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’.