Crowdsourcing Your Brand Name: Platforms, Strategies, and Pitfalls

Can the crowd name your brand better than you can? Crowdsourcing has produced winning names for major companies — and spectacular failures for others. Here's how to use it effectively.

What Is Naming Crowdsourcing?

Crowdsourcing your brand name means soliciting name suggestions from a large group — whether through dedicated platforms, social media, or your existing community. You're leveraging diverse perspectives to find ideas you might never generate alone.

Platforms for Crowdsourced Naming

Squadhelp

The largest naming contest platform. Post a brief, set a prize ($100-$500+), and receive hundreds of name suggestions from a global community of naming enthusiasts. Includes trademark screening and audience testing.

Naming Force

Similar to Squadhelp with a community of professional namers. Contests run for a set period with guaranteed prizes.

99designs (NamingForce)

Primarily known for design, 99designs also offers naming contests through their NamingForce service.

Reddit

Subreddits like r/namenerds, r/business, and industry-specific communities can generate creative suggestions — for free.

Twitter/X

Posting "Help me name my startup" to your followers can generate surprisingly good results, especially if you have an engaged audience.

How to Run a Successful Naming Contest

Write a Detailed Brief

The quality of submissions directly correlates with brief quality. Include:

• What your business does (in plain language)
• Target audience
• Brand personality and values
• Names you like (and why)
• Names you dislike (and why)
• Must-haves (length, style, tone)
• Deal-breakers (specific words, styles to avoid)

Set Appropriate Prizes

Higher prizes attract more and better submissions. For Squadhelp, $200-$300 is standard; $500+ attracts top-tier namers.

Engage Actively

Rate submissions, provide feedback, and steer the creative direction throughout the contest. Passive contest holders get worse results.

Run Multiple Rounds

Many platforms support multiple rounds. Use Round 1 for broad exploration and Round 2 to refine the best directions.

Crowdsourcing Through Your Community

Social Media Polls

Post your shortlist and let followers vote. This generates engagement AND market validation simultaneously.

Email Your List

If you have an email list, send a naming survey. Existing customers often provide the most relevant feedback.

Focus Groups

Recruit a small group from your target audience for a naming session. In-person or video calls allow deeper exploration than polls.

Advantages of Crowdsourcing

Diversity of Perspectives

Hundreds of people from different backgrounds, cultures, and industries generate ideas you'd never think of alone.

Market Validation

If your community participates in naming, they feel ownership of the brand. This creates built-in advocates.

Cost-Effective

Naming agencies charge $15,000-$75,000+. Crowdsourcing contests cost $100-$500. The quality gap has narrowed significantly.

Speed

Contests typically run 3-7 days. You get hundreds of options in under a week.

Pitfalls to Avoid

Design by Committee

Too many opinions create indecision. Use the crowd for generation, not final selection. The founder(s) should make the final call.

Ignoring Availability

Crowdsourced names are rarely checked for domain or trademark availability before submission. Many winning names turn out to be unavailable.

Legal Issues

Ensure your contest terms include IP assignment — the winning namer must transfer all rights to the name. Reputable platforms handle this automatically.

Bias Toward Cleverness

Crowds often favor clever wordplay over practical brandability. A name that's fun to create might not be fun to use as a business name.

Too Many Options

Receiving 500 suggestions can be overwhelming. Develop scoring criteria before the contest ends to evaluate systematically.

Evaluating Crowdsourced Names

Score each finalist on:

• Memorability (1-5) — Would you remember it after hearing it once?
• Relevance (1-5) — Does it connect to your business?
• Pronunciation (1-5) — Can everyone say it correctly?
• Availability (pass/fail) — Domain, social handles, trademark
• Uniqueness (1-5) — Does it stand out from competitors?

Check Availability Before You Decide

The single most important step after crowdsourcing: verify that your winning name is actually available.

Use BrandScout to instantly check any name across domains and social platforms. Don't fall in love with a name you can't actually use.