Naming Candle Scents!

Naming Candle Scents Creatively While Following USPTO Rules
By Amy Stephenson Exclusively for Candlebrain.com

When naming your candle scents, you want names that are distinctive, evocative, and help your candles stand out in the marketplace. However, you also need to make sure your candle scent names don’t conflict with existing trademarks or fail to function as strong trademarks. Here are some tips for naming your candle scents creatively while also considering United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) rules and guidance.

Research Existing Candle Brands and Scents Before brainstorming candle scent names, research what’s already out there. Search for candle brands that are leaders in the space or popular among consumers. Make a list of their signature scents and scent naming approaches. This will give you an idea of current trends and help you identify any potential conflicts early on.

Some things to look for:

• What imagery or words are commonly associated with certain scents like lavender or coconut? You’ll want to avoid anything too generic.
• Do competitors use very literal names like “Cinnamon Apple” and “Fresh Cotton”? Or more abstract, evocative names like “Autumn Air” and “Daydream”? Consider taking the opposite approach of your main competitors.
• Make note of any candle scent names that are just one word or a place name. Short, simple names can make great trademarks if not already widely used.
• Look at how competitors brand scent collections or lines. Is there a theme or imagery connecting them?

Getting a landscape of the current candle market will inspire your own signature scent names and help you steer clear of anything overdone.

Brainstorm Imaginative, Descriptive Names

Once you understand the candle naming landscape, let your creativity flow. Come up with lists of potential names that evoke the scent experience you want customers to have. Don’t hold back at this stage – the goal is to generate lots of options to choose from later.

Consider the following when brainstorming:

• Vivid imagery – Transport people with names like “Forest Walk” or “Beach Bonfire.” Help them imagine the scent experience.
• Feeling or mood – Consider names that conjure up emotions like “Calm Days” or “Cozy Nights.”
• Activities – Ground scents in experiences like “Movie Night” or “Campfire Stories.”
• Short phrase names – Two or three-word names like “Morning Dew” and “Quiet Lake” can be impactful.
• Single evocative words – Names like “Sanctuary” or “Wanderlust” can capture the essence of a scent.
• Made-up words – Feel free to get inventive with lyrical names like “Solaluna” or “Synderellia.”

Don’t limit yourself at the brainstorming phase – come up with as many descriptive, imaginative names as possible to give you lots of raw material to refine and evaluate.

Review USPTO Naming Guidelines

As you start narrowing down your candle scent name lists, carefully consider the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) naming guidelines. While you want creative, memorable names, they also need to function as strong trademarks and avoid common pitfalls.

Here are key areas to evaluate:

• Distinctiveness – Stay away from generic scent descriptions like “Forest” or “Night Sky.” Names should be unique enough to stand out.
• Similarity – Ensure your top name choices don’t sound or look too similar to existing candle brand or scent names after doing your initial research. This could lead to the likelihood of confusion issues.
• Current popularity – Look up each potential name on Google to make sure it isn’t already widely used by other businesses or products. Common words or place names often don’t make the strongest trademarks.
• Descriptiveness – Don’t use names that just describe the scent notes like “Pine Forest” or “Minty Fresh.” These fail to create a unique brand identity.
• Other meanings – Do a quick check that your preferred names don’t have alternative meanings you want to avoid.

By keeping these principles from the USPTO’s naming guidelines in mind as you refine your candle scent names, you’ll avoid red flags that could derail registration down the road.

Use Scent Notes Creatively in Names

One tactic candle brands commonly use is incorporating scent notes directly into candle names. This immediately gives customers insight into the scent experience. However, you still want to put a creative spin on ingredients used to make distinctive names.

Here are some tips when using scent notes in candle names:

• Pair two complementary notes like “Lemongrass Agave” or “Coconut Pineapple.” This is easy to process and identifies scent layers.
• Add a location or descriptive word so it’s not just the ingredients like “Sicilian Lemon” or “Spiced Orange.”
• Use unexpected combinations like “Thyme and Tangerine” or “Basil and Berries” for novelty.
• Evoke imagery and feelings with additions like “Sunday Brunch Mimosa” or “Cozy Cabin Cedarwood.”
• Create a signature scent by highlighting unique scent note pairings that become associated with your brand.

Get creative with how you incorporate scent notes into names. Try out different permutations with other words and phrases to build intrigue and move beyond matter-of-fact ingredient lists.

Develop Collections and Holiday Themes

Creating collections or themes of candle scents is another great naming opportunity. Consumers recognize and get excited about seasonal collections like holiday or summer scents. You can also develop ongoing collections with complementary scent palettes and naming.

Some tips for collections:

Holiday collections:

• Create festive versions of your signature scents like “Fireside Chestnut” for winter or “Backyard BBQ” for summer.
• Build on seasonal activities and imagery like “Caroling Cranberry” or “Beach Day Coconut Lime.”
• Put a holiday spin on ingredients like “Spiced Apple Pie” or “Pumpkin Spice Latte.”
• Offer limited edition holiday scents each year to build anticipation.

Lifestyle or theme collections:

• Develop a travel-inspired candle line with names like “Italian Villa,” “Mountain Lodge,” and “Beach Cottage.”
• Curate a yoga or meditation collection with relaxing scents named “Peaceful Mind” or “Renew & Reset.”
• Create sets for different times of day like morning wake-up, evening relaxation, and nighttime.

Having candle collections gives more naming possibilities that consumers can easily grasp and get excited about.

Build Excitement Around Candle Names

Once you’ve developed creative, distinctive candle scent names aligned with USPTO guidance, the final step is building excitement and intrigue around the names you select. Here are some tips:

• Tell a story – On your website and packaging, expand on candle names to share inspiration and details that spark imagination.
• Spotlight signature scents – Promote one or two flagship candle scents as your brand’s staples and the starting point for customers new to your products.
• Share new launches – Strategically debut 1-2 new scent names at a time and tease them on social media to create anticipation.
• Develop seasonal traditions – Bring back popular limited edition holiday scents each year so customers eagerly await their re-release.
• Highlight unique pairings or notes – Call out unusually tempting scent combinations that make your candles special.
• Promote collections – Merchandise and feature candle collections together online and on shelves to help their naming theme resonate.
• Encourage user-generated content – Invite customers to post about their experiences with your candles on social media and share their images/reviews.

By showcasing your well-crafted candle scent names in action across platforms, you can build a connection between the names and the desired scent experience. This helps turn intriguing candle names into memorable scent sensations customers want to keep experiencing.

Following these tips will ensure your candle brand’s scent naming strategy taps into creativity and imagination while still checking the boxes for trademark strength. Taking time to thoughtfully craft distinctive, evocative candle scent names creates an important asset and point of differentiation. So infuse the naming process with plenty of creativity, but stay focused on developing names with branding power that truly resonate with your customers.