---
name: brand/naming-evaluate
description: >
  Generate and evaluate brand names using Alexandra Watkins' SMILE & SCRATCH framework.
allowed-tools: [Read, Write, Edit, Agent, WebFetch, WebSearch]
---

<!-- arka:kb-first-prefix begin -->
## KB-First Research (non-negotiable)

Before any external research (Context7, WebSearch, WebFetch, Firecrawl):

1. Call `mcp__obsidian__search_notes` on the query first.
2. Cite relevant hits with `[[wikilinks]]` or explicitly declare a KB gap.
3. Only after (1) and (2) may external tools run.

The Synapse L2.5 layer pre-injects top KB matches on every user prompt;
treat them as your default source. External research supplements, it
does not replace the vault.
<!-- arka:kb-first-prefix end -->

# Brand Naming — `/brand naming <project>`

> **Agent:** Mateus (Brand Strategist) | **Framework:** SMILE & SCRATCH (Alexandra Watkins)

## SMILE (Good Names Have)

| Letter | Quality | Test |
|--------|---------|------|
| **S** | Suggestive | Does it evoke something about the brand? |
| **M** | Memorable | Does it create an association with something familiar? |
| **I** | Imagery | Does it conjure a visual in your mind? |
| **L** | Legs | Can it extend to a theme (taglines, campaigns, products)? |
| **E** | Emotional | Does it make you feel something? |

## SCRATCH (Bad Names Have)

| Letter | Problem | Test |
|--------|---------|------|
| **S** | Spelling-challenged | Does it look like a typo? |
| **C** | Copycat | Is it too similar to competitors? |
| **R** | Restrictive | Does it limit future growth? |
| **A** | Annoying | Is it forced, try-hard, or frustrating? |
| **T** | Tame | Is it flat, generic, descriptive only? |
| **C** | Curse of knowledge | Do only insiders understand it? |
| **H** | Hard to pronounce | Can people say it without hesitation? |

## Process

1. **Brief** — Brand positioning, target audience, brand personality
2. **Generate** — 30+ name candidates across categories:
   - Descriptive (what it does)
   - Evocative (how it feels)
   - Invented (new word)
   - Lexical (wordplay, portmanteau)
   - Acronymic (initials)
   - Geographical/Historical
3. **SMILE Test** — Score each name 0-10 on SMILE
4. **SCRATCH Test** — Flag any SCRATCH issues
5. **Domain Check** — .com available? Social handles available?
6. **Shortlist** — Top 5 with rationale for each
7. **Present** — User selects final name

## Output → 5 finalist names with SMILE scores, SCRATCH flags, and domain availability
