If you’ve already watched the video embedded on this page, you’ll know exactly where this rant came from — a paper bag of Kentucky Fried Chicken. Not KFC. Kentucky Fried Chicken, spelled out in full… just like the old days. It sent me down a rabbit hole about TLAs — Three Letter Acronyms — and why they’re one of the dodgiest ways to name your new business.
The Problem With Three-Letter Acronyms
I’ve seen a heap of people launching new businesses over the years, and for some reason TLAs keep popping up as the default option. The thinking usually falls into two camps:
- “It’ll make us sound bigger and more corporate.”
- “Eh… it’s easy. Three letters. Done.”
But let’s be honest — a TLA is meaningless, forgettable, and often downright lazy.
If you’ve ever tried to remember whether it was QPC Group or QCP Group or the one starting with Q something, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. TLAs are slippery little suckers. They don’t lodge in your brain because they don’t mean anything.
Yes, huge brands like IBM and KFC use TLAs now… but here’s the catch: they didn’t start that way. They launched with full names, built meaning and recognition over decades, and only then shortened them (and even today, KFC seems to be quietly swinging back the other way based on the packaging I was holding).
What the Naming Experts Say
In Marty Neumeier’s The Brand Gap, he outlines seven traits of a strong brand name. And TLAs? They only pass two of them — brevity and ease of spelling. Everything else? Pretty much a fail.
Distinctive?
Nope — TLAs blend into a swamp of other TLAs.
Appropriate?
Not when they don’t actually mean anything.
Likeable?
Not exactly bursting with personality.
Extendable?
Try building brand play around “QPR” or “XPZ”. Tough gig.
Protectable?
Technically possible — but only with buckets of marketing spend.
When the world’s top brands are overwhelmingly using real words or meaningful combinations, that’s a clue worth paying attention to.
What You Should Do
Aim for more than half of Marty’s criteria. Choose something with meaning. Something with personality. Something your customers can actually remember without squinting into the distance trying to recall what the letters stood for.
Acronyms can come later — if your customers naturally shorten your name for you. But don’t lead with one.
Bottom Line
If you’re starting a new business, please — for the love of branding — don’t choose a TLA. Make life easier for yourself and your customers by picking a name that actually means something.
