Some people assume that all naming firms are basically the same. And, that evaluating any two naming firms is as simple as comparing one fresh apple to another. While similarities may exist, naming firms are not all created equal. And while budgets vary among firms, money shouldn’t be the only factor you consider when choosing a naming firm. Selecting a firm without the proper experience or a smart creative perspective can cause more problems (and cost more money) in the long run.

A good naming firm should be able to articulate its creative process clearly, and should also have a solid system in place for vetting names. The firm you select also needs to have an innate sense of what makes a name perfect for you and your target audience. Some firms will push a particular naming style on all of their clients. Naming firms with an intelligent creative process will listen carefully, learn about your unique project, and present a range of relevant names and styles for you to choose from.

Some questions you might consider asking potential naming firms include:

Tags: naming advice, naming experts, naming firm, naming specialist, Naming Tips
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The lovely and talented Burt Alper was asked to provide some comments on baby naming for a fun show on the BBC Radio 4 program Word of Mouth. You can listen to the whole show here, or you can just click below to hear Burt’s remarks.

Word of Mouth

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This is old product naming news, but I forgot to blog about it until just now. At the end of last year, Chrysler (formerly DaimlerChrysler, formerly Chrysler Corporation) showed off a new concept car, the Dodge Avenger Tuner - Stormtrooper (shown at left, all white and shiny and spiffy).

Scott Anderson, designer of the car, posted this at the official Chrysler blog:

When I began to design the Dodge Avenger Tuner – Stormtrooper, I wanted to do more than create a cool-looking custom ride. Granted, the Star Wars™-influenced aesthetics has gotten great feedback (and mentions on non-automotive blogs like c-net). However, I was mostly concerned with creating something that was as futuristic inside the cabin as it was in its styling.

The visual influences are apparent. I was a big Star Wars fan as a kid, so the styling was heavily influenced by the George Lucas aesthetic. When we started working on the fascia design and applied the bright pearl white paint coat, the project totally took on a life of its own — we had a Stormtrooper, menacing grin and all.

So while I respect his Star Wars-geekism, I have to say that the level of aggressiveness in this car’s name really bugs me. You already have a fairly testosterone-y name in Avenger - and hey, I’m a comics geek, I respect the Avengers and especially Iron Man as played by Robert Downey Jr., and that Hulk movie was pretty good too. I think an Avengers movie will be awesome! But we’ll have to wait till 2011 for that, or so the Intarwebs have it. Who do you think should play Captain America? All I can say is that they better cast someone who can ACT.

Well, I seem to have wandered a bit. So, yes, Avenger. But Stormtrooper? I suppose that the resonance of the Nazis and World War II just hasn’t entered the consciousness of the Younger Generation. Although the Stormtroopers of the Star Wars universe have become iconic, I doubt that George Lucas meant to strip the word “stormtrooper” of its evil, terrifying connotations.

But who knows? Maybe this whole thing is a set-up to tie in to the Captain America movie! In 2011 they’ll have a red, white, and blue car called the Rogers that kicks the Stormtrooper’s ass!

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The Catchword folks are getting ready for our July 4th long holiday. (I’ll personally be camping on the Feather River for 3 sunny days.) Nothing says “mid-year” like July 4th. Or is it Independence Day? How peculiar that the holiday is often referred to by its date instead of its given name. Upon doing a little bit of research, I found that the French also refer to Bastille Day as Le 14 Juillet in France. I wonder why both countries refer to their revolutionary holiday by the date.

Speaking of mid-year, can I take a moment to recognize just how crazy it is that we are now in the second half of 2008?! How time flies when you’re naming!

One of Catchword’s big projects this year was a dramatic upgrade of our office environment. Most notably we remodeled our entry-way area, turning it into a swanky lounge. Additionally, we put some fun new signage up in our elevator lobby. Come visit us sometime and see our non-naming creativity first-hand!

Tags: interior design, interior design naming, naming firm, naming office
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It’s no wonder that with soaring gas prices, car companies are rolling out their gas alternative car models. The two that I’ve seen get a lot of press coverage recenlty are the Honda FCX Clarity and the Chevy Volt. The Clarity is Honda’s new hydrogen fuel cell car that begins beta tests this week in Southern California (but, only if you’re a famous Hollywood type). And the Volt is Chevy’s plug-in electric concept vehicle that is expected to be available to the masses in 2010. While neither car will be ready for the consumer market for a few years, they are both already causing quite a buzz.

What hit me almost immediately was that both car names are real English words. I wonder if concocted words or a Latinate name style was ruled out because Toyota seems to owns that style with Prius. (For those of you who don’t know, Prius is a Latin comparative adjective or adverb, with meanings “ahead, in front, leading; previous, earlier, preceding, prior; former; basic;” fitting for such a car in the green vanguard.)

I like what each of the new car names conveys about its car model. “Clarity” focuses on the environmental benefit, and perhaps even suggests how simple a decision it should be to purchase one. The name also fits nicely with Honda’s other real-word names: Accord, Element, Civic, Pilot, Fit, Odyssey, etc. All of these words (maybe with the exception of “Fit”), are real words with elegant connotations. Either that, or Honda has done a great job of imbuing each of the brands with elegance and reliability. Either way, I think Clarity is as equally elegant and evocative as each of the names in the Honda brand roster.

“Volt” appeals to Chevy’s tough and exciting brand image. The name is electrically charged, powerful, and punchy. Instead of conveying the benefit, Volt implies the radical new technology. (Similar to the way Zap car does.) Much like the Chevy Cobalt, the Volt has a strong, exciting, and charged tonality. The Volt electric car marks a huge energetic shift for General Motors. The Volt (hopefully) effectively launches Chevy into the green car revolution. If Chevy hasn’t already gone under or severely missed the green boat by waiting until 2010, then the Volt may signal a new era for the American auto maker. The name aims to capitalize on this monumental change in the automotive tides.

Of course, let’s not forget about the Smart Car that’s already selling its super efficient models in the U.S. In fact, by next year they plan on having a fully electric model available for sale. At $12,000 for the current gasoline-burning model, it’s no wonder that I’m seeing them pop up all over San Francisco. In parking-starved SF, it also doesn’t hurt that you can park two of these adorable little guys in the one SUV’s street parking space.

More green cars! And please, more exciting green car naming!

Tags: auto naming, automobile naming, automotive naming, car naming, Chevy Volt, electric car naming, green car naming, Honda Clarity, Smart Car, smart car naming
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You didn’t create your product or company overnight; so don’t expect to name it overnight either. Naming is a process that works best when ample time is spent exploring the vast creative possibilities. Plan ahead and allocate up to six weeks for a full naming process. The more time you allow, the more time your naming firm has to turn over every stone in the search for your perfect name. A good client will give their naming firm sufficient time to do their job, and in return a good naming firm will provide a fantastic range of naming options.

Unfortunately, extenuating circumstances come up, and sometimes you just don’t have a lot of time. Naming specialists can still help – we know how to turn things around quickly if there’s no other option – within reason, of course!

Still, if you have a choice in the matter, don’t put naming off until the last minute. Call your friendly naming specialists as early as you can.

This is part two in a ten-part CatchThis series. Check back every Monday morning for subsequent naming tips. Check out previous Naming Tips here.

Tags: naming advice, naming experts, naming firm, naming specialist, Naming Tips
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I thought this article on renaming airports was interesting. Wouldn’t it be great fun to help name an airport? (Somehow, I don’t think Catchword will get the nod for that work.)

Tags: airline naming, airport naming, celebrity names
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We recently made some interior design upgrades in our office. (See next week’s post for some visual examples.) Part of our redesign included swapping out our old Catchword sign for a new and improved one. Some of the old letters stuck around and we like to play word jumble with them, concocting all sorts of fun phrases. Here’s one I created when my iMac suffered a power supply failure last Friday. These G5 iMacs sure aren’t the sturdiest machines Apple ever built. (Notice the clever rearrangement of “d” to make a “p.”)

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Tags: fun with words
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Clients often ask us, “Now that I have a new company name, what’s next?” There’s still much to do, from announcing your name internally and externally to handling legal and administrative details. We’ve put together a handy-dandy guide to help you launch your new company name.

We’ve divided your name launch into five categories: Legal and Administrative, Marketing and Identity, Internal Communications, External Communications, and Technology.

Check out our guide by clicking the image above, or by clicking here.

If you find you need professional help, give us a call. We have strong relationships with firms that specialize in highly effective name launches.

Tags: company name launch, Launching Your New Company Name, Name Launch, new company name
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Occasionally we encounter start-up technology clients who tell us they want their name to be so popular it gets turned into a verb. Like, Google or Xerox. Oh ho ho, no you don’t! These big-name companies spend a lot of money fighting the genericization of their famous brand names. They all want to protect themselves from their brand name becoming so generic that they lose their trademark rights.

Case in point. Kleenex recently took out this full page ad in Brandweek; surely not pocket change. (Keep reading after the image for more of the blog post.)

If you can’t quite read the text, it says:

You don’t need a Social Security number to get your identity stolen. When you spend nearly a century building a name that people know and trust, the last thing you want is people calling any old tissue a Kleenex® Tissue. Simply put, ‘Kleenex’ is a brand name and should always be followed by an ® and the word ‘Tissue.’ Please help us keep our identity, ours.

The upside of having your name used as the generic term, or as a “verb” is that you own top-of-mind presence with the consumer. The downside is that when your name becomes synonymous with the category name, any one of your competitors (or all of them!) can use it to describe their own similar product.
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Tags: generic name, kleenex
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