Business & Innovation - 2012-04-29 - Generating a new name for Language Learning Tool

The Language Learning Tool needs a new name. I have been thinking that there are several ways to generate a new name.

These are some of the ways that a new name can be created:
1. Analysing the competitor's name, to identify where their name comes from and if there are any strategies that they apply for their naming systems.
2. Personal brainstorm of new names based on own experience
3. Group brainstorm of new names
4. Marketing surveys to encourage target audience ideation of suitable names and vote on popularity.

Once a new 'name' can be found, that is unique and does not already exist as a registered name, then the group can move on to creating a 'brand', and then create and produce the 'marketing materials' for this name and brand.

1. Analysising Competitor names:
----------------------------------

Let's Learn Mandarin
(Let's (action/encouragment) Learn + Language)

BBC Online Chinese
(BBC + Online + Language)

ChinaGram
(Country + Gram to indicate a drawing, record, or diagram)
ie.Telegram, Tangram, etc.

ChinesePod.com
(Language + Podcast sound recording abbreviation)

Mandarin Madness
(Language + unusual/surprising/active word)

Man Man Lai
(Chinese for Do it Slowly)

Mindsnacks
(Mind/thinking + food/snack) - Food for thought

Nciku
(N+CI+KU / N+CIKU)
nciku comes from our Chinese name “n词酷”, pronounced ncíkù (’εn’tsɪku / en-suh-koo). “n” stands for “next”, while “词” means “word” and “酷” means “cool”. cíkù is also the sound of “词库”, which means “warehouse full of words”. (Next word is cool / Next warehouse full of words)

Pinyin Trainer
(Romanised writing + application as the trainer) (Subject + Object)

Pleco
(Catfish)

Rosetta Stone
(Key to deciphering another language)

Skritter
(New word based on the idea of a Critter creature writing)


2. Personal brainstorm
-----------------------

Themes for a Language Learning Tool:
Speech, Speed, Learning, Time, Memory.

LangLearning (Generic abbreviation of Language Learning)
Speakwish (same as above)
SpeakLang (same as above)
LangSpeak (same as above)

SpeakThai (Speak+Language)
SpeakChinese

LearnThai (Learn+Language)

MemeThai (Meme+Language)
MemePortuguese

QuikThai

SpeekThai (Speek+Language)

AudioSpanish (Audio+Language)

TimeThai (Time+Language)

'Animals'

GeckoFrench (Animal+Language)
FrogFrench (same as above)
PandaChinese (same as above)
OxChinese (same as above)
TigerChinese (same as above)


DragonLearn (Animal+Learn)
FrogLearn (same as above)

KwaiChinese
KwaiFrench / RapidoFrench (Fast+Language)

'Operators'

AddHindi (Add+Language)
AddChinese (Add+Language)

Chineasy (Combination of Language and Easy)
Portuguesy (same as above)
Frencheasy (same as above)
Thaieasy (same as above)

Chinease (Combination of Language and Ease)
Portuguease (same as above)
Frenchease (same as above)
Thaiease (same as above)

AdvantageChinese (Advantage+Language)
AdvantageThai (same as above)

Names of things in Chinese culture:
ShufaChinese (pinyin for calligraphy+Language) (sounds like 'shoo, or sofa', but ok)
ShuohuaChinese (pinyin for speak+Language) (sounds like 'shore' or 'sure')
ShengyinChinese (pinyin for voice+Language) (ok, no close resemblance to english words)
XiezuoChinese (pinyin for writing+Language) (hard to pronounce correctly)
MaobiChinese (pinyin for brush+Language) (sounds like 'mao', easy to prounounce though.)
LuxingChinese (pinyin for journey+Language) (sounds like 'losing'!)


Metaphors for learning and advancement:
LadderChinese
StepChinese
StairwayChinese
WayChinese or WeiChinese (as in hello on phone)

WayLanguageLearning


3. Group brainstorm
---------------------






4. Marketing survey feedback
-------------------------------