Hello, My Name is Awesome

What makes some brand names instantly memorable while others vanish into obscurity? In Hello, My Name Is Awesome, brand naming expert Alexandra Watkins reveals that unforgettable brand names don’t come from complicated linguistic formulas or abstract creativity sessions—they arise from emotional connections. She argues that a great name should make people smile instead of scratch their heads. Her core claim is simple yet powerful: naming isn’t an art reserved for marketing elites or corporate committees. With the right framework, anyone can craft a name that delights, resonates, and sells.

At the heart of Watkins’s philosophy lies the SMILE & SCRATCH Test, a twelve-step approach to evaluating potential names. “SMILE” represents the five essential qualities of a super-sticky name—Suggestive, Meaningful, Imagery, Legs, and Emotional—while “SCRATCH” outlines the seven deadly sins of naming that make brands forgettable or frustrating: Spelling challenged, Copycat, Restrictive, Annoying, Tame, Curse of Knowledge, and Hard to pronounce. Together, these twin frameworks provide both inspiration and caution, guiding you toward names that win hearts and avoid embarrassment.

Why Names Matter More Than Ever

Watkins begins by reminding you that your company name is often your most visible handshake with the world—it shows up on your website, business cards, products, and emails long before people meet you. Unlike ad campaigns or marketing slogans, your name can’t easily be swapped out once customers know it. It’s the foundation upon which all branding efforts rest. A dull, complex, or confusing name forces you to spend more time and money explaining it; a clever, intuitive one instantly fosters curiosity and affection.

As a seasoned copywriter for Ogilvy & Mather and founder of her San Francisco firm Eat My Words, Watkins discovered that emotionally engaging words outperform technical ones. Just like catchy ad headlines, engaging names “stick” because they spark smiles, laughter, or delight. Her fix: stop engineering names with jargon or pseudo-science. Instead, focus on plain language and human emotion—a lesson many branding agencies still overlook.

A Playful, Proven Formula

Throughout the book, Watkins emphasizes creativity balanced by strategy. She shares her now-famous “Eat My Words” success stories—like Spoon Me, a frozen yogurt chain adored for its cheeky name; Neato, a robotic vacuum brand that feels instantly friendly; and Church of Cupcakes, a bakery that people love enough to wear on T-shirts. These names succeed because they surprise, entertain, and invite conversation. They also pass the SMILE test: they’re imagery-rich, suggestive, easy to say, and emotionally charged. In contrast, Watkins exposes forgettable or painful examples like “Xobni” (inbox spelled backward)—names that fail every criteria of likability.

By combining strong creative principles with specific tools, Watkins makes the process approachable. She explains that naming isn’t about waiting for divine inspiration but about structured exploration: brainstorming systematically, testing names for emotional and linguistic clarity, and using real-world filters to avoid legal or trademark pitfalls. In doing so, she converts the messy world of naming into an exactly repeatable process.

What You’ll Learn from This Approach

Across seven chapters, she outlines a blueprint for naming—from sparking ideas to implementing them with team buy-in. You’ll learn how to write a creative brief (your “recipe” for inspiration), generate hundreds of potential names through online tools and visual prompts, and build consensus among decision-makers using her “12 Rules for Reviewing Names.” She also unpacks strategies for choosing a good domain name (without obsessing over .com), avoiding restrictive or copycat trends, and evaluating when it’s worth renaming your business entirely.

At the heart of Watkins’s message is empowerment: naming isn’t a mystical art—it’s fun, learnable, and memorable when you use empathy and creativity together. The book shows you exactly how to combine the linguistic with the emotional, the rational with the imaginative, so that your name not only defines your brand but invites people to love it.

Watkins’s “SMILE” framework captures the five qualities of names that make people grin rather than grimace. It’s a perfect summary of what she calls sticky names—those that invite instant connection, conversation, and recall. These five qualities—Suggestive, Meaningful, Imagery, Legs, and Emotional—give any brand name a human heartbeat.

Suggestive: Evoke an Idea, Don’t Describe It

Descriptive names (“Fast Signs,” “General Motors”) tell but don’t inspire. A suggestive name hints at your brand’s promise instead. Take Amazon: founder Jeff Bezos chose it because it suggested something massive and world-spanning, not just “books.” Similarly, Groupon (group + coupon) cleverly speaks to its purpose while sounding playful. Suggestive names can also spring from brand personality—names like Explorer or Range Rover evoke adventure without spelling it out. The magic lies in implication, not explanation.

Meaningful: Resonate with Your Audience

A name should mean something to others, not just you. Watkins recounts how “Norcal Waste Systems,” despite being accurate, felt unappealing to eco-conscious customers. Its rebrand, Recology (recycle + ecology), instantly aligned with community values and made employees proud. In contrast, naming your company after yourself rarely resonates—customers don’t know you yet. She advises against “John Smith Consulting” unless your name lends itself to witty wordplay, like “Lord Knows” for consultant Steven Lord or “Dawnsense” for coach Dawn Gluskin.

Imagery: Make It Visual

Humans think in pictures. When your name paints an image, it sticks. Watkins recalls people named “Daisy” or “Forest” who remained memorable precisely because their names evoke visuals. Timberland conjures forests; Target creates a bullseye image. Even dog-food brands like Merrick use flavor-based names like “Thanksgiving Day Dinner” to paint tasty scenes. Visual names don’t depend on logos—they work instantly, even spoken aloud.

Legs: Give Your Brand Room to Run

A name with “legs” supports extensions, wordplay, and thematic branding. Watkins’s client Firetalker PR used its fiery character for everything from titles (“Chief Firestarter”) to package names (“Inferno,” “Matchbox”). Eat My Words embraces food metaphors: workshop titles like “Spilling the Beans” and service levels called “Snack” or “Whole Enchilada.” Such flexibility multiplies marketing potential and strengthens recognition. (Similarly, Apple’s “i-” naming—iPod, iPhone, iCloud—demonstrates impeccable “legs.”)

Emotional: Move People’s Hearts

Buying is emotional, Watkins reminds us—half of purchasing decisions involve feelings, not logic. That’s why wine brands such as Fat Bastard or Little Black Dress thrive: they make you smile before you taste. Her project for Hotel Vitale proves the point—renaming event packages like “Post-Reception Bar Rental” to “Last Call for Alcohol” boosted wedding sales by 25%. A name that elicits laughter or warmth sells by connecting with human emotion directly.

Together, these five SMILE traits turn a mere label into a living personality—one people remember, repeat, and want to belong to.

Watkins’s SCRATCH acronym complements SMILE by showing what not to do when naming your business. These seven “deadly sins” are the fastest ways to drain your brand of appeal. As she puts it, “If your name makes people scratch their heads, scratch it off the list.”

Spelling Challenged

If people can’t spell it, they won’t search for it. Watkins mocks misspelled brands like “Speesees” (a baby-clothing line rhyming with “feces”). Creative orthography might look clever on paper, but leads to constant corrections, misspelled emails, and lost traffic. Her rule: “If it’s not spelled the way it sounds, scratch it.”

Copycat

Imitating competitors cheapens your brand. The onslaught of “yoberry,” “peachberry,” and “luvberry” shops cloned from Pinkberry show how derivative names blur together. Similarly, tech brands copying Twitter (Yammer, Chatter, Jabber) sound stale. Unoriginality erodes trust and creativity.

Restrictive

Don’t box yourself in. “Canadian Tire” still sells everything from tents to treadmills yet carries a misleading name. A narrow name forces you to explain or rebrand later—costly fixes that eat marketing dollars. Choose an umbrella wide enough for future growth.

Annoying

Forced mash-ups, random grammar, or pompous neologisms irritate audiences. Watkins cringes at “Femfessionals” or “Teaosophy,” which strain for cleverness but sound contrived. Her warning echoes branding experts like Marty Neumeier (Zag): clarity beats complexity every time.

Tame

Being descriptive (“Network Solutions,” “DocuSign”) feels safe, but also invisible. In crowded sectors—like “cloud” companies—generic names vanish. True differentiation requires personality, not just explanation.

Curse of Knowledge

Insider jargon alienates outsiders. Think of “Salonpas” (from salicylate + pass)—technically accurate but meaningless to consumers. Great names speak the customer’s language, not the engineer’s.

Hard to Pronounce

If people hesitate to say it, they won’t spread it. European brand names like “Hermès” or “Givenchy” work domestically but intimidate others abroad. Even made-up names like “TCHO” (chocolate) confuse rather than charm. A spoken name should roll off the tongue—and sound good when said aloud by Siri.

Watkins’s SCRATCH test is ruthless but freeing: by identifying what to avoid, it clears space for creative names that delight rather than perplex.

Watkins dedicates a full chapter to the modern obsession with domain names—the bane of every entrepreneur. Her message is as refreshing as it is rebellious: Stop letting URLs ruin your creativity. A great name matters more than a perfect .com.

Forget the $9.95 Trap

Many founders kill brilliant names just because someone else owns the .com domain. Watkins argues this is a cardinal error. The fix? Add modifier words (“GoTesla.com,” “GetDropbox.com”) or playful phrases (“ILovePeanutButter.com,” by Peanut Butter & Co). These builds preserve meaning while improving memorability. People don’t type full URLs anymore—they Google your brand. Focus on what people say and remember, not what they type once.

Three Smart Domain Strategies

• Add Words: Make the domain a readable phrase or action verb (“EnjoyCoke.com,” “ShopGlossier.com”).
• Use Tagline Phrases: Turn domains into brand statements—like “GetMeToRehab.com,” Watkins’s cheeky suggestion for a frozen yogurt brand called “Rehab.”
• Experiment Smartly: If .com is unavailable, .net or .biz are fine alternatives—it’s the words, not the suffix, that people recall.

Avoiding Slurls and Traps

Watkins warns against domains that accidentally spell rude or confusing words when mashed together. Classic examples include “PenIsland.com” or “TherapistFinder.com.” These so-called “slurls” can destroy credibility instantly. Her humorous examples show that diligence pays—always check your concatenations before buying domains.

Her broader point echoes through modern marketing: a domain is just one piece of brand context, not its soul. As long as people can find and remember you, perfection is optional. Creativity, not conformity, drives discoverability.

Before brainstorming, you need a roadmap. The creative brief, for Watkins, is the most undervalued yet essential step in naming. It outlines who you are, whom you serve, and what feelings you want to evoke. Without it, she warns, your brainstorming will drift aimlessly.

Designing Your Recipe for Creativity

A creative brief captures your target audience, competitors, brand personality, and emotional goals. Watkins provides a detailed sample using a fictional kids’ snack brand, “Cartwheel Kitchens.” The brief defines its mission (“fun, healthy snacks loved by moms and kids”), identifies taboo words (“healthy,” “green,” too parental), and pinpoints desired feelings (“fun,” “playful,” “energetic”). This “ingredients list” ensures brainstorming stays aligned with strategy.

Focus Before You Flare

The brief forces consensus early by making decision-makers define tone and direction. If your team disagrees on what your brand stands for, naming sessions devolve into chaos. Watkins’s advice matches wisdom from branding expert Marty Neumeier (The Brand Gap): clarity precedes creativity. Only after alignment can creative exploration produce worthwhile results.

In short, the creative brief keeps you from chasing cleverness for its own sake. It reminds you that the goal isn’t just a witty name—it’s a name that fits your story.

When most teams brainstorm, Watkins sighs, they waste time. Boring conference rooms and social inhibitions kill creativity. Her antidote? Solo, digital brainstorming powered by curiosity and search engines. She calls it turning the Internet into an “idea orgy.”

The Process: From Sparks to Fire

1) Start with word sparks. List words linked to your product (e.g., for frozen yogurt: cold, treat, swirl).
2) Explore tools. Use online thesauruses, visual searches, glossaries, and idiom sites. For “cold,” Watkins discovers gems like “Goosebumps,” “Shiver,” even “Chatter.”
3) Follow curiosity. Instead of forcing ideas, let associations unfold—Google cold idioms, snow slang, or even band names. Each click can uncover fresh inspiration.

Real-Life Example: Spoon Me

While searching “eat frozen yogurt,” Watkins stumbled upon spoon imagery—leading to “Spoon Me.” The name instantly fit her teenage audience’s humor, sparked emotion, and aced the SMILE test. Cheeky slogans (“Shut Up and Spoon Me”) helped turn it into a viral hit. This shows how serendipity, guided by a structured process, fuels breakthrough ideas.

Her online playground includes sites like Thesaurus.com, IdiomConnection.com, and Visuwords.com. She also mines pop culture: movie titles, song lyrics, and book names often yield ready-made wordplay. As she reminds you, the more you explore, the more accidental genius you’ll invite.

You’ve brainstormed dozens of names—now what? Watkins warns that this is where good work often dies. Groupthink, personal bias, and endless surveys dilute strong ideas. Her chapter “12 Rules for Building Consensus” teaches you how to navigate egos, teams, and feedback loops without losing the magic.

From “Do I Like It?” to “Is It Right?”

The crucial shift is evaluating names objectively. Personal taste clouds judgment; strategic fit drives success. Watkins teaches decision-makers to ask, “Is it right for our brand?” not “Do I like it?” She also insists names be reviewed individually, not in committee, to avoid hierarchy bias.

No Focus Groups, No Surveys

Focus groups, she argues, always pick the safest name—and therefore the weakest. Had Richard Branson tested “Virgin,” it likely wouldn’t exist. Watkins lists brands that would’ve been killed by popular vote—Fossil, Banana Republic, and even MAC Cosmetics. Likewise, avoid asking for family opinions. Their critiques are rarely informed or useful.

Instead, Watkins suggests shortlisting ten names per reviewer, filtering through SMILE & SCRATCH, then testing survivors for trademark and online presence. Approached this way, consensus enhances creativity instead of strangling it.

Changing a business name feels radical, but Watkins presents it as liberation. If your name constantly needs explanation or apology, change it. Thanks to digital communication, rebranding is easier than ever—redirect URLs, email customers, and announce proudly. New name, new era.

The Upsides of Rebranding

A new name lets you refresh visual identity, reconnect with customers, and shed creative baggage. Watkins cites PR pro Lynette Hoy, who ditched “Lynette Hoy PR” for Firetalker PR—and immediately drew attention fitting her fiery personality. Others, like tech firm “CaptureToCloud,” thrived after renaming to LiveHive, a livelier metaphor for collaboration.

The Downsides

Of course, renaming costs money, from signage to stationery, and can bruise egos of founders attached to legacy names. But Watkins reminds you: a few months of adjustment buy years of memorability. The only regret her clients express? Not doing it sooner.

Ultimately, she says, “You have thousands of future customers who’ve never heard your old name.” So free yourself from the past and adopt a name people will actually love to say.