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well in a way that nothing else we own can do; the first thing we own is our name and when we do proceed to yonder the only thing we can continue to own is our name. Being that a name connotes a certain personality or character trait we name ourselves and our children based on the preferred characteristic that we would like the person to have. Consciously or sub-consciously we mould our children and ourselves to fit the personality or character of the person. Names are our vessel of immortality. Immortality is deeply appeali ng. In my life I have seen people accept various religions on the basis of a life that continues beyond this one on earth with statements such as, “Accept Jesus as your personal savior and you will spend eternity with Him in heaven; you will continue to live.” This goes to show the depth of intelligence and intuition on the part of evangelists. They appreciate human beings deepest need to always live and exploit it to increase the number of followers. For example if a person is called Aaron his mother may continuously remind him that he is named after a biblical leader and therefore would be expected to make more risky decisions and show leadership and even into adulthood would sub consciously volunteer to lead groups showing his prowess in leading people. With all this in mind names continue to exist past our death; they possess an energy that can continue for generations depending on the investment in these names. Think of names such as Alexander the Great, Hannibal, Queen Victoria, King David, Jesus Christ, William Shakespeare, etc. people who have long left earth but whose names have reverberated long after their passing in the stories we tell, the books we read and the conversations we have. Names give us acceptability. Human beings can only relate with others that accept them. That’s why you could never call your daughter Jezebel. The idea would not even cross your mind. There are examples of a number of personalities and organizations that have changed their names to increase acceptability and likability. They include Sean Combs popularly known as P. Diddy, Dana Owens a.k.a Queen Latifah, Ralph Lifshitz who became Ralph Lauren (he changed his name because he didn’t think his name had enough panache for a styling business). Taking the time to explore the relevance of names one can’t help but to think of how naming relates to organizations and the best strategies to consider when naming an organization. Organizations to a large extent are greatly personified; they develop characters and associations by which we identify them. Choosing a company name is not an obvious exercise. As shown above names are of great importance and bear a greater significance than what most people would consider. This is especially important when you consider that the market is now full of people who are much more discerning than ever been witnessed in history. The following tips should be considered when choosing a company name: Keep it short and simple: The name chosen should be easily pronounced with few syllables and easily spelt. This increases chances that the name will be remembered and used creating an unpaid for awareness through word of mouth. Consider the web: Small letters are today’s new serious. This is because of the simple premise that as you develop a name you have to keep in mind that you are likely to have a Facebook page, a website and an 28 MAL 12/16 ISSUE