What alphabetic name/catchword should your company use?

The general rule when selecting a name/catchword is to choose the most easily recognisable – a catchword which makes your target group link the product/service to your company, and yours alone. If companies in the market are offering fairly uniform products such as loans, taxi services, flowers, electricity, insurance, home security, holidays, travel, cruises, etc., then the control of such names/catchwords is the most valuable strategy. But remember! Only one company can own the best name/catchword.
If you feel that the target group exhibits clear preferences towards certain companies, it will be useful to reinforce your own identity by using the name of your company itself.

What can we do if your company name or chosen catchword is too short (shorter than the minimum length), or if the number is not available?

Use your imagination! Perhaps you can think of other meaningful catchwords which might work, or you could even use one of your product line names as a catchword? One good idea, if the word you want is shorter than the minimum amount of characters, is to use the domain as a number or to insert words such as "CALL” (e.g., 1-800 CALL ATT), ”TO” (e.g., 902 2 SMART) or ”USE” (e.g., 1-800 USE ENCO). We have extensive experience in solving such problems, so don’t hesitate to ask.

What type of number should your company use as its Phoneword?

In front of the alphabetic characters, all Phonewords must contain a string of digits which denote the type of number in question. All countries employ so-called “location-independent” numbers as Phonewords. Location-independent numbers are not linked to specific geographic localities in the same way that local numbers are. This has the advantage of allowing your company to retain an established number even if it moves location or if the local dialling code is changed. In addition, a location-independent number will give the impression that your company has a wider market catchment area than would be the case for a local number, which may lead customers to think that the company’s activities are restricted to its own local area.

In most countries there are 3 types of location-independent numbers for which either:

a) the caller pays the cost of the call, or
b) the cost of the call is shared between the caller and the company, or
c) the company pays the cost of the call.

As the use of mobile telephones has become increasingly more widespread, a trend has developed by which companies increasingly opt for alternative (a). These alternatives may vary from country to country in terms of geographical coverage, the administration of calls made from mobile telephones, call rates, and the ability to receive international calls. Remember that alternative (c) – the free number – is open to misuse. Your own employees could use it to get personal calls paid for by the company. Many are also familiar with the practice by ”lonely souls” of calling such numbers and wasting your staff’s time and company resources.

In selecting your name/catchword, the general rule of thumb is to opt for the most easily remembered – something which makes the target group recall your product or your company, and yours alone.