Tech branding through the ages: naming

At Northbound, we are brand navigators, eyes peeled, and ears perked to notice changes in the shifting landscape of tech branding. Observing trends over time lets us stay current with the constantly evolving preferences and behaviors of our clients’ audiences. By tracking these trends, we’re able to help companies adapt and adjust their own branding strategies to remain relevant and appealing to their customers, whether that means snapping to or side-stepping naming trends.

In Northbound’s The three ages of tech branding report, we grouped some of these changes into three distinct ages:

• First age of tech: Emphasized trusted reliability and optimization of technology.
• Second age of tech: Focused on disruptive innovation, personalizing tech solutions for the average consumer while challenging traditional norms.
• Third age of tech: Prioritizes intentionality, with companies and brands becoming more human, inclusive, and focused on the impact of technology on people’s work and lives.

The brand name is often the first point of contact between a company and its customers and can play a significant role in shaping the perception of the business. The tech industry is constantly evolving, and with it, so are the trends in brand naming.

Trends. We love them and we hate them. From lengthy acronyms to misspellings to made-up words, there have been several different trends that have come and gone across what we’re calling the three ages of tech. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at some of the most significant brand naming trends in technology from the past few decades and explore how these trends have impacted the industry. And, we’re also providing a guideline that you can use to ensure that your brand naming lives up to the standards of the third age of tech.

Brand naming trends in the first age of tech

The first age of tech spans from roughly the introduction of computing technology to the widespread adoption of the internet, generally from the late 1960s to the 1990s. The brand ethos of tech at this time was centered largely on the tech itself, with key messages about performance, reliability, optimization, professionalism, with “the company man” as its standard. Naming trends reflected this tech-first spirit.

Ultra descriptive: Many early tech companies used descriptive names that reflected their products or services. International Business Machines, Digital Equipment Corporation, American Telephone and Telegraph, Hewlett-Packard, and (deep breath) Systeme, Anwendungen und Produkte in der Datenverarbeitung carried traditional brand names that overtly stated the company’s core offerings.

Initial here please: Humans seem to naturally abbreviate any name with 3 or more words, and so over time (possibly immediately), the brand names above became the initialisms IBM, DEC, AT&T, HP, and SAP respectively.

Portmanteaus: Other first age tech companies took abbreviations one step further than a simple acronym. Paul Allen suggested Microsoft as an abbreviation of “Micro-computer Software.” Intel did this rather cleverly by using a relevant real word, which for them also stood for “Integrated Electronics.”

Numeric or alphanumeric names: Names featuring numbers were also common in early tech naming. 3Com (Computer Communication Compatibility) and 3M (Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing) come to mind. Intel broke new ground when they came out with the Pentium chip, since its predecessors were given names like the “80486 microprocessor.”

While some of these naming trends have continued to persist, the subsequent ages of tech have brought about new and diverse naming trends, reflecting the evolving nature of the industry and the changing priorities of consumers.

Brand naming trends in the second age of tech

It’s funny that as humans, sometimes the more we try to “stand out,” the more we conform. A driving force for much of this age’s brand strategy was to signal that you’re “in” on the new tech scene that emerged in the ’90s. Imagine you’re in Silicon Valley, you’re a hot start-up, you deserve funding, and you want to convey that move-fast-break-things attitude. Quippy, catchy names are all the rage here in the booming internet scene.

Fun-sounding coined names: An immediate departure from the seriousness of the first age is the trend of company names like Yahoo, Google, Zillow, and Skype. These names often feature repeating sounds or letters and give off a fun, informal vibe which is precisely the strategy of this second age – stand in opposition to the stodgy, traditional first age way of doing things.

Prefixes: This trend can be traced across several iterations. Prefixes like e- and i- signaled “modern tech” from brands like eBay, E-Trade, and eHarmony, together with Apple’s iMac, iPod, and iPhone paved the way for hundreds of followers in the second age. They’re easy modifiers for brands to tack on to something more grounding about what they do (e.g. the “trade” part of E-Trade) while signaling tech.

Suffixes: The ubiquitous -ly, -ify, and -able and other suffixed names made a strong appearance, and some still pursue this strategy today. From Bitly to Weebly, from Mashable to Humanly. Interestingly the name Spotify was apparently an accident according to Spotify’s founder and CEO. These names do a couple of things: they can make a new invented word out of a recognizable word for better trademark protection. It also makes the name sound active (think of Shopify). And third-ly, perhaps more practical-ly, companies can acquire a clean URL using the country domain of Libya.

Creative misspellyngs: We saw countless dropping of vowels like Tumblr or Flickr or flipping of vowels like Lyft. It signals tech, but from a brand management perspective misspelled words are rarely a good strategic choice just because of the headache of constantly repeating, “It’s like ____ but spelled ____.”

Get verbed: An interesting linguistic feature of some of these popular brand names is their ability to morph from nouns to verbs. People point to Google, Uber, or Slack as examples of that sweet verbed action. The reality is that you can’t manufacture verbal usage of a brand name. It really only comes with popularity and regular use. When the name is used so frequently, over time it just becomes easier to say, “Slack me that hilarious gif” rather than “send me that hilarious gif on Slack.”

The second age of tech brand naming was characterized by an irreverent departure from the seriousness of the first age. While naming trends continued along this more informal path, the silliness of the second age matured into a more purposeful and intentional approach to naming.

Emerging brand naming trends in the third age of tech

As we move towards the end of the 2010s we enter into the third age of tech brands, marked by the dominance of social, the rise of the gig economy, and the mainstreaming of AI. We see a shift towards names that are more human, descriptive, and purposeful. Companies are striving to appeal to a wider audience and make their products easier to understand and navigate. With a desire to shed the first and second ages, third age tech companies are aiming to create brand integrity by aligning a company’s naming practices with its greater purpose in the market. Let’s take a closer look at some of these naming trends and how they’re shaping the way we perceive and interact with brands.

Actual human names: This one is a bit of a carryover from the second age where you see many brand names appearing as single-word human first name brands. Oscar health insurance, Warby Parker eyewear, Marcus online-only bank, Casper mattresses. This trend signals the shift into the third age of tech where brands are trying (successfully or unsuccessfully) to appear more human. It’s not scary, technical, difficult-to-understand health insurance; it’s your pal Oscar, and he just cares about what matters to you. Attention is being focused less on the tech and more on the benefits to the customer and to meeting them where they are.

Beyond the product: In recent years we’ve begun to see companies that had been built around a hero product now seek to create an entirely new brand to sit above the product. This trend doesn’t overtly support the theme of “humanness” as much as a human name might, but it does signal that these companies are trying to reach a wider, more diverse audience that they couldn’t reach with their product brand alone.

• Square creates Block
• Facebook creates Meta
• Snapchat creates Snap
• Google creates Alphabet
• SurveyMonkey creates Momentive
• Outside of tech, we see this shift in other industries, like Dunkin’, Domino’s, and Starbucks dropping Donuts, Pizza, and Coffee (coincidentally 3 of my favorite things), both for simplicity’s sake and perhaps to market their other better-selling products. Dunkin’ latches onto coffee because it’s habitual and high margin; Domino’s pushes breadsticks and chicken; Starbucks branches out into egg sandwiches and non-coffee drinks to appeal to a wider audience.

First- and second-age makeovers: There are many reasons companies consider a rename – though there are few good reasons, but that’s a topic for another day. One thing we see in recent renames is a desire to move away from tech-focused naming to creating names that tell a broader story, that clarify and support a mission, or even just add a bit of magic.

• Miro, formerly RealTimeBoard
• Reveal, formerly Sharework
• Keyloop, formerly CDK Global
• OpenWeb, formerly Spot.IM

Descriptive portfolio naming: What we frequently hear from enterprises with large portfolios is a desire to simplify and streamline their product names, moving from a house of disparate brands to more of a consistently branded house. The goal is to make it easier for customers to navigate and break down barriers to purchase. That’s where good descriptive naming comes into play. Descriptive names aid in wayfinding, and can generate quick, easy understanding at a low investment so that customers can find what they need fast. With so much vying for our attention, sometime the most effective naming solution is a straightforward descriptive name.

AI naming trends

The third age explosion of AI has opened up a new universe for naming. Like in the early days of the internet, you can see some common naming trends emerging in the mad dash to win the AI race. Companies may lean on these trends to signal that they’re “part of the team” – or they may deviate from them entirely to create something novel.

The evolution of tech brand naming reflects the broader shifts in the industry through these three distinct ages. Initially, names emphasized reliability and technological optimization, then shifted to disruptive and personalized solutions, breaking away from legacy conventions. Today, brand naming prioritizes intentionality, inclusivity, and human-centric values, emphasizing the impact of technology on people's lives. As trends in brand naming continue to evolve, they shape and are shaped by the changing landscape of the tech industry.

A guide to brand naming in the third age

Here are the key elements to consider and use as a guide for your next naming undertaking:

Human-centric naming: Consider using actual human names to create a sense of familiarity and approachability.

Beyond the product: Develop a new brand that sits above the product to reach a wider, more diverse audience.

First- and second-age makeovers: Rename to move away from tech-focused names and create names that tell a broader story or support a mission.

Descriptive portfolio naming: Simplify and streamline product names for easier customer navigation and understanding. Focus on straightforward descriptive names to aid in wayfinding and reduce barriers to purchase.

Intentionality and inclusivity: Choose names that reflect the brand's mission and values, emphasizing the human impact of technology. Ensure names are inclusive and resonate with a diverse audience.

Adaptability and future-proofing: Select names that are flexible and can evolve with the brand as it grows and diversifies. Avoid overly specific or technical names that might limit future brand expansion.

Brand Integrity: Align naming practices with the company’s greater purpose and market position to build Brand Integrity.

Simplification: Drop overly descriptive or limiting elements from brand names to simplify and broaden appeal.

Ready for more? Download The three ages of tech branding report to access a checklist to learn what you can be doing to better your brand for today’s tech-infused world.

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