Carbonite provides online computer backup services. www.carbonite.com
(Full disclosure – I am a satisfied user of Carbonite backup services!)
The CARBONITE name brings to mind three things to me:
- Kryptonite – from Superman; a fictional element that is very strong
- Carbon chemical element – strong material from which diamonds are made (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon)
- Carbon copy – old fashion way of making exact duplicates
Why CARBONITE is a great brand name: The three definitions above all reinforce its services and its images – strong, reliable, and copy. Carbonite is not exactly a made up word, but it is a very obscure word and it is used in a suggestive, not descriptive, manner. So it is a very strong type of trademark to protect. And if you search the internet for “Carbonite” all the references should relate to one brand and one service. When you hear the word Carbonite in the context of back ups it is does not take too much imagination to figure out that Carbonite is a provide a service to make copies of your files.
The name is distinctive and it conjures up multiple meanings which subliminally or explicitly reinforce its services – reliability, copies, and strength. Bottom line, I love the name.
Lesson: Does your name communicate something about your services to customers? And if it does, what does it tell them?
