specific, while a tagline is a long-term brand statement
Slogans typically support specific campaigns, whereas taglines express the brand's enduring identity.
Question 3: What naming approach did companies like 'Google' (from 'googol') use?
- Modifying an existing word into a distinctive invented form (Correct answer)
- Using the founder's surname
- Describing the service literally
- Combining two city names
Correct answer: Modifying an existing word into a distinctive invented form
Google altered the mathematical term 'googol' into a unique, brandable invented word.
Question 4: Which factor is most important when testing a slogan for a national US audience?
- Checking that it has no unintended or offensive meanings across regions and languages (Correct answer)
- Ensuring it exceeds ten words for detail
- Using industry jargon to sound expert
- Matching a competitor's slogan closely
Correct answer: Checking that it has no unintended or offensive meanings across regions and languages
Slogans must be vetted for unintended meanings to avoid embarrassing or offensive interpretations in different markets.
Question 5: Why might a startup deliberately choose an abstract name like 'Zillow' or 'Etsy'?
- Abstract names are distinctive, flexible across product lines, and easier to trademark (Correct answer)
- Abstract names are cheaper to register with the state
- Federal law requires startups to use invented names
- Abstract names rank automatically higher on Google
Correct answer: Abstract names are distinctive, flexible across product lines, and easier to trademark
Abstract names avoid category limits, stand out, and gain stronger trademark protection.
Question 6: The slogan 'Got Milk?' is notable for using:
- A short conversational question to engage the audience (Correct answer)
- A celebrity's name in the text
- A detailed nutritional claim
- A rhyme with the product name
Correct answer: A short conversational question to engage the audience
Its two-word question format creates instant engagement and memorability.
Question 7: If two businesses in different states use the same name without federal trademarks, what generally applies?
- Each may have common-law rights limited to its own geographic market (Correct answer)
- The larger company automatically owns the name nationwide
- Both must immediately rebrand
- The first to build a website owns the name
Correct answer: Each may have common-law rights limited to its own geographic market
Without federal registration, common-law trademark rights are generally confined to the geographic area of actual use.
Business Names & Slogan Business Name & Slogan 3
Before finalizing a business name in the US, an entrepreneur should first: