Naming

Every company, product, and person has a name: a term meant to identify them and only them. Human names imply genders and cultural backgrounds, while brand names can say almost anything about the company or offering they represent. And while it’s OK if there are a bunch of guys named ‘James’ or ‘Mueller’ out there, the same can’t be said for trademarks.

I’ve worked on over 150 naming projects, ranging from wild-eyed startups to exciting product launches to high-stakes corporate rebrands. Whether your endeavor is still just a gleam in your eye, or an org-wide juggernaut barreling towards launch, I can help you figure out what story to tell, how to tell it, and how to own it.

Below are my naming packages, some names I named, and a beginner’s guide to thinking about naming.

Names I Named

Here’s a sampling of names that I played an integral role in creating, and where (with one exception) they actually became something.

Alchemy

Realizing educator potential.

Meridian

Navigate a sea of longitudinal data.

Noom Mood

Extending a monolith into an ecosystem.

Encore

A new lease on life.

Tripadvisor Plus

In the face of uncertainty, less is more.

Rectify

For shits and giggles.

Symbia

Helping teams work better together.

Caterpillar

Finding fitness one small step at a time.

BioAdvanced

Renaming for consistency.

Dragonberry Energizer

A hyperactive refresher.

Naming Packages

Naming Fundamentals

For small to medium-size orgs who need help figuring out what to stand for, as well as coming up with an available name.

You get: A brand positioning statement, and 15 availability-screened names per round

1-2 weeks | $5-$10k

Advanced Naming

For people naming within organizations that have complicated socialization steps, or layers of brand and legal approval to clear.

You get: 15 availability-screened names per round, and ongoing socialization support

4+ weeks | $10-20k

Naming + System

For organizations with a new or rapidly evolving brand architecture, looking to get a head start on future naming initiatives.

You get: 10 name sets per round, and a naming system and toolkit

6+ weeks | $20k +

Naming 101

Your name is the first word of your story, and the last one, too. The story it sets you up to tell needs to be the right one. Your name won’t carry every nuance of your brand, but it’ll be the anchor that holds it all together.

Find your story

Every name sets you up to tell a story. Yours should be based on the ideas that are authentic to you, relevant to your customers, and different from your audiences. They should be ones that are true today and will stay true tomorrow, and remain true across everything this name needs to encompass.

Will you focus on your origin? Are the people or places behind the creation of the offer what will be most relevant, like Disney or McKinsey?

Will you emphasize the definition of the offer itself, because, like Netflix or Sleep Country, what you’re doing is on its own unique?

Will you talk about the attributes that make the offer stand out, like Mini or Costco, to show how exactly you’re different from your competitors?

Will you focus on a singular audience you serve, like Salesforce or Peloton, because you alone understand them well enough to serve their unique needs?

Or will you talk about the amazing benefits your offering can provide, like Marvel or Excel, because that end state is what brings all your offerings together?

Craft your story

With a great story in mind, you’ve got to find the right vehicle. These names vary in directness, from the clear and blunt to the vague but extremely flexible.

Some stories are really simple, and can be told straightforwardly using existing language, what I call intuitive names. The Container Store doesn’t contain a hidden backstory, it’s just a store where you can buy containers. Disney says exactly what it means to: that was the name of the guy! This might be right for you if you like real words like Bank of America, lightly modified ones like Citi, or smooshed-together ones like BuzzFeed.

Some stories have multiple parts, or ones not well-served by existing language, or that would be gauche to simply claim outright. These are best served by oblique references and metaphors, what I call evocative names. Tesla doesn’t literally say mad scientist of electricity, but it implies it. Pantone says ‘all colors,’ just not with an existing word. This might be more your speed if you’re into metaphors like Oracle, identifiable neologisms like Pantone, or ten-dollar words like Peloton.

And some stories are really complicated, or contradictory, or changeable, and you need a vehicle flexible enough to complement all those stories, even if it doesn’t tell any explicitly—a cryptic name. Apple works just as well for computers and phones as it does for bank cards, exactly because of its mystery. Palantir has a story to tell about evildoers’ intelligence-gathering tools, but they don’t have to tell that story if they don’t want to. This might be your territory if you’re into totally invented words like Spotify or Noom, obscure stories like Apple as a reference to Isaac Newton’s brilliance and ethos, or non-local words like Kijiji or Hulu. Also… you’re gonna need a lot of money to get whatever your story is into people’s heads.

Want to find the heart of your story?