[One Thousand Characters a Day] Kim Il-ri's 'Writing for Branding' <4>

Editor's NoteWriting for branding (BX writing) is the process of creating and completing the most important assets needed for branding through writing. Whether you are contemplating the naming of a product or service, or crafting advertising or promotional copy, it serves as a compass and guide for all brand activities, as if you hold a "written map." We have now entered an era where advertising slogans or microcopy can be entrusted to ChatGPT. At times like these, it becomes even more important that the wording surrounding the brand does not become mixed; the writing that forms the core framework of the brand is far more crucial. Brands that maintain their uniqueness and deliver consistent messages are not easily shaken. Word count: 1062 characters.

As everyone knows, deciding on a name means creating a specific word that will be called countless times by many people in the future, while simultaneously conveying the most important core image and attributes of the brand. Moreover, once a name is decided, changing it to something else is almost impossible.

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Nevertheless, there are reasons why I enjoy naming work.

First, it allows you to experience the culmination of higher-level planning. Usually, the concept that becomes the prototype for detailed planning that leads to actual deliverables is called higher-level planning. It involves finding the essential reasons for creating a good concept and system and for the direction in which the business should be developed. Many people think that naming work involves coming up with brilliant ideas or clever names quickly, but in reality, it is born from a process of repeatedly delving into the most fundamental parts of planning and pondering deeply. Therefore, after working on naming once, you gain the advantage of having the entire planning process stored in your mind.

Second is the influence it carries. As I mentioned earlier, having many people call the name you created is an incomparable honor. For example, a building name I named was once ranked among the top 10 most searched locations on a taxi-hailing service. Thinking that I personally created the name of a place that is mentioned hundreds of times a day or appears in the eyes and hands of users made me incredibly happy. It is certainly a difficult and burdensome task, but it is also an undeniable fact that it is an opportunity to positively influence people's perceptions and experiences.

Lastly, which is also related to the theme of this book, is that by repeatedly working on naming tasks, you can rapidly develop your ability to handle brand language. Furthermore, while much of BX writing serves as the foundation and source for marketing or design activities, naming itself takes the forefront and leads the fate of the brand, making it the area where you can most strongly feel the effects of writing for branding. Therefore, if you work in brand-related fields, it is greatly beneficial to take an interest in naming work at least once.

－Kim Il-ri, <Writing for Branding>, Wisdom House, 18,000 KRW

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.