Find a unique name for your product or company with naming and branding software

With hundreds of thousands of new products and businesses entering the marketplace each year, a distinctive name could be what sets yours apart. But choosing a name is more complicated than just finding something with a nice ring to it; it must also accurately describe the product or company, must fit with your corporate identity, and must stay in the minds of consumers. Many companies turn to professional naming and branding firms for help, but you can also use naming and branding software.

I recommend: NamePro software, from the nationally known naming firm The Name Stormers, includes a database with over 100,000 names, name suggestions by category and connotation, a multi-language profanity, vulgarity and offensive meaning checker. NameBuilder Naming Toolkit Version 10, from MacroWorks, is available on CD or by download.

Make your emails stand out with company branding software

Email campaigns are an immediate way to reach out to potential customers, but these customers may receive hundreds of emails in their inboxes every day. And with the seemingly endless stream of spam emails, many people automatically delete anything from an unfamiliar sender. Email branding software can both set your emails apart from your competitors, and assure customers that your emails are legitimate.

I recommend: BrandMail Solutions stamps every email with your company logo, and with BrandMail's "secure icon," so recipients know the email is authentic. Software from onLetterhead plugs into Outlook, and lets you personalize each email with your company's logo, contact information, website and more. And, the software comes with several templates to choose from.

Use brand management software to make sure all your marketing materials communicate your brand

A meticulously crafted business brand won't help you if no one sees it; that's why it's crucial that everything the public sees from your company communicates this idea. Brand management software can make that easier by coordinating every piece of material sent out from your company, from print ads to direct mail to audio and video files. For companies with several locations, corporate branding design software can make it easier for branch managers or franchise owners to produce brand compliant marketing materials to distribute locally.

I recommend: Agilis Marketing Asset Manager coordinates everything from ad building to customization of collateral materials to creating and managing direct mail lists. Brandopoly is a web-based application that stores logos, photos and copy, so that staff members at any location can access them, creating consistency in your marketing materials even if your company has offices all across the country.