Dearest Mefites: Please help me name my bath-and-body product line!
April 11, 2015 1:31 PM Subscribe
Last year I learned how to make soap, and it turned into a rabbit hole of DIY bath products. Help me sell some of them with a clever business name!
I've been giving little lip balms and soaps and such away to friends but it occurs to me that it might be nice to make some money on this hobby, or at least try to break even. With Mother's Day around the corner, I think this might be the time!
My products include all kinds of handmade soap, and various body butters, bath bombs, lip balm, clay masks etc. My plan is to make up custom gift baskets where for a flat fee the customer can choose a few items and I'll wrap it all up nicely, or people can just buy individual products. The main selling point is that it's a locally handmade (high quality) product, and I live in a city filled with lovely hippies who care about that sort of thing. Unfortunately, I am terrible at naming. Any ideas?
I've been giving little lip balms and soaps and such away to friends but it occurs to me that it might be nice to make some money on this hobby, or at least try to break even. With Mother's Day around the corner, I think this might be the time!
My products include all kinds of handmade soap, and various body butters, bath bombs, lip balm, clay masks etc. My plan is to make up custom gift baskets where for a flat fee the customer can choose a few items and I'll wrap it all up nicely, or people can just buy individual products. The main selling point is that it's a locally handmade (high quality) product, and I live in a city filled with lovely hippies who care about that sort of thing. Unfortunately, I am terrible at naming. Any ideas?
I like jamaro's suggestion too, and I think it's indicative of the direction you should explore: The name of your product is a great opportunity to communicate what makes the product unique. For now, all we internet strangers know about it is that you made it, so the most obvious suggestions are based on your monikers.
posted by carsonb at 1:46 PM on April 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by carsonb at 1:46 PM on April 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
Your user name would be great, actually...
I was thinking the same thing. If you don't go with the dinosaur image, I'd do your name in a dainty, swirly script and make it look French or otherwise continental-ish.
posted by Thorzdad at 1:47 PM on April 11, 2015
I was thinking the same thing. If you don't go with the dinosaur image, I'd do your name in a dainty, swirly script and make it look French or otherwise continental-ish.
posted by Thorzdad at 1:47 PM on April 11, 2015
Best answer: I would definitely tend to stay away from funny graphic logos for something like this. You want people to think of your items as high quality, local, environmentally friendly, not like a novelty item. In particular, no one wants a bath product that suggests it will give you the skin of a dinosaur. I think the name could certainly work, but aim for something more natural for your packaging.
You could also go the more spa-ey European route. In which case, maybe there's something in the Italian bits of the etymology of Guelph that might work?
Eramosa, the name of one of the Guelph rivers, also seems like a good product name. I don't know much about the river, though -- if it's polluted or dirty looking, it wouldn't be a good choice for a bath product.
Guelph gets its water from the picturesquely named Arkell Springs -- that has potential for a more natural approach.
posted by jacquilynne at 2:07 PM on April 11, 2015 [2 favorites]
You could also go the more spa-ey European route. In which case, maybe there's something in the Italian bits of the etymology of Guelph that might work?
Eramosa, the name of one of the Guelph rivers, also seems like a good product name. I don't know much about the river, though -- if it's polluted or dirty looking, it wouldn't be a good choice for a bath product.
Guelph gets its water from the picturesquely named Arkell Springs -- that has potential for a more natural approach.
posted by jacquilynne at 2:07 PM on April 11, 2015 [2 favorites]
Betts and Bath Designs
Betts for the Bath
Guelphen Toiletries
Toiletries de Guelph
Tori's Toiletries
I think Torisaurus Rex is not a good idea, if only because Rex means King and you are female and, presumably, your target market is mostly female as well. Torisaurus Regina would at least be the queen version. Perhaps, as noted above, visions of dinosaur skin is not the best branding move either. On the other hand, dinosaur also has the connotation of being extremely old fashioned to the point of being rather out of date and that can potentially be spun positively in a "just like your grandma used to make" kind of way, if you so desire.
posted by Michele in California at 2:28 PM on April 11, 2015
Betts for the Bath
Guelphen Toiletries
Toiletries de Guelph
Tori's Toiletries
I think Torisaurus Rex is not a good idea, if only because Rex means King and you are female and, presumably, your target market is mostly female as well. Torisaurus Regina would at least be the queen version. Perhaps, as noted above, visions of dinosaur skin is not the best branding move either. On the other hand, dinosaur also has the connotation of being extremely old fashioned to the point of being rather out of date and that can potentially be spun positively in a "just like your grandma used to make" kind of way, if you so desire.
posted by Michele in California at 2:28 PM on April 11, 2015
Best answer: The main selling point is that it's a locally handmade (high quality) product, and I live in a city filled with lovely hippies who care about that sort of thing.
Then it seems only logical that the name should have some kind of local flavor. As jacquilynne suggested, "Eramosa" and "Arkell Springs" are good places to start.
posted by Faint of Butt at 2:41 PM on April 11, 2015
Then it seems only logical that the name should have some kind of local flavor. As jacquilynne suggested, "Eramosa" and "Arkell Springs" are good places to start.
posted by Faint of Butt at 2:41 PM on April 11, 2015
Soapistry.
posted by pantufla_milagrosa at 2:52 PM on April 11, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by pantufla_milagrosa at 2:52 PM on April 11, 2015 [3 favorites]
Maybe you could play off of another language's word for soap or for bath or whatever. Soap in French is savon, I think. You could go with Savon Soapworks. A name like that could go a little steampunk in the packaging, classic quality soap, or even crunchy, depending on the audience you are marketing to.
I think the first step towards choosing a name is to think of the people you will be selling to. What kinds of things are the already buying? How can you make your product seem special enough that it will stand out but familiar enough that they feel comfortable with it? Then I would write down tons of words that describe your product to this audience in a way that evokes this comfortable yet interesting feel. Then, work through these words until you get a name that will look great on your packaging but not paint you into a corner.
posted by Foam Pants at 3:26 PM on April 11, 2015
I think the first step towards choosing a name is to think of the people you will be selling to. What kinds of things are the already buying? How can you make your product seem special enough that it will stand out but familiar enough that they feel comfortable with it? Then I would write down tons of words that describe your product to this audience in a way that evokes this comfortable yet interesting feel. Then, work through these words until you get a name that will look great on your packaging but not paint you into a corner.
posted by Foam Pants at 3:26 PM on April 11, 2015
Are you intending to sell locally/in person, locally/online, provincially or nationally/online?
posted by jeather at 3:34 PM on April 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by jeather at 3:34 PM on April 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
I see you live in a place called Guelph, and you want to highlight the local aspect of your products...
Brand name: Guelph Goods Co.
Tag line underneath: Body goods. Made by hand. With love.
posted by AppleTurnover at 4:05 PM on April 11, 2015
Brand name: Guelph Goods Co.
Tag line underneath: Body goods. Made by hand. With love.
posted by AppleTurnover at 4:05 PM on April 11, 2015
Why limit yourself to Guelph? Go with "Soap of Canada" or "North American Soaps."
posted by oceanjesse at 4:09 PM on April 11, 2015
posted by oceanjesse at 4:09 PM on April 11, 2015
Guelph Cosmeceuticals
[place name] Dew by [your name]
[place name] Glow by [your name]
[place name] Rain by [your name]
[place name] Spring by [your name]
posted by carmicha at 4:12 PM on April 11, 2015
[place name] Dew by [your name]
[place name] Glow by [your name]
[place name] Rain by [your name]
[place name] Spring by [your name]
posted by carmicha at 4:12 PM on April 11, 2015
Mother Is Always Right Handmade Bath & Body Products
posted by Dragonness at 4:22 PM on April 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Dragonness at 4:22 PM on April 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: It there a hyper-local place name you could use to really appeal to your target market? A neighborhood or a street name, a river or lake or mountain?
posted by RainyJay at 4:57 PM on April 11, 2015
posted by RainyJay at 4:57 PM on April 11, 2015
Response by poster: Good call on the local place name, I don't know why I didn't think of that. My house very nearly backs on to the Speed River, so I think I may go with something along the lines of Speed River Soap Co.
posted by torisaur at 5:01 PM on April 11, 2015 [8 favorites]
posted by torisaur at 5:01 PM on April 11, 2015 [8 favorites]
The name doesn't matter so much as how you plan to market and expand. Speed River Soap Company sounds good.
Get one thing that you do well. Sell logs of soap. Lip balms, whatever. Just keep it in a reasonable limit. One key thing that you do, is it soap or lip balm? What are you going to be known for?
I just say this because I have been down that road before, making soap and lip balm and salve, and it so easy to build up inventory of things.... and then go, hey! Where is my profit? And then having tons of herbs and product and every single product must have a label. That's why selling logs of soap is great, because you can still do custom and not have to label it.
You are a mini manufacturer, so everything you sell must have a purpose and a container and a label. The creative aspect is great, the local feedback is great, but if you ever want to expand, you have to think beyond the name and decide how you will handle that. How will you source local ingredients? If you have to hire people, a room and space to dry the soaps, fill the lip balms, local beeswax? Etc. Think ahead, Speed River Woman. There's a name right there. :-)
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 5:11 PM on April 11, 2015
Get one thing that you do well. Sell logs of soap. Lip balms, whatever. Just keep it in a reasonable limit. One key thing that you do, is it soap or lip balm? What are you going to be known for?
I just say this because I have been down that road before, making soap and lip balm and salve, and it so easy to build up inventory of things.... and then go, hey! Where is my profit? And then having tons of herbs and product and every single product must have a label. That's why selling logs of soap is great, because you can still do custom and not have to label it.
You are a mini manufacturer, so everything you sell must have a purpose and a container and a label. The creative aspect is great, the local feedback is great, but if you ever want to expand, you have to think beyond the name and decide how you will handle that. How will you source local ingredients? If you have to hire people, a room and space to dry the soaps, fill the lip balms, local beeswax? Etc. Think ahead, Speed River Woman. There's a name right there. :-)
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 5:11 PM on April 11, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
And depending on the product I might tack on "Bath & Body Goods" or "Bath & Body Baskets"
posted by carsonb at 1:45 PM on April 11, 2015 [3 favorites]