Blaiq v/s Iqbal

I have an acquaintance whose surname is Iqbal. He has chosen to brand himself Blaiq. This move, I think, can teach us a thing or two about clever brand-naming.

I believe Blaiq is a better name to market than Iqbal. Most obviously, it is more unusual. What with the vowels sandwiched between a comfortable 'b' sound and a strong 'k/q' sound, it also has a nice pronounciation-structure about it. Interestingly enough, it's also neutral. Now I'm not sure about this but taking into consideration the times we live in, Blaiq is a radical naming choice that's safe and sound - because Iqbal says Islam.

Make no mistake, I have nothing against Islam. But thanks to the world, Islam does bring out some very negative associations in people with half a brain. I'm sure Iqbal wasn't thinking about this popular prejudice when choosing to brand himself Blaiq. I'm sure, Blaiq, for him, was just a nice, clever, catchy, easy-to-pronounce anagram of Iqbal. And for me, too.

All I'm trying to get at here is this: If your suggested brand name has a back story with something prejudicially controversial about it, steer clear of it. Go for something that's neutral, rejigged and smart; like Blaiq. Inflammatory and bile inducing post, maybe. But hey, I thought it was an interesting naming claus worth thinking about. Diss it if you wish, but don't dismiss it.

Incidentally, Iqbal/Blaiq also calls himself IQ, which is an even better choice. That said, a name like IQ does put a lot of pressure on the brand to deliver on the promise of the name. Sort of like the expectations that come with having a name like 'Best Buys'.