Effective company naming requires tweaking common themes/ideas/concepts so they present themselves as current, modern and relevant. For example, the rage now is all things green, environmental and eco-friendly — and many companies and products are named accordingly. So when a Malaysian based, energy conservation company came looking for a good company brand name, we knew it would require some extra bright thinking to stand out. (Fortunately, we’re wired for that.) Their former name had been Empower Controls. That’s a good name with both a literal and double meaning. The problem with words/names such as “empower” is that they are very popular. It’s tough to get trademark clearance on these types of one word names — especially when they are closely related to the industry’s terminology (i.e. empower… power… energy, etc.)
This particular firm has a technology that can stop the insidious electrical drain caused by all sorts of electronic devices on “stand by.” It’s the energy equivalent of having a leaky faucet in each sink of your house. In our discussions the word “trickle” was used to describe this slow leakage, and the new technology would be able to shut it off with the touch of a button, saving huge amounts of energy if implemented globally. We then took the word “Trickle” and married it with another word associated with energy… “Star.” Not only does star represent energy, it also represents leadership. To be “TrickleStar” is to be the leader in the reduction and elimination of needless electrical consumption. The idea stuck and the .com domain name was available.
I expect to see some big things from this company as their products are sorely needed. They have both bright minds and bright ideas, and we here at Tungsten think that’s brilliant!
When the good folks at Autoweb came looking for a new corporate name that would reflect their dominance in the global data exchange market, they turned to Tungsten Branding. Their recent acquisition of European-based Secorex made them the only provider of truly global data exchange and business automation. The new combined entity serves over 5,000 customers in 40 countries.
One of the challenges when naming an international firm is finding a name that is unique enough to pass all the trademark hurdles, (in this case the U.S., Canada and Europe) and yet still have some semblance of meaning. In the end, we combined the idea of “ubiquity” (Autoweb had become the de-facto standard for data exchange in North America) with the idea of being the “true” or genuine leader in the category. The result was Trubiquity… an international company known for integrating global enterprises. We were able to secure the exact matching .com domain name and the client created the corporate identity.
Their copywriter did a nice job of positioning the new name on the company home page with this statement…
Integrating, extending, all the time, everywhere… Trubiquity.
The official company press release had this to say…
“The name Trubiquity comes from combining the words ‘truly’ and ‘ubiquitous.’ It explains the company’s ability to offer customers a truly ubiquitous business-process automation solution, according to Mimi Miles, vice president of marketing. For several months, we’ve worked to create a new identity,” said Miles. “We chose a name that describes our unique ability to connect organizations and their business partners all the time, everywhere around the globe.”
So when looking for a corporate brand name with truly universal appeal, look no further than the bright minds at Tungsten Branding.
Make sure to tune into this week’s The Name Game on VoiceAmerica.com. (Tuesdays at 3 p.m. EST, 12 noon PST) I’ll be speaking with Pete Warhurst, President of PODS, a company I named about ten years ago, and one that sold last month for approximately $430 million. So from 70 storage boxes originally called “Portables” to a worldwide brand named PODS (Portable On Demand Storage) that defines its category… now that’s a good demonstration of the power of branding.
And since PODS is now the Kleenex of portable storage, and the word many consumers use to describe the actual storage units (much like people ask for a “Coke” no matter what type of cola is served) we will be asking Pete questions specific to creating and owning a word in the English language. Just how feasible and/or reasonable is it, to set out to own a word such as Apple, or Amazon, or Monster? It’s certainly not for the fainthearted, but it is doable if the timing, product and service is right. And we’ll discuss just when all those things align perfectly, and when you can actually attempt to own a word. It’s the naming equivalent of hitting a bases loaded home run, but that’s not necessarily what’s needed to win the game. Sometimes a bunt is all that’s required to score. So listen in as we talk with Pete and talk about his meteoric rise of the past ten years, and the role that branding played in his success.
Today was the inaugural edition of the weekly Name Game on the VoiceAmerica.com business channel. This will be a weekly internet radio series that will provide all sorts of company and product naming tips and strategies, as well as having industry leading guests commenting on trends in the naming and branding industry. The show airs each Tuesday at 12 noon PST (3 p.m EST.) Today’s show featured Tungsten client TeamLogic IT, with company president Chuck Lennon sharing how their IT franchise went through the naming process and how they came to pick the final winner. Chuck also revealed some of the ways the name was subsequently incorporated throughout the organization (i.e. their company cars were wrapped with the logo, their newsletter makes a play on the name, etc.) To hear the show it its entirety, simple go to The Name Game page on VoiceAmerica.com and click the link to hear the show. Alternately, you can also click the light bulb on the top of that page and have the show download as an icon on your desktop.
Next week we will be discussing specific naming techniques as well as interviewing Pete Warhurst, founder of PODS, a past client as well. PODS went from a newbie start up in Clearwater, Florida just ten years ago, to a major corporation that was just purchased for $430 million. So that pretty much speaks to the power of establishing a dominant brand. So be sure to tune in each week or listen to the archives for ideas, suggestions, real life case stories and inspiration into naming, branding and growing a successful company.
When Renee Emmett came looking for a business name for her marketing research company, she wanted a professional sounding name — one that highlighted her reputation for truly listening to her clients . The result?
Auris is Latin for ear, and while I’m not a huge advocate of using Latin for naming, it does have its place. It can be very appropriate for a consultantcy with a closely held clientele base. That because most new customer contact will be made in person and on the phone, (not via the mass media,) and therefore provides an opportunity to tell the corporate story. The questions “Why Auris?” opens the door for Renne to explain how she does business differently, by listening more intently and customizing market research to fit her client’s needs.
It would be different if this were a huge national retailer. Those names often need to communicate on a more literal basis such as Best Buy, CarMax and Linens & Things. Or a mass marketer might attempt to take over a word to borrow upon its attributes, such as Amazon, Apple, Monster and Target. But for the consultant type company, the business name must accomplish three primary goals…
1. Create a unique space in their industry. (You can check out company names in your industry by going to dmoz.org)
2. Tell a story… one that be expanded upon with further inquiry.
3. Be reasonably easy to say and spell. (Here is where the Latin can sometimes get tricky if one goes overboard)
In short, Renee did not need a “Research-R-Us” type retail name. She needed something professional and meaningful. It just goes to show there is no one-size-fits-all naming strategy for every company… each client’s situation presents a unique set of challenges and opportunities. And to find just the right branding solution requires an ear for listening, and a knack for naming.
When I first moved to the cozy little mountain town of Brevard, NC, I was struck by the incredible beauty of the place, from the Blue Ridge Parkway that weaves through the north part of the county, to the over 200 waterfalls streaming everywhere (more than any other county in the U.S.) Even more fascinating was a bunch of little critters they had here called the White Squirrels (Yes Virginia, there are White Squirrels… and unlike unicorns and leprechauns this is not some folklore) So I was a bit bewildered my first year here when the city held an event celebrating the flight of the Monarch butterfly. For this occasion they brought out two (purchased) butterflies for release. Only one made it out of the box. The other fell to the ground as the crowd of approximately a dozen people looked on. The silence was palpable.
Keep in mind that this former industrial town had just lost three major employers and was desperately looking to replace several thousands jobs. Any attempt to stir up business was laudable. But as I stood there surveying the beautiful mountains that surrounded this great city, I couldn’t help but notice the corner store on Main Street, The White Squirrel Shoppe.
That’s when the blinding bolt of the obvious struck me… “Why not have a White Squirrel Festival?” Here we were in one of the most picturesque towns in Western North Carolina and all we needed was to find that special “hook,” that “unique marketing position,” something to give people a reason to come here… and to do so in droves. Other counties could claim waterfalls, and half the country could claim Monarch butterflies. But as it turns out, only a very select handful of communities nationwide could lay claim to little known White Squirrel.
Now here’s where the power of branding comes in. With no more than a thought, a concept, the little White Squirrel, I met with the director of the Heart of Brevard. Once she was convinced that I wasn’t crazy (it took four visits) she agreed that it was a fitting idea… one that a number of individuals in the community had tossed around before, and that she would put it on the calendar for that Memorial Day weekend — only three months out.
That was four years ago in 2003. Within the next 90 days, The White Squirrel Festival was thrown together, piggy backing a music festival scheduled that weekend by John Felty of Jupiter Coyote fame. The event drew approximately 10,000 visitors, (in a town of 8,000 people) as well as generating international press and mentions on Jay Leno and Letterman.
Since that time the festival has grown in size and scope and is now the county’s number one event of the year, drawing more than 20,000 visitors this past year. It now includes a fantastical downhill gravity car event called the Squirrel Box Derby, two days of free music on Main Street, dozens of vendors, hundreds of White Squirrel sitings and thousands of visitors. Besides the obvious impact of the tourist dollars, others have benefited as well. One local resident printed a book featuring his White Squirrel photography. Another wrote a series of children’s books. And this past week, the White Squirrel Radio station (full disclosure… I joined in with 15 other locals to purchase the station) was relocated from the former owner’s garage to a storefront on Main Street.
This is all to say that sometimes when a city is struggling to define its brand, or to stake it’s claim, the pieces are right there all along. It doesn’t have to be fixed hard assets, or even geographic wonders. It can be as simple as a concept or an idea — like a bird-seed stealing furry white rodent or a funny looking cartoon mouse. So look out Orlando, Florida… here’s come Brevard, North Carolina!
When Tungsten client Harold Ware came looking for a new name for his business, he knew it needed to work on a number of levels. Having previously retired at age 47 as a multi-millionaire, Harold knew a thing or two about creating a good value proposition, and he’d come out of retirement to do just that — reinvent the way real estate professionals conduct business. Harold realized that even top producers were straddled with outmoded and inefficient systems that kept them from realizing their true income potential. He knew that because he had recently purchased several seven figure properties and witnessed first hand the lack of a comprehensive strategy for buying, listing or selling a property. This was a pervasive and systemic problem that wasn’t being addressed. Harold went to work and over the past four years developed The Maximum Value Home Selling System™. He was ready to go to market, now he just needed a great name.
After discussing Harold’s needs, we explored a number of strategies. A descriptive hybrid name seemed most in order. These types of names allude to the industry category as well as the company’s position in that industry. Examples include Jiffy Lube, Burger King, Priceline, and Quality Inns. In this case, “Max” conveys the idea of achieving the highest potential possible. “Avenue” connotes real estate, direction, destination, methodology and access. Combining them results in a distinctive new name… MaxAvenue, with the accompanying tag line, “The High Road to Success.” Notice how the use of the word “Road” in the tag line compliments “Avenue” in the name and further reinforces and strengthens the brand.
Keep an eye on this innovative company as it reinvents, redefines and improves the way real estate gets bought and sold. They’re certainly on the right path!
It started with one client’s wish to reflect her beautiful, bold web designs in her company name. Angela Nielsen had created NIC Media (for Nielsen Internet Consultants) and the name was creating considerable confusion. Not only were potential clients at a loss for what she did (media is a very broad term for everything from talent agencies to media placement firms, and “nic” is associated with a number of other online businesses,) but there was no sense of how she did what she did. So we aligned her company name around the way she created, not what she created. The result was One Lily, a high end web design shop known for eye popping design that was “Simple. Bold. Beautiful.” With the name change from NIC Media to One Lily, Angela saw an immediate improvement in the caliber of work and clientele she attracted.
But it didn’t stop there.
During the naming process, we came up with a number of similar names that portrayed beauty and elegance. Rather than being confined to web design only, Angela began to think about other ways to bring beauty into people’s lives, web design or otherwise. And that’s when it hit her… why not extend the One Lily brand with another of the names we developed, but this time offer candles, fragrances, soaps and other relaxation products. The result was BayBlossom.com, a place where you can “Nurture the Body. Renew the Spirit.”
This is what I call discovering a “pivot point,” an axis if you will, a point upon which you can “pivot” your company in a new direction… one that’s attribute based and not product based. After all, is Rolex really a watch company? Or a prestige company? And what are the ramifications by looking at things in this light?
One Lily. Bay Blossom. Two beautiful names with one mission in mind. That’s how great branding can help a business flourish.
When the accounting firm Decosimo CPA decided to branch into the merger and acquisition business (something they already had substantial experience with) they decided they needed a new name to differentiate themselves. This was an astute move. Many times businesses will create a new division and yet leave the legacy name in place. The problem is that the old name has branding “carry forward” (to borrow an accounting term) that might not fit the new business. An investment banking firm with an accounting image may be viewed as being too conservative and singularly focused to handle the diverse demands of a middle market merger or buy out. By creating a new entity, one based on the heritage of the Chattanooga area (you guessed it… they have four big bridges) they are now positioned to capture their share of the investment banking market, without being pigeon-holed as an “accounting firm.” (Not to disparage accountants… some of my best friends are accountants… I roomed with one in college… I even took “accounting for non-accounting majors”)
So for a firm with four major partners in a town connected by four major bridges, there’s now a major player in the merger and acquisition market. Introducing FourBridges Capital!
When the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel went looking for a name for their Monster® co-branded web site, they found a number of hurdles… lack of available domain names, trademark issues, etc. With a looming deadline and little time to spare, they hired the bright minds at Tungsten Branding to give them the “head start” they needed. The goal was to find/create a memorable and engaging name that communicated the essence of their mission (connecting employees and employers.) I refer to these as “descriptive hybrid” names, such as JetBlue and CarMax. These names provide a sense of the category as well as a sense of the company’s positioning in that category. (i.e. faster, better, cheaper, smarter, etc.) In a matter of days, the final name emerged… Job Noggin.
Job Noggin conveys both fun and intelligence. It’s a good internet brand name in that doesn’t take itself too seriously — and yet still speaks to the benefit of working smarter not harder — using the ole’ “Noggin”. Creating sub brands such as Job Noggin is a way for newspaper publications to redistribute their content in new, more accessible ways. It’s a developing trend in the industry as information delivery systems continue to evolve from paper to electronic formats. And for Journal Communications, Inc, the parent of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Job Noggin is just one more smart move. Now that’s what I call thinkin’.
