Business Names & Slogan Creative Naming Techniques & Wordplay 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is a portmanteau in the context of business naming?
- A legal term for trademarked names
- A name created by blending two words together (Correct answer)
- A slogan that rhymes with the brand name
- A foreign-language word used as a brand name
Correct answer: A name created by blending two words together
A portmanteau blends parts of two words to form a new one, such as 'Pinterest' from 'pin' and 'interest.'
Question 2: Which of the following business names is an example of alliteration?
- Apple
- Coca-Cola (Correct answer)
- Amazon
- Uber
Correct answer: Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola uses alliteration by repeating the 'C' sound, making it catchy and memorable.
Question 3: What type of naming technique creates a completely invented word with no prior meaning, like 'Kodak'?
- Descriptive naming
- Acronym naming
- Arbitrary naming
- Coined/Fabricated naming (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Coined/Fabricated naming
Coined or fabricated names are invented words with no dictionary meaning, giving total freedom in branding.
Question 4: A business name that is a common word applied in an unrelated context, such as 'Apple' for a tech company, is called what?
- Descriptive name
- Arbitrary name (Correct answer)
- Acronym
- Portmanteau
Correct answer: Arbitrary name
Arbitrary names are real words that have no logical connection to the product or service, like 'Apple' for computers.
Question 5: What is the naming technique where a word's spelling is intentionally altered for uniqueness, such as 'Tumblr' instead of 'Tumbler'?
- Transliteration
- Misspelling/Letter substitution (Correct answer)
- Acronym creation
- Onomatopoeia
Correct answer: Misspelling/Letter substitution
Misspelling or letter substitution modifies a common word's spelling to create a unique, trademarkable brand name.
Question 6: Which business naming technique uses the initial letters of a phrase to form a name, like 'IBM' (International Business Machines)?
- Portmanteau
- Onomatopoeia
- Acronym (Correct answer)
- Metonymy
Correct answer: Acronym
An acronym uses the first letter of each word in a longer phrase to create a short, memorable name.
Question 7: A business name that directly describes what the company does, such as 'General Motors' or 'The Home Depot,' is classified as what type of name?
- Suggestive name
- Arbitrary name
- Descriptive name (Correct answer)
- Coined name
Correct answer: Descriptive name
Descriptive names clearly communicate the nature of the business, though they can be harder to trademark due to their generic quality.
Business Names & Slogan Creative Naming Techniques & Wordplay 1
What is a portmanteau in the context of business naming?