3-Step Naming Formula Behind BlackBerry, Febreze, Swiffer
This guy named BlackBerry, Febreze and Swiffer, here’s his exact 3-step naming formula
Most product names are boring because they’re tossed together at the last minute. The BlackBerry / Febreze / Swiffer guy doesn’t do that. He uses a repeatable 3-step naming formula that turns boring products into brands people obsess over. Steal the structure, and suddenly naming stops being guesswork and starts feeling like a simple fill-in-the-blanks exercise.
The 3-Step Naming Formula
- Start with the product truth: What does it actually do better, faster, easier, or differently?
- Find the emotional hook: How should someone feel before, during, or after using it?
- Compress into a sticky sound: Mash product + feeling into a short, fun, repeatable word.
Why This Formula Works
- Forces clarity: You must know the real benefit before you name anything.
- Builds emotion into the word itself, not just the marketing around it.
- Creates names that are easy to say, easy to spell, and easy to recommend.
Real-World Naming In Action
BlackBerry turned tiny keyboard bumps into a visual metaphor you can see and feel in the name.
Febreze blended freshness and breeze into a single airy-sounding word that feels like clean air in your mouth.
Swiffer made a boring mop sound fast, swishy, and almost playful, matching the product’s quick-clean promise.