Market Names

How do you choose a business name?

You don’t want to rush this step, spend a few days pondering what name you want to represent your business.Ask yourself the following questions to narrow your options.

Does the name make sense for the business?

Most likely, you want to choose a name that when people see it for the first time, they can get an idea of what type of business you are and what services you offer.

Is the name easy to remember?

Successful names for businesses are usually shorter since it’s easier to remember.

You will also want to consider avoiding jargon that’s not widely known, hyphens, and multiple syllables might confuse people when searching.

Some companies choose rhyming words to help make the name stick in people’s minds.

Is the name easy for people to spell?

Some companies purposely select names that are misspelled, or that the audience can’t spell easily.

This is a risky approach that some use to try and stand out, but ultimately you must consider if users are going to struggle to find your business when searching online.

You’ll want to choose a name that is spelled like it sounds, or else you might find yourself wasting time reciting how to spell it correctly.

Will the name be too limiting?

You might want to avoid getting too specific with your business name if you plan on expanding your products and services over time.

Is your name meaningful to your audience?

Your business name should be something that appeals to the general public. Done correctly, your customers should feel a connection to the brand.

Does it look appealing?

Consider how your business name will look visually. If it is going to include multiple words, consider how it will look on paper, online, and how the name will generally fit within your new brand.

Names to consider:

Good

Good is a simple, all-purpose word that indicates satisfaction and excellent quality. When most folks describe a positive experience, they say it was GOOD. Graphically, I love the short name and the two circles in the middle of the word. That space can be used for an endless supply of icons. Immediately, I want to put a fork in one and a tasting glass in the other.

You can leverage the Good name in many ways:

  • Good food. Good wine. Good beer.

  • Good quality. Good Prices.

  • A Good cause — You may wish to donate a percentage of profits to charity.

  • Good ideas can lead you down any path.

GoodExpressMarket.com and GoodTastingRoom.com

Provisions

Provisions is an old world word based on “to provide.” In the modern world, it indicates a supply of food or other necessities. Plans are made and needs are met. Break it down and see PRO and VISION, both active and powerful words. And, it feels very Northwest since you can imagine Lewis and Clark collecting Provisions for their trip. Synonyms include plan, store, stock, catering, supply, and groundwork.

ProvisionsExpressMarket.com and ProvisionsTastingRoom.com


The Square — The Circle

The Square indicates a gathering place in a city, an open area with trees and a park. Plus, it is an honest and fair deal, a Square deal. A square is sturdy and clean, just and equitable. The Circle indicates a group of people sharing an interest, sharing an activity, sharing a friendship. An invitation can be phrased “Join The Circle.” The wine club can be called “Circle of Friends.” You get the idea.

TheSquareExpressMarket.com or TheSquare.Market

CircleTastingRoom.com or TheCircleTastingRoom.com

Honorable mention: Bite — Sip

Bite explains itself. As a verb, it inspires action and indicates the act of getting a meal. Let’s grab a bite. Many food festivals are named “The Bite of the City” and the association is with tasty morsels. In this case, I have named the upstairs tasting room separately. Sip indicates to drink a little at a time, to absorb tiny morsels of tasty beverages. I think we can make Bite and Sip work well together.

BiteExpressMarket.com and SipTastingRoom.com

Market Suffix Choices

…Express Market

…Grab & Go Market

…Gourmet Market

…Fresh Market

…Fast & Fresh Market


Tasting Room Suffix Choices

…Tasting Room

…Taps & Tastes

…Cork & Keg

Creative Brief: Market and Tasting Room


Participants

Kris, TJ, and David — November 13, 2019

Overview

What would you like us to do for you? What is the purpose and scope of the project (heighten credibility, expand services, sell 2000 widgets, etc.)?

The first answer is, “Make us famous!” Of course, that comes with big smiles all around the table, but it is still a serious answer. The goal of the project is to create a positive and professional brand that will connect with customers and lead buyers to purchase high-quality food and beverages. The brand will also need to fit an expanding base of similar markets in locations around Wenatchee and other NorthWest markets.

The discussion continued to say that the brand should identify us, distinguish us from our competition, and make us look pro. We’re looking for something serious and top-shelf.

Note: The brand of this market must be quite different than Earnie’s Market.

Projects include

  • Develop Business Name — Three or more options

  • Design Logo — Three options

  • Design Business Identity

  • Design Website — Simple five-page overview site with NO online sales yet. We want to highlight the “menu” that the market offers. The site should also have a full list of beers and wines on tap. We may (eventually) offer delivery through the website. We may (eventually) offer catering.

Creative Considerations

What limitations or constraints do you have (budget, schedule, size, paper, etc.)? What elements or colors or other personal preferences must be represented in this project? Where will additional materials that we do not create come from? (writing/photography/illustration etc.)

We’re looking for a sophisticated and high-end image. We have very few personal preferences to consider. All colors are open. We have no writing, illustration, or photography so far.

We do have the architectural renderings from Tom, our grocery consultant. Some direction is set. Wood strips will be key to design concept. We may skip the brick and go with chalkboard wall.

Request: Can you please email copies of the latest renderings from Tom (if they are different than those shown above)?

Question: What are examples of projects of this type you have seen that you think are effective? Can you please share some samples?

Product Description

What are the products or services your business provides? What is the product or service that you want to promote? What are its features? How much does it cost? What is it made of and how is it used? What makes it different, unusual, or unique?

The market will feature a wide variety of “grab and go” foods. We will also have all the necessary convenience store items, but the focus os on food. We hope the space will feel like a high-end urban mini market. If we offer cigarettes, they will be under the counter. We will not offer lottery tickets. We will include a tiny section of essentials like over-the-counter meds, toilet paper, tampons, laundry detergent, diapers, cleaners, and similar.

Upstairs: When a customer climbs the stairs, they will find tasty small treats like local charcuterie, cheeses, crackers, and other delicious tastes. Plus, they will find a delightful selection of beer, cider, wine, and more. The chances are that the audience for the upstairs will be a bit more affluent and will be drawn to the space from a greater distance. The upstairs will be a beautifully designed space that is inviting and comfortable as a place to discover delicious adult tastes.

We hope to present a unique, fun, and tasty experience to our customers. The market will offer a wide selection of “grab and go” foods from salads to roasted chicken. Upstairs will offer wine, beer, cider, and a short-menu restaurant.

Competition

What makes your business special among similar businesses? What’s your value proposition? Who is your present competition? Who would you like to be competing with? What similar products or services are currently available and how good are they?

Of course, we compete with the big grocery stores, but we have something they don’t. We have location. We’re close, convenient, and tasty. Safeway is six blocks away, but it may as well be on the Moon.

In the neighborhood, there are a few spots to get food and alcohol. The brewery next-door is for sale, and it’s certainly not high-end. It’s nice enough, but not exceptional. Past the brewery, there is a small building that has housed a series of delicatessens in the past. They have mostly outside seating. There’s another brewery to the north a bit. It has a large outdoor seating area. The Alchemist is a small restaurant with food and wine. Pybus Market is not too far away. There are no convenience stores in the area, and certainly nobody who offers explicitly “grab and go” foods, wine, beer, cider, and tasty bites.

Target Audience & Market Realities

Who is your current primary audience (gender, age, socioeconomics, employment, geographics)? How much do they know about the product? What are their attitudes toward products or businesses like yours? What motivates them? Who do you want your audience to be?

We have TWO very different targets. The middle-class residents of the nearby apartment buildings make up an excellent and captive audience for the market. We think they’ll like the convenience of grabbing lasagne, salad, garlic bread, and a growler. We’ll also pick up some people from the park who are walking by or boating in the river. Our radius could be 1.5 miles, at most. Likely it is much smaller. The core audience is between 30 and 50 years of age.

Our second audience will visit Upstairs, and they’ll be willing to travel further to do so. They will be more affluent and interested in the experience. We’ll give them tasty bites, a wide variety of beer, and unique wines. We may have events where they can try six world-class tastes of scotch. There are literally thousands of good options for tasting events.

What we know from Ernie’s: People come in to buy coffee, cigarettes, energy drinks, sandwiches, beer, and wine. In the afternoon, more chips and pop are sold. BUT, we’re doing something different at Riverside.

We are unusual. Our new concept is that you can get groceries, grab and go foods, lunch, evening appetizers, beer, wine, and cider all IN ONE CONVENIENT STOP. We are trying to raise the bar so our customers can have better quality food and healthier options as well. The trend today is that people don’t cook much. They’re looking for tasty, ready to go meals. Prep time should be minimal. The audience is looking for tasty snacks, sandwiches, salads, entrees, and more. People are looking for convenience and quality. We’re close, quick, healthy, and tasty.

Daily market hours: 6 am to 10 pm. We may stay open until 11 pm on the weekend. Upstairs will be open Thursday, Friday, Saturday. And, we sill open for private events the other days.

User Benefits

How will the user be better off using your product or service? Will he or she save time, effort, or money? If so, how much? How important is this product to the consumer? Are there tradeoffs (higher quality, but higher price)?

Our benefits are pretty simple. Your taste buds will be happy. You’ll save time and effort. You’ll discover new tastes and new combinations.

Question: How will your pricing compare to similar products available? Are your customers price-sensitive?

Most Important Point (MIP)

What are the top three (or more) ranked benefits of your product or service? If you could choose only one thing the audience remembers from your advertising, what would it be?

1. We offer excellent quality food and beverages

2. We offer convenience

3. We provide a welcoming and pleasurable experience.

4. We offer unique flavors and unique combinations

5. We offer fresh, high-end, restaurant-quality food, but you can “grab and go.”

6. You can also enjoy the environment and tasty experience upstairs

Market MIP: Tasty, fresh, quality, convenient, food, and drink.

Upstairs MIP: Enjoy an inviting, conversational, cozy, and tasty experience.