How to Capitalize Brand Names Correctly

Many well-known brands break normal capitalization rules: iPhone, eBay, YouTube, LinkedIn, PlayStation. Writing them correctly shows care and respect for the brand.

Common patterns

• Lowercase first letter: iPhone, eBay.
• Internal capitals ("CamelCase"): YouTube, LinkedIn, PayPal, PlayStation.
• All lowercase as a style: some brands present their logo in lowercase but are written with a capital in running text.
• All caps: acronyms such as IBM or NASA.

The start-of-sentence problem

What do you do when a sentence begins with "iPhone" or "eBay"? Style guides disagree:

• Some keep the brand's styling: "iPhone sales rose."
• Others capitalize the first letter or rewrite the sentence to avoid the issue: "Sales of the iPhone rose."

Rewriting is often the cleanest solution.

Logos vs text

A logo in all lowercase or all caps does not always mean the name should be written that way in articles. Check the company's press or brand guidelines page, which usually specifies how to write the name.

Why automated tools struggle

A case converter applying sentence case will turn "iPhone" into "Iphone" at the start of a line, or "YouTube" into "Youtube". After converting text, search for brand names and restore their correct form.

Naming your own brand

If you are choosing a name:

1. Make sure it reads clearly in both uppercase and lowercase.
2. Consider how it appears in URLs and email addresses, which are lowercase.
3. Check how it looks as a hashtag.
4. Write down the official capitalization in your brand guidelines.

Frequently asked questions

How to capitalize brand names correctly?

How to capitalize brand names: follow the company's own style, such as iPhone, eBay or YouTube. Brand name capitalization guidelines are usually on the company's press page.

Will a case converter break brand names?

It can. A text capitalizer applies rules to every word, so "iPhone" may become "Iphone". After using a proper case converter, check brand names by hand.