Question

Topic: Taglines/Names

Need Tagline & Business Name Ideas

Posted by beatek1 on 8/4/2011 at 8:45 AM ET 500 Points
My friend is creating her business online to sell (homemade) cakes and cupcakes. She named her business "Gail's Incredible Homemade Cakes". We have not yet branded the name. Her tag-line was to say "Tastes so good it makes you run to Momma". She is not sure if the name is "catchy" or if the tag-line is really 'off-base". She has a passion to bake and she has been dreaming about setting up her business for a few years. Now, she wants to start the business online first.
Oh yes, she is an excellent baker! We are just not good at brainstorming a business name and tag-line.
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by mgoodman on 8/4/2011 at 11:54 AM Accepted
    Many questions. Let's start with the three most important areas:

    1. The Target Audience Who is the target audience for this business? Where do they live? When/why do they buy cakes? Do they shop for cakes online, or will you have to teach them to do so? Where do they buy cakes today? What are the criteria they use for selecting a source for cakes?

    2. The Marketing Plan How are customers going to find her website? What's the marketing plan? How will they learn your friend even has a website? Is she prepared to invest (in marketing) what it will take to get the business of the ground?

    3. The Business Objective Does she have a business plan? Does she hope to make money, or is this mostly so she can prove that people will buy cakes online? How many cakes does she want/need to sell? Is it even legal to sell baked goods from your home? Does the local board of health have rules about selling food from a non-commercial kitchen?
  • Posted by beatek1 on 8/4/2011 at 12:43 PM Author
    Good questions! I forwarded the info to my friend....meanwhile do you have any suggestions for a business name other than "Gail's Incredible Homemade Cakes"? Any suggestions for a better tagline?

    Thank you.

    One reason why she called the cakes homemade is because she wanted the customers to know that the cakes did not come out of a box but would be made and baked from scratch with true ingredients!
  • Posted by mgoodman on 8/4/2011 at 1:42 PM Moderator
    The name should be one that will appeal to the target audience, address some important need they have, deliver a benefit that is meaningful to them.

    If we don't know who that target audience is, and what's important to them, how can we do a good job of coming up with a name?

    Similarly, if we don't know what's different and better about your friend's offering -- the cakes, the distribution method, the communication, etc. -- it's going to be difficult to express the difference in the name.

    Net: We need more information, or we're just going to be spinning our wheels. And if she doesn't have marketing and business plans in place, even the need for a name/tagline is premature.
  • Posted by beatek1 on 8/4/2011 at 2:20 PM Author
    Thank you. I understand where you are coming from, yet, for the start my friend wants to setup a business name and tagline for selling homemade cakes. She will be selling cakes online for delivery in her local area and shipping cakes to those outside the local area. Her uniqueness will be homemade and not mass/commercially produced. Some cakes will be her own unique cakes, some cakes will be popular known cakes.
  • Posted by beatek1 on 8/4/2011 at 6:05 PM Author
    I really would appreciate continued feedback!! I found this site to be so creative and productive!! I welcome all comments. Thank you!!
  • Posted by mgoodman on 8/5/2011 at 9:18 AM Moderator
    If your friend is hung up on getting a name, even if it doesn't help position her with the people who might buy her cakes, why don't you let her use:

    Gail's Incredible Homemade Cakes
    "Tastes so good it makes you run to Momma"

    If you are REALLY her friend, explain to her that in order to come up with a name that might actually help her sell some product she should first develop a marketing strategy and a business plan. Then use those as the basis for positioning and naming the company, creating a tagline, and developing a complete marketing plan.

    You/she are trying to run before you've started crawling.
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 8/5/2011 at 10:09 AM Accepted
    If your friend needs something to start test-marketing her business, consider:

    Gail, The Cake Lady
    Incredibly Delicious Treats

    Cake Concierge
    Delivering the Freshest, Most Delicious To Your Door
  • Posted by peg on 8/5/2011 at 12:33 PM Accepted
    Hi, there.

    While mgoodman is right, many solo-preneurs have an emotional need establish a name they love as impetus to get out of the gate and start their business. And if that's what gets you started, then do it.

    However, we're probably not going to validate Gail's choice here, because we can already see that down the road, she's going to wish she had made a different choice. (I'm not lecturing ... just explaining.)

    For example, the name is too long for customers to remember accurately. And, Gail will probably want to sell more than cakes once her customers beg her to do so. Also, not everyone *wants* to run to their momma. Once Gail has heard the 45th "bad momma" story -- or worse, "Thanks for reminding me of momma; I called her and SHE baked my wedding cake!" she'll wish she hadn't made that her tagline.

    Still, Gail needs to get started. So, here are some ideas that might give her more flexibility. Create marketing materials in a way that lets you change the tagline later without spending a fortune to do it, because Gail will want to change once she is focused on her customers' relationship to her baked goods rather than her own.

    Gail Bakes
    So delicious, your momma will cry.

    Gail's Incredible Desserts
    Tastes so good you know it's made from scratch

    Gail's Cakes & Desserts
    So good, they'll stop the conversation.

    Homemade Cakes & More
    So delicious you'll be swimming in compliments.

    Another important point in any business name is that you should reserve it, or something representative of it, as a domain name. It's no good to have a business name if the dot-com belongs to someone else. With domain names, the shorter, the better. Here are some available (at this moment) domain names:

    GailBakes.com
    GailBakesCakes.com
    GailsDesserts.com
    GailsIncredibleCakes.com

    One final word: The cake business is competitive so if Gail is dreaming of specialties such as wedding cakes or cupcake parties or whatever other cake fashion may come along (Starbucks' cake pop is an example of a new trend), she needs to work that into her business name.

    Hope this is helpful and please tell Gail that the resistance she reads here is meant with the most supportive of intentions.

    (P.S. Just gotta know, is she Crisco or butter?)

  • Posted by beatek1 on 8/5/2011 at 2:33 PM Author
    I hear you Peg. I know that previous comments were intended to be supportive. I have forwarded that info to her. I know that she will need to begin to focus more intently on what she is really wanting to do besides following her dreams and passion and expertise. I really appreciate your comments along with the previous commenter......
    I also appreciate your ideas..........that is what Gail is looking for as she thinks about all the great guidance as to what she needs to be do and to develop a strategy for her business.
    Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • Posted by beatek1 on 8/5/2011 at 2:37 PM Author
    I also want to thank Jay for your comments! I have forwarded all this valuable info to her. I do appreciate all comments and suggestions. Gail and I knew we were narrow in our thinking but did not know where or how we were narrow.
    Thank you!!!!!!
  • Posted by NovaHammer on 8/6/2011 at 8:23 AM Accepted
    G-Spot Baking
    Indulge Your Passion


  • Posted by beatek1 on 8/6/2011 at 8:39 AM Author
    Thanks NovaHammer but I think that emphasizing G-Spot for homemade cakes is a stretch! LOL My friend Gail got a good laugh too. Thanks!
  • Posted by Paticake41 on 8/6/2011 at 2:23 PM Accepted
    Well, I understand all the above written things and can certainly appreciate it all... I just want to offer you some actually meat and potatoes at this point (lol) ...

    Gail''s Homemade Delights
    "Baked treats that remind you of mom"

    Fabulous Cakes by Gail
    "Every bite a sweet homemade memory"

    I hope I know how to get one of these cakes...I love yummy treats! Good luck..:)
  • Posted by NovaHammer on 8/6/2011 at 7:10 PM Member
    beatek1

    Ref G's Spot
    Gail wanted to be seen, visted & remembered vs all the 'Home Made this & Moms that' different shops out there. Once they try your product the rest is up to you...

    I meant Gails Spot....you two are spicy ;)
  • Posted by beatek1 on 8/7/2011 at 4:24 PM Author
    Thank you NovaHammer and Patticake!! I love the creativity and practicality of this forum of help!! Gail and I are thinking now............hmmmmmmm...going to decide soon now.....
  • Posted by beatek1 on 8/17/2011 at 10:38 AM Author
    Thank you all!!!!!!! Everyone had something to contribute!! I appreciate it so much!!!
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