Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

I had a previous thread where someone mentioned that I needed to be very sure I didn`t try to be too "cute or clever" with my business name.  I have already decided on "ChewieDog".  My dog`s name is chewie, and he`s the one on my logo.  Anyhow, I`m just wondering if anyone has any thoughts on the name...

Just curious...what type of business do you have?  Do you sell goods or services related to pets?

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I like the name and how it reflects a personal connection to you.  It`s also creates a great introduction to your business when someone asks questions like "What`s a ChewieDog?" or "Who`s ChewieDog?"  There may be a bit of a negative with the name conveying that dogs are always "chewing" things - but I still think it is fun and inviting.

I really like the dog image in your logo - but not necessarily the type.  The "grungy" distressed fonts can be very hard for some people to read and don`t always reproduce well in smaller sizes or some applications (like embroidery on promotional clothing).  It might be helpful to keep the business name as it is and change the type of the tagline to a simple sans serif font to make it more legible (and reduce the amount of distressed type in the image).

My friend Ilise Benun just wrote about her dog as a marketing tool in her blog The Marketing Mix.

- J.





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Jeff Fisher | Jeff Fisher LogoMotives | Tweet! Tweet!

My business is making designer pet beds (trendy beds made out of high end upholstery/design fabrics).

I didn`t realize Chewie was the name of your dog when I commented in the other thread.  It does go better with there being a logo with the face of a dog.  I see a lot of pet products named after pets.  Make sure to explain on your site (and other marketing) who Chewie is.  Consumers like that kind of personal connection to a specific pet.

However, I still maintain that the name sounds like a chewable toy or edible chew company, not beds.

I completely agree with Jeff on the logo/font.  I like the image but not the typestyle.  Besides it being difficult to read and reproduce, it doesn`t seem to go with your product - "fashionable beds".  I think the distressed visual style of the dog can be nicely offset with a higher end style of type.


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Steve Lowtwa

Our business name is "2dizzylizards LLC". Now this has nothing to do with what we do, but it is a very memorable name.

There is a lot to be said about naming your business something that makes it very easily identifiable as to what you do. Then again, you better be sure that is what your company is going to be doing from now until the end of time, or you will have to change your company name!

Back to our name... It is amazing how many times we get comments about how people think it is a great name. Therefore, it is memorable, which is something that you should strive for in naming your business.

Never once have we had someone comment about how the name has nothing to do with what the company does. So does it truly matter, as long as your name is memorable? Makes you wonder... After all, think of some of the big tech companies (Google, Yahoo, eBay, Amazon). Their names have nothing to do with what they are all about. They are just very memorable.

I still concur with Steve that when I read the name, I`m thinking of those chew things you can buy at PetSmart. I really like the logo image, and there`s that great story of how you developed the business for your dog Chewie, but I`m not excited about the name.

To go with the "it`s different," you would go with something like Shazam! designer pet beds. The word "shazam" has nothing at all to do with your product, but it`s different. On the other hand, "chew dog" explicitly calls to mind a real product many people already are familiar with, and in particular dog owners. So it`s not "different." It`s misleading.

I remember my friend who put red text on blue background. Nobody could read it but he insisted he liked being "different." Fine. He`s different enough that nobody can read the page. But he`s happy.

If you want to stay with the different, and also stay with your own pal Chewie, why not go with something like Chewie`s Beds? People will probably ask, "Who`s Chewie?" and get a conversation going just as easily as with ChewieDog, in my opinion.

i love it. i`m a dog owner and i associate the word chew with dogs because...dogs chew. even if you don`t know it`s specifically beds, the name, for me, definitely made me think pet something. i know of a gourmet dog bone place called "chew"; you might want to do some research to either separate yourself OR maybe contact them. it never hurts to talk to others in your industry, even if they aren`t exactly beds.
plus i think i`m partial to memorable names because my bag company is called "Durtbagz". people don`t forget it.



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erin atherton,
head bag lady,
durtbagz.com
"what`s your sign?"