In general, marketing folks favor suggestive names because they evoke an image or idea that customers are likely to associate with the product or service being marketed. A name is usually considered suggestive when you need to take at least one more mental step to figure out what is being suggested. Here are some examples:
•ask.com, the domain name for the Ask Jeeves search engine, effective because it suggests answers, just what you want a search engine to do
•peapods.com, the domain name for the Pea Pods baby things site, suggests maternity things
•peapod.com, a website featuring online grocery ordering
•Salon.com, an online magazine, suggests a place for the exchange of sophisticated commentary
•eHow.com, information made available in a crisp “how to” format
•Travelocity.com, a travel services website, suggests travel and speed
•nextMonet.com, an online contemporary art gallery that suggests undiscovered great artists
•Gazoontite.com (for allergy information and supplies) that suggests the ritualistic and widespread use of the German “Gesundheit!” (health) when someone sneezes
•Getsmart.com, a debt consolidation and loan service, suggests the quality of savvy, something that folks who have debt problems may aspire to, and
•wingspanbank.com (a national online bank) suggests a far-flung presence, something innovative in the banking industry.
Although suggestive names may require some marketing to become broadly identified with a product, they are usually easier to promote than coined names because they already connote something you want to associate with your product or service. Some name consultants argue that suggestive names are the most useful because the images they evoke make them very effective marketing tools. But it may take lots of thought to come up with one that’s appropriately evocative, suits your customer base and hasn’t been taken. Again, test your ideas out on a number of people to see if they get the message you hope to send.
