Naming it without a problem later

Naming in this category runs into a specific problem that other crafts do not have: the fragrance names.

Three names to check

The business name, the brand name and every fragrance name are separate searches.

People often search the first and none of the others, and the fragrance names are the ones printed on every label.

Fragrance names are the trap

Candle fragrance names borrow heavily from places, seasons and moods, and some of that vocabulary is owned.

Two specific risks. Naming a scent after a protected designation or a well-known brand, which is an obvious problem. And naming it after the fragrance supplier's own name for the oil, which is frequently a trademark of theirs and not yours to put on a product.

Ask the supplier whether their name for the oil may be used commercially. Many say no, and it is easier to hear that before the labels are printed.

What a name can imply

A name that describes an effect on the person, a "calm" or "focus" range, moves towards a claim about what the product does, which is a different conversation from describing a smell.

An environmental name implies an environmental claim, which the FTC Green Guides reach.

Names describing the scent, the place it evokes or the materials are safe and generally sell better anyway.

Before the labels

Search the federal trademark register, the handmade marketplaces and the obvious domains, for the business, the brand and each fragrance.

Do it before the print run rather than before the launch. The name is the most visible thing on the most expensive item you will order.

References