Why Liqz.com Has Billion-Dollar Brand Potential (According to Framework from Naming Expert Behind Sonos, Azure, and Impossible Burger)
A breakdown of David Placek’s Billion-Dollar Brand Naming Framework
From Lenny’s Podcast: Naming expert shares the process behind creating billion-dollar brand names like Azure, Vercel, Windsurf, Sonos, Blackberry, and Impossible Burger | David Placek (Lexicon Branding)
Based on the conversation David Placek, founder of Lexicon Branding, and the principles that underpin iconic names like Sonos, Swiffer, and Windsurf, here’s how Liqz.com aligns with and gains asymmetric advantage from the Lexicon naming framework.
1. It's Polarizing — and That’s a Good Thing
"If your team is comfortable with the name, chances are you don’t have the name yet."
Liqz is short, bold, and a little strange, which is exactly what you want. It’s unexpected. It breaks the mold of typical water or wellness brand names. That slight discomfort or “weirdness” is actually strength: it sticks. People remember it. And when people argue over a name? That’s energy, not a red flag.
2. It's Designed for Cumulative Advantage
"Nothing’s going to be used more often or for longer than the name."
Liqz is:
Short and easy to say
Visually unique
Memorable (4-letter names punch above their weight),
Trademarkable (distinctive and not a real word).
The name has linguistic signal. Q and Z are noisy, rare letters that make the name stand out in both memory and visuals, especially in a saturated DTC health & hydration space.
3. It Behaves Like a Brand of the Future
"We're not creating the name for who you are now, but who you want to become."
Liqz isn’t just about water. It evokes:
Liquids (without being generic),
Performance enhancement (sharp, crisp ending),
Modernity and futurism (Q and Z give off a tech-health crossover vibe),
Flexibility for product expansion (can be a water, a supplement, a wearable hydration tracker, or a wellness movement).
It’s a name that creates a world, not just describes a product.
4. It Has Asymmetric Advantage
"Why not start with an advantage in the marketplace?"
While most hydration and sports brands go descriptive (HydroMax, H2O+, AquaPure), Liqz carves out a distinctive position that’s:
Hard to copy (you can't out-generic a brand like “HydrationPro”)
Easy to build story and myth around (what is Liqz? It invites exploration)
Powerful in logo and design flexibility (4 letters, visually compact, strong icon potential)
5. It Passes the “Start a Story” Test
"You don’t want to make a statement. You want to start a story."
Liqz doesn’t say “we’re water.” It says “we’re something different, something you’ll want to know more about.” It opens the door to stories around:
Athletic recovery
Performance-enhancing hydration
Innovation in fluid science
Brain-body optimization
Interested?
Interested in acquiring, partnering, or developing liqz.com?
Wow that’s great strategy!