July 25, 2024 - One thing every business has in common is the fact that every business needs a name. Coming up with that name may seem simple at first, but truth be told, it can actually be very complicated. Questions start to arise almost immediately: Will it carry a founders’ name? Will it be descriptive or fanciful (that matters a lot)? And, even more importantly, what will be the artistic elements of the brand? The logo, color scheme, and fonts selected to represent the name and essence of the business – the customer promise and vibe?
Naming a new business and creating a distinctive, attractive logo to match, while extremely valuable, can be among the most daunting steps entrepreneurs take on their startup journey. When attempting to successfully balance competing priorities, most entrepreneurs simply do not have the time to devote to a DIY logo project. And, hiring a design consultant can be too expensive.
Some companies spend thousands or even millions of dollars for market research and design expertise, but that doesn’t guarantee success. Take Tropicana’s 2008 logo and packaging redesign. The redesign and campaign cost $35 million, but the company reverted to the original design within two months when sales plummeted 20% because, it turned out, consumers didn’t like the rebrand. Conversely, the enduring Nike swoosh was originally created for a mere $35 and has stood the test of time.
And then there are the legal considerations. Of course, your name has to be unique. And, your logo can't look too much like someone else's. There are business reasons for that, but did you know there are also legal reasons?
The Business and Legal Side of Branding
A unique business name and logo matters in the business world. Your brand communicates the essence of your business and becomes a unique picture that your customers will remember. This helps distinguish your business from your competitors and makes your job of securing repeat customers easier. Unique and memorable business names and logos make good business sense, but they also make good legal sense. Trademark laws provide stronger protections for arbitrary and fanciful business names and logos, and not so much for generic or descriptive ones.
Not to dive too deep into the legal weeds here, but securing a legally strong business name and logo is exactly what you want as a business owner. Arbitrary and fanciful names or logos – ones that are made up (think Google, Kleenex, and Lululemon) – are more easily registered as trademarks. So are names that are arbitrary in the context of what the business is selling – think Apple for computers and Amazon for online shopping.
Having a registered trademark makes it easier for you to protect your name and logo against others who might try to profit off of your hard work, and defend it against those who claim you are stealing their brand. Fanciful names and logos are also less likely to be mistaken for another business’s brand because they are so unique. A “likelihood of confusion” is a common reason for the rejection of trademark applications, and so a unique name and logo makes both good business and legal sense.
I’ve named businesses, products and features for almost three decades. Sometimes, it’s as easy as taking a walk around the block to get ideas, or going to a gallery or museum, browsing the web or talking to friends. Yet, none of these methods are guaranteed to give you inspiration. I know firsthand how challenging it can be to create a company logo. At Rocket Lawyer, our logo was met with a fair amount of doubt in the beginning. Here’s how we did it.
The Rocket Lawyer Brand Story
How did we come up with Rocket Lawyer? Well, it wasn't rocket science. Rockets are fast! Rockets are powerful! You can add “rocket” to just about anything to make it snappier.
But, in the early days the use of “Rocket” in the context of the traditional and old fashioned legal profession was met with skepticism. I got tons of feedback from investors, potential employees and, of course, lawyers, that nobody would take “Rocket Lawyer” seriously enough to get off the ground.
Another objection was our use of bold color schemes. At one point, we hired people who proposed softer colors, like blues. There was an internal debate and finally, our Chief Revenue Officer said the magic words to me: “Charley, Rockets are Red.” My reply: “Let’s go! 🚀”
Well, today about 1 in 9 American adults use Rocket Lawyer.
Still, when we launched Rocket Lawyer in Europe, the experience of brand skepticism by the so-called experts of the American market left us uncertain about how our brand would play in Paris, Amsterdam, and Madrid – different cultures and different languages.
So, we hired an expensive consultant. After months of research, focus groups, and analysis, it was time for the big unveil. The consultant had proposed and conducted surveys in multiple European countries to determine the winning name out of several options. We looked at the data together – several executives in the room, including from our joint venture partner. And voila, our consultant simply said: “The people love the Rocket.” So today, no matter what country we operate in, it’s still Rocket Lawyer.
In terms of artwork, however, we’ve had a much more iterative journey. Here are some of the different Rocket Lawyer word art and logos from our early days.
And, here’s an early version of our website…
In 2012, we refreshed our website and our logo based on customer feedback. During the life cycle of a business, an entrepreneur is likely to rebrand at least once, with most companies rebranding at least every 7-10 years. We put a lot of thought into the Rocket Lawyer brand over the years, and being technologists, wondered if there was an easier way to come up with a business name and logo. Enter Rocket Copilot™.
We Made Rocket Copilot Just for You
From my own decades of experience naming businesses and products, I knew there had to be a way to use the latest in Generative AI technology to help you brainstorm business name and logo ideas, and then set you on the path to getting them registered as trademarks. And now there is.
On June 6, we released our new logo maker, the latest feature of our conversational Rocket Copilot AI assistant. I could not be more proud of this latest addition to our Rocket Copilot lineup. With it, entrepreneurs can create stunning new logos that convey their brand identity with ease. With engaging conversation, Rocket Copilot gathers business information and unique style preferences to create personalized logo options – quickly, effortlessly, and for free. Entrepreneurs can then connect with Rocket Legal Pros™ to register their trademarks. Rocket Copilot makes good business sense, and with the connection to our Legal Pros, makes good legal sense too.
So, really, Rocket Copilot is the helpful and efficient assistant and designer that we always wished we had, but couldn’t afford – and now you can have it for free!
This article contains general legal information and does not contain legal advice. Rocket Lawyer is not a law firm or a substitute for an attorney or law firm. The law is complex and changes often. For legal advice, please ask a lawyer.
