#194: How To Pick A Toy Brand Name That Doesn't Suck with Alexandra C Watkins

In this episode of Making It In The Toy Industry, you'll hear an insightful conversation with our guest Alexandra C. Watkins, the creative genius behind naming consultancy Eat My Words and the innovator of iconic names like Wendy's Baconator.Watkins shares her expertise on creating memorable and appealing names for toys and toy companies. She's learned firsthand how the power of a catchy name can drive your sales, save you money, and even turn your customers into ambassadors for your products and discusses the importance of familiarity and imagery in making a name memorable, as well as the concept of "legs" for expanding a toy's theme.We also dive into the emotional connection that a well-crafted name can create with customers and emphasize the significance of avoiding easily misspelled names, not to mention, sharing our own experiences with memorable business names that we feel just got it right!If you're a toy industry professional looking to create names that resonate with your target audience, this episode is a must-listen. Let's dive into the world of toy naming!EPISODE CLIFF NOTES:Listen to Alexandra speak on the importance of a name [00:03:06]Understand trademarking and protecting a Name [00:06:02]Learn about Alexandra’s moment in creating the Baconator name [00:07:43]Discover some great naming success stories [00:09:23]Listen to the importance of memorable names [00:14:21]Find out about the power of imagery [00:15:08]What Alexandra means by names with legs [00:17:36]Listen to the emotional connection names can have [00:20:39]Hear Alexandra’s advice on avoiding misspellings [00:22:50]Discover the limitations of restrictive names [00:28:01]Understand what expanding beyond the initial product means [00:29:36]More phenomenal advice on avoiding annoying names [00:31:38]Learn about the curse of knowledge and hard-to-pronounce names [00:33:59]Find out why not all good names are taken [00:36:30]Listen on how to create a coherent theme [00:43:07]Discover engaging language and fan identity [00:43:31]Listen to both Azhelle and Alexandra’s worst and best names [00:44:14]Listen to the importance of clear product messaging [00:45:34]Childhood favorites and services offered [00:48:23]For resources cited and links mentioned in this episode visit https://www.thetoycoach.com/194Support the show🎓 5 Streamlined Steps To Your Next Playful Product Launch in 1 Interactive Masterclass: learn.thetoycoach.com/masterclass💡 The Great Toy and Game Idea Bootcamp: Visualize, Validate, and Vow to make your toy or game idea real in just 5 days. Register here: learn.thetoycoach.com/bootcamp