tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56085883912677572802023-06-15T14:48:10.673-07:00Operative Words (Old Site)Brand naming principles and practiceAnthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comBlogger521999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-49176027265319520442018-03-09T13:14:00.000-08:002018-11-23T18:31:09.480-08:00The Operative Words blog has moved<br />
Hi, thanks for visiting!<br />
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In three seconds you'll be forwarded to <a href="https://www.operativewords.com/">the new Operative Words website</a>.<br />
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See you there!<br />
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- Anth</div>
Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-62062223623752509122018-01-29T14:34:00.000-08:002018-01-29T14:49:05.585-08:00The Self-Determination Project: The story behind the name<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O_dwqyr9bps/Wm-hOh3MZ1I/AAAAAAAACWs/Jl2zk4AXLFQAscNWEUPC9rQne7oPdyseACKgBGAs/s1600/The%2BSelf-Determination%2BProject%2Blogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="358" data-original-width="1132" height="101" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O_dwqyr9bps/Wm-hOh3MZ1I/AAAAAAAACWs/Jl2zk4AXLFQAscNWEUPC9rQne7oPdyseACKgBGAs/s320/The%2BSelf-Determination%2BProject%2Blogo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Five Keys is a non-profit that establishes and runs classrooms in prisons. But after prisoners serve their time and are released, educational opportunities are unavailable to them. In their economically-isolated neighborhoods, high school graduation rates are chronically low and many don’t acquire the skills necessary for good-paying jobs that can lift their families out of poverty.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Five Keys was a finalist of the 2015 Google Impact Challenge. Their winning proposal was to convert out-of-commission Muni buses into classrooms that would go to these under-served populations where they live, providing them with educational opportunities otherwise unavailable. The naming of these mobile classrooms I took on as a pro-bono project. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It was vital the name appealed to the populations Five Keys served, especially the incarcerated. I honestly had absolutely no idea, no intuition whatsoever what kind of name would appeal to them, so I went to prison to find out. Over two days at San Francisco County Jail, I facilitated discussions and creative worksessions with male and female prisoners to learn about their feelings about education, life outside prison, and names. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I briefed the prisoners on a mock project: Develop names for Beyoncé’s forthcoming album, whose proceeds would fund educating the incarcerated. This mock project would be exciting and relevant to them, I hoped, and would inspire creative, evocative names. Following this exercise, I asked the prisoners to help me name the classroom on wheels. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In facilitating these discussions, I learned that these men and women have no agency. Even when not behind bars, their poverty severely curtails their opportunities and life choices. The idea that education empowers people to control their own life inspired the name, The Self-Determination Project. Though I created the name (the prisoners’ names weren’t so great), conversations with the prisoners and understanding their views on education led to it.</span>Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-11673011652985942772017-06-05T19:27:00.001-07:002017-06-06T12:10:15.638-07:00Name That Scandal<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Congressional Quarterly asked me why the Trump-Russia collusion scandal has no catchy name. Here's what I said (click to enlarge):</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CKkhvKUcQiU/WTb9v103YNI/AAAAAAAACJY/bGBqcM040-8sA13YmSpUkAL6_W_wSHM_ACLcB/s1600/Congressional%2BQuarterly%2Bcrop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="1253" height="206" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CKkhvKUcQiU/WTb9v103YNI/AAAAAAAACJY/bGBqcM040-8sA13YmSpUkAL6_W_wSHM_ACLcB/s400/Congressional%2BQuarterly%2Bcrop.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">I don’t believe there actually </span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">needs</i><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: 16px;"> to be a catchy name for a scandal name to catch on. Exhibits A through Z to prove that point is “Email Server.” If those somnific words can become the go-to name for Hillary's (non)scandal, just about anything could catch on as a scandal name.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px;">But for any scandal name to catch on, there needs to be unanimity. Journalists across all media would need adopt one scandal name, such as Trump-Russia, and that would become the </span><i class="" style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">de facto</i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px;"> scandal name. With different names currently in play, one scandal name to rule them all will never come to pass. And that would be a shame, as the evidence is clearly pointing to the greatest scandal of our time and it deserves unrelenting attention.</span><br />
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</span>Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-67805542401353138642017-04-10T08:35:00.002-07:002017-04-12T16:24:30.034-07:00Recent Work<br />
Names I developed but haven't announced yet. I hope you like them.<br />
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Along with my recent launches of <a href="https://operativewords.blogspot.com/2017/03/announcing-mythic.html" target="_blank">Mythic</a> and <a href="https://operativewords.blogspot.com/2017/04/announcing-fond.html" target="_blank">Fond</a>, these credentials and others can be found in the Operative Words online <a href="https://goo.gl/photos/2SFzxC3qFJA3KH7V8" target="_blank">portfolio</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-731LKWygA5A/WOrDSFgWg0I/AAAAAAAAB9g/a0ZGVizs0hk15PPb84eDv_9qlbb8amOpACLcB/s1600/virgin-voyages-logo%2Bdark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-731LKWygA5A/WOrDSFgWg0I/AAAAAAAAB9g/a0ZGVizs0hk15PPb84eDv_9qlbb8amOpACLcB/s320/virgin-voyages-logo%2Bdark.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Virgin Voyages</b><br />
A terrifically fun project developed in partnership with <a href="https://www.chandeliercreative.com/" target="_blank">Chandelier Creative</a>. Virgin Voyages will be reinventing what a cruise line can be. Setting sail in 2020.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m6VZVWsBQ7A/WOrGFsV21SI/AAAAAAAAB94/sQlh2-Ziz6slfDd2c12msGtA_LTMAEG0QCLcB/s1600/Starry%2Blogo%2Blarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="116" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m6VZVWsBQ7A/WOrGFsV21SI/AAAAAAAAB94/sQlh2-Ziz6slfDd2c12msGtA_LTMAEG0QCLcB/s320/Starry%2Blogo%2Blarge.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uMdGSRWqpcY/WOrGt0If0BI/AAAAAAAAB-A/SNT8nsoQJ3kDS0VEv3-p8urRMo1DmtuWACLcB/s1600/Starry%2BStation-Web-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uMdGSRWqpcY/WOrGt0If0BI/AAAAAAAAB-A/SNT8nsoQJ3kDS0VEv3-p8urRMo1DmtuWACLcB/s200/Starry%2BStation-Web-01.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>Starry Internet</b><br />
A radical <a href="https://www.wired.com/2016/01/aereo-founder-prepares-for-battle-with-new-wireless-startup" target="_blank">new</a> broadband internet service currently piloting in Boston. The Starry Station router is unlike any other. From the founder of Aereo.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QhjtXt-LGyo/WOrKy3mBOSI/AAAAAAAAB-g/puxGLQK_K_Ytt3H0bqqynTM9bX_-D7JLgCLcB/s1600/plume%2Blogo%2Bwith%2Bpods.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QhjtXt-LGyo/WOrKy3mBOSI/AAAAAAAAB-g/puxGLQK_K_Ytt3H0bqqynTM9bX_-D7JLgCLcB/s400/plume%2Blogo%2Bwith%2Bpods.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Plume</b><br />
Pop a handful of <a href="https://www.plumewifi.com/" target="_blank">Plume</a> pods into power outlets through your house to create a seamless mesh wifi network. Plume pods' industrial design has been widely acclaimed. <a href="https://www.marketplace.org/shows/marketplace-tech/marketplace-tech-wednesday-october-19-2016?platform=hootsuite" target="_blank">I spoke</a> briefly to NPR about the Plume name (my quote begins around 4:25).<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iRgY8sy5RXY/WOrkn6jgT9I/AAAAAAAAB-4/oCxm9WHUK3ExQb_ndTFw-IXbfctEU5NwgCLcB/s1600/linksys-velop-screenshot-0001-675x1200.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iRgY8sy5RXY/WOrkn6jgT9I/AAAAAAAAB-4/oCxm9WHUK3ExQb_ndTFw-IXbfctEU5NwgCLcB/s320/linksys-velop-screenshot-0001-675x1200.png" width="245" /></a></div>
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<b>Velop</b><br />
Another home wifi mesh system I named, this one for Linksys. Also critically <a href="http://www.pcmag.com/review/350691/linksys-velop" target="_blank">acclaimed</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uQrzSFmlNDQ/WOrmwIWh78I/AAAAAAAAB_E/U-_JMUN8g9c_bwtTbyQDatg1vYPFyR9IQCLcB/s1600/Steetlane_Homes_FINAL_VERT_513x245_72dpi%2B%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="95" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uQrzSFmlNDQ/WOrmwIWh78I/AAAAAAAAB_E/U-_JMUN8g9c_bwtTbyQDatg1vYPFyR9IQCLcB/s200/Steetlane_Homes_FINAL_VERT_513x245_72dpi%2B%25283%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b>Streetlane Homes</b><br />
Vertically integrated, single family home rentals. <a href="https://streetlane.com/" target="_blank">Streetlane</a> buys homes, renovates them, rents them, and manages them. Logo designed by the insanely-talented Jeff Carino of <a href="http://www.clkdesign.com/" target="_blank">CLK Design</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FH_2v1aZlHM/WOrpBqnDKSI/AAAAAAAAB_Y/sJ-P0GtEtB4iCoWMHrzZGtbNNYtsCGG-gCLcB/s1600/big%2Broofstock%2Blogo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FH_2v1aZlHM/WOrpBqnDKSI/AAAAAAAAB_Y/sJ-P0GtEtB4iCoWMHrzZGtbNNYtsCGG-gCLcB/s320/big%2Broofstock%2Blogo.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Roofstock</b><br />
<a href="https://roofstock.com/" target="_blank">Roofstock</a> lets anyone invest in single-family rental properties. The first company to offer fractional ownership in SFR homes.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B109OFd1Hyk/WIuK5FxijOI/AAAAAAAAB4A/PQsshw2uH88fO6_t7JIml7Yy1JK8NWOQgCPcB/s1600/protocol%2Bfirst%2Blogo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B109OFd1Hyk/WIuK5FxijOI/AAAAAAAAB4A/PQsshw2uH88fO6_t7JIml7Yy1JK8NWOQgCPcB/s1600/protocol%2Bfirst%2Blogo.png" /></a></div>
<b>Protocol First</b><br />
Unifies and harmonizes research and medical data from <a href="https://protocolfirst.com/" target="_blank">clinical trials</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GViSj3Afb_g/Vg7vBz1Z48I/AAAAAAAABxU/OIafYpLmxh4g2FgJon04DW9Ne7FgJ3RUACPcB/s1600/Wove%2BBand%2Blogo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="76" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GViSj3Afb_g/Vg7vBz1Z48I/AAAAAAAABxU/OIafYpLmxh4g2FgJon04DW9Ne7FgJ3RUACPcB/s200/Wove%2BBand%2Blogo.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>Wove</b><br />
The Wove band is the <a href="https://www.wired.com/2015/10/hands-worlds-first-flexible-wearable/" target="_blank">world's-first</a> wearable, flexible display.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dXBGaoqDGrk/VrIrnsXeWqI/AAAAAAAABxU/RgDd30VRba0bWTa3hSHdS2nV8MwdcPLdQCPcB/s1600/Wisewire%2Blogo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="68" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dXBGaoqDGrk/VrIrnsXeWqI/AAAAAAAABxU/RgDd30VRba0bWTa3hSHdS2nV8MwdcPLdQCPcB/s200/Wisewire%2Blogo.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b>Wisewire</b><br />
<a href="https://www.wisewire.com/" target="_blank">Wisewire</a> is a marketplace for sharing, creating, exchanging, and purchasing educational content. Teachers who create cool stuff for their own classes can sell it to other teachers.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5KnzO5HDjbM/WO61dG25TCI/AAAAAAAACCA/e2BRMHdlE_MXaZA6SQ0nIL9FCa_VhL2LQCPcB/s1600/future%2Bforum%2Blogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="110" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5KnzO5HDjbM/WO61dG25TCI/AAAAAAAACCA/e2BRMHdlE_MXaZA6SQ0nIL9FCa_VhL2LQCPcB/s200/future%2Bforum%2Blogo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>Future Forum</b><br />
My first political naming project, Future Forum is the Democratic caucus addressing the needs of Millennials. Since Congressman Eric <a href="https://swalwell.house.gov/" target="_blank">Swalwell</a> engaged me for this assignment, we've worked together on many other verbal short-form assignments.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6H-bV9qN-mY/WOudSmFHwGI/AAAAAAAAB_4/s4SztB6X-OIHhClJju18enpEDe9ps9cNgCLcB/s1600/Barbra%2BStreisand%2Bcropped%2Btweeting%2BYou%2Bshould%2Bprobably%2Bvote%2BIMG_1063.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6H-bV9qN-mY/WOudSmFHwGI/AAAAAAAAB_4/s4SztB6X-OIHhClJju18enpEDe9ps9cNgCLcB/s320/Barbra%2BStreisand%2Bcropped%2Btweeting%2BYou%2Bshould%2Bprobably%2Bvote%2BIMG_1063.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>You should #probablyvote</b><br />
The Millennial get-out-the-vote slogan for 2016.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YfY60HRxsXA/VrQQ88o7F5I/AAAAAAAABxU/F6cf4mLxm2wkXV2xrbwP1Tmfmgbi2TPFgCPcB/s1600/Chemetry%2Blogo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="84" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YfY60HRxsXA/VrQQ88o7F5I/AAAAAAAABxU/F6cf4mLxm2wkXV2xrbwP1Tmfmgbi2TPFgCPcB/s320/Chemetry%2Blogo.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Chemetry</b><br />
Chemetry <a href="http://chemetrycorp.com/" target="_blank">makes</a> production of certain chemicals vastly safer and with a smaller carbon footprint.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bebQlJPCAKE/VxUlcpthC_I/AAAAAAAABxU/fXEXq4fUBtobnkK8NUYrnkiN3e2tcC7zwCPcB/s1600/Trove%2Blogo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="110" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bebQlJPCAKE/VxUlcpthC_I/AAAAAAAABxU/fXEXq4fUBtobnkK8NUYrnkiN3e2tcC7zwCPcB/s320/Trove%2Blogo.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Trove</b></div>
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<a href="http://www.troveworldwide.com/" target="_blank">Trove</a> works with companies who want to transform health, the climate and the planet through food.</div>
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Founded by former White House chef and Senior Policy Advisor for Nutrition, Sam Kass. Here's his <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/sam_kass_want_to_teach_kids_well_feed_them_well" target="_blank">Ted Talk</a> about the interplay of childhood nutrition and education.</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cYjIf-r1nuc/VkNlpq3h3uI/AAAAAAAABxU/mRD9KfECOtQR1hQEHvg1GM4YAELC8s1RgCPcB/s1600/New%2BDeal%2BBootstrap.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cYjIf-r1nuc/VkNlpq3h3uI/AAAAAAAABxU/mRD9KfECOtQR1hQEHvg1GM4YAELC8s1RgCPcB/s200/New%2BDeal%2BBootstrap.png" width="145" /></a></div>
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<b>Bootstrap Small-Batch Whiskey</b></div>
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Made by New Deal Distillery of Portland, OR.</div>
Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-33754806241279609762017-04-06T11:09:00.001-07:002017-04-06T11:11:13.602-07:00How to Name an Innovation (the movie)<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Design legend, <a href="https://www.ted.com/speakers/don_norman" target="_blank">Don Norman</a>, honored me with an invitation to speak </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">at </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">UC San Diego Design Lab </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">about naming innovations</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">. My talk specifically focused on innovative product descriptors, the part of a name that establishes what the product’s category is, such as “smartphone” or “universal remote”.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Why is a product descriptor important? If you're inventing a “World’s First” product, the invention’s product descriptor should establish a category all its own. But naming a unique product category is not always easy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In my presentation, “Naming the New”, I detail a best-practice process to develop an innovation’s product descriptor. Real-world project examples for <a href="https://www.quellrelief.com/" target="_blank">Quell</a> and <a href="https://www.cindergrill.com/" target="_blank">Cinder</a> illustrate how it works. The video is an hour long, but you'll probably learn a lot if you get through the whole thing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If the topic of novel product descriptors interests you — <i>and how could it not?!</i> — read my other posts on the topic, <a href="https://operativewords.blogspot.com/2009/10/describe-different_16.html" target="_blank">Describe Different</a> and <a href="https://operativewords.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-names-of-mit-media-lab-how-to.html" target="_blank">The Names of MIT Media Lab</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Enjoy!</span><br />
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Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-58486121273784444832017-04-04T07:32:00.000-07:002018-01-28T19:47:37.291-08:00Announcing: FOND<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A company name should reflect a single, big idea. By rising
above the functional and descriptive, a name that speaks to a higher-order idea
can endure and inspire forever.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">At one time, the name AnyPerk made sense to its founders, as
it describes functionally that they provide a range of perks to employees of their
corporate customers. That is technically true: AnyPerk does provide product discounts and other perks.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But they are really more than that. The company had
long-embraced a single, big idea to define their brand: “The employee happiness
company.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As a name, AnyPerk says nothing about this noble reason for
being. Moreover, as the company expanded beyond perks <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">per se</i> to also offering rewards and other benefits, AnyPerk was
limiting.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It had to change. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I was honored with the invitation to create a new name for
the company.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">For six weeks, the senior team at AnyPerk and I weighed the
relative merits of 140 names that cleared preliminary global trademark
screening.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And today, AnyPerk, “the employee happiness company,”
announced their new name: <a href="https://fond.co/" target="_blank">Fond</a>.<br /><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://fond.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/MS-Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://fond.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/MS-Blog.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p><br /></o:p>As a single, big idea, the name Fond will remain always relevant to the company and their customers. It will endure even as the company
evolves. It’s easy to like.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I couldn’t be happier for them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">For their internal launch event, Fond asked me about the name. Here's what I said:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Fond's blog has a <a href="https://fond.co/blog/how-anyperk-rebranded-to-fond-energizing-a-startup-brand/" target="_blank">post</a> detailing their rebranding. Their VP of Marketing, Michael Stapleton, offered these kind words:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"We're thrilled with Fond! Anthony did a wonderful job uncovering this name that was remarkably untaken. It so clearly reinforces our mission of 'helping companies build places where employees love to work,' but isn't an obvious, too-on-the-nose choice. It also leaves room for the brand flexibility we need as we grow."</span></blockquote>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Congratulations to my wonderful clients at Fond on their successful
launch!</span></div>
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Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-53978361031571293392017-03-29T11:26:00.000-07:002017-06-09T12:31:09.778-07:00Announcing: MYTHICAs a name, Isocline Semiconductor did not do the company justice.<br />
<br />
Their engineers figured out how to enable GPU abilities in flash memory, putting computational power and storage in the same place. It's truly innovative technology and will revolutionize AI. Imagine if Siri or Alexa did not have to rely on cloud-based servers to understand your voice commands. How about instant universal language translation built into your phone. These are the kinds of mind-blowing features their technology will usher in.<br />
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Bringing massively powerful artificial intelligence down to the device level represents the promise of my client's technology.<br />
<br />
Isocline asked me to rename them, so I did.<br />
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Announcing: <a href="https://www.mythic-ai.com/" target="_blank">MYTHIC</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r2L0oMRyR8U/WTr3Yz2D0YI/AAAAAAAACKA/a_UMY4CPya8s7ArsXIV1SmE_W72KHKo3gCKgB/s1600/Mythic%2BLogo%2BTrans.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="1600" height="53" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r2L0oMRyR8U/WTr3Yz2D0YI/AAAAAAAACKA/a_UMY4CPya8s7ArsXIV1SmE_W72KHKo3gCKgB/s320/Mythic%2BLogo%2BTrans.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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Read more about the launch of Mythic and $8.8mm of new investments in <a href="https://venturebeat.com/2017/03/22/mythic-raises-8-8-million-to-put-ai-on-a-chip/" target="_blank">VentureBeat</a>. <br />
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I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to give Mythic a name as powerful as their promise.Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-5432417499089105572015-01-15T12:23:00.001-08:002016-08-09T10:24:54.815-07:00Welcome, New York Times Readers!<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I was lucky enough to be included in an <a href="http://nyti.ms/157kkGd" target="_blank">article</a> in <i>The New York Times Magazine</i> about professional namers. As a kid, I read William Safire’s “On Language” <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/features/magazine/columns/on_language/index.html" target="_blank">column</a> every Sunday in <i>The</i> <i>Times</i> magazine section. For me, this is as humbling as it is huge.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">For those of you new to Operative Words (which is the name of my naming agency and my blog), here is where I give away expertise. I do this because I want everyone to be a great namer or great judge of names. And I do that because I'd rather be surrounded by wonderful words and not ugly ones. I think most people feel that way.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">These are some posts to get you started:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://operativewords.blogspot.com/2009/06/instinct-as-enemy-how-to-sell-in-new.html"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Instinct as enemy: How to sell-in the new and unfamiliar</span></a><br />
<a href="http://operativewords.blogspot.com/2009/11/equal-and-opposite-reaction-how-to.html"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">An equal and opposite reaction: How to manage emotions and subjectivity in a naming program</span></a><br />
<a href="http://operativewords.blogspot.com/2009/11/creative-names-easy-way.html"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Creative names the easy way</span></a><br />
<a href="http://operativewords.blogspot.com/2009/06/where-are-most-creative-names.html"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Where are the most creative names?</span></a><br />
<a href="http://operativewords.blogspot.com/2009/10/describe-different_16.html"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Describe different</span></a><br />
<a href="http://operativewords.blogspot.com/2010/02/red-flags-and-red-herrings-nuances-of.html"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Red Flags and Red Herrings: How to check brand names in foreign languages</span></a><br />
<a href="http://operativewords.blogspot.com/2009/05/decisions-decisions-how-to-research.html"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Decisions, decisions: How to research brand names</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Here, you’ll find case histories (I call them “<a href="http://operativewords.blogspot.com/search/label/name%20story" target="_blank">name stories</a>”), and <a href="http://operativewords.blogspot.com/search/label/creative%20tools" target="_blank">creative naming tools</a>. I embed how-to tips in my name stories, so expect some overlap.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My Twitter feed is updated far more regularly than this blog, so be sure to <a class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false" href="https://twitter.com/operativewords">follow @operativewords</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Please <a href="http://eepurl.com/bj57v" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">join</a> my email list for updates. I’ve sent out, like, three updates in five years, so it might be a while before you hear from me. Be patient.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is my <a href="mailto:anthguard-blog@yahoo.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">contact</a> for a project or pull quote.</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I owe all of my clients so much gratitude. In particular, I want to thank the founders of <a href="http://www.jauntvr.com/" target="_blank">Jaunt VR</a>, Jens Christensen, Arthur van Hoff and Tom Annau for letting me talk with <i>The Times</i> about naming their company. I also want to profusely thank branding agency <a href="http://charactersf.com/" target="_blank">Character</a>, particularly Ollie Ralph and Ben Pham, who invited me to collaborate on the Jaunt project. If you’re creating a breakthrough product, Character will serve you well for brand strategy and identity.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thank you to fellow namer, Margaret Wolfson, founder of <a href="http://riverandwolf.com/" target="_blank">River+Wolf</a> for recommending me to the author of <i>The Times</i> article. And I’d like to thank him, biographer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neal_Gabler" target="_blank">Neal Gabler</a>, for listening to me ramble on for four hours about my obsession with naming.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I’d also like to thank the Academy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">– Anth</span>Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-44366451321722449232015-01-15T08:32:00.002-08:002015-01-16T20:40:42.087-08:00Fifty Futures<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>It’s my job to imagine different tomorrows.</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As a professional namer, I strive to explore every perspective on my clients’ new brands. Each one is articulated as a name, representing a potential brand future. After spending weeks creating names and then filtering them through trademark screening, I present a shortlist to my client. Many possibilities, all potential, but which one will become reality?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schr%C3%B6dinger%27s_cat" target="_blank">Schrodinger’s cat</a>, who, while boxed up is dead and alive at the same time, these names are futures coexisting under the cloaked secrecy of a client presentation. Once the curtain is lifted and the final, approved name is launched worldwide, those possible futures, the ones that might have been, evaporate (my clients get to own one name I have developed, and the rest go back into my quiver). All that remains of the runners-up is a memory, lingering among the select group in attendance at the original presentation, and they are all sworn to secrecy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But this once, my client and I have agreed to share with you a few of the futures which a list of names represents. Although the final chosen name for this assignment is a particular favorite in my portfolio, the runners-up reveal a lot about how a namer thinks, and how the process of naming works.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>The Project</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In the spring of 2012, I was approached to name a start-up. My client was creating a line of ready-to-drink cocktails, made with select, natural ingredients, organic when possible. The drinks would be lightly carbonated, delicious and, being made simply, would be low in calories. These cocktails, starting with a margarita, would give competitors like Skinny Girl a run for their money.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My client didn’t have much capital to invest initially, so I agreed to be compensated, in part, with a thin sliver of their revenue for a few years. If they didn’t succeed, at least I could experience the sheer fun of naming a new line of cocktails.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The recipes were created by three women who called their stealth, startup venture Moms on the Rocks, a witty name befitting their bubbly personalities. With a placeholder that good, I knew this client would be a great partner in naming.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Names are a mirror. They reflect products and the people who create them. After all, it’s the founders who ultimately set the direction for naming, narrow the shortlist of potential candidates and anoint the finalist. You can learn a lot about the founders of a company just by looking at their placeholder name. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Fun, confident, outgoing, opinionated, unvarnished. In my briefing with the founders, these emerged as the traits that best described them and the personality of their new brand. Each of these qualities was a starting point, and from there, I searched for related words, branching out in ever widening circles. Exploring outward in every direction from these core ideas traces a sphere in words. These words form a world, and every point on and inside that world is a possible future.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For this project, I explored several concepts, included fresh, natural, <a href="http://www.wordnik.com/lists/color--green" target="_blank">green</a>, fruit, <a href="http://www.onelook.com/?lang=all&w=*squeeze*&first=101" target="_blank">squeeze</a>, <a href="http://www.rhymezone.com/r/rhyme.cgi?Word=mix&typeofrhyme=perfect&org1=syl&org2=l&org3=y" target="_blank">mixing</a>, farm, agriculture, organic, and pure. I also looked at idioms and <a href="http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/phrasal-verbs/search.html" target="_blank">phrasal verbs</a> to see what might pop up. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After two weeks of exploration, I cherry-picked the best names and screened them for trademark availability. How? That’s a topic for another post. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So what are the futures, the names, that might have been for this line of cocktails? Here are a handful:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Happy Place</b> –Where does a great drink take you? For some, it’s here. The name Happy Place would tell the clients’ story about their <a href="http://thoughtcatalog.com/lake-sham/2014/07/113-signs-youre-from-marin-county/" target="_blank">Marin County</a> home, the orchards where fresh limes are picked, and the Mexican fields where the blue agave grows. If this were <i>the</i> name, the brand would be about places that make people happy. The client could sponsor a YouTube channel where people tell their stories about places that are dear to them and make them smile. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>True Nature</b> – The cocktail’s natural ingredients were fertile territory for name exploration. This one would emphasize the cocktail’s use of real fruit juices. True Nature would be an honest brand, a straight shooter. But it’s not terribly fun, while my clients and their brand certainly are. It's a good name, but for a different product.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Green Party</b> – Natural doesn’t have to be serious. With a name like Green Party, this brand could be about having a great time naturally. Sure, the name skews political, but what if it were paired with a picture of dancing limes? With the right imagery, this would move the name away from Ralph Nader and towards skinny dipping and icy glasses of margaritas. Party on!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Picnic</b> – You can feel the sunshine in this name. It’s warm, fresh and innocent. There’s a light buoyancy. The name is all about being social, with friends and family. A margarita called Picnic would be full of fresh fruit. The label might sport red gingham. It would be simple and honest. It would be good and clean and fun. Picnic illustrates how a surprising name can also be a real and common English word and not some crazy coinage. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Squoze</b> – A playful way of suggesting fresh-squeezed. Squoze would be a brand about living life with a twist, and sometimes being a bit twisted. Familiar objects and experiences would be featured, but they’d be a bit off, in a safe and playful way: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>We hug our limes until the juice comes out. That’s Squoze. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Be the lime of the party. Bring Squoze. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Something to that effect.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Laughing Glass</b> – This is not a name that might have been. This is <i>the</i> name. Because it articulates the sheer delight the client sought for their brand foundation, Laughing Glass was adopted as the go-to-market moniker. When a name instantly has the whole room beaming, as this one did for the client, it stands a great chance of success in the meeting and the marketplace. The name inspired the <a href="http://www.laughingglasscocktails.com/#/philosophy/" target="_blank">brand philosophy</a>, <i>Laughing My Glass Off</i> and reflects what the client really believes in: Joy.</span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F-DhYrQnCzY/VLdFd3-ztpI/AAAAAAAABZM/jZGvqPUNnpg/s1600/bottle-with-glass.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F-DhYrQnCzY/VLdFd3-ztpI/AAAAAAAABZM/jZGvqPUNnpg/s1600/bottle-with-glass.png" height="320" width="186" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Snappy packaging by <a href="http://voiceboxcreative.com/" target="_blank">Voicebox Creative</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nJMsnhpoP_k/VLdFfaFOzBI/AAAAAAAABZU/HtXSWEiNFx4/s1600/Laughing%2BGlass%2Bnewspaper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nJMsnhpoP_k/VLdFfaFOzBI/AAAAAAAABZU/HtXSWEiNFx4/s1600/Laughing%2BGlass%2Bnewspaper.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The founders, in high spirits in <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/style/article/Laughing-Glass-moms-get-the-last-laugh-4793392.php#photo-5018775" target="_blank">The San Francisco Chronicle</a> </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Laughing Glass is the reality that we see today <a href="http://www.laughingglasscocktails.com/#/find-us/" target="_blank">on shelves</a> in Whole Foods and elsewhere throughout California. But it didn’t have to be that way. It could have been one of the other names I presented to the client that day. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Each one would have emphasized different aspects of their identity, and raised different expectations in their audiences.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I’m very grateful to <a href="http://www.laughingglasscocktails.com/#/" target="_blank">Laughing Glass</a> for such an exciting collaboration, and for letting me share this peek behind the curtain.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;">Thanks to my go-to copywriter <a href="mailto:daniel@outburst.dk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Daniel Meyerowitz</a> for valuable edits and contributions. </span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-18657204363687750592014-06-30T09:17:00.001-07:002014-06-30T09:18:11.043-07:00Jaunt: The Story Behind the Name<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>“You’re going to need to sit down.” </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That was the understatement of the day.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Taking a seat in my client’s office, cluttered with computers, video equipment and prototypes, I strapped on the <a href="http://www.oculusvr.com/rift/" target="_blank">Oculus Rift</a> virtual reality headset.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I was now looking at the same office, but in the monitor of the VR headset the room was neater. My three clients had shifted positions. As I turned my head, I could see them seated around the room; in front, to the side and behind me. They started throwing a Nerf ball to each other and my head turned to follow the ball. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I could swear that the ball was being tossed around me. But it wasn’t. It was a 3D video recording that so closely mirrored reality, I could only react by gasping and giggling. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It was a real “<a href="http://www.wired.com/2011/03/0310bell-invents-telephone-mr-watson-come-here/" target="_blank">Mr. Watson, come here</a>” moment. I was bearing witness to a new and profound invention: Cinematic VR. And I was honored with the task of naming it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>The Briefing</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The opportunity came to me through <a href="http://charactersf.com/" target="_blank">Character</a>, an outstanding branding and design agency whose work I admired. We had worked sequentially on the same projects but hadn’t yet collaborated. Character designed packaging for products I named, like the <a href="http://www.plantronics.com/rig/" target="_blank">Plantronics Rig</a> gaming headset, and they designed the identity for <a href="http://www.zact.com/" target="_blank">Zact Mobile</a>, which I also named.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Character’s work designing the <a href="http://charactersf.com/projects/android" target="_blank">Android identity system</a> for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Rubin" target="_blank">Andy Rubin</a>, the mobile computing pioneer, had led to other interesting projects, such as this mind-blowing VR startup.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Character and I rendezvoused at Redpoint Ventures where our clients were “entrepreneurs in residence.” This unassuming office building belied the fact that within it, the future of entertainment was being invented. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Three <a href="http://www.jauntvr.com/bios" target="_blank">clients</a> briefed us: Jens Christensen, Arthur van Hoff and Tom Annau. Their words flew around the room: <i>immersive</i>, </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">transporting</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">transcendent</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">virtual presence</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">mimics reality</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">a whole new medium</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">science fiction</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Jedi training ball</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. When </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Jedi training ball</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> is used to reference a new technology, it’s going to be a big deal.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://static.squarespace.com/static/5327c4ace4b016a25f0b3ceb/t/5328d881e4b0137f6ac2cc6c/1395255198091/?format=1000w" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Left to right: Tom, Arthur, Jens" border="0" src="http://static.squarespace.com/static/5327c4ace4b016a25f0b3ceb/t/5328d881e4b0137f6ac2cc6c/1395255198091/?format=1000w" height="80" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meet the clients.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">After the briefing, they whisked us to the office next door for the demo. It was weird, this nondescript, plain-vanilla space was strewn with crazy, never-before-seen inventions-in-progress. There was the 3D-printed sphere covered with lenses, the dev kits of the Oculus Rift, and assorted networking, videography and optics widgets strewn about.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://static.squarespace.com/static/5327c4ace4b016a25f0b3ceb/t/53348338e4b005ac7b375026/1395950394027/camera.jpg?format=1000w" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://static.squarespace.com/static/5327c4ace4b016a25f0b3ceb/t/53348338e4b005ac7b375026/1395950394027/camera.jpg?format=1000w" height="80" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meet the camera.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">To establish a baseline experience in virtual reality, I was handed an Oculus Rift headset loaded with an off-the-shelf demo called </span><a href="https://share.oculusvr.com/app/oculus-tuscany-demo" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">Tuscany</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. I put it on and saw a computer rendering of a well-manicured Tuscan estate. I rotated my head to look around. Using a trackball, I wandered the property. Wearing special VR gloves, I could grab or throw objects. It was pretty cool.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://d39nlaid7cu5vo.cloudfront.net/shareuploads/apps/1374203063522b3r94wjyvi/screens/1374192331894673y4iy66r_1381343406006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://d39nlaid7cu5vo.cloudfront.net/shareuploads/apps/1374203063522b3r94wjyvi/screens/1374192331894673y4iy66r_1381343406006.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tuscany: Cool. But not cool enough.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Despite being cutting-edge, the Tuscany demo was quickly eclipsed by the technology my clients’ were creating, which was nothing short of astounding. Their high-definition video feed in the headset was completely convincing. I really felt like I was watching something happening live all around me. In the Tuscany demo, I was aways aware it was CG. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://static.squarespace.com/static/5327c4ace4b016a25f0b3ceb/t/533efea3e4b076ea49938b3b/1396637390530/?format=1000w" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://static.squarespace.com/static/5327c4ace4b016a25f0b3ceb/t/533efea3e4b076ea49938b3b/1396637390530/?format=1000w" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ask your doctor if Jaunt is right for you.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Strategic Framework</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Being there.</i> That was the promise of this new technology. Concerts, sports, family reunions, Presidential press briefings, sightseeing. All these things could someday be experienced remotely yet immersively. I’ll admit running a little hyperbolic, but I’m telling you: <i>Cinematic VR will change everything.</i> This technology represents a paradigm shift in entertainment and communications as significant as the radio or television. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I reviewed the notes from the meeting and synthesized them into name objectives. Name objectives should be <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MECE_principle" target="_blank">MECE</a>: Mutually Exclusive and Collectively Exhaustive. It’s tempting to etch every detail about a product or company into objectives, but it’s better to leave details out that might distract or take creative down an unproductive or short-sighted path.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Here are the name objectives for the cinematic VR project: </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The new name should support or connote a brand that:</span><br />
<ul><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">
<li>delivers unprecedented experiences presented in an entirely new medium</li>
<li>provides immersive, virtual experiences that are completely realistic</li>
<li>is capable of representing an entirely new category of experience</li>
<li>transports people to another place </li>
<li>is not limited to a visual experience</li>
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The new name will refer to an experience, hardware, software, a website and app, among other things.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The new name should have the ability to be appended as a modifier, as in ESPN 3D, The Avengers Blue-ray or Pacific Rim IMAX.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The name should be relatively short and easy to spell.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The trademark and domain should be available or acquirable.</span><br />
<ul><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">
<li>The domain might include a modification of the name, or be something other than .com (though not .net or .org).</li>
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">
</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>The Names My Destination</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Upon approval of the objectives I started naming, plundering the worlds of immersion, travel, space, entertainment and verbs. I scoured science fiction – teleportation in particular – and found <i>The</i> <i>Glossary of Science Fiction Ideas, Technology and Inventions, </i>an alphabetic inventory of over 2400 <a href="http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/ctnlistalpha.asp" target="_blank">glorious gadgets, gizmos and doodads</a>. It is <i>the</i> go-to resource for studying futuristic, albeit fictional, advances in science. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It was there, filed under <i>J</i>, that I found the entry for <i><a href="http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/content.asp?Bnum=823" target="_blank">Jaunte Stage</a> – a little space to teleport. </i></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Alfred Bester’s 1953 </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Stars-My-Destination-Alfred-Bester-ebook/dp/B0054LNIQS/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">novel</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Stars my Destination</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, introduces </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">jaunte</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> to mean </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">teleport</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. A Jaunte Stage is a platform for teleportation. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Jaunting, in the novel, was not named after the word <i>jaunt</i>, but after a character, Charles Fort Jaunte, who discovered the ability to self-transport by mind power alone. Jaunting was not a technology, but a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psionics" target="_blank">psionic</a> capability.</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Any man was capable of jaunting provided he developed two faculties, visualization and concentration. He had to visualize, completely and precisely, the spot to which he desired to teleport himself; and he had to concentrate the latent energy of his mind into a single thrust to get him there.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">–Alfred Bester, <i>The Stars My Destination</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Decades later, Stephen King wrote a short story about teleportation called <i>The Jaunt</i>. He got the name from the same place I did. <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=bq6L0nHTT1kC&lpg=PP1&dq=the%20jaunt&pg=PT215#v=onepage&q=bester&f=false" target="_blank">Quoth</a> <i>The Jaunt</i>:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Of course you know that the Jaunt is teleportation, no more or less,” he said. “Sometimes in college chemistry class and physics they call it the Carune Process, but it’s really teleportation, and it was Carune himself — if you can believe the stories — who named it ‘The Jaunt.’ He was a science-fiction reader, and there’s a story by a man named Alfred Bester, <i>The Stars My Destination</i> it’s called, and this fellow Bester made up the word ‘jaunte’ for teleportation in it. Except in his book you could Jaunt just by thinking about it, and we can’t really do that.”</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">– Stephen King, <i>The Jaunt</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Bester did not make up the word <i>jaunt</i>, only its use as <i>teleport</i>. We <a href="http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=jaunt" target="_blank">don’t really know</a> where the word <i>jaunt</i> first came from. It might have originated in Old French. We do know that it was originally pejorative and meant “a tiresome journey” (1590s) or “to tire a horse out by riding back and forth on it” (1560s). The current, positive meaning of jaunt to mean “a short pleasure trip” came about in the 1670s. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Oddly, the word <i>jaunty</i> does not come from <i>jaunt</i>, but from French <i>gentil</i> (meaning <i>gentle</i>, <i>genteel</i>). Despite <i>jaunty</i> meaning “having a lively, cheerful and self-confident manner,” and <i>jaunt</i> meaning a “lively, cheerful excursion,” their resemblance is just a coincidence. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I created 1200 other names for the assignment and over 200 were screened for preliminary global trademark availability by my long-time trademark partner, Steve Price of <a href="http://tessera.bz/" target="_blank">Tessera</a>. I worked closely with Character refining the list and over 100 names were presented in two rounds of work. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Context is King</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It’s vital to stage name candidates in a presentation so they have the best chance of acceptance. As a presenter, you must help the audience suspend disbelief that these are not just words on a page. That requires presenting name candidates in a <i>fait-accompli</i>, real-world context. The more a hypothetical name looks like it’s an actual living, breathing brand, the better. (More on that topic <a href="http://operativewords.blogspot.com/2009/06/instinct-as-enemy-how-to-sell-in-new.html" target="_blank">here</a>.) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I chose to present the names in a mocked-up entertainment website. The visual identity development had not yet begun and my client did not have a website, so I started with Ticketmaster’s website then altered it to fit my client’s prospective future. This is what the Jaunt name exhibit looked like for the name presentation: </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3W5TQnUqK3Q/U6nPVms5zLI/AAAAAAAABT0/mz7lPEgj9EA/s1600/Jaunt+name+exhibit.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3W5TQnUqK3Q/U6nPVms5zLI/AAAAAAAABT0/mz7lPEgj9EA/s1600/Jaunt+name+exhibit.png" height="183" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The right context makes a hypothetical name seem like a done deal.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Fortunately, Jaunt’s final identity and </span><a href="http://www.jauntvr.com/#about" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">website</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> is way slicker than my hack. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The client loved Jaunt. Here’s why:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A jaunt is a short trip for pleasure, just as their technology offers a fast and fun escape</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The name has already been validated – twice! – as a perfect name for teleportation, which is itself the perfect metaphor for cinematic VR</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It’s short and pairs well with other brands as a technology platform (“See Wimbledon live in Jaunt!”)</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Jaunting Ahead </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Following my client’s full legal screening, the name was adopted. Character created Jaunt’s iconic identity:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0EK36qWD2bI/U6nP-wIEQCI/AAAAAAAABT8/j6NJbgZN3U8/s1600/Jaunt+logo+green.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0EK36qWD2bI/U6nP-wIEQCI/AAAAAAAABT8/j6NJbgZN3U8/s1600/Jaunt+logo+green.png" height="78" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The name was launched on a snappy website highlighting power-player testimonials:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Jaunt has created a completely new experience that will change the way we enjoy media.”</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">–Brad Wechsler, Chairman of IMAX</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Jaunt is a total sensory experience unlike anything I've ever seen.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The creative community is going to blow our minds with this technology over the coming years.”</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">–Peter Gotcher, Chairman of Dolby</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I loved how the client incorporated the name into their messaging. From the website:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“The idea for Jaunt originated in early 2013 when one of our founders returned from an amazing experience at Zion National Park. What if he could go back there for a brief jaunt, at any time, from any place?” </span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For further reading on the technology and future of Jaunt, check out these articles:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://gizmodo.com/meet-the-crazy-camera-that-could-make-movies-for-the-oc-1557318674" target="_blank">Meet the Crazy Camera That Can Make Movies for the Oculus Rift</a></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://venturebeat.com/2014/04/03/virtual-reality-has-another-wow-moment-as-jaunt-introduces-360-degree-cinematic-videos/" target="_blank">Virtual reality has another ‘wow’ moment as Jaunt introduces 360-degree cinematic videos</a></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://gigaom.com/2014/04/03/jaunt-wants-to-make-virtual-reality-a-platform-for-beautiful-immersive-cinema/" target="_blank">Jaunt wants to make virtual reality a platform for beautiful, immersive cinema</a></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to name Jaunt. Thank you Tom, Arthur, Jens, Ollie, Ben and the rest of the talented team at Character.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">- Anth</span>Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-14333104083789989412014-01-28T08:06:00.000-08:002014-03-21T07:41:50.995-07:00Naming Colors: My interview in The Boston Globe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://wisequacks.org/wp2/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Orchids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://wisequacks.org/wp2/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Orchids.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Radiant Orchid.<br />
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That's the name of Pantone's color of the year. It's a beautiful name befitting the color. I spoke about naming colors with journalist Matthew Gilbert of the Boston Globe in <a href="http://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/books/2014/01/28/shades-meaning-what-name-the-name-game/oC5FEWyxO1hLg9B46OQw8H/story.html" target="_blank">this interview</a>. Read the story behind the name, Radiant Orchid, the naughty etymology of the word <i>orchid</i>, and the reason why ambiguous color names pop. <br />
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Enjoy!Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-3897928162410744652013-12-11T07:46:00.000-08:002014-03-12T10:43:25.940-07:00Funny Business: The Game for NamersNamers of the world, rejoice! I bring tidings of great joy, for unto you a game is born. And the name of that game is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gamewright-7107-Funny-Business/dp/B0028K2UYY">Funny Business</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jVwoREVZkRQ/UqiHy3slcJI/AAAAAAAABMg/Z3OjTEAyLYg/s1600/DSC_0529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jVwoREVZkRQ/UqiHy3slcJI/AAAAAAAABMg/Z3OjTEAyLYg/s320/DSC_0529.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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Funny Business, “The Hilarious Game of Mismatched Mergers”, challenges players to give names to companies that have merged. The funny part of Funny Business is that the mergers are of incongruous businesses. What name would you give to diner that merged with a hardware store? Or a fruit stand and a cruise line?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WT7IpFuOvzU/UqiICYlXL3I/AAAAAAAABMk/R5727YMd3u0/s1600/DSC_0527.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WT7IpFuOvzU/UqiICYlXL3I/AAAAAAAABMk/R5727YMd3u0/s320/DSC_0527.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>What It Is</b><br />
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Four to eight players compete to give the best name for two businesses that have come together. Two “business cards” are drawn for each round of play, each card features a type of business and a list of related words to inspire a name. For example, the business Comic Book Store includes <i>action figure</i>, <i>edition</i>, <i>graphic</i>, <i>superhero</i>, <i>strip</i>, <i>villain</i>, et al. The names each player comes up with can include those words but don’t have to.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qj4-3r7NT5s/UqiIYV2--mI/AAAAAAAABMs/aOmP9W48d3w/s1600/DSC_0528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qj4-3r7NT5s/UqiIYV2--mI/AAAAAAAABMs/aOmP9W48d3w/s320/DSC_0528.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Game Play and Voting</b><br />
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Each player anonymously writes down their one best name on a card and the cards are shuffled. A “Boss,” who rotates between plays, reads each name aloud and players secretly vote on their favorite one. The Boss may not vote on their own name, but other players may. After voting, the votes are tallied and points are awarded according to who gets the most votes (2 points), who voted for the winning name (1 point), and the Boss earns double of any points he or she earned in the round. The voting system is ingenious, ensuring that players are not incentivized to vote for their name, but to vote for the best name. Or, at least the name they believe will earn the most votes.<br />
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<b>The Verdict</b><br />
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My greatest surprise with Funny Business is not that the game exists (though: hallelujah!), it’s seeing how amazing names are developed by every non-professional-namer I’ve ever played with. The last game I played was swept by my nine-year-old niece.<br />
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Funny Business is a fantastically fun game. It’s great for adults and kids – the box suggests age 12 and up, but, in my experience, younger precocious kids can hold their own. And, at less than $8 bucks discounted on Amazon, you really have no choice but to run to your local Amazon (it’s <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gamewright-7107-Funny-Business/dp/B0028K2UYY">not far!</a>) and grab a copy of Funny Business to play this holiday season.<br />
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Have fun!Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-41460964579816366972013-11-14T11:25:00.003-08:002014-12-03T06:56:00.982-08:00Five Ways to Create Great, Free Domain Names Every company needs an Internet presence. With over 111 million (and counting!) .coms already taken, finding a .com that exactly matches your name is not easy.<br />
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Sometimes that’s not a big deal. I believe that it’s more important to have a great name than a great domain. For many companies, you can safely modify the perfect name with a descriptor to secure a .com. But if your website <i>is</i> your product, you really do need a clean domain. GoogleSearch.com would not have cut it.<br />
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Here are some creative techniques and tools that have enabled me to present scads of great, available domains to my clients. Give them a try the next time you need a clean domain.<br />
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<b>Combine Words</b><br />
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This technique relies on creatively combining words that may have never been combined before (if they had been, the .com would probably not be available). Creativity is, at its essence, combining novelly, so this technique is really about good creativity.<br />
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Here’s how to do it:<br />
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Create two columns of words relevant to the new brand. List functional and descriptive words in one column, and attributes in another. Or relevant nouns in one column and relevant verbs in a second.<br />
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Then use a tool like <a href="http://combinewords.com/">CombineWords.com</a> to combine column A and B in a “brute force” method. This will compel you to consider two-word names that your brain might not put together. Try swapping the first and second columns to double your productive output. Sometimes, with some words, this reversed syntax works better.<br />
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Another combinatorial technique relies on mixing adjectives and nouns to create vivid, picturable names. Make a column of colors or sizes and another column of shapes or <a href="http://www.manythings.org/vocabulary/lists/l/words.php?f=ogden-picturable" target="_blank">concrete nouns</a>. Mix and match using <a href="http://www.combinewords.com/" target="_blank">Combine Words</a> or another word permutation tool.<br />
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You’ll find that some words work better than others. Refine your lists and combine them with other ideas to create longer, better lists of name candidates. This recursive technique will easily net you hundreds of candidates.<br />
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Once you have a good list, run it through a <a href="http://www.godaddy.com/bulk-domain-search.aspx" target="_blank">batch domain search</a> tool to see what’s free.<br />
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These are names I have created that had free and clear .com domains using this technique:<br />
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<a href="http://dwellaware.com/">DwellAware.com</a><br />
<a href="http://artistrising.com/">ArtistRising.com</a><br />
<a href="http://hometownadvantage.com/">HometownAdvantage.com</a><br />
<a href="http://runbrainrun.com/">RunBrainRun.com</a><br />
<a href="http://bigredarrow.com/">BigRedArrow.com</a><br />
<a href="http://richpageant.com/">RichPageant.com</a><br />
<a href="http://operativewords.com/">OperativeWords.com</a><br />
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This technique is suitable when your name really does need to match your .com, like for a search engine, video site, photo sharing site, etc.<br />
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<b>Don’t Use .com</b><br />
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Back in 2009, I <a href="http://operativewords.blogspot.com/2009/04/dot-com-is-todays-800-number.html" target="_blank">predicted</a> that .coms would be like 800-numbers. That is, companies would begin using non-.com domains and then .com would lose its exclusivity and cachet, much as people got used to seeing 866 and 877 toll-free numbers. That’s happened to some extent.<br />
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Top-level domains other than .com have gained some traction. For example, there are scads of names ending in .ly, like <a href="http://bit.ly/">bit.ly</a> and <a href="http://live.ly/">live.ly</a> (<a href="http://nancyfriedman.typepad.com/" target="_blank">Nancy Friedman</a> has amassed an impressive collection on her Pinterest <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/fritinancy/names-that-end-in-ly/" target="_blank">board</a>). Some companies have used .net (<a href="http://slideshare.net/">slideshare.net</a>) and .us (<a href="http://del.icio.us/">del.icio.us</a>, before they bought <a href="http://delicious.com/">delicious.com</a>). ICANN has also blessed the issuance of new domains like .coach and .design. You could create one of your own, but it’ll set you back over $100,000.<br />
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My opinion is if the top-level domain name is a natural suffix, like <i>–ly</i>, or separate word, like <i>it</i> or <i>me</i>, you can get away with a non-.com name. For example, <a href="http://visual.ly/">visual.ly</a>, <a href="http://flip.it/">flip.it</a> and <a href="http://about.me/">about.me</a>, but not <a href="http://letsfea.st/">letsfea.st</a> (hat tip for examples from this <a href="http://thenextweb.com/entrepreneur/2013/10/19/whats-startups-name-trend-misspelled-words-ly-wont-go-away/" target="_blank">article</a>). It does not work so well if the non-.com domain is just hanging out there like a meatball, like <a href="http://secureserver.net/">secureserver.net</a>. (Non-commercial domains, like .org and .edu, don’t suffer the same restriction because we expect non-profits and educational sites to end with .org and .edu.)<br />
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The challenge with creating great names using this non-.com technique is that there are only so many TLDs that exist, and precious few are also English suffixes or words, and fewer still are also available for all to use regardless of where your company is. Here’s my list of viable top-level domains that fit the bill:<br />
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.at<br />
.ly<br />
.be<br />
.by<br />
.do<br />
.in<br />
.is<br />
.me<br />
.to<br />
.us<br />
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This <a href="http://www.iana.org/domains/root/db" target="_blank">link</a> will take you to registrars for these TLDs, and from there you can search for domain candidates. The world could use a new bulk search engine that will let you search against the TLDs cited above. Geeky entrepreneurs, are you listening?<br />
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I have proposed alternatives to .coms to my clients when the .com is unavailable, but they have opted for an available .com based on a name+descriptor.<br />
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<b>Light Coining</b><br />
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This technique is the most difficult to get right. Some online names (Flickr and Scribd and Tumblr) found their domain by ditching a vowel. Others by adding a letter (Pinterest). Others by adding a novel suffix (Spotify). Other have substituted one letter for another (Cingular, Embarq).<br />
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Here are come light coining techniques, each illustrated by a domain I’ve created:<br />
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<a href="http://homestyler.com/">Homestyler.com</a><br />
Technique: add an –r or –er to a verb to create an agent, or try another <a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Category:English_suffixes" target="_blank">suffix</a>)<br />
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<a href="http://lytro.com/">Lytro.com</a><br />
Technique: create a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portmanteau" target="_blank">portmanteau</a>, throw in some letter substitution<br />
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<a href="http://fanhattan.com/">Fanhattan.com</a><br />
Technique: letter substitution<br />
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<a href="http://zact.com/">Zact.com</a><br />
Technique: clipping (from <i>exact</i> to <i>xact</i>) and letter substitution (using <i>z</i> for <i>x</i>)<br />
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<a href="http://poptism.com/">Poptism.com</a><br />
Technique: clipping (from <i>optimism</i> to <i>optism</i>) and letter addition. <a href="http://poptism.com/">Poptism.com</a> forwards to <a href="http://poptism.org/">Poptism.org</a> since it’s a nonprofit.<br />
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Other coining techniques can be found <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Word_formation" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
You can find a list of sites dedicated to neologisms <a href="http://neologia.org/html/neologism_sites.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
My other postings about coined names can be found <a href="http://operativewords.blogspot.com/search/label/coined%20names" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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The following are two techniques you can use when it’s OK for your company name and domain to differ slightly:<br />
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<b>Add a Descriptor</b><br />
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OK, let’s say you’ve found the perfect real word that’s available as a trademark for your client. Naturally, the name.com will be taken, since all real, single English words are. Just add a business descriptor, a technique that is suitable for most companies.<br />
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Domains I’ve created like this include:<br />
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<a href="http://raptstudio.com/">RaptStudio.com</a><br />
<a href="http://bracketglobal.com/">BracketGlobal.com</a><br />
<a href="http://scribewinery.com/">ScribeWinery.com</a><br />
<a href="http://keepsamerica.com/">KeepsAmerica.com</a><br />
<a href="http://patternenergy.com/">PatternEnergy.com</a><br />
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The following names are creative leaps, but they still required appending a descriptor to get the .com:<br />
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<a href="http://wanderfulstorybooks.com/">WanderfulStorybooks.com</a><br />
<a href="http://laughingglasscocktails.com/">LaughingGlassCocktails.com</a><br />
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<b>Make a Call to Action or Tagline</b><br />
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I have never created a domain name that is also a call to action, but it is a viable technique. My naming colleague, <a href="https://twitter.com/eatmywords" target="_blank">Alexandra Watkins</a>, has touted the benefits of domains like <a href="http://enjoycoke.com/">EnjoyCoke.com</a>.<br />
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For example:<br />
<a href="http://thisiscolossal.com/">ThisIsColossal.com</a><br />
<a href="http://letsfeast.com/">LetsFeast.com</a><br />
<a href="http://paywithisis.com/">PayWithIsis.com</a><br />
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I hope these techniques prove useful for your domain naming projects.<br />
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Good luck!Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-29143806425298168072013-11-07T07:13:00.000-08:002013-11-07T07:20:33.663-08:00Omphalos: A Word Tasting on SesquioticSome words are worth a thousand pictures. There are people who could stare at a beautiful word all day long and marvel as it reveals more and more imagery and meaning. Staring at words is my hobby.<br />
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There is a blog called <a href="http://sesquiotic.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Sesquiotic</a>, and on this blog James Harbeck publishes “word tastings”. A word tasting is an essay about a word. I’m pretty sure James likes to stare at words as much as I do. Thankfully, he also writes about them:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Words are delicious and intoxicating. They do much more than just denote; they have appearance, sound, a feel in the mouth, and words they sound like and travel with. All of these participate in the aesthetic experience of the word and can affect communication. So why not taste them like a fine wine?</blockquote>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 23px;">James was nice enough to invite me to contribute to Sesquiotic. This is <a href="http://sesquiotic.wordpress.com/2013/11/07/omphalos-omphaloskepsis/" target="_blank">my word tasting</a> of <i>omphalos</i> and <i>omphaloskepsis,</i> two words I have long stared at:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 23px;"> </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Contemplate the navel: The locus of life, button of our underbellies. The place from which every placental mammal was nourished <i>in utero</i>. Students of meditation, enrollees of the navel academy, look within themselves and contemplate their navels to gain an introspective perspective.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 23px;">Taking shape as innies and outies, the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 23px;"><i>omphalos</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 23px;"> – ὀμφαλός to the Hellenically-incined – and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 23px;"><i>umbilicus</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 23px;"> to the medically-inclined – is our most visible (and sexy!) scar: the belly button. Ambient squealing peals are the soundtrack as our umbilical cord is cut, leaving us with a resounding, adorable mark. And despite being a marker of life itself, 90% of navels are depressed. The other 10% are happy outies.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 23px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 23px;">Is it any wonder navels are centers of attention? They lie at the very center of our bodies – and, some say, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omphalos" target="_blank">the center of the world</a>. The Vitruvian Man pinpoints the center of human geometry at the tummy button, equidistant from the periphery of the great circle formed by da Vinci’s sepia-toned, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitruvian_Man" target="_blank">spread eagle snow angel</a>. </span> </blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 23px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 23px;">Considering the body further, the Latin word for a place of observation was <i>templum</i>, and so when we contemplate our navels, our bedimpled bodies are a temple, etymologically speaking.</span> </blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 23px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 23px;">Among the erudites, navel-gazing is called <i>omphaloskepsis</i>, a mouthful of chewy consonant clusters cooked up by classical Greek phonology. </span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 23px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 23px;">Inspecting skeptics might wonder, how is it that this is even a word, this <i>omphaloskepsis</i>? The first syllable is a chomp and an exclamation: oomph! They do not belong together, these zounds, but somehow, <a href="http://ironracer.hubpages.com/hub/Theres-a-Flounder-in-My-Tomato" target="_blank">like a flounder genetically entwined with a tomato</a>, it kinda works. Other Greek-derived words that begin with this kind of “mph” include <i>amphetamine</i>, <i>amphitheater</i> and <i>emphatic</i>. As far as Greek goes, MPH must stand for More Phonetic Hutzpah. </span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 23px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 23px;">The latter and more familiar half of <i>omphaloskepsis</i>, looks like <i>skeptic</i>, one who inquires or doubts. The philosophical school of skeptics was founded by Pyrrho of Ellis who himself was schooled by the gymnosophists, those naked lovers of wisdom native to India. Early followers pursued a special brand of skepticism called Pyrrhonism, though bearing resemblance to Pyrrhus (known for qualified victory), actually shares no common etymon. Only Greek, which has taken so many hubristic liberties with phonology – <i>sphere</i>, <i>pterodactyl</i>, <i>mnemonic</i>, <i>acne</i>, <i>iatric</i>, <i>phthisis</i>, <i>pyknic</i> – binds Pyrrho and Pyrrhic by origin. </span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 23px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 23px;"><i>Omphaloskepsis</i> takes us on a long, strange trip through sonority. We set out with our mouths agape, saying “aaah,” as if to afford an attentive physician a better view of our tonsils. Next comes the nasal-fricative [mf] like a one-two punch. It is guttural and visceral and entirely satisfying. We flow into a liquid [l], smooth and fluid, but then are greeted with a skidding, stoccatic fricative-stop-stop-fricative-fricative washboarded stretch of heavy, beclustered syllables.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 23px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 23px;">Omphalos and omphaloskepsis offer what any great vacation should offer: Something exotic, adventurous, and an opportunity, in looking outside of ourselves, to learn more about what lies within.</span></blockquote>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 23px;">If you’ve read this far, it’s clear you, too, like to stare at words. I recommend <a href="http://sesquiotic.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">signing up</a> for the Sesquiotic word tasting email list, where you will be served up a fresh, tasty morsel about a word on an almost-daily basis. Mangia!</span>Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-66609994295443587762013-05-31T21:17:00.000-07:002013-05-31T21:17:16.774-07:00Secrets of a Brand Namer: An Interview<a href="http://www.lewispr.com/" target="_blank">Lewis PR</a> interviewed me for their e-magazine, <i>Kupambana</i>. They asked me about how to arrive at a great name (hint: not group brainstorming), stories behind names like Accenture, <a href="http://operativewords.blogspot.com/2011/07/lytro-camera-of-future-named-by.html" target="_blank">Lytro</a> and <a href="http://operativewords.blogspot.com/2009/07/pattern-energy-story-behind-name.html" target="_blank">Pattern Energy</a>, and naming myths and misperceptions.<br />
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The e-magazine was originally published as <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/kupambana-emagazine/id595986304?mt=8" target="_blank">free, iPad app</a> which offers a great way to flip through the articles. I've pasted it below if you’re ready to read my interview right now. <i>Click the bottom half of the first page for best results.</i><br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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<span id="goog_671279829"></span><span id="goog_671279830"></span><br />Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-65236071196995139092013-04-01T11:45:00.001-07:002013-07-09T11:00:28.748-07:00The Names of MIT Media Lab: How to Describe an Innovation<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">There is nothing else quite like <a href="http://www.media.mit.edu/">MIT Media Lab</a>. Their mission to “invent a better future” has given us a better present. It’s Media Lab’s research and development that led to the Kindle and Nook, Rock Band and One Laptop Per Child.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">While their innovative projects receive and deserve recognition, MIT Media Lab’s innovative project naming also warrants study and praise. The minds of the Media Lab seem to know as much about how to innovate as how to name innovations. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In <a href="http://operativewords.blogspot.com/2009/10/describe-different_16.html">Describe Different</a>, I wrote that it’s rarely easy to develop an obvious description for a product hitherto not obvious. The best practice of creating descriptors for innovations requires using words people are familiar with, but combining them in an original way. In a sense, it’s the very essence of creativity itself: combining old things in new ways.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">What’s an innovative product descriptor? As an example, a new camera launched last year called the <a href="https://www.lytro.com/">Lytro</a> light field camera. In this case, <i>light field camera</i> is the innovation’s descriptor. Here’s a brief <a href="http://operativewords.blogspot.com/2011/07/lytro-camera-of-future-named-by.html">post</a> about my work naming the Lytro. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">When it comes to naming new — really new — products, we can learn a lot from MIT Media Labs. Here are some instructive examples:</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.media.mit.edu/research/groups/1461/liberated-pixels"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Liberated Pixels</span></b></a></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“...Systems that blur the boundary between urban lighting and digital displays in public spaces. These systems consist of liberated pixels, which are not confined to rigid frames as are typical urban screens. Liberated pixels can be applied to existing horizontal and vertical surfaces in any configuration, and communicate with each other to enable a different repertoire of lighting and display patterns. We have developed Urban Pixels a wireless infrastructure for liberated pixels.”</span></i></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-njK6zUrkz2w/UVnQHij83QI/AAAAAAAABBI/cOhuc2nVPWY/s1600/Liberated+Pixels.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-njK6zUrkz2w/UVnQHij83QI/AAAAAAAABBI/cOhuc2nVPWY/s320/Liberated+Pixels.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Wonderfully original yet self-explanatory, liberated pixels isn’t just a name, it’s a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Framing_(social_sciences)">frame</a>. It implies that other pixels are not liberated but are “<a href="http://labcast.media.mit.edu/?p=47">an oppressed population</a>” confined to the limited dimensions of a screen. <i>Pixels</i> is meant loosely, a metaphor for any point of light that could be illuminated at will in the future photopia the researchers envision. Liberated pixels demonstrates that a name can be distantly metaphoric — literally speaking, the light is neither liberated nor pixels — yet proximate enough to be descriptive. Bonus points for extending the pixels theme with <i>urban pixels</i> to describe the enabling infrastructure. </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.media.mit.edu/research/groups/1462/air-mobs"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Air Mobs</span></b></a></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“Air Mobs is a community-based P2P cross-operator WiFi tethering market.” </span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Air refers to wi-fi — a creative yet familiar application of the word (cf. Apple’s AirPort and AirPlay). Mobs refers to groups of people, here communities and markets. Although mobs can be threatening and unruly, when used in a name, mobs casts off its dark sheen and becomes a playful label for a boisterous crowd. You can read more about the “positivity principle” — the phenomenon that negative words are perceived positively when they appear in a name — in the article, <a href="http://operativewords.blogspot.com/2010/02/red-flags-and-red-herrings-nuances-of.html">Red Flags and Red Herrings</a>. </span></div>
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<a href="http://web.media.mit.edu/~edward/StoriedNavigation.html"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Storied Navigation</span></b></a></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">”Storied Navigation is a novel approach to constructing a story based on a collection of digital video and audio. Media sequences are tagged with free-text annotations and stored as a collection. The system can then suggest media based on the context of the story.”</span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Storied Navigation is a new kind of storytelling named anew. The name’s focus is on the process of navigation (i.e. laying out a plot based on photos and videos) and bringing stories (i.e. annotations) into that process. The name belies the project’s reason for being: Until now, media-based stories have been piecemeal, a patchwork of disparate and disjointed moments that do not tie together into a seamless narrative. With Storied Navigation, a journey through media artifacts is no longer staccato, aimless wandering, but coherent and unified by a purpose: a story. In a fun twist, the word “storied” is not used as it is typically meant (legendary), but more literally yet novelly used to mean <i>imbued with stories</i>.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.media.mit.edu/research/groups/1450/hyperinstruments"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Hyperinstruments</span></b></a></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“...the goal of designing expanded musical instruments, using technology to give extra power and finesse to virtuosic performers. Such hyperinstruments were designed to augment guitars and keyboards, percussion and strings, and even conducting....The research focus of all this work is on designing computer systems (sensors, signal processing, and software) that measure and interpret human expression and feeling, as well as on exploring the appropriate modalities and innovative content of interactive art and entertainment environments. We have also expanded the hyperinstrument environment to include gestural and intuitive control of visual media.”</span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Hyperinstruments is a successful coined descriptor, denoting musical instruments that are <i>beyond</i> in some way. Hyper- brings many useful meanings: over, above, beyond, exceeding. All are relevant. This descriptor demonstrates that by taking a word that is functionally grounded, it can be augmented with a prefix to shape its meaning. Such a technique could be applied to the same root to derive non-existent neologisms (and innovations) such as meta-instruments (instruments that work beyond the instruments themselves), nano-instruments (the world’s smallest violin), mega-instruments (what Christo would play), auto-instruments (self-playing instruments, like player pianos and computers), bio-instruments (the body as music maker), and hydro-instruments (those whose sound comes from water).</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.media.mit.edu/research/groups/personal-robots"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Robotic Textiles</span></b></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Cool!</span></div>
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<a href="http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/everyday-innovations/cornucopia-digital-gastronomy.htm"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Cornucopia: Digital Gastronomy</span></b></a></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“In essence, it is a 3D printer for food.”</span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: small;">A few noteworthy things on this one. First, they could have called this 3D Food Printer, but they didn’t, at least not in the project description. I hope that in describing a device, it is called the 3D Food Printer because it’s bang-on. Second, Digital Gastronomy is the perfect description of the practice or art of creating food using digital technology. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: small;"><a href="http://sdgmag.com/article/specialty-imaging/inkjet-cake-printing">Computer-generated cake art</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: small;"> would fall under Digital Gastronomy, as would the 3D Food Printer. Finally, there’s a coy proper name in Cornucopia. It suggests not only abundance, but also CORN!</span></div>
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<a href="http://fluid.media.mit.edu/projects/eyering"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">EyeRing: A Compact, Intelligent Vision System on a Ring</span></b></a></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“EyeRing is a wearable intuitive interface that allows a person to point at an object to see or hear more information about it.”</span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">EyeRing is a solid, descriptive name. I like that it’s an analog to earring, which is not a ring that hears (though: cool) but one you put on your ears. EyeRing is not the only descriptor that might have been for this project: Information Ring, Vision Ring, Digital Ring, Sense Ring, and Ring of Knowledge would be equally descriptive, albeit longer. </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.media.mit.edu/research/groups/fluid-interfaces"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Watt Watcher</span></b></a></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“Watt Watcher is a project that provides in-place feedback on aggregate energy use per device in a format that is easy to understand and intuitively compare.”</span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Clarity and alliteration: Two points!</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.holosonics.com/"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Audio Spotlight</span></b></a></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“Audio spotlight can target sound very specifically.”</span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Great innovative descriptors often borrow from established terms in other categories. A spotlight is a beam of light that is narrowly focused. The Audio Spotlight is a beam of sound narrowly focused. Thankfully, whoever coined this didn’t try to rid the name of light by calling it a Spotsound or some such. Smartly, they knew people would give the name latitude and not be confused by the presence of the word <i>light</i>. Today, we rent movies from iTunes, and don’t think twice even though the name suggests music and not video. </span></div>
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<a href="http://singingfingers.com/"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Singing Fingers</span></b></a></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“Singing Fingers allows children to fingerpaint with sound.”</span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Descriptors don’t have to be boring or rigidly literal. A descriptor like Sonic Fingerpainting would get the job done, but why choose that when you could have Singing Fingers? Singing is understood to mean creating sound, so it fits the bill poetically. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In the spirit of balance and eschewing unadulterated adulation, I will mention two names that might be a bit off the mark: </span></div>
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<a href="http://postscapes.com/ambient-furniture-from-mit"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ambient Furniture</span></b></a></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“Prototype furniture concepts that mix ‘apps with the IKEA catalog’ to explore ideas on peripheral awareness, incidental gestures, pre-attentive processing, and eavesdropping interfaces when embedded into our everyday objects.”</span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: small;">A beautiful name, no? Attach </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: small;"><i>ambient</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: small;"> to anything and it sounds more beautiful. Ambient contusion. Ambient putrefaction. Ambient booger. See?! Ambient furniture is somewhat misdescriptive, as it’s not furniture that’s ambient but software applications. Ambient apps would be more accurate, but who’s gonna quibble when you have the audacious euphony of Ambient Furniture? </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.media.mit.edu/"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">MIT Media Lab</span></b></a></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“The Media Lab is a place where the future is lived, not imagined. Our domain is applying unorthodox research approaches for envisioning the impact of emerging technologies on everyday life. Unconstrained by traditional disciplines, Lab designers, engineers, artists, and scientists work atelier-style, conducting more than 350 projects that range from neuroengineering, to how children learn, to a stackable, electric car for tomorrow’s city.”</span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">With caution and humility, I gently submit that the MIT Media Lab name itself is one of their lesser descriptive name achievements. To its credit, <i>media</i> is a big, broad word and covers a lot of things: computers, the arts, and scads of other relevant disciplines. But the organization’s groundbreaking work in electric cars, advanced prostheses, social signals in biomedicine, and nanowires push the meaning of media beyond what’s been established. The MIT Media Lab name does not do justice to the scope of the organization: Creating a better future. I would not deign to suggest MIT Media Lab change its venerable name, just as Microsoft shouldn’t change its name just because it sells keyboards and mice, I am merely noting the irony of a reigning name that might fall a bit short of its subjects. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">If you ever have the opportunity to describe something that’s never been described before, I hope these examples from MIT Media Lab inspire you describe greatly.</span></div>
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<br />Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-64899470079454460962013-02-01T09:26:00.002-08:002013-02-03T14:50:16.331-08:00Fibblestax: A Naming Storybook<link href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sWAnciT_Zc4/UQq66TP1X3I/AAAAAAAABAE/zbCcclHteiA/s1600/Fibblestax+image.jpg" rel="image_src"></link>
Have you heard about the boy who names everything?<br />
<br />
His name is Fibblestax. It’s him we have to thank for words like <i>mother</i>, <i>whisper</i>, <i>crackers</i> and <i>rain</i>.<br />
<br />
You probably thought these elemental English words had no single inventor. I certainly did. But author <a href="http://www.devinscillian.com/" target="_blank">Devin Scillian</a> reveals the truth about where names really come from in his delightful children’s book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fibblestax-Devin-Scillian/dp/1585361658" target="_blank">Fibblestax</a>.<br />
<br />
I was first introduced to Fibblestax through <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/pub/hugh-levaux/0/a39/42a" target="_blank">Hugh Levaux</a>, a client for whom I <a href="http://operativewords.blogspot.com/2011/06/bracket-story-behind-name.html" target="_blank">named</a> the clinical trial research company, <a href="http://bracketglobal.com/" target="_blank">Bracket</a>. In our second meeting, Hugh told me what he recently told his five-year-old daughter, “You know who I met today? Fibblestax.”<br />
<br />
I looked at Hugh quizzically, quickly blinking the way one does when confused or lost in conversation.<br />
<br />
“Uh...who’s Fibblestax?” I asked.<br />
<br />
Hugh was stunned. “You don’t know Fibblestax?! He’s the boy who names everything!”<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IwEx_RXx7-0/UQrEk4i7k9I/AAAAAAAABAk/8c3WHL3DhAM/s1600/Jon+Stewart+Go+On.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IwEx_RXx7-0/UQrEk4i7k9I/AAAAAAAABAk/8c3WHL3DhAM/s1600/Jon+Stewart+Go+On.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Go ooooon!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
After our meeting, I ran home (on BART) and found Fibblestax on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fibblestax-Devin-Scillian/dp/1585361658" target="_blank">Amazon</a>. With an inkling that this book about the boy who named everything would be important to me, I sought and bought a first edition signed by the author, Devin Scillian. (At the time, I thought that I’d like to talk with the author someday. Months later I did, and our conversation will be featured in a future blog post.)</div>
<br />
Like Navin Johnson when the new phonebook arrived, I greeted the delivery of Fibblestax at my door with loud outbursts of joy.<br />
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<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-JgrP-XFSS5E/UQq5H6bGl8I/AAAAAAAAA_w/vD3LbAP-lys/s636/Navin%2520Johnson.png" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ahuPW6_t-z0&start=19&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ahuPW6_t-z0&start=19&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Fibblestax is here! Fibblestax is here!</span></i></div>
<br />
Fibblestax is beautifully illustrated by calligrapher <a href="http://www.kldarnell.com/" target="_blank">Kathryn Darnell</a>. Adorning the covers and every page between, her rustic pencil illustrations are richly textured. The endpaper features a selection of words writ large and small in varying styles of calligraphy. They are words for which we have Fibblestax to thank: <i>daffodil, armadillo, hatchet, rutabaga, jug</i>.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QrR2WyTMioY/UQqstKcahUI/AAAAAAAAA_c/QQNhPeAWrdQ/s1600/Calligraphy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QrR2WyTMioY/UQqstKcahUI/AAAAAAAAA_c/QQNhPeAWrdQ/s320/Calligraphy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kathryn Darnell illustrates why </i>calligraphy<i> means </i>beautiful writing<i>.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>Fibblestax</i> is not just about Fibblestax. The story tells us of the proto-namer who preceded Fibblestax:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
His name was Carr, a red-faced man<br />
who sat on a hickory trunk, </blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
And gave terrible names to wonderful things<br />
like <i>toad</i> and <i>snake</i> and <i>skunk</i>. </blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
He thought up all the awful words<br />
in a careless, haughty way, </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Words like <i>sphere</i> and <i>xylophone</i><br />
and others I can’t say.
</blockquote>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s5dP_rqeAug/UQq6R4xYNmI/AAAAAAAAA_8/CzndZ9K_NDs/s1600/Carr+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s5dP_rqeAug/UQq6R4xYNmI/AAAAAAAAA_8/CzndZ9K_NDs/s320/Carr+image.jpg" width="260" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Carr, with a face befitting his names.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sWAnciT_Zc4/UQq66TP1X3I/AAAAAAAABAE/zbCcclHteiA/s1600/Fibblestax+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sWAnciT_Zc4/UQq66TP1X3I/AAAAAAAABAE/zbCcclHteiA/s320/Fibblestax+image.jpg" width="274" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Fibblestax: A boy and his names.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Fibblestax spent his time considering the names Carr invented and dreaming up better ones. Fibblestax was named by Carr, so it’s understandable he would want to outsmart the one responsible for his own awkward moniker.<br />
<br />
Fibblestax taunted Carr ever-sweetly with names better than the ones Carr dredged up:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
This <i>gloobywickus</i> in my cup<br />
why it looks like <i>cream</i>.…<br />
And I much prefer the sound of <i>flowers</i><br />
to the sound of <i>gunnywunks</i>.</blockquote>
Taking offense, Carr challenged Fibblestax to a naming contest. An announcement was issued to the community:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The things we say,<br />
the trinkets of our tongue.<br />
Shall it be Carr the elder<br />
or Fibblestax the young? </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
By order of the mayor,<br />
come this very day<br />
and weigh these worthy wordsmiths<br />
come without delay.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></blockquote>
In this epic naming battle for the ages, the mayor would describe a thing that needed a name, and Fibblestax and Carr would each name it, then the people would judge. Fibblestax happened to come up with the very words we use today for those things. In all fairness, the deck was stacked against Carr. [Hey, Devin, how about a sequel from the perspective of Carr, a la <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grendel_(novel)" target="_blank">Grendel</a></i>?]<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l6Cn82ue6ww/UQq-fbKknUI/AAAAAAAABAM/8bXGbnqgLlg/s1600/The+contest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l6Cn82ue6ww/UQq-fbKknUI/AAAAAAAABAM/8bXGbnqgLlg/s320/The+contest.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Fibblestax vs. Carr: War of the Words</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As a namer, I appreciated the inventiveness of Carr’s ugly words. Quoting Mr. Scillian from our soon-to-be-published interview, “The words had to be wrong in just the right way.”<br />
<br />
Consider for yourself the names invented by each: Carr came up with <i>droog</i>, where Fibblestax came up with <i>rain</i>. And Carr called <i>poonies</i> what the boy called <i>crackers</i> (“for that’s how crackers sound”).<br />
<br />
The last word Carr could not name, for it described a feeling Carr never felt: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
This is that feeling, that very strange feeling,<br />
a dreamy kind of cheer.<br />
That feeling that makes you feel so good<br />
when a special friend is near.</blockquote>
Fibblestax knew what to call that feeling. He called it <i>love</i>.<br />
<br />
The judges swooned. Fibblestax was victorious. At the celebration, there was lots of hugging and crying and singing into the night. I’d wager Fibblestax invented the word <i>kumbaya</i> at some point.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-51rDz-XdyoU/UQqrTO_GxMI/AAAAAAAAA_U/jmvL8TmOP3E/s1600/Love_COPY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-51rDz-XdyoU/UQqrTO_GxMI/AAAAAAAAA_U/jmvL8TmOP3E/s320/Love_COPY.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>This is </i>love<i>.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The story closes with a conversation between the author and Fibblestax, suggesting the boy give himself a better name:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Oh no,” he says, “I’ll not do that.<br />
It’s a little reminder for me<br />
To always find the perfect name<br />
for all the things I see.<br />
And yet,” he says, “it’s what’s inside.<br />
A name sometimes distracts.<br />
For everyone’s a special soul.<br />
Even one named Fibblestax.” </blockquote>
The book about the boy who names everything admits to the limits of names. It’s true, names can’t do everything. A great product can succeed despite a lousy name, and a great name won’t salvage a lousy product.<br />
<br />
But names are not nothing, either. They do matter. Every time you think of a thing, you think of its name. Every time you talk about a thing, you speak its name. I, for one, would much rather have wonderful words echoing in my thoughts and speech instead of ugly ones. Wouldn’t you?<br />
<br />
Thank you, Devin, for introducing us to the quintessential namer, Fibblestax. And thank you, Fibblestax, for your wonderful names.<br />
<br />
<i>Readers, stay tuned. My interview with author Devin Scillian will be posted soon!</i></blockquote>
Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-65859328154919626172013-01-08T18:45:00.000-08:002013-01-28T11:03:52.300-08:00I Hate Ugly Words: My Interview on Wordnik<a href="http://wordnik.com/" target="_blank">Wordnik</a> is a place where people post lists of words. Many an hour I've spent scouring Wordnik lists as I develop brand names for clients. My most recent <a href="http://operativewords.blogspot.com/2012/09/wanderful-story-behind-name.html" target="_blank">post</a> about naming interactive storybook company, Wanderful, includes links to actual Wordnik searches I used for that project.<br />
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I like Wordnik and, judging by their kind offer to interview me, they like me back.<br />
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<div>
<a href="http://blog.wordnik.com/the-name-game-anthony-shore-of-operative-words" target="_blank">The interview</a> covers my childhood-era obsession with Proto-Indo-European roots, the process I recommend to develop a brand name, helpful online naming resources, and a cool technique that uses multiple resources to quickly develop scads of great names.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I hope you enjoy the <a href="http://blog.wordnik.com/the-name-game-anthony-shore-of-operative-words" target="_blank">interview</a>.</div>
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Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-57307446575239759192012-09-10T09:12:00.000-07:002012-09-10T09:12:40.966-07:00Wanderful: The Story Behind the Name<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
“Mickey Mantle needs a new name.”<br />
<br />
That’s how I first heard about the assignment, when a <a href="http://gulture.com/" target="_blank">colleague</a> told me about his client named Mickey Mantle and his yet-unnamed interactive children’s book company.<br />
<br />
To name a publisher, imprint an imprint, title a maker of titles; this would be a dream assignment.<br />
<br />
The resurrection of an old brand would be the inception of this new one. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_Books_series" target="_blank">Living Books</a>, the products that created the category of highly interactive children’s books, was dormant for years. Broderbund was the original publisher and in a series of acquisition/mergers/spin-outs and ownership changes, Living Books ended up as the property of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Despite a decade of great success, new stories in the Living Books series were not released, and the software languished without updates to newer operating systems for PC and Macs.<br />
<br />
Mickey Mantle, once Broderbund’s VP of Engineering/CTO and now an entrepreneur, struck a deal with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to re-publish the Living Books series, which includes about 20 individual stories each by a variety of noted authors, including <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercer_Mayer" target="_blank">Mercer Mayer</a> (<i>Little Monster</i>), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Brown_%28author%29" target="_blank">Marc Brown</a> (<i>Arthur</i>), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stan_and_Jan_Berenstain" target="_blank">Jan and Stan Berenstain</a> (<i>Berenstain Bears</i>), Dr. Seuss and others. For today’s kids, the assets from the original CD-ROM titles, like graphics, animations, sound and music, would be used directly by a new technology platform developed by Mickey’s team running on iPads and iPhones, Android mobile devices, and current Mac and PC computers.<br />
<br />
Once again, Living Books would live, but it would have to do so under a different name. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt allowed the Living Books content to be re-published so long as the Living Books name remained theirs. That required the new publisher to use a new moniker but could include an attribution that the stories were “originally published as a Living Book by Broderbund Software” and the display of a small Living Books logo accompanying the attribution. The new name would have to coexist and contrast with the former one. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/36/Living_Books_Logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="187" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/36/Living_Books_Logo.png" title="The original Living Books logo" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The original Living Books logo</i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I interviewed the founders of the company: <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/pub/mickey-w-mantle/0/63a/a50" target="_blank">Mickey Mantle</a>; his wife, Natasha Krol, a PR and marketing <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?trk=tyah2&locale=en_US&id=5693446" target="_blank">veteran</a>; and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Schlichting" target="_blank">Mark Schlichting</a>, an expert in child education and language development, a children’s book author and illustrator, the creator of the hysterical, award-winning <a href="http://www.noodlewords.com/" target="_blank">Noodle Words</a> app, and the original creator of Living Books. <br />
<br />
I learned from them that Living Books and its reincarnation were richer, deeper and far more interactive than other e-books. Every page of every title features a multitude of tappable elements. With a dozen or more things to do on each page, children linger longer. Their attention, knowledge and imagination are strengthened as a result.<br />
<br />
The new brand had two key facets: education and play. Because education is sometimes framed as work – homework, schoolwork, et al. – I first believed these ideas stood in opposition. Indeed, the pedagogical foundation of Living Books 1.0 was rigorous enough that thousands of schools incorporated them and accompanying teaching aids into their curricula. Even today, some schools keep legacy Macs or PC systems around just to retain access to Broderbund’s wunderkind series.<br />
<br />
In our discussion, Mark explained to me that play actually enhances learning. If kids have fun while learning, they will engage more deeply and eagerly with the materials. The new brand and its name would have to convey that these interactive books are both educational and fun in order to appeal to kids, parents and educators.<br />
<br />
The new name would also have to stand out in the absurdly crowded iTunes and Android marketplaces (500,000 apps and counting). Presented with a list of hundreds of interactive book choices, the brand name needed to leap off the screen to catch the attention of a busy parent or impatient child. <br />
<br />
I wrote name objectives that assimilated and synthesized the interviews and background research into one page. With the criteria for name development and selection established, creative development could commence.<br />
<br />
Quoting <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Sendak" target="_blank">Maurice Sendak</a>, who passed while this naming project was in development: Let the wild rumpus start!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://escape-files.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/where-wild-things-are-rumpus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="140" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/escape-files/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/where-wild-things-are-rumpus.jpg" title="Whee!" width="320" /></a></div>
The Internet was my creative playground. I discovered inspiration researching children’s words, vocabulary acquisition and development, “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolch_word_list" target="_blank">Dolch</a>” words, fairy tales, games, verbs, exclamations, and children’s word play. Foundational words like fun, happy, laughter, tickle and learning were fed into corpora engines, word lists and other online naming powertools like <a href="http://wordnik.com/" target="_blank">Wordnik</a>, <a href="http://operativewords.blogspot.com/2011/08/how-to-create-names-using-worlds-most.html" target="_blank">Sketch Engine</a>, and <a href="http://onelook.com/" target="_blank">OneLook</a>. Specialized children’s sites like <a href="http://bogglesworldesl.com/" target="_blank">Lanternfish</a> supplemented my longstanding resources, as did primary research with my nieces and nephews. Watching the kids, who age from 4-7, play with a beta version of Living Books on my iPad demonstrated its power; they threw themselves into the stories and played with rapt attention.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Tk9qLsF2L-o/UACHJT8Zg3I/AAAAAAAAA7E/aMPVjpjiKMY/s1600/Neive+and+Nephew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Tk9qLsF2L-o/UACHJT8Zg3I/AAAAAAAAA7E/aMPVjpjiKMY/s200/Neive+and+Nephew.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Here’s a list of some of the creative searches I did online. Please consider this list a handy resource for your naming projects: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://www.wordnik.com/lists/action-verbs" target="_blank">action verbs</a><br />
<a href="http://www.wordnik.com/lists/animal-sound-verbs" target="_blank">animal sound verbs</a><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_talk" target="_blank">baby talk</a><br />
<a href="http://www.wordnik.com/lists/3-letter-words-of-the-pattern-cvc" target="_blank">cvc words</a><br />
<a href="http://www.wordnik.com/lists/double-letter-words" target="_blank">double letter words</a><br />
<a href="http://bogglesworldesl.com/first_verbs.htm" target="_blank">first verbs</a><br />
<a href="http://bogglesworldesl.com/first_words.htm" target="_blank">first words</a><br />
<a href="http://www.wordnik.com/lists/frequentative" target="_blank">frequentative</a><br />
<a href="http://www.uark.edu/%7Edbruce/list.html" target="_blank">fun words</a><br />
<a href="http://www.wordnik.com/lists/funny-laughter-words" target="_blank">funny laughter words</a><br />
<a href="http://www.wordnik.com/lists/happy--happy--joy--joy" target="_blank">happy-happy joy-joy</a><br />
<a href="http://www.wordnik.com/lists/i-am-talking" target="_blank">i am talking</a><br />
<a href="http://www.idiomsbykids.com/idiomsall.htm" target="_blank">idioms for kids</a><br />
<a href="http://www.idiomconnection.com/education.html#A" target="_blank">idioms in education</a><br />
<a href="http://www.wordnik.com/lists/laffterglow" target="_blank">laffterglow</a><br />
<a href="http://linguistlist.org/ask-ling/lang-acq.cfm" target="_blank">language acquisition</a><br />
<a href="http://m.theglobeandmail.com/life/parenting/young-children/children-development/how-many-words-should-a-2-year-old-know/article2355718/?service=mobile" target="_blank">language development</a><br />
<a href="http://www.philosophyblog.com.au/language-development-and-acquisition-the-first-words-that-children-learn/" target="_blank">the first words that children learn</a><br />
<a href="http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/learning_words.html" target="_blank">learning words</a><br />
<a href="http://www.momswhothink.com/reading/list-of-verbs.html" target="_blank">list of verbs</a><br />
<a href="http://www.idiomsbykids.com/taylor/mrtaylor/stories/meaningspicturessentencelist.html" target="_blank">meanings pictures sentence list</a><br />
<a href="http://www.wordnik.com/lists/movement--fast" target="_blank">movement-fast</a><br />
<a href="http://www.wordnik.com/lists/movers-and-shakers" target="_blank">movers and shakers</a><br />
<a href="http://www.wordnik.com/lists/my-dogs-words" target="_blank">my dogs words</a><br />
<a href="http://www.wordnik.com/lists/my-little-ponies" target="_blank">my little ponies</a><br />
<a href="http://www.wordnik.com/lists/of-imitative-origin" target="_blank">of imitative origin</a><br />
<a href="http://www.wordnik.com/lists/onomatopoetic--2" target="_blank">onomatopoetic</a><br />
<a href="http://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/phrasal-verbs-list.htm" target="_blank">phrasal verbs list</a><br />
<a href="http://www.wordnik.com/lists/place-names-of-distinction" target="_blank">place names of distinction</a><br />
<a href="http://bogglesworldesl.com/potionbook.htm" target="_blank">potionbook</a><br />
<a href="http://www.wordnik.com/lists/punkin-words" target="_blank">punkin words</a><br />
<a href="http://www.momswhothink.com/reading/rhyming-words.html" target="_blank">rhyming words</a><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Children%27s_songs" target="_blank">songs</a><br />
<a href="http://www.wordnik.com/lists/sounds--3" target="_blank">sounds</a><br />
<a href="http://www.wordnik.com/lists/stragglers" target="_blank">stragglers</a><br />
<a href="http://www.wordnik.com/lists/thats-funny--1" target="_blank">that’s funny</a><br />
<a href="http://www.wordnik.com/lists/time-to-be-cute" target="_blank">time to be cute</a><br />
<a href="http://bogglesworldesl.com/verbs.htm" target="_blank">verbs</a><br />
<a href="http://ettcweb.lr.k12.nj.us/forms/verbverse.htm" target="_blank">verbverse</a><br />
<a href="http://www.onelook.com/?w=*wander*&ls=b" target="_blank">wander</a><br />
<a href="http://www.rhymezone.com/r/rhyme.cgi?Word=wander&typeofrhyme=perfect&org1=syl&org2=l&org3=y" target="_blank">wander rhyme</a><br />
<a href="http://www.onelook.com/?w=*wonder*&ls=b" target="_blank">wonder</a><br />
<a href="http://www.rhymezone.com/r/rhyme.cgi?Word=wonder&typeofrhyme=perfect&org1=syl&org2=l&org3=y" target="_blank">wonder rhyme </a><br />
<a href="http://www.tribtoday.com/page/content.detail/id/564635/Wordplay-is-child-s-play-for-punsters.html?nav=5135" target="_blank">wordplay is child’s play for punsters</a><br />
<a href="http://www.wordnik.com/lists/words-my-19-month-old-daughter-says" target="_blank">words my 19 month old daughter says</a><br />
<a href="http://www.macmillandictionary.com/thesaurus-category/american/Words-used-by-or-to-young-children" target="_blank">words used by or to young children</a></blockquote>
I also used <a href="http://operativewords.blogspot.com/2011/08/how-to-create-names-using-worlds-most.html" target="_blank">Sketch Engine</a> quite a bit. Here are some of the terms searched for this project. Bear in mind that Sketch Engine requires a <a href="http://sketchengine.co.uk/?page=Website/Prices" target="_blank">paid subscription</a> (well worth it!) and thus links will work only after you've logged in:<br />
<a href="http://the.sketchengine.co.uk/bonito/run.cgi/thes?corpname=preloaded%2Fukwac2&reload=&lemma=book&lpos=-n&maxthesitems=999&minsim=0.15" target="_blank"></a> </div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<a href="http://the.sketchengine.co.uk/bonito/run.cgi/thes?corpname=preloaded%2Fukwac2&reload=&lemma=fun&lpos=-n&maxthesitems=999&minsim=0.15" target="_blank">fun</a></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<a href="http://the.sketchengine.co.uk/bonito/run.cgi/thes?corpname=preloaded%2Fukwac2&reload=&lemma=book&lpos=-n&maxthesitems=999&minsim=0.15" target="_blank">book</a></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<a href="http://the.sketchengine.co.uk/bonito/run.cgi/thes?corpname=preloaded%2Fukwac2&reload=&lemma=laugh&lpos=-n&maxthesitems=999&minsim=0.15" target="_blank">laugh</a></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<a href="http://the.sketchengine.co.uk/bonito/run.cgi/thes?corpname=preloaded%2Fukwac2&reload=&lemma=learn&lpos=-v&maxthesitems=999&minsim=0.15" target="_blank">learn</a></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<a href="http://the.sketchengine.co.uk/bonito/run.cgi/thes?corpname=preloaded%2Fukwac2&reload=&lemma=play&lpos=-v&maxthesitems=999&minsim=0.15" target="_blank">play</a></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<a href="http://the.sketchengine.co.uk/bonito/run.cgi/thes?corpname=preloaded%2Fukwac2&reload=&lemma=playful&lpos=-j&maxthesitems=999&minsim=0.15" target="_blank">playful</a></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<a href="http://the.sketchengine.co.uk/bonito/run.cgi/thes?corpname=preloaded%2Fukwac2&reload=&lemma=smart&lpos=-j&maxthesitems=999&minsim=0.15" target="_blank">smart</a></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<a href="http://the.sketchengine.co.uk/bonito/run.cgi/thes?corpname=preloaded%2Fukwac2&reload=&lemma=tickle&lpos=-v&maxthesitems=999&minsim=0.15" target="_blank">tickle</a></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<a href="http://the.sketchengine.co.uk/bonito/run.cgi/thes?corpname=preloaded%2Fukwac2&reload=&lemma=wander&lpos=-v&maxthesitems=999&minsim=0.15" target="_blank">wander</a></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<a href="http://the.sketchengine.co.uk/bonito/run.cgi/thes?corpname=preloaded%2Fukwac2&reload=&lemma=wonder&lpos=-v&maxthesitems=999&minsim=0.15" target="_blank">wonder</a></div>
</blockquote>
<br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
These lists illustrate how different resources can be used to delve into one idea, and the surprising sources of inspiration that can come up when you’re freely exploring (<a href="http://www.wordnik.com/lists/my-little-ponies" target="_blank">my little ponies</a>!). These offer glimpses into a naming mind.</div>
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The stories in Living Books are playful and multidimensional, and I strived to create names that were, too. Making frequent use of a specific creative technique – letter substitution – generated scads of such names. It’s the same method I used to name <a href="http://fanhattan.com/" target="_blank">Fanhattan</a> and <a href="http://www.ultrasoft.com/BrainForest/download.shtml" target="_blank">BrainForest</a>.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The words <i>wonder</i> and <i>wander</i>, being one letter apart, were already mingling. I researched <a href="http://www.onelook.com/?w=*wonder*&scwo=1&sswo=0" target="_blank">all English words</a> that contain <i>wonder</i>, and respelled those results with an <i>a</i>. Thus, <i>wonderful</i> became <i>wanderful</i>.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Wanderful is packed with paradoxes. It brings together many ideas, yet is perfectly simple. It is a new word that feels familiar. It is as surprising as it is comforting. Wanderful describes the books, full of joy and the invitation to explore. It describes the free-form play afforded by Living Books’ expansive and non-linear interactivity. It describes whimsy and curiosity, delight and enrichment. </div>
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<br /></div>
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After preliminary screening, Wanderful was presented along with 30 other candidates. The client team deliberated and chose Wanderful plus a few backup names for full legal vetting. Upon clearing, Wanderful was adopted as the final name.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L3vGdZ0I0-s/UACbRcbGNLI/AAAAAAAAA7Q/RJWrLC78V2c/s1600/wanderful+storybooks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="106" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L3vGdZ0I0-s/UACbRcbGNLI/AAAAAAAAA7Q/RJWrLC78V2c/s320/wanderful+storybooks.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The wonderful Wanderful identity designed by <a href="http://www.wildoutwest.com/index.html" target="_blank">Wild Out West</a> </i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I0EnL0c7h5o/UACbwjl-8_I/AAAAAAAAA7Y/g4n1FYfDjSQ/s1600/wanderful+app+icon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I0EnL0c7h5o/UACbwjl-8_I/AAAAAAAAA7Y/g4n1FYfDjSQ/s200/wanderful+app+icon.jpg" width="200" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Wanderful icon, <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/wanderful-inc./id533206719" target="_blank">now available</a> at an iOS app store near you!</i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It might be coincidence, or maybe zeitgeist, that the day before Wanderful was announced in June, the <i>New York Times Sunday Review</i> featured this passage in an <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/17/opinion/sunday/first-theater-then-facebook.html?smid=pl-share" target="_blank">article</a> about presence and happiness:</div>
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“In a modern world, when can we come closest to our original, thought-free happiness? Well, the Harvard psychologists noted that, after sex, the two activities during which we are most fully in the present, are conversation and exercise. Rousseau saw this as well; but forget the treadmill: he lost himself in mountains and valleys and, while walking, conversed with himself. <b>Indeed, ‘Reveries of the Solitary Walker’ is a manifesto on the benefits of wondering while wandering.</b>”</blockquote>
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The Wanderful brand launched ahead of the books themselves. Starting today, <a href="http://wanderfulstorybooks.com/" target="_blank">Wanderful Storybooks</a> will be sold in the iOS app store for $4.99 each. Android and Kindle versions will soon follow</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vnntkkz7V58/UACqm4-ITEI/AAAAAAAAA7k/F-qaoxrfoCU/s1600/Wanderful+launch+party.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vnntkkz7V58/UACqm4-ITEI/AAAAAAAAA7k/F-qaoxrfoCU/s320/Wanderful+launch+party.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>It’s a Wanderful launch party: Mark, Anthony, Mickey</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
Congratulations Mickey, Natasha and Mark: What a Wanderful world this will be!<br />
<br />
Look for Wanderful on the <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/wanderful-inc./id533206719" target="_blank">iOS app store</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WanderfulStorybooks" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/WanderfulBooks" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and on their <a href="http://www.wanderfulstorybooks.com/" target="_blank">home page</a>.<br />
</div>
Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-17891421308400541132011-12-13T16:08:00.001-08:002012-07-17T20:57:38.942-07:00Pause: A Brand For Our Time<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
One afternoon, an entrepreneur named Ben Tabai called me. He liked my blog, and wanted to know if I was interested in helping him name a new relaxation beverage. The opportunity was so unusual, so exciting, that just developing the name didn’t feel like it would be enough. I proposed that Operative Words also develop the tagline and provide creative direction on the brand identity and packaging. Our mutual enthusiasm sealed the deal. <br />
<br />
This project began, as all do, with learning about the product category. I discovered that the emergence of relaxation beverages bears significance. More than just new products on the shelf, relaxation beverages are an inevitable outcome of our times.<br />
<br />
Let’s consider their larger context. Advances in technology enable people to be constantly connected. Social networks and societal expectations urge an immediate response to every email, tweet and text message that comes our way. As a result, we have become overloaded and under-rested. It’s no wonder that relaxation beverage sales <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43816226/ns/business-retail/t/no-not-code-booze/#" target="_blank">doubled</a> between 2008 and 2010, and is projected to double again by 2014. Our growing need to unplug is reflected in articles, springing up <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=relaxation+articles" target="_blank">everywhere</a>.<br />
<br />
<script src="http://www.gmodules.com/ig/ifr?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fig%2Fmodules%2Fgoogle_insightsforsearch_interestovertime_searchterms.xml&up__property=empty&up__search_terms=how+to+relax&up__location=empty&up__category=0&up__time_range=empty&up__compare_to_category=false&synd=open&w=320&h=350&lang=en-US&border=%23ffffff%7C3px%2C1px+solid+%23999999&output=js" type="text/javascript">
</script>
</div>
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The names of current relaxation beverages reflect the opposite of our connected world. More analog than digital, the names have a vacation/zen/escape vibe. There’s surprisingly little differentiation:</div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Dr. Zen’s Liquid Calm<br />
RelaxZen<br />
Serenity Zen<br />
Ichill<br />
Minichill<br />
ViB (vacation in a bottle)<br />
Tranquila<br />
Mellow<br />
R&R</blockquote>
The problem with these names is they are removed from workaday reality of today’s connected urbanites who have the greatest need to disconnect. They don’t reflect the hectic and demanding lives that characterize BlackBerry-next-to-the-bed workers. Aspirations to take a vacation in a bottle or retreat to zen serenity feel more like wishful thinking and suggest promises that can’t be fulfilled.</div>
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<br />
People who are overworked and always connected do need relaxation. But relaxation should be framed in a real-world and relevant context, not as a pie-in-the-sky, day-at-the-beach fantasy. Therefore, I recommended this new beverage should make relaxation practical and relevant. It should be inspired by, and be a part of, our digital, connected world.</div>
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<br />
Allow me to take a short detour and provide instructive details about the creative naming exercise that led to Pause. <br />
<br />
In developing creative directions for a naming project, it’s most fruitful to broaden core functions or benefits to more conceptual, expansive ideas. Creative development for this new brand required thinking about relaxation broadly and its context narrowly. Rather than just focus on relaxation, bigger ideas like change, decreasing, cessation and ideal end states were considered, specifically within contemporary and vernacular domains.</div>
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<br />
The ultimate name came up during a creative ‘excursion’ to the ‘world’ of electronics. An excursion is a brainstorming technique that inspires by analogy. I learned about excursions at <a href="http://lexicon-branding.com/" target="_blank">Lexicon</a>, where I was trained in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synectics" target="_blank">Synectics</a> problem solving by John Prince, whose father, George Prince, invented Synectics. Excursions are part of the Synectics process and an indispensable part of my creative process. Excursions are related to the ‘cloaked brief’ technique which I described in <a href="http://operativewords.blogspot.com/2009/11/creative-names-easy-way.html" target="_blank">Creative Names the Easy Way</a>.<br />
<br />
Here’s how to use excursions to create brand names: Choose a key
attribute or idea that’s essential to the new brand (in this case, <i>change</i>). Then, choose a ‘world’ that’s distant from the actual
product category (for example, <i>electronics</i>). From there, brainstorm
examples of the key word in that world. For example, <i>change</i> in the world of electronics would lead us to names like Toggle, Switch,
and...Pause.<br />
<br />
Electronics is an excursion world I came up with, even though there are many already in the Synectics roster. <a href="http://www.mycoted.com/Excursions" target="_blank">Here’s</a> a list of other worlds to inspire your creative development:</div>
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<br />
<table border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>007
<br />
Acoustics<br />
Agriculture<br />
Animals<br />
Archaeology<br />
Architecture<br />
Art<br />
Astronomy<br />
Biology<br />
Bridges<br />
Cartoons<br />
Celebrations<br />
Chemistry<br />
Clothes<br />
Comedy<br />
Computers<br />
Cooking<br />
Cosmetics<br />
Crafts<br />
Crime<br />
Decoration<br />
Dinner Parties<br />
Dwellings<br />
Economics<br />
Education<br />
Electricity<br />
Electronics</td>
<td>Espionage
<br />
Exploration<br />
Famous People<br />
Fantasy Sports<br />
Farming<br />
Fashion<br />
Films<br />
Finance<br />
Folk Lore<br />
Games<br />
Gardening<br />
Geology<br />
Health<br />
History<br />
Journalism<br />
Kitchen Implements<br />
Law<br />
Machines<br />
Magic<br />
Mathematics<br />
Media<br />
Medicine<br />
Metalwork<br />
Minerals<br />
Models<br />
Money<br />
Movies</td>
<td>Music
<br />
Myths<br />
Noise<br />
Nursing<br />
Oceans<br />
Parenting<br />
Physics<br />
Plants<br />
Psychology<br />
Racing<br />
Religion<br />
Rocks<br />
Romance<br />
Science<br />
Science Fiction<br />
Sculpture<br />
Shopping<br />
Smells<br />
Space Travel<br />
Textiles<br />
Theater<br />
Transportation<br />
Tribal Customs<br />
Vacations<br />
War<br />
Weather<br />
Woodworking</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
Through excursions and other idea generation techniques, over 900 potential names were developed for this assignment. A shortlist of several dozen candidates underwent preliminary trademark screening. About 30 names were presented to my client. </div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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Demonstrating keen judgement, the client zeroed-in on Pause. The name was unexpected yet relevant. Pause could be a philosophy, a mandate, and maybe even a movement. Enthusiasm was had by all. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
After Pause was vetted by the client’s legal counsel, the naming was complete. The next step was to develop a tagline. This proved to be more challenging than naming, perhaps because there were more creative possibilities, directions and objectives.<br />
<br />
It was the general direction of <i>time</i> that inspired the best work. <i>Take ownership of your time</i> as a specific tagline direction, reflected the day-to-day demands that can make people feel as if their time is not under their control. A related tagline direction, <i>be present now</i>, is a cornerstone of mindful relaxation and de-stressing regimens, and therefore benefited from existing <a href="http://www.psychosomaticmedicine.org/content/65/4/564.abstract" target="_blank">validation</a>.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
After two rounds of tagline creative there were plenty of good ideas, but nothing that quite rose to the level of the name. I called a colleague, <a href="mailto:daniel@outburst.dk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Daniel Meyerowitz</a>, to talk about the taglines. He’s the best marketing writer I know; I can always count on him to inspire great work.<br />
<br />
Upon review, Daniel dismissed anything that sounded old-fashioned or new-agey. The most promising taglines were imperatives, especially those that would incite people to, in Daniel’s words, “reclaim now”. We talked about the power of owning the moment – being present and mindful – as an effective antidote to stress and worry. Then suddenly, I heard myself say, “make now yours”. It seemed like the words spoke themselves through me. </div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<br />
Daniel calmly said, “that’s it, that’s the tagline”. <i>Make Now Yours</i> is a call to action urging people to take control of their time. Relaxation is, as suggested by the tagline, really about coming back to yourself and being the present at this moment. <i>Make Now Yours</i> feels fresh and contemporary and fits with the name. Tagline: done.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<br />
Writing for the back of the bottle was also needed. I recall that Ben wrote the first draft, I wrote the second, and Daniel provided valuable direction and advice for this final version: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Sometimes the best way to recharge is to unplug. How? Naturally, with chamomile, lemon balm and wild oats to calm your mind and vitamin B’s and green tea antioxidants to clear your head.</i><br />
<i><br />Get back to your productive best with a Pause and a few minutes of downtime: Step away from your work and the screen to let your body and mind reboot.</i><br />
<i><br />You’ll be ready for anything and everything when you take control and make now yours.</i> </blockquote>
Writing: done.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
With the word work complete, it was time to express the brand visually with a logo and packaging. Ben engaged several designers from around the world who submitted sketches of their ideas. I continued in my role as creative director of the brand by reviewing work, insisting on simplicity, and guiding creative to reflect the spirit of the brand.<br />
<br />
The leading logo built on the name by incorporating a pause symbol in the letter <i>u</i> of Pause. It was elegant serendipity: by sheer accident, the symbol was centered perfectly in the word.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-unWVZUrCzDY/TwObcYsk3ZI/AAAAAAAAA4s/IFG5Fsq4f8k/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-01-03+at+4.20.22+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-unWVZUrCzDY/TwObcYsk3ZI/AAAAAAAAA4s/IFG5Fsq4f8k/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-01-03+at+4.20.22+PM.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Behold: the Pause logo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Like the name and logo, the packaging design for Pause would also have to reflect our wired lives. Ben Tabai, my client, was on the front line, evaluating over 120 initial designs and then sending to me those that passed muster. Ben accomplished an enormous task in time and judgement. In my estimation, the most intriguing packaging candid<span style="font-size: small;">ate had its origins in ISO-like <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=iso%207001%20symbols&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi" target="_blank">icons</a> and modern vernacular: In the foreground, silhouettes of two people lounged on a bench while around them, in tinted colors, were busy workers on their cell phones and on the move. The silhouettes sat calmly amid the commotion. The graphics depicted a modern-day still life. Here’s an early rendition:</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C3cKVDO6324/TwOtZGOknCI/AAAAAAAAA5E/ahL_DjykCWA/s1600/THREE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C3cKVDO6324/TwOtZGOknCI/AAAAAAAAA5E/ahL_DjykCWA/s320/THREE.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good, but not quite there. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The design was simplified and polished. Instead of two people lounging, there would be just one. Instead of a bench, the figure sat back relaxing in an office chair. Appetizing imagery of fruit was added. The typography and layout was refined again and again. Packaging design: done.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o-GX3N7metA/TwOcL1Me4PI/AAAAAAAAA44/cGGmc5cXBHI/s1600/pause+packages.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o-GX3N7metA/TwOcL1Me4PI/AAAAAAAAA44/cGGmc5cXBHI/s640/pause+packages.jpg" width="392" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Get your paws on Pause. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
With the core brand identity and packaging complete, the client brought the brand to life in other media. There’s a <a href="http://drinkpause.com/" target="_blank">website</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/drinkpause" target="_blank">Facebook</a> presence, and periodic pop-up Pause <a href="http://drinkpause.com/breakroom.html" target="_blank">relaxation stations</a> that give hardworking people a chance to pause, drink Pause, and pause for a chair massage.<br />
<br />
Clients get the work they deserve. Judging by the results of the Pause branding effort, Ben Tabai deserves high praise – and sales! – for his strong judgement and hard work. As Ben’s first branding endeavor, Pause precedes what will undoubtedly be an enduring and successful future. </div>
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<br />
That’s the story of Pause, a brand for our time.</div>Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-6639438980546723182011-09-01T16:16:00.000-07:002017-07-05T14:21:10.182-07:00Brand architectonics from the mind of Gucky<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
One evening at the local pub, <a href="http://www.brokenrecordsanfrancisco.com/">Broken Record</a>, I was rapt in conversation with Amanda Peterson, a brilliant former Landorian and <strike>current</strike> former <strike>HP</strike> <strike>Google</strike> namer and brand strategist. “<a href="http://gucky.guck.net/" target="_blank">Gucky</a>,” as she’s known to friends, said two things so great I just had to share.</div>
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One gem gave me a new appreciation for “branded house” architecture systems and how to garner internal support for them. In a <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=d1nR2NghcbgC&lpg=PT359&ots=oiSfi6Q9Ik&dq=branded%20house%20architecture&pg=PT359#v=onepage&q=branded%20house%20architecture&f=false">branded house</a>, there’s one master brand and all products have descriptive, often generic, names and/or alphanumeric designators (e.g. FedEx Ground and FedEx Express, or BMW i3 and BMW 535). If you’re a product manager it’s natural that you’d want to give your product a real name with depth and character, not a generic one. </div>
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For a product manager at a branded house, generic names can be a bitter pill to swallow, reducing your unique product – your baby! – to a descriptor and a mishmash of letters and numbers. But the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one, so somebody at some point has to break it to the product manager that their product won’t get a unique name. This is how Gucky <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Framing_effect_%28psychology%29" target="_blank">frames</a> it:</div>
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<b>“You should feel sorry for sub-brands because they have been kicked out from the heartland of the brand.”</b></div>
</blockquote>
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I just love this. She positions the master brand as a real source of pride, and any product that doesn’t have the privilege of basking in its radiant glow and rewarding equity is in brand exile, banished and left to fend with only a new and unknown name to set it apart and fight for attention in the jungle of the marketplace. She makes the master brand irresistible, which is helpful, because in a true branded house, resistance to master branding is futile. </div>
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Next beaut: Gucky thinks the era of the disconnected “<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=d1nR2NghcbgC&lpg=PT359&ots=oiSfi6Q9Ik&dq=branded%20house%20architecture&pg=PT359#v=onepage&q=branded%20house%20architecture&f=false" target="_blank">house of brands</a>” is over. She points to a recent <a href="http://jezebel.com/310320/dove-vs-axe-is-unilever-hypocritical" target="_blank">backlash</a> against Unilever. As a house of brands company, Unilever sells independently-branded products like Dove and Axe that compete and coexist on shelf with “kisses and punches.” But sometimes punches outnumber the kisses.<br />
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That’s what happened when Unilever tried to play the field with two personal care brands that were antithetical to one another. Specifically, their Dove brand staked its position in <a href="http://www.dove.us/Social-Mission/campaign-for-real-beauty.aspx" target="_blank">The Campaign for Real Beauty</a>, a celebration of women who are beautiful despite, or because of, their imperfections. At the same time, Axe body spray advertising featured sex-charged, objectified women; sexist to most, <a href="http://www.moviewavs.com/php/sounds/?id=bst&media=M4RS&type=Movies&movie=This_Is_Spinal_Tap&quote=sexist.txt&file=sexist.m4r" target="_blank">sexy</a> to some. </div>
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Now, if the brands were Tide and Downy in the same portfolio (as they are in P&G’s), no problem. One is best for deep cleaning, one best for softness. Those ideas can play well together. But when two brands in one company’s portfolio have violently conflicting values, it spells trouble. That was the case with Dove and Axe, when it wasn’t just a small handful of hard-core feminists who loudly objected to the sexist Axe ads; a whole <a href="http://dailycaller.com/2011/05/27/axe-and-wild-stone-deodorant-ads-too-sexy-for-india/" target="_blank">country</a> had a problem with them, too.</div>
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According to Gucky, this portfolio dissonance is a sign of the times.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M081YLEEdUs/Tl2cyCPiY_I/AAAAAAAAA3k/nbe1G94dpRU/s1600/house+of+brands.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M081YLEEdUs/Tl2cyCPiY_I/AAAAAAAAA3k/nbe1G94dpRU/s1600/house+of+brands.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>No, not that sign.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Back when things were simpler and we walked five miles to school in the snow (uphill both ways), there was such a thing as “<a href="http://great-monday.com/2009/10/invisible-branding/" target="_blank">invisible branding</a>” in a house of brands. Invisible branding, when a parent brand is not visible in the consumer communications of a product brand, is how Disney insulated its family-friendly brand image from the grown-up content of Touchstone Pictures. It's how the soybean-hugging Silk brand could be quietly bought and silently operated by industrial agriculturist, Dean Foods.<br />
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There have always been limits to invisible branding. Shareholders and employees know who owns what. Gucky reminded me that Unilever now owns Ben & Jerry’s, whose <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/1987-12-13/news/vw-28382_1_ice-cream" target="_blank">original</a>, radical values <a href="http://motherjones.com/politics/2003/01/culture-change" target="_blank">changed</a> after their buyout, demonstrating that the parent brand is invisible only to consumers, but is in full view and control of the brands in its portfolio. <br />
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The limits of invisible branding have recently become more pronounced. Before the social network era, you might not know that your favorite mom-and-pop brand is now part of a corporate behemoth. Or that the maker of your preferred moisturizer slash feel-good cause also uses oiled-up nymphomaniacs to sell men’s body spray. Today, everyone knows everything. As I wrote in <a href="http://operativewords.blogspot.com/2010/10/bullshit-free-branding.html" target="_blank">Bullshit-Free Branding</a>: <br />
<blockquote>
Armed with <a href="http://www.snopes.com/" target="_blank">Snopes</a>, mass reviews, <a href="http://wikileaks.org/" target="_blank">WikiLeaks</a> and other trusted sources, everything a company claims can and will be verified, almost instantly. Every pissed-off critic holds a megaphone and now the whole world can hear their rant. </blockquote>
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That means the glory days of true invisible branding are over, says Gucky:</div>
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<b>“There’s no such thing as invisible brand architecture. Social media has made it impossible. Dove can’t peacefully coexist with Axe.” </b></div>
</blockquote>
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Today, companies must be ever-mindful about the values and messages of all the brands in their portfolio, even those with no visible brand relationship. Despite the distance between Axe and Dove, they are close enough to create brand dissonance in the mind of the market, and a whopping headache for Unilever. <br />
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Thanks, Gucky, for your words of brand architecture wisdom!</div>
Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-18474686579363916242011-08-03T11:42:00.000-07:002011-08-17T13:49:52.442-07:00How to create names using the world's most powerful naming tool <br />
Words inspire me. <br />
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The more words I see, the more inspired I become. So when I create brand names, I want to be overwhelmed by endless lists of words.<br />
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Publications and dictionaries offer words in abundance, but they don't offer an easy way of discovering masses of words relevant to specific ideas or attributes, such as those found in a naming brief. <br />
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In my experience, a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Text_corpus">corpus</a> – a large sample of words in context – is the most useful and comprehensive stockpile of words, especially when searchable in a database.<br />
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I have several go-to corpus <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Text_corpus#Some_notable_text_corpora">resources</a>, but one favorite: <a href="http://sketchengine.co.uk/">Sketch Engine</a>.<br />
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<b>Sketch Engine: The Most Powerful Naming Tool I've Ever Used</b><br />
Published by Lexical Computing, Sketch Engine has over 60 corpora to choose from. There are seven English corpora, each comprising millions of words from spoken and written sources. The other 50+ corpora are non-English, spanning the familiar to the exotic. If you are looking for a corpus of German, the Polish Bible or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igbo_language">Igbo</a>, you're in luck.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mt4jg0M5Kqk/Tjl_Is044xI/AAAAAAAAA2k/zJC77W6Yv9Q/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-08-03+at+10.01.44+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="145" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mt4jg0M5Kqk/Tjl_Is044xI/AAAAAAAAA2k/zJC77W6Yv9Q/s400/Screen+shot+2011-08-03+at+10.01.44+AM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the corpora you'll find on Sketch Engine </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<b>How to Create Names with Sketch Engine</b><br />
My starting point for creating names is a review of the name objectives I've developed, particularly the brand's key attributes. To show what Sketch Engine can do, let's pretend we're naming a new brand that should be perceived as strong. <br />
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Sketch Engine will provide a deep exploration of the word strong, and inspire names that are differentiated yet relevant. <br />
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After logging-in to Sketch Engine – which requires a well-worth-it paid subscription – I click on a specific corpus link to load it. I choose UKWaC, comprised of a mind-boggling 1.3 billion words culled from UK web sites.<br />
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Having loaded the corpus, the option to make a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Text_corpus#Some_notable_text_corpora">concordance</a> is presented by default. Concordances are a great tool for creating natural-sounding compound names because they show how two words have appeared together in a real-world written or spoken context. For example, a concordance of the word "sun" would include beam, burn, flower and moon -- words that commonly appear next to or near the word "sun". <br />
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But we're not going to do a simple concordance because another, more powerful tool is available: Word Sketch. A Word Sketch is a like a concordance on steroids. It shows you every word that has appeared next to your query word, organized by part of speech. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0otNlQhikqY/TjmUwSwq_mI/AAAAAAAAA3A/JeK60U5NOg0/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-08-03+at+11.33.50+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0otNlQhikqY/TjmUwSwq_mI/AAAAAAAAA3A/JeK60U5NOg0/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-08-03+at+11.33.50+AM.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click Word Sketch on the left to get started</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"></div><br />
Let's make a Word Sketch of the word "strong". Click Word Sketch in the blue box on the left, and you're asked to enter a "lemma". A <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemma_%28linguistics%29">lemma</a> is the most basic form of a word, as you'd find in the headwords of a dictionary. Enter "strong" in the lemma field and choose "adjective" from the pop-up menu. <br />
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After clicking the "Show Word Sketch" button, we're presented with listing tables of the specific words that have appeared near or next to "strong" in the texts of the corpus. Tables are organized by grammatical context and include frequency information about each collocation. <br />
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Before studying our Word Sketch of "strong", click "More data" in the blue box on the left to fetch more results. Click it a few more times after the data loads to get even more results. And you do want more results, right?<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aq_QultYMZE/TjmB1dvY8qI/AAAAAAAAA2s/qOpWiQJUNaw/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-08-03+at+10.13.09+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="392" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aq_QultYMZE/TjmB1dvY8qI/AAAAAAAAA2s/qOpWiQJUNaw/s400/Screen+shot+2011-08-03+at+10.13.09+AM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of the Word Sketch of "strong"</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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Our Word Sketch of "strong" can be used in different ways to create new brand names.<br />
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<b>How to Create Compound Names with Word Sketch</b><br />
To create compound names that include "strong", navigate to the "adj_subject" and "modifies" columns. These words have been modified by the adjective "strong". Combine "strong" with them and you'll have a nice list of natural-sounding compound names: <br />
<blockquote>Strong Tide<br />
Strong Bond<br />
Strong Wind<br />
Strong Link<br />
Strong Force<br />
Strong Lead</blockquote>You can also consider these words without "strong" as stand-alone names or combine them with other words. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f52NzsATZ34/TjmDD4e7DHI/AAAAAAAAA2w/Xh1Co6QC5R0/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-08-03+at+10.15.29+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="325" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f52NzsATZ34/TjmDD4e7DHI/AAAAAAAAA2w/Xh1Co6QC5R0/s400/Screen+shot+2011-08-03+at+10.15.29+AM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scroll through the Word Sketch to explore further</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The columns "adj_comp_of" and "np_comp_of" include words that naturally precede "strong", giving us potential names – or slogans – like: <br />
<blockquote>Feel Strong<br />
Grow Strong<br />
Stand Strong<br />
Think Strong</blockquote><b>How to Develop Symbolic Names with Word Sketch</b><br />
Our Word Sketch also tells us what symbolizes strong. To see what's "stronger than ___" or "as strong as __", navigate to the columns "pp_than_i" and "pp_as_i":<br />
<blockquote>Steel<br />
Desire<br />
Bond<br />
Fear<br />
Love<br />
Force <br />
Ox<br />
Alloy <br />
Rope<br />
Lust<br />
Glue<br />
Armor</blockquote>Can your dictionary do that?<br />
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Some of these words will combine well with words from other columns, giving us interesting ideas like:<br />
<blockquote>Steel Bond<br />
Tide Force<br />
Alloy Strength<br />
Oxwood </blockquote><b>Discover New Creative Directions with Word Sketch</b><br />
The column "and/or" tells us what words combine with "strong" in an and/or phrase. This is helpful for finding words that pair with "strong": <br />
<blockquote>Healthy<br />
Durable<br />
Fit<br />
Vibrant<br />
Stable<br />
Tall<br />
Brave<br />
Independent<br />
Thick<br />
Bold</blockquote>You can use these words as springboards for new creative directions that indirectly reflect "strong". For example, "tall" and "healthy" could be separately explored for synonyms, associations and metaphors that lead to new, relevant names.<br />
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<b>A Totally New Thesaurus </b><br />
Sketch Engine also features an interesting thesaurus that gives you options Roget never thought of. The results from this thesaurus are generated automatically, so they include words that aren't synonymous yet are related.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uB_cIxM7-FY/TjmFWJRcemI/AAAAAAAAA20/YSwPGN1Tnt8/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-08-03+at+10.28.40+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="144" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uB_cIxM7-FY/TjmFWJRcemI/AAAAAAAAA20/YSwPGN1Tnt8/s320/Screen+shot+2011-08-03+at+10.28.40+AM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No ordinary thesaurus</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Click the "Thesaurus" link in the blue box, enter your lemma and choose the part of speech. The results of "strong" offer these interesting ideas:<br />
<blockquote>Real <br />
Clear<br />
Big<br />
Positive<br />
Original</blockquote>You might find viable names in this thesaurus or springboards for new directions.<br />
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<b>Compare Two Concepts Using Word Sketch</b><br />
Sketch Engine also has a word comparison tool called Sketch-Diff which reveals the intersection of two words. Let's imagine that we're naming a technology brand that should be perceived as strong <i>and</i> fast. <br />
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What qualities do strong and fast have in common? <br />
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Click "Sketch-Diff" on the left and enter "strong" for the first lemma and "fast" for the second. Then click "Show Diff".<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YllV6qhI7G8/TjmHftJeBlI/AAAAAAAAA24/YvLgpISOZaU/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-08-03+at+10.37.43+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="386" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YllV6qhI7G8/TjmHftJeBlI/AAAAAAAAA24/YvLgpISOZaU/s400/Screen+shot+2011-08-03+at+10.37.43+AM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Learn what two words have in common</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
The result is a an integrated Word Sketch, color coded by the degree to which words collocate with one word or both. Words in red or green collocate with one word, and words in white are common to both.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ObbC_sIvNu4/TjmMX1exHoI/AAAAAAAAA28/VDqhtoSQv08/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-08-03+at+10.58.30+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ObbC_sIvNu4/TjmMX1exHoI/AAAAAAAAA28/VDqhtoSQv08/s400/Screen+shot+2011-08-03+at+10.58.30+AM.png" width="294" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Sketch-Diff comparing "strong" and "fast"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Here's a sample of what strong and fast have in common:<br />
<blockquote>secure<br />
loud<br />
fit<br />
flexible<br />
light<br />
tall<br />
connection<br />
growth<br />
response<br />
action<br />
car<br />
flight<br />
flow<br />
time</blockquote>To create names that reflect both strong and fast, use words from this list as springboards. Digging into the concepts of connection, travel (car and flight), flow, and growth will lead to new names that support or connote multiple aspects of the brand.<br />
<br />
In the 20 years I've been creating brand names, I've used a lot of <a href="http://operativewords.blogspot.com/search/label/creative%20tools">naming tools</a>, but no one resource has been as useful as Word Sketch. Learn how to harness its power and you'll always be inspired.Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-58138194342100203042011-07-01T10:28:00.000-07:002013-09-09T11:19:21.317-07:00Lytro, the Camera of the Future: Named by Operative WordsI've had the privilege of naming many innovative technologies in my career. But none have garnered the kinds of headlines that <a href="http://lytro.com/">Lytro</a>, a new computational photography company, has:<br />
<br />
“Lytro Is the Camera of the Future" (<a href="http://www.cnet.com/8301-19709_1-20074139-10/buzz-out-loud-1497-lytro-is-the-camera-of-the-future-podcast/">CNET</a>)<br />
“Lytro: the ‘magic camera’ that's blown our minds” (<a href="http://www.cnet.com/8301-19709_1-20073403-10/buzz-out-loud-1495-lytro-the-magic-camera-thats-blown-our-minds-podcast/">CNET</a>)<br />
“Lytro Launches to Transform Photography with $50M in Venture Funds” (<a href="http://techcrunch.com/2011/06/21/lytro-launches-to-transform-photography-with-50m-in-venture-funds-tctv/">TechCrunch</a>) <br />
“Lytro’s Camera Lets You Shoot First and Focus Later” (<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/22/technology/22camera.html">New York Times</a>)<br />
“Lytro Camera to Shift Focus of Photos” (<a href="http://online.wsj.com/video/digits-lytro-camera-to-shift-focus-of-photos/CB058E31-8BA6-484F-8B47-88EA80951382.html">Wall Street Journal</a>)<br />
“Lytro Camera Lets You Focus Photos After You Take Them” (<a href="http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/06/lytro-camera-lets-you-focus-photos-after-you-take-them/">Wired</a>)<br />
“Camera Startup Promises a ‘Picture Revolution’” (<a href="http://venturebeat.com/2011/06/22/camera-startup-lytro-promises-a-picture-revolution/">Venture Beat</a>)<br />
“Lytro: The $50M Tech that May Change Photography Forever” (<a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/1762270/harry-potter-esque-photos-worth-50-million-lytro">Fast Company</a>)<br />
“Lytro Changes the Way We Take Photographs” (<a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501465_162-20073692-501465.html">CBS News</a>) <br />
“No focus, no problem! Out of focus pictures soon to go obsolete” (<a href="http://www.examiner.com/photography-in-national/no-focus-no-problem-out-of-focus-pictures-soon-to-go-obsolete">Examiner</a>)<br />
“The Making of Lytro” (<a href="http://k9ventures.com/blog/2011/06/22/the-making-of-lytro/">K9 Ventures</a>)<br />
“The Future of Digital Photography” (<a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/231185/testing_tablet_displays_and_the_future_of_digital_photography_on_pcworld_podcast_118.html">PCWorld</a>)<br />
<br />
The list of headlines like these goes on and <a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=lytro&num=100&hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&hs=pv1&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=ivnsu&source=lnms&tbm=nws&ei=_PENTsixObHTiAKhrrHYDQ&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=4&ved=0CBcQ_AUoAw&biw=1440&bih=760">on</a>.<br />
<br />
When I was invited to name the company, then named Refocus Imaging, I could tell this was going to be a special project. The clients were fantastically brilliant, and there was great chemistry between us. My enthusiasm, which typically runs on the high side, was boiling over.<br />
<br />
I was giddy over the opportunity to name the future of photography. Photography has always been near and dear to my heart: My father is a retired photographer and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0794954/">cinematographer</a>, and I take pictures, too. I studied optics in college under <a href="http://rii.ricoh.com/%7Estork/">David G. Stork</a>, and, at Landor, named other photography technology (like Photoshop <a href="http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshoplightroom/">Lightroom</a> and HP <a href="http://www.ehow.com/facts_7297347_hp-instant-share_.html">Instant Share</a>). <br />
<br />
I can’t go into details about the strategy or alternative names I developed for Lytro, but I can say the project was dreamy from start to finish. Charles Chi, Lytro’s Executive Chairman, feels the same:<br />
<blockquote>
“Anthony was a pleasure to work with. Very professional and effective. I highly recommend him and would work with him again.”</blockquote>
Thank you, Lytro, for engaging me on this amazing assignment!<br />
<br />
And congratulations to the Lytro team for their continuing success.<br />
<br />
UPDATE: July 27, 2012<br />
Sequence Branding, who designed the Lytro identity system, has posted <a href="http://blog.sequence.com/2012/07/17/the-name-of-the-game/" target="_blank">a thoughtful piece</a> about naming. They reference the Lytro naming and say a few kind words about yours truly. Thanks, Heather and the rest of the Sequence family!<br />
<br />
UPDATE: July 8, 2011<br />
The gratitude I expressed above is actually incomplete. Until <a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sequence-helps-lytro-launch-a-picture-revolution-125204339.html">now</a>, I couldn't reveal my partner on the Lytro branding project. Now I can say, it’s <a href="http://sequence.com/#/home/">Sequence Branding</a> who hired Operative Words to create the name, Lytro. Sequence developed the brand strategy, the kick-ass logo and look and feel system, and the admirable tagline "Picture Revolution" for the company now known as Lytro.<br />
<br />
Thank you, Sequence, for inviting me to collaborate with you on this once-in-a-lifetime assignment!<br />
<br />
- AnthAnthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-31336360765297328542011-06-30T12:31:00.000-07:002011-06-30T12:31:15.654-07:00Business People are PeopleYou are who you are. And when set foot into the office, you are <i>still</i> who you are.<br />
<br />
Yet I've heard it said time and again that naming a business-to-business product is fundamentally different than naming a business-to-consumer product. The conventional wisdom is that b2b names should be more functional and descriptive. B2c names have permission to be more creative.<br />
<br />
Hogwash.<br />
<br />
It’s my belief that b2b and b2c distinctions are false dichotomies, and all branding is really b2p: business-to-people. Because at the end of the day – and in the morning and all times in-between – all business people are people.<br />
<br />
Our brains don’t change when we act as consumers for our companies versus ourselves. The specific criteria for choosing one product over another are certainly different depending on the situation – routers and breakfast cereals are selected for different reasons – but our decision-making rationale and irrationale are the same.<br />
<br />
Consider these brand names ostensibly for business audiences. I worked on all except BlackBerry. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Lfu6Fv3kndM/TgzG8iot4jI/AAAAAAAAA2I/cVonEEym-8E/s1600/blackberry_logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="96" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Lfu6Fv3kndM/TgzG8iot4jI/AAAAAAAAA2I/cVonEEym-8E/s200/blackberry_logo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<b>BlackBerry</b>: This great name, created by Lexicon where I used to work, proves that a name can be utterly irrational, yet beloved by brow-furrowing businesspeople and bureaucrats the world over. A blackberry is not intrinsically serious, yet the product named after one is. [Note to RIM and Landor: Drop the inter-cap B. It serves no purpose except to distract.]<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M-Z2Qy_6GS0/TgzG-W0oDKI/AAAAAAAAA2Y/H2twKEpc_Ks/s1600/Yum+Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M-Z2Qy_6GS0/TgzG-W0oDKI/AAAAAAAAA2Y/H2twKEpc_Ks/s200/Yum+Logo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><b>Yum!</b>: A perfect name for a fast food holding company. I worked on creative for this Pepsico spin-off back at Landor, and Yum was one of the names on my list. At the time (1997), Yum was liked by the client but only enough to be chosen as the spin-off's ticker symbol. A more serious, client-developed name was instead adopted for launch: Tricon. (“KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell: get it!?”). Fortunately, the ill-chosen Tricon was tossed when the company bought Long John Silver’s and A&W. That’s when Yum! was adopted as the company name, replacing the mildly nefarious and unappetizing Tricon.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5Li8aCUApfY/TgzG-F_jJ6I/AAAAAAAAA2U/d7UiBtT0GT0/s1600/Snapdragon+logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="86" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5Li8aCUApfY/TgzG-F_jJ6I/AAAAAAAAA2U/d7UiBtT0GT0/s200/Snapdragon+logo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><b>Snapdragon</b>: Business people make decisions rationally, right? And engineers might be the most rational of all, right? Then how to explain the success of a wild-blue, irrational name for a microprocessor called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snapdragon_%28system_on_chip%29">Snapdragon</a>? When at Landor, I directed the naming of this chipset for Qualcomm and wrote the product tagline, “Imagine Your Surprise”. The idea was to create a name that would reflect the amazing products engineers could design and build with this breakthrough, multi-function system-on-a-chip. A Snapdragon is a flower and as such has nothing to do with semiconductors. But in the context of a chipset, it sounds fast and powerful, driven by associations with “snap” and “dragon”. Snapdragon is a non-linear name that nonetheless appeals to the most linear thinkers. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><b>Bracket</b>: Named by Operative Words, <a href="http://bracketglobal.com/">Bracket</a> is a business that helps pharmaceutical clients run clinical trials more effectively and efficiently. It eschews a functional name for one that hints at strength, support and precise delineation. Though just launched, the name has been well-received by Bracket’s pharma clients.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f5CsAKTD2QQ/TgzG90fuIrI/AAAAAAAAA2Q/U1kvjQ4A-rA/s1600/Corporate+Express+Pens+Composite.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f5CsAKTD2QQ/TgzG90fuIrI/AAAAAAAAA2Q/U1kvjQ4A-rA/s200/Corporate+Express+Pens+Composite.png" width="200" /></a></div><b>Corporate Express pens</b>: This fascinating assignment required renaming pens for Corporate Express, one of the world’s largest b2b office supply companies (it was recently bought by Staples). These pens had generic names (e.g. ballpoint stick pen, ballpoint retractable pen with rubber grip, etc.) and competed against known product brands like BIC. Leading the project at Landor, I recommended we think of the business customer in the moment of purchase, browsing these pens in the hefty Corporate Express catalog. What would appeal in that moment?<br />
<br />
Disappointingly, the client rejected the idea of naming the pens after cocktails (“Gee, a mai tai [highlighter] does sound pretty good about now”), so other solutions were adopted: <b>Exclaim!</b> (highlighter), <b>Gridline</b> (mechanical pencil), <b>Pinwheel</b> (stick pen with spiral pattern on grip), <b>Icebreaker</b> (transparent pen), <b>Symmetry</b> (grip pen), <b>Center Stage</b> (white board marker), <b>Fluent</b> (smooth writing pen), <b>Silhouette</b> (contoured pen) and <b>Motif</b> (retractable pen). The client said that after the pen names changed, sales of those pens immediately increased by “double digits”. If ever there’s a testament to the power of a creative name for business audiences, that is it.<br />
<br />
Creative names like these demonstrate that just because your product is intended for a business audience, the product name itself does not have to be <i>all</i> business. Remember that all business people are just people. Develop a great name with people in mind, and it will succeed for everyone.Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-85240763633571844492011-06-23T08:48:00.000-07:002011-07-01T08:34:47.051-07:00Bracket: The Story Behind the NameA name should be worth a thousand words.<br />
<br />
That is, a brand name should be able to simplify a complex set of ideas into a single word.<br />
<br />
That was the creative challenge Operative Words faced creating a new name for a division of United BioSource, a Medco-owned company that, among other things, helps pharmaceutical companies run efficient and effective clinical trials.<br />
<br />
Three key features of my client's organization were factored into name development: people, process and precision.<br />
<br />
People, that is the people who work at the company, are responsible for helping solve their pharmaceutical clients clinical trial challenges; their people write the brilliant software that helps clinical trials run remarkably efficiently and effectively; and people are the ultimate beneficiaries of the company's know-how as new and better medicines are launched into the market.<br />
<br />
Process is tantamount to the whole category of clinical trials. A clinical trial <i>is</i> a process, so even though process generally would not be differentiating, the articulation of my client's special brand of process could be.<br />
<br />
Precision characterizes well-run clinical trials; it reflects research data that is complete and pinpoint accurate; and it corresponds with the carefully defined parameters of valid and projectable product studies.<br />
<br />
Creative name development followed these paths. The ultimate name was discovered while thinking about the people who worked at UBC and how they treated their clients. I dived into the notion of support. One of my resources is a great desktop application called Word Menu. It's also available in book form, but the <a href="http://www.wordmenu.com/">software</a> let's you do things that you can't do with a book.<br />
<br />
Word Menu lists words and their definitions in categories. So if you look under 'fish', you'll find a list of different types of fish. If you look up 'action words', you'll find dozens of those. It's quite handy.<br />
<br />
Typing in 'support' -- a key attribute of my client -- into Word Menu's search box returned 490 results, each of which was an entry <i>or definition</i> that included the word 'support'. In that list, I found 'bracket'.<br />
<br />
Brackets do indeed provide support. But the word 'bracket' says more than that. A good name like Bracket is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polysemy">polysemous</a>, it has many meanings. Brackets provide support, and, as symbols, they are endemic in clinical trial reports. Brackets are used to indicate subsets; they delineate and thus suggest precision. The word 'bracket' sounds smart and strong. And, as a real word, it's easy to relate to and understand, unlike some of my client's competitors who have Latinate coined names that are alien and institutional.<br />
<br />
Miraculously, Bracket was also available as a trademark. <br />
<br />
The denotations and connotations of <a href="http://bracketglobal.com/">Bracket</a> are perfect for a company that wants to reinforce precision and support. It demonstrates that a name with many meanings will ultimately fit one company perfectly when presented in a real-world business context. <br />
<br />
Bracket illustrates that just one name can be worth a thousand words.<br />
<div style="text-align: left;"></div>Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-20133790925009337792010-10-15T11:55:00.000-07:002017-05-22T08:52:06.747-07:00Bullshit-Free Branding<span style="font-size: xx-small;">This article accompanied my speech at the 2010 <a href="http://testing.pivotcon.com/">Pivot Conference</a>, in NYC.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0T00eNKDmaU/TjLqxwGucpI/AAAAAAAAA2g/i1SUZVfPQ-k/s1600/Pivot+conference+picture.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0T00eNKDmaU/TjLqxwGucpI/AAAAAAAAA2g/i1SUZVfPQ-k/s200/Pivot+conference+picture.png" width="160" /></a></div>
<i> Let’s be honest:</i> There’s a lot of bullshit in branding.<br />
<br />
It’s a pity — and it’s a threat. Because today, brand or marketing communications exuding any whiff of bull will be distrusted, discredited and derided by today’s cynical audiences.<br />
<br />
And no audience is more cynical than the 18-34 years-olds — the <a href="http://testing.pivotcon.com/profile-series-1-who-is-the-always-on-consumer/">Millennials</a> — who were born into an online marketplace awash in spam, paid “user” reviews, phishing and other greedy deceptions. <br />
<br />
These cynics can sniff out bullshit from a mile away. Actually, they’re <i>waiting</i> for it. And when they zero-in on the source of a communication’s stench — an exaggeration, an ambiguity, an inconsistency, nonsense, a promise too good to be true — they’ll pounce. And rather than just take their business elsewhere, they’ll take up a cause to expose and punish the bullshitting offender by urging others to boycott.<br />
<br />
Bullshit-free branding has always been important. Today it’s important and urgent. <br />
<br />
Because nowadays, you can’t fool <i>any</i> of the people <i>any</i> of the time.<br />
<br />
Armed with <a href="http://www.snopes.com/">Snopes</a>, mass reviews, <a href="http://wikileaks.org/">WikiLeaks</a> and other trusted sources, everything a company claims can and will be verified, almost instantly. Every pissed-off critic holds a megaphone and now the whole world can hear their rant. <br />
<br />
Online customer rants: Not good for business.<br />
<br />
So what exactly is bullshit, this offensive toxin?<br />
<br />
Based on my deep-dive research into bullshit, including <a href="http://press.princeton.edu/titles/7929.html">On Bullshit</a> by Harry G Frankfurt, <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CBYQFjAA&url=http%3A//cognet.mit.edu/library/books/mitpress/0262025132/cache/chap12.pdf&ei=k4q4TIfUM46esQO2zPz8Dg&usg=AFQjCNERatgMKtchTQw-IlRQsCF7ofPoQA&sig2=LJeZaNluJOxvDC0qpYb_Mg">Deeper Into Bullshit</a><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> (pdf) </span>by G.A. Cohen and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Your-Call-Important-Us-Bullshit/dp/1400081033">Your Call Is Important to Us: The Truth about Bullshit</a> by Laura Penny, I’d define “bullshit” as any communication that is:<br />
<ul>
<li>Nonsensical</li>
<li>Insincere or disingenuous </li>
<li>Unclear and unclarifiable</li>
<li>Exaggerating</li>
<li>Inaccurate or</li>
<li>Not believable</li>
</ul>
Bullshit is like obscenity: We know it when we see it. These are some specific indicators of bullshit in branding:<br />
<ul>
<li>Anything too good to be true</li>
<li>Exaggeration, superlatives and hyperbole</li>
<li>Proprietary claims</li>
<li><a href="http://home.olemiss.edu/~egjbp/comp/ad-claims.html">Weasel words</a></li>
<li>Vagueness and ambiguity</li>
<li>Omissions</li>
<li>Euphemisms</li>
<li>Triteness and clichés</li>
<li>Inconsistency</li>
<li>Dishonesty</li>
</ul>
For cynics, this list practically defines marketing. But it doesn't have to be that way.<br />
<br />
Marketers would be well-served to avoid these customer repellents and instead practice bullshit-free branding. <br />
<br />
So what's bullshit-free branding? It's brand definitions and communications that pass the SNIFF test: <br />
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: medium none;"><tbody>
<tr> <td style="border: medium none; padding: 0in 2.4pt; width: 0.95in;" valign="top" width="68"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: FoundryWilson-Bold;">S</span></b></span>elf-aware</div>
</td> <td style="border: medium none; padding: 0in 2.4pt; width: 364.5pt;" valign="top" width="365"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Your brand should not try to be more — or less — than what it is. </div>
</td> </tr>
<tr> <td style="border: medium none; padding: 0in 2.4pt; width: 0.95in;" valign="top" width="68"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: FoundryWilson-Bold;">N</span></b></span>atural</div>
</td> <td style="border: medium none; padding: 0in 2.4pt; width: 364.5pt;" valign="top" width="365"><div class="MsoNormal">
Writing, ideas, and brand names that are not contrived </div>
</td> </tr>
<tr> <td style="border: medium none; padding: 0in 2.4pt; width: 0.95in;" valign="top" width="68"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: FoundryWilson-Bold;">I</span></b></span>ntegrity</div>
</td> <td style="border: medium none; padding: 0in 2.4pt; width: 364.5pt;" valign="top" width="365"><div class="MsoNormal">
True to itself and customers </div>
</td> </tr>
<tr> <td style="border: medium none; padding: 0in 2.4pt; width: 0.95in;" valign="top" width="68"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: FoundryWilson-Bold;">F</span></b></span>orthright</div>
</td> <td style="border: medium none; padding: 0in 2.4pt; width: 364.5pt;" valign="top" width="365"><div class="MsoNormal">
Straightforward, revealing, sincere, specific </div>
</td> </tr>
<tr> <td style="border: medium none; padding: 0in 2.4pt; width: 0.95in;" valign="top" width="68"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: FoundryWilson-Bold;">F</span></b></span>actual</div>
</td> <td style="border: medium none; padding: 0in 2.4pt; width: 364.5pt;" valign="top" width="365"><div class="MsoNormal">
Claims are true, verifiable and evident; endorsements are earned not purchased</div>
</td> </tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
You can't fake your way through this. It takes honest marketing to pass the SNIFF test:<br />
<ul>
<li>Be who you are and act that way</li>
<li>Wear your consumer hat</li>
<li>Be real and honest but not folksy</li>
<li>Write simply and clearly</li>
<li>Be specific</li>
<li>Avoid triteness, clichés, weasel words and exaggeration</li>
</ul>
Beyond the tips offered here, there are books and online resources to help you practice bullshit-free branding:<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0743269098/qid=1103528714/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1?v=glance&s=books">Why Businesspeople Speak Like Idiots</a> by Brian Fugere, Chelsea Hardaway, Jon Warshawsky</li>
<li><a href="http://press.princeton.edu/titles/7929.html">On Bullshit</a> by Harry G Frankfurt, </li>
<li><a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CBYQFjAA&url=http%3A//cognet.mit.edu/library/books/mitpress/0262025132/cache/chap12.pdf&ei=k4q4TIfUM46esQO2zPz8Dg&usg=AFQjCNERatgMKtchTQw-IlRQsCF7ofPoQA&sig2=LJeZaNluJOxvDC0qpYb_Mg">Deeper Into Bullshit</a><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> (pdf) </span>by G.A. Cohen</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Your-Call-Important-Us-Bullshit/dp/1400081033">Your Call Is Important to Us: The Truth about Bullshit</a> by Laura Penny </li>
<li><a href="http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/08/22/050822crat_atlarge?printable=true">Say Anything</a>, Jim Holt, The New Yorker </li>
<li><a href="http://home.olemiss.edu/~egjbp/comp/ad-claims.html">The Language of Advertising Claims</a>, Jeffrey Schank </li>
<li><a href="http://www.brandinsightblog.com/2010/04/28/brand-authenticity-%E2%80%94-keeping-it-real-honest-genuine-and-true/">Brand Authenticity</a>, John Furguson, Brand Insight Blog </li>
<li><a href="http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:da83Rod-alkJ:www.csom.umn.edu/assets/3949.pdf+brand+trust+scale&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESj_LdIDkgjEiYXcEpgD7VP2EFlKDG2QzTUUU33odtvzcwFga2DwhFNu1d9rzLXipQlU6sM4BxmKk6quN1iJH1tT2ghF9xtpmFdYKRFZT75LhteqrvjMZUYDzHGY7Qxbanu6WK2y&sig=AHIEtbQB8nVAkcQtcu4XBov1VbhsqIx4qA">Development and Validation of a Brand Trust Scale</a>, Elena Delgado-Ballester </li>
<li><a href="http://operativewords.blogspot.com/2010/04/truth-is-stronger-than-fiction_28.html">Truth is Stronger than Fiction</a>, Anthony Shore, Operative Words</li>
</ul>
Follow the advice I've offered here, read the resources and links provided, and use the SNIFF test to evaluate your brand communications to ensure they remain bullshit-free.<br />
<br />
And remember: <i>Let's be honest.</i><br />
<br />
Please share your ideas on how to create and evaluate bullshit-free branding.<br />
<br />
- Anth<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Thanks to Amanda "Gucky" Peterson, David Schargel and Matthew Cross for their contributions.</span>Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-19467048291472394222010-04-28T15:10:00.000-07:002010-05-14T14:24:55.694-07:00Truth is Stronger Than FictionThere was a time when a simple, honest name was good enough.<br />
<br />
Venerable brands like General Electric, Kentucky Fried Chicken, National Biscuit Company and International Business Machines didn't hide their business name behind metaphors or fuzzy ideas. Each name was a hammer. It delivered one message with brute, blunt force. And it was good...for a while.<br />
<br />
Eventually those companies established a path followed by countless others. They cut short their names to cut free of their restrictions, trading names too burdened with meaning for ones that were utterly meaningless: GE, KFC, Nabisco, IBM.<br />
<br />
The trend in naming since has been away from the harsh, direct light of descriptive names and towards the shaded canopy of evocative and arbitrary ones. The change is partly motivated by necessity, as descriptive names are difficult or impossible to protect as trademarks.<br />
<br />
But it's not just the law: It's a good idea. Descriptive names are similar to other descriptive names so they aren't differentiated and thus don't get noticed (not without a ton of money).<br />
<br />
Today, the vast majority of brand names are not descriptive at all.<br />
<br />
And I think people are getting tired of it.<br />
<br />
The pendulum is swinging back, towards names -- and marketing in general -- that's honest and bullshit-free. Maybe even humble.<br />
<br />
Living in San Francisco, I've sought examples of words in commerce that speak the unvarnished truth. I've documented some of these sightings with my cell phone camera. Several relate to food because I am a gastropod.<br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="this little cookie-c.jpg" height="401" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2685/4461444892_d972bb4f23.jpg" width="480" /><br />
<br />
This Little Cookie: Absolutely adorable. This is disarming partly because its design is slightly flawed, as if the cookie maker ran out of space scribbling This Little Cookie but was too busy baking to perfect the label. The name, reminiscent of <i>This Little Piggy,</i> and the letters' uneven spacing give the whole package an authentically human and unmanufactured quality.<br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="batter-c.jpg" height="360" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4008/4460666187_cef07c6968.jpg" width="480" /><br />
<br />
This tidy kiosk is a perfect setting for a brand called Batter. It's a name that's immediate, short, and to the point with nothing artificial added. It suggests their baked goods are as pure and simple.<br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="Food Should Taste Good.-c.jpg" height="407" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2764/4461445080_a16ee889f8.jpg" width="480" /><br />
<br />
Food Should Taste Good: Not just a simple message, but a four-word name. Because it doesn't follow the established convention of big companies and their short, sharp brand names, Food Should Taste Good feels a little home-made. It's a little unpolished and that's OK. Preferable, actually.<br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="tasty salted pig parts-c.jpg" height="333" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2740/4460666771_cbb2285716.jpg" width="480" /><br />
<br />
You know about <a href="http://www.tomspencer.com.au/2008/06/14/mece-analysis-framework-mckinsey-and-company/">MECE</a>? Pronounced "mee-see", McKinsey Consulting says that the best solutions are Mutually Exclusive and Collectively Exhaustive. They include everything they need and nothing they don't.<br />
<br />
Tasty Salted Pig Parts? 100% MECE.<br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="Ichthyo-c.jpg" height="360" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2730/4461444518_df88a55917.jpg" width="480" /><br />
<br />
<br />
Ichthyo: Breathtaking! So honest and so arresting! A word like that...Ichthyo...that twisted car wreck of a consonant cluster! Why, words like that shouldn't be allowed!<br />
<br />
And words like that are not allowed in the sweeping majority of the world's languages. But it just so happens that <i>ichthyo</i> was A-OK in ancient Greek, the mother tongue of much scientific and technical nomenclature, including terms like <i>ichthyo</i> and <i>architecture</i>. (Notice how the book's title and subtitle dovetail perfectly?)<br />
<br />
A title as inscrutable and unpronounceable as <i>Ichthyo</i> is an irritant -- an itch -- that lures in the reader to scratch. And yet despite the word's alien, other-worldly quality, it just means "fish".<br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="blackwire-c.jpg" height="338" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4021/4460943926_fe52b89cd8.jpg" width="480" /><br />
<br />
Blackwire is the same as Ichthyo but different. They are both honest yet unexpected. Ichthyo is entirely unfamiliar, whereas Blackwire seems oddly familiar. In a world becoming ever more untethered -- insecure -- a product that actually celebrates its cord stands out. What's good for power cords, spinal cords and umbilical cords is good for headsets, too.<br />
<br />
My firm, Operative Words, named and worked on the nomenclature for the Blackwire <a href="http://www.plantronics.com/north_america/en_US/products/office/corded-office-headsets/blackwire-c420?referrer=uc">family</a> of PC headsets by Plantronics. <img alt="the diversity center-c2.jpg" height="360" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2742/4460943050_da79ab331e.jpg" width="480" /><br />
<br />
It's clear they mean well enough. The Diversity Center [of Santa Cruz] is obviously committed to inclusivity, as enumerated in their tagline above the entrance. I don't know if Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Questioning Community -- <i>lesbiana, gay, bisexual, transgénero, intersex,</i> <i>inquisitivo</i> <i>en Español --</i> would qualify as mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive.<br />
<br />
But collectively, it's exhausting.<br />
<br />
I wish there was a better and more succinct way for The Diversity Center to describe all of these alternative sexualities. If you've got ideas, throw them in the comments section. If nothing else, your submissions will place Operative Words among some pretty interesting Google search results.<br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="interesting items-c.jpg" height="240" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2747/4460944204_ec32a2d5d7.jpg" width="320" /><br />
<br />
How could anyone resist INTERESTING ITEMS!?<br />
<br />
Names like that: Not fair.<br />
<br />
<img alt="passive lawn-c.jpg" height="360" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2731/4460163349_72a07af1ce.jpg" width="480" /><br />
<br />
<br />
What qualifies a particular truth for inclusion in a product's name? Every product has many true qualities and a name can express but one or two. <br />
<br />
Consider this sign for <i>Passive Lawn</i> in New York City's Washington Square Park. It used to be that a lawn was a lawn was a lawn. Activities officially disallowed were listed on a conspicuous notice: <i>No Ball Playing. No Radios.</i> <i>No Smoking.</i> And so on. Until recently, there was no characterization of the lawn itself. <br />
<br />
Urban planners and municipal parks departments evidently need to distinguish different types of public lawns, so those <a href="http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F07E7DF1539F933A1575AC0A9629C8B63">intended for quiet pursuits</a> are branded "passive". (A lawn where activities are allowed would presumably be called an <i>active lawn</i> but a cursory online search uncovered no evidence of its use.)<br />
<br />
As I wrote in <a href="http://operativewords.blogspot.com/2009/10/describe-different_16.html" title="Describe Different">Describe Different</a>, an innovative product deserves an innovative generic descriptor. The most effective new product descriptors combine familiar terms in unfamiliar ways. The best ones are intuitive and accurate. They are truthful.<br />
<br />
<i>Passive Lawn</i> strives for truth but it's not the whole truth nor is it intuitive. The novel use of <i>passive</i> requires a mental leap because it defines a new class of passive -- inactive? -- activities. Inadequate as a stand-alone name, <i>Passive Lawn</i> needs the support of <i>No Sports</i> and <i>No Dogs</i> to convey what's not allowed.<br />
<br />
I've considered alternatives to <i>Passive Lawn</i> but they are more flawed. <i>Inactive Lawn</i> might suggest it's entirely off-limits, especially with a chained perimeter like the one above. <i>Quiet Lawn</i> is interesting but also misses the mark.<br />
<br />
Perhaps the best solution would be the traditional one: A simple list of prohibited activities. Defining the lawn itself -- something useful for urban planners and parks department workers -- isn't very helpful for park visitors. If this sign simply read <i>No Sports, No Dogs,</i> we'd know all we need to know.<br />
<br />
In this case, no name would have been preferable to one whose truth is not self-evident.<br />
<br />
<img alt="gold teeth-c.jpg" height="240" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4056/4460163087_0fc3a145fc.jpg" width="320" /><br />
<br />
<br />
Up to now, I've focused on truth in meaning. Names and other commercial words can be functional and obvious and honest, yet also unique.<br />
<br />
Although meanings are important, so are appearances. The presentation of a name -- font, size, color, materials, etc. -- can magnify, minimize or morph its meaning.<br />
<br />
Which brings us to our last exhibit, <i>GOLD TEETH</i>, a spectacular example of meaning and manifestation in true alignment; a visual and verbal syzygy. These words don't merely deliver, they <i>shove.</i> In a compounding reaction, <i>gold</i> and <i>teeth</i> -- each picturable words individually -- combine and project a third mental image that beams so vividly we are compelled imagine it: A gleaming yet incongruous smile flaunting gilded teeth.<br />
<br />
This picture in our minds, already palpable and dazzling, is intensified by the words' physical representation: Electric neon, red and shining like polished gold. It is expressive, smiling broadly, exuding the same confidence we might associate with someone who would choose gold for their pearly whites. <br />
<br />
It's as if every detail were punctuated with exclamation points: GOLD! TEETH! RED! NEON! CAPITALS!<br />
<br />
The honesty of this sign, its stark message and medium, makes it impossible to ignore.<br />
<br />
<br />
Today's consumers are overwhelmed by marketing excess and underwhelmed by unfulfilled promises. They have become inured to marketing that's rife with the artifice of ambiguity and embellishment. Consumers are disillusioned because much of what they've seen are illusions. Only unabashed honesty will change that. <br />
<br />
Like never before, truth is stronger than fiction.<br />
<br />
<i>[A version of this post was originally published at <a href="http://www.duetsblog.com/2010/03/articles/guest-bloggers/truth-is-stronger-than-fiction/">Duets Blog</a>, the leading blog on creativity and the law.]</i>Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-30313799996171380082010-02-09T14:21:00.000-08:002014-07-23T10:46:22.701-07:00Red Flags and Red Herrings: How to check brand names in foreign languages<b><br /></b>
<b>Nova does not mean "it doesn't go".</b><br />
<br />
The marketing myth <a href="http://www.greaterthings.com/Humor/chevy_nova.htm">persists</a> that the Chevy Nova did not sell well in Latin America because "no va" means "doesn't go" <i>en Español</i>. <br />
<br />
But the Nova legend is a lie -- a tenacious one at that. In fact, the car sold quite well in Latin America where Spanish-speaking consumers did not make the connection between Nova and "no va". Snopes <a href="http://www.snopes.com/business/misxlate/nova.asp">documents</a> the proof and Mark Liberman of Language Log <a href="http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=619">refutes</a> "false factoids" such as the alleged failures of the Chevy Nova and other brand names.<br />
<br />
Although the story is fiction, it's irrefutable fact that Nova and "no va" <i>are</i> strikingly close.<br />
<br />
But close is no cigar. <br />
<br />
Apparently, even minor differences in spelling, sound or stress will distinguish two nearly-identical words. In this case, Spanish "no va" is two words and is accented on the second syllable. Just one space and a different pronunciation insulate Nova from "no va", as the word "legend" does not make people think of "leg" and "end". <br />
<br />
It's now <a href="http://spanish.about.com/cs/culture/a/chevy_nova.htm">known</a> that GM was aware in advance about Nova's "doesn't go" issue, yet decided to go with it anyway.<br />
<br />
If <i>you</i> were in GM marketing and learned before launch that Nova sounds like "no va", would you reject it? <br />
<br />
It'd be hard not to. Fer chrissakes, they're <i>nearly identical</i>! <br />
<br />
The whole point of a native speaker check (sometimes called a "cultural-linguistic check") is ostensibly to root out names with inappropriate foreign language associations, so how could a whopper like Nova/"no va" slide? <br />
<br />
Yet slide it did.<br />
<br />
And in the end, Nova did just fine in Latin America.<br />
<br />
Stranger than the fiction of a GM flub, is the truth that a brand name and its near-homonym remain distinct in the mind.<br />
<br />
This phenomenon presents us with a native speaker check conundrum:<b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>How can red flags and red herrings be distinguished?</b><br />
<br />
Which inappropriate foreign associations represent true problems and which are false alarms -- all bark and no bite?<br />
<br />
I've compiled here principles and practices to make sense of native speaker checks and their nuances. <b> <br />
</b><br />
<br />
<b>A</b><b> native speaker check should be separate from other name validation research</b>.<br />
<br />
An accurate observation of potential foreign language issues should be the singular objective of a native speaker check. This limits confounding variables.<b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>Ask</b><b> a sufficient number of native speakers</b>.<br />
<br />
Several respondents helps distinguish idiosyncratic associations from those widely shared. I've found that the three, independent respondents are sufficient.<b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>Determine </b><b>the right languages</b>.<br />
<br />
These are the usual suspects for most "global" naming projects:<br />
<blockquote>
French (Europe and Canada)<br />
Italian<br />
German<br />
Spanish (Europe and Latin America)<br />
Portuguese (Europe and Latin America)<br />
Mandarin<br />
Cantonese<br />
Japanese</blockquote>
This can be expanded as appropriate to include the languages of Scandinavia, southeast Asia, the Mid-East, eastern Europe, etc. But, the task becomes more difficult and costly as the number of names and languages increase.<br />
<br />
Multinational organizations have to weigh a cost-benefit equation. To save costs, most companies will check only a standard version of a language but not minor dialects; German: yes; Swiss German: no. <br />
<br />
But some companies will, for peace of mind, invest in screening names in every language or dialect wherever they do business or might someday. I saw that firsthand during the Accenture corporate naming <a href="http://www.destinationcrm.com/Articles/PrintArticle.aspx?ArticleID=46187">program</a>, in which 50 candidate names were evaluated in 65 languages, each with three, in-country speakers. Clearly, Accenture <i>thrives</i> on peace of mind.<br />
<br />
<b>Ask for observations, not opinions</b>.<br />
<br />
You need to know specific and detailed information about the foreign words or phrases that resemble your name candidates. Do not ask foreign speakers about which they "like". Your questions to respondents should elicit observations, not opinions. <br />
<br />
This is what I ask:<br />
<blockquote>
How will this word be pronounced by a native speaker of your language?<br />
<br />
Is the word similar in sound or appearance to other words in your language? If so, what are those words, how are they pronounced, and what do they mean?<br />
<br />
Is the word similar to other brands in your country? If so, what brands?<br />
<br />
Are there any inappropriate associations that a native speaker of your language might have with this word? If so, what exactly are those associations and why would they be associated?<br />
<br />
Do you, as a native speaker of the language, find this word relatively easy or difficult to say? If it’s relatively difficult, what sounds in the word make it difficult?</blockquote>
The answers reveal more than name associations. They also detail the proximity in sound and spelling to the foreign word associations. This information will help you judge the results.<br />
<br />
That's the hard part of native speaker checks: Interpreting the data and making the right judgment calls.<br />
<br />
<b>Consider these factors to strengthen your judgment of native speaker responses:</b><br />
<blockquote>
How similar are the name and its associations in sound and spelling? <i><br />
Pay close attention to those identical. </i></blockquote>
<blockquote>
How prevalent are the name associations among respondents?<i> <br />
If every participant has the same association, it's more likely -- though not certain -- to be widespread after launch. </i></blockquote>
<blockquote>
How important is the market where the name might be a problem?<i> <br />
Maybe it doesn't matter that your brand means "ugly" in Igbo. </i></blockquote>
<blockquote>
What's the culture in the country where the name could pose a problem? <i><br />
An inappropriate association might be acceptable in one country but not another.</i> <i>Native French speakers, in my experience, make naughty name associations so predictably, I wonder if such skills are a point of national pride, like the Eiffel Tower or cream sauces. Francophone responses I take with a grain of </i>sel<i>. In China, less tolerance and preponderance of negative associations makes them more damning. </i></blockquote>
<blockquote>
Will the name inspire marketing communications that divorce it from unwanted associations?<i><br />
When Wii and Banana Republic launched, communications were built around their names. Wii's anthropomorphized vowels bowed in <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/users/bizsumpark182/video_player?id=cnM0xTer5bkPvD_W">animation</a> to help set it apart from "wee (wee)". Banana Republic deflected pejorative associations by silkscreening jungle <a href="http://ilovethe80s.com/bananarepublic.jpg">critters</a> on t-shirts bearing their name. </i></blockquote>
<blockquote>
Is the name also a real word in English?<i> <br />
If so, negative associations are more likely to be overlooked. English has name cachet in many countries. </i><br />
<br />
What's the product category?<i> <br />
Offensive associations are more damning for food, beverage and personal-care product names than for electronics, software and other things we don't put in or on our bodies. And mom won't buy children's products with names connoting danger or risk. </i> </blockquote>
<blockquote>
Who's the customer? <br />
<i>Play it safe with names intended for audiences with conservative or traditional values. This applies to geographic segments (e.g. the Mid-East), demographic ones (e.g. the elderly) and certain industries (e.g. insurance). Some audiences are attracted by controversial or contrarian names. Four-letter retailer FCUK targets young iconoclasts, not elderly conservatives. And unlike adults, kids are undaunted by gross-out foods like Garbage Pail Kids, <a href="http://candyaddict.com/blog/top-10-grossest-candies/">White Chocolate Maggots</a>, and booger-flavored jelly beans; just don't expect Mom to pick them up on the way home.</i><i> </i></blockquote>
These details will inform your decision, but they might not make it easy. A mitigating factor called the "positivity principle" complicates things -- but also illuminates why the name Chevy Nova wasn't actually a problem in Latin America. <br />
<blockquote>
<b>The Positivity Principle</b>: <br />
When people see a brand name in the real world -- on a sign, package or business card -- they assume it's intended it to be perceived positively. </blockquote>
When a proposed name is seen the context of a native speaker check or <a href="http://operativewords.blogspot.com/2009/05/decisions-decisions-how-to-research.html">naming research</a> -- when names are presented as hypothetical or speculative -- the positivity principle doesn't manifest so negative associations are easily triggered. Prospective names do not yet have validity conferred upon them because a company has not yet adopted them. <br />
<br />
Imagine how Virgin, Motley Fool, Yelp, Alibaba, the Gap, <a href="http://www.dirtys.com/cgi-bin/dirtys/index.html">Dirty</a> potato chips, and Bazooka gum would have been excoriated as part of an English native speaker check. Yet, as living brands, they evade obvious, unflattering associations. <br />
<br />
These names are given the benefit of the doubt because (1) they have already been adapted and launched by companies and (2) they harbor positive and relevant connotations that divert attention from negative denotations:<br />
<ul>
<li>Virgin symbolizes the philosophy of conducting business as it's never been done;</li>
<li>A Motley Fool <a href="http://www.forbes.com/2009/09/26/gardner-dolby-middleby-intelligent-investing-motley-fool_2.html">was</a> the only one who'd tell the king the truth; </li>
<li>Dirty Potato Chips are called that because the potatoes' natural juices aren't washed away before frying.</li>
</ul>
The positivity principle has limits. You can't just go and adopt offensive names willy-nilly expecting they'll be warmly received by everyone.<br />
<br />
The positivity principle does not seem to benefit a name whose negative connotations have no conceivable positive relevance to its product. For instance:<br />
<br />
<b>Calpis</b><br />
This Japanese beverage is marketed as Calpico in the States because the original name sounds very close to "cow piss". When you're selling an unfamiliar, foreign beverage at retail, it's best to avoid anything disgusting.<br />
<br />
<b>Reebok Incubus</b><br />
Apparently Reebok didn't know that this is a demon that attacks women in their sleep. If Reebok had, this word wouldn't have been used as the name for a short-lived women's running shoe. <br />
<br />
True naming blunders like the Reebok Incubus are rare, though it might not seem so. Infamous naming gaffes are retold again and again in the media, belying their actual rarity. Yet the examples typically trotted out for public pillory -- Chevy Nova, Ford Pinto, et al. -- are pure fiction.<br />
<br />
In the end, it might not matter that a brand can be a bad word in foreign dictionary and yet be a good name to those foreign customers. If enough journalists mock the moniker, it could turn a red herring into a red flag. International name problems, even imagined or manufactured ones, are still problems. The public's perception will become a company's reality.<br />
<br />
A native speaker check can help a company make a fully-informed name decision. But it is just one data point, and one which can easily mislead. The greatest risk to a business might not be the adoption of a potentially offensive name, but the rejection of a truly great one. <br />
<br />
I hope the principles and practices I've outlined here will help you distinguish native speaker red herrings from red flags.<br />
<br />
Just remember to:<br />
<blockquote>
Ask the right questions... </blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
listen closely to the answers...</div>
</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: right;">
then, on occasion, ignore them.</div>
Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-9039002394982349362010-02-01T12:57:00.000-08:002010-06-09T10:49:51.400-07:00Scribe Winery: The story behind the nameTelling a story is a lot easier when there's a story to tell.<br />
<br />
Companies that sell the same things as others have to create a perception of difference, otherwise they're doomed. That's where branding comes in. <br />
<br />
However, discovering -- or inventing -- a brand's point of difference isn't always obvious. <br />
<br />
But sometimes you get lucky when there's not just a difference, but a relevant one. <br />
<br />
I was lucky enough to name a winery that offered something special: A story.<br />
<br />
Now dear reader, if you're really on the ball you'd call me on that. There's scads of wineries that have a story to tell, right? <br />
<blockquote><i>Our winemaker comes from generations of....</i></blockquote><blockquote><i>Our vineyards are kissed by abundant north slope sunshine and a soft ocean breeze.... </i></blockquote><blockquote><i>Our soil is a unique blend of Egyptian clay and 400-count gravel.... </i> <br />
<i></i></blockquote><blockquote><i>Our property is patrolled by Shep, the graying Labrador that raised our master winemaker and taught him all he knows...</i></blockquote>The thing is, these winery narratives all sound pretty much the same (except maybe that last one about the Labrador). That's why I was tickled to name a winery which had a story remarkably different.<br />
<br />
My client, Andrew Mariani, told me about the property he and his partners just bought on the border of Sonoma Valley and Carneros. As we drank wine in San Francisco's Dolores Park -- a great place for a project briefing -- he regaled me with property's colorful history:<br />
<blockquote>This was the place where artificial insemination of turkeys was perfected. Before that milestone, turkeys could only breed the old-fashioned way. Turkey is now available just about everywhere thanks to this innovation.<br />
<br />
There's a house on the property that was a speakeasy during prohibition. Rumor has it, this was also at times, a brothel.<br />
<br />
Back in the day, a plane crashed on the property.</blockquote>The winery's property is the setting for stories like these, whose importance and relevance isn't just limited to a storied place. Storytelling itself is important to people who can pay $60 retail for a bottle of Cab.<br />
<br />
Those who are able to afford expensive wine have probably accumulated enough nice things that it's their experiences which set them apart. When you already have money, stories are the valuable currency that buy bragging rights. <br />
<br />
Armed with the insight that this winery's property had real stories to tell, and that stories are important to their future customers, I recommended the strategy that this brand should be defined by storytelling.<br />
<br />
As part of my strategic and creative branding work for the winery, I offered them ideas of how they could bring storytelling to life. One idea was inspired by a local (San Francisco) Japanese restaurant whose restrooms have hidden loudspeakers quietly playing an audiobook of Japanese language instruction. I suggested the winery do the same, but with audiobooks of literature as the background "music".<br />
<br />
Once the central brand idea of storytelling was agreed-upon, the naming creative work could begin. With such a focused and salient direction, the naming itself was, frankly, pretty easy. I scoured resources -- most online -- that listed terms from the worlds of literature, writing, and storytelling.<br />
<br />
From my master list of names, I culled several dozen for preliminary trademark screening. As I recall, about 20 made it through and those were presented to my clients.<br />
<br />
A handful were shortlisted and two names survived their full legal screening, one of which was Scribe. After spirited discussions, Scribe was adopted as the final name.<br />
<br />
Scribe launched with an identity and <a href="http://scribewinery.com/">website</a> designed by the brilliant craftsmen of <a href="http://www.nothingsomething.com/">Nothing: Something: New York</a>. I'm thrilled and thankful their design work is so faithful to the brand. And my God, it is exquisite:<br />
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<br />
The Scribe website is equally textured, redolent of an old book with weathered typography and vignetted images. The story of their property and its lineage of owners is presented as major and minor "Chapters". The brand reveals a playful side when small insects, such as those which presumably inhabit their soil, skitter across the page. They serve as a reminder that the property has brought forth life, not just to a brand, but to acres and acres of fruit that will, with time and craft, become their wine.<br />
<br />
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<br />
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That's the story of Scribe. May their success live happily ever after.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>UPDATE: June 2010</b><br />
<br />
Scribe Winery pairs well with foodies. Here are a few recent articles: <br />
<br />
<a href="http://scribewinery.wordpress.com/2010/03/16/press-food-and-wine/">Sonoma's Wildest Party</a> (<i>Food & Wine</i>)<br />
<a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/06/04/FDJO1DP461.DTL">Carneros turkey farm returns to its winery roots</a> (<i>San Francisco Chronicle</i>) <br />
<a href="http://lovelypackage.com/scribe-winery/">Lovely Package</a>Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-83843482874829601432009-11-16T17:16:00.000-08:002009-11-16T17:25:53.568-08:00Run Client Run: Stories from a 17-year relationshipThere's nothing wrong with a one-time fling. It can be fun and fulfilling -- up to a point.<br />
<br />
But in my experience, there's no substitute for the deeply satisfying connection when two people are committed to each other for the long run.<br />
<br />
I'm talking, of course, about client relationships.<br />
<br />
I've been lucky enough to have a relationship with one particular client for over 17 years. Last week, this client -- who has also become a good friend -- launched another business that I named.<br />
<br />
I wanted to honor and thank my client by sharing our stories -- and the 11 brand names we've created. I'll also <a href="#runbrainrunstory">describe</a> my thinking at the moment I named his latest venture, <b><a href="http://runbrainrun.com/">Run Brain Run</a></b>.<br />
<br />
In 1992, I applied for the position of Creative Services Manager at Aladdin Systems, a small software company that specialized in utilities for the Mac. <a href="http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/print_story.php?story_id=115163590627343000">David Schargel</a> was Aladdin's president and in charge of marketing -- as all company presidents should be.<br />
<br />
Working for a Macintosh software company would be dreamy. I had been an Apple fanboy ever since my Dad got an Apple II+ when I was 12. Aladdin Systems was known for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/StuffIt">StuffIt</a>, the Mac's <i>de facto</i> compression standard; working for a standard-bearer like Aladdin would almost be like working for Apple. Kinda. Sorta. OK not really. But still....<br />
<br />
After David hired me, he said my effusive cover letter got his attention. As I recall, I gushed "I eat, sleep, dream, and drool Macintosh". It sure ain't "<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1987/04/20/business/business-people-apple-s-software-chief-shifts-to-new-program.html">bleed six colors</a>" but seemed to do the trick.<br />
<br />
And just this week -- 17 years after he first interviewed me -- David revealed the exchange that actually got me hired:<br />
<blockquote>By far, my most memorable moment during your hiring was when I asked you, "Do you drink so much coffee that you sometimes start to shake?"<br />
<br />
You did not hesitate for a split-second and said, "Is that going to be a problem?"<br />
</blockquote>Not my clever cover letter. Not my creative chops. Not my enthusiasm. It was my predilection for caffeine that really won him over. And just maybe, he had a hunch that I was -- thanks to my beverage of choice -- quick on my feet. Jittery, but quick.<br />
<br />
David and I shared an itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny polka dot of an office. During the months we worked in close quarters, I learned a hell of a lot about real-world sales, marketing and customer service. He was a true mentor who also showed me how perfect a boss could be. To this day, I envy his ability to manage people, keep them happy, and help them perform at their best.<br />
<br />
The first name I created at Aladdin was <b><a href="http://db.tidbits.com/article/2355">SITcomm</a></b>, easy-to-use telecommunications terminal software that incorporated StuffIt compression.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XVO9jbwm0qU/Sv5V8C395QI/AAAAAAAAAXc/CtfqMd85XYI/s1600-h/SITcomm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XVO9jbwm0qU/Sv5V8C395QI/AAAAAAAAAXc/CtfqMd85XYI/s320/SITcomm.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><br />
SITcomm ostensibly stood for Simply Intuitive Telecommunications, but savvy users would spot the StuffIt file extension -- .sit -- built into the moniker. Like the company behind it, the SITcomm name was fun and breezy. Easy for online newbies, but with enough insider-appeal to appease the early-adopter, unduly-influencing, geekier-than-thou critics at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berkeley_Macintosh_Users_Group">BMUG</a>.<br />
<br />
As Aladdin Systems' Creative Services Manager, I wore a lot of hats during my three-and-a-half years: copywriter, production artist, designer, ad agency liaison, product marketing lead, product manager, spokesman, product demo guy. I had been there a year or two when David asked me to design a new corporate identity for Aladdin Systems. It would be my first-ever CI project.<br />
<br />
The inherent difficulty of designing a logo was made more difficult by the parameters set by the company's senior management team:<br />
<ul><li>It had to be an A</li>
<li>It had to include a lamp</li>
</ul>Alrightythen.<br />
<br />
This is the logo I designed for Aladdin: <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XVO9jbwm0qU/Sv5WPCwO5KI/AAAAAAAAAXk/ChARFwZYDqE/s1600-h/aladdin+systems.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XVO9jbwm0qU/Sv5WPCwO5KI/AAAAAAAAAXk/ChARFwZYDqE/s320/aladdin+systems.jpg" /></a><br />
</div>To all the brilliant Landor designers I've worked with: <i>Go ahead. Laugh away. Get it out of your system. Hopefully someday -- maaaybe -- I can recoup some of your respect.</i><br />
<br />
David has always been an entrepreneur. He left Aladdin (which he co-founded with <a href="http://quote.morningstar.com/insider-trading/Key-Executives.aspx?t=SMSI">Jonathan Kahn</a>, another longstanding client who deserves his own future post) and went into the mobile software business. This was back when Palm Pilot was <i>the</i> name in the PDA category and hadn't yet been <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_%28PDA%29#History">shot down</a> by Pilot Pen Corporation. <br />
<br />
David wanted his new company name to unequivocally suggest "portable". I came up with <b>Aportis</b>. Probably not my best work.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XVO9jbwm0qU/Sv5XtfZ9kzI/AAAAAAAAAXs/MiFdBLFLD2U/s1600-h/aportis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XVO9jbwm0qU/Sv5XtfZ9kzI/AAAAAAAAAXs/MiFdBLFLD2U/s320/aportis.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><br />
Aportis' flagship app would be a hierarchical to-do manager and idea organizer. It, too, needed a name.<br />
<br />
I remember the moment I came up with <b>Brainforest</b>: I was riffing on the word "brain". I liked its sound, brevity, and evocativeness. "Brain" was relevant and productive -- a good working part. I thought of compound words that included the word (like Brainstem), but also compounds that included a <i>rhyme</i> of "brain".<br />
<br />
My thought stream in schematic:<br />
<blockquote>brain...rain...rainforest...Brainforest!<br />
</blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XVO9jbwm0qU/Sv5YBk64XeI/AAAAAAAAAX0/sSeo8l7kbUM/s1600-h/brainforest.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XVO9jbwm0qU/Sv5YBk64XeI/AAAAAAAAAX0/sSeo8l7kbUM/s400/brainforest.png" /></a><br />
</div>Brainforest would serve as more than a name. It became the organizing principle -- the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Framing_%28social_sciences%29">frame</a> -- for the product. Brainforest stores users' content in hierarchical trees composed of branches and leaves. Neat.<br />
<br />
David eventually got out of the software biz and sold Brainforest to Ultrasoft. Lo these years later -- at least a decade -- Brainforest is still available for <a href="http://www.ultrasoft.com/BrainForest/download.shtml">download</a>. <br />
<br />
Our next collaboration would be for something completely different: A Portland walking tour company. After a lifetime of working in the digital realm, David was ready to go analog.<br />
<br />
He adopted <a href="http://www.portlandwalkingtours.com/">Portland Walking Tours</a> as the DBA. That name's David's creation and to my surprise it's served him well. Standing out is a tall order for a name so descriptive. But it goes to show that there's more to a company's success than just its name. With an affable, business-savvy founder, even names like Portland Walking Tours -- or Microsoft -- can thrive. <br />
<br />
David adopted these names I developed for specific Portland Walking Tours:<br />
<ul><li><b><a href="http://www.10best.com/Portland,OR/Attractions_&_Activities/Search_All_Attractions_&_Activities/96597/Portland_Walking_Tours:_Epicurean_Excursion_Portland_OR/">Epicurean Excursion</a></b> - An upscale tour for foodies</li>
<li><b><a href="http://portlandoctopus.com/portland-walking-tours-beyond-bizarre/">Beyond Bizarre</a></b> - Explore spooky, dark and paranormal locales (mostly for adults but also for families with kids)</li>
<li><b>Wokabout</b> - A tour of Portland's Chinatown</li>
</ul>Walking tours of Portland were just part of David's bigger vision: To create a company where "resident experts" could share their love of a place with travelers and citizens. I was asked to help name that company, too.<br />
<br />
The new enterprise would include, but not be limited to, Portland Walking Tours. As a holding company it needed a flexible name. David asked for something business-like, since this would be a business-to-business business. <br />
<br />
David liked <b>Hometown Advantage</b> when I presented it. Then, upon hearing that I registered <a href="http://hometownadvantage.com/">HometownAdvantage.com</a>, he positively loved it. As names go, it's a straight shooter. No one's getting fired for hiring a company with that name.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XVO9jbwm0qU/Sv5ZV4l3NwI/AAAAAAAAAX8/doNI9VbaPGE/s1600-h/Hometown+Advantage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XVO9jbwm0qU/Sv5ZV4l3NwI/AAAAAAAAAX8/doNI9VbaPGE/s200/Hometown+Advantage.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5608588391267757280&postID=8384348287482960143" name="runbrainrunstory"></a>A year later, David approached me with a new challenge: Name an urban "game" company that would be hired for team-building "or just plain fun". <br />
<br />
Several name objectives emerged from our early discussions:<br />
<ul><li>It should support the key brand idea of "fun with a purpose"</li>
<li>It should not include words like "go", "adventure" or "scavenger" </li>
<li>It should appeal to corporate team leaders</li>
<li>It should appeal to residents </li>
<li>It shouldn't sound too athletic</li>
<li>It should accommodate many different types of team games and hunts in many different places </li>
</ul>I had a blast brainstorming. These themes surfaced organically during the creative process:<br />
<ul><li>Hunt/search</li>
<li>Games/puzzles/clues</li>
<li>Mind/brain/head</li>
<li>Groups/teams</li>
<li>Out and about</li>
<li>Race/quick</li>
</ul>When I create names, I go deep then move laterally. Each direction is individually explored as a foundational list of relevant words, word parts and phrases accumulate. After reaching a critical mass of ideas for each theme, I cross-pollinate by combining words from the different categories.<br />
<br />
Overlaid on that creative technique, I'll visualize myself using -- and loving -- my client's product. I put myself in an imagined moment where I'm totally absorbed and excited by the sheer awesomeness of what I'm naming. During that time, I believe the make-believe. The feelings, images, and words inspired by my fleeting zeal are fuel for names.<br />
<br />
As I thought about David's new game company, I pictured myself in a team on a hunt. We're huddled around a notepad and puzzling through a clue. People are shouting out ideas. I feel the pressure to solve the problem before our opponents. The urgency is palpable, even though it's imagined: "Hurry! Hurry!" "Think faster!" <br />
<br />
"Run, brain, run!"<br />
<br />
Helllooooo....<br />
<br />
I knew Run Brain Run was a keeper. Just three words capture the quintessential customer scenario, a snapshot of reality. Run Brain Run gives people the feeling they are listening in to a heated contest that's always in progress. A moment of visceral excitement is frozen in time, like a blink that never ends. <br />
<br />
Run Brain Run has a distinctive yet natural structure. Very few names repeat its beginning at its end, a rhetorical device called <a href="http://www.virtualsalt.com/rhetoric.htm#Epanalepsis">epanalepsis</a>. The only two examples I've found are a boy's sportswear label called No Billy No and the 1960's BBC satire, That Was the Week That Was. If you know of other epanaleptic brands, please do share.<br />
<br />
David shared my enthusiasm for Run Brain Run. I'm so glad he ran with it.<br />
<br />
Hat tip to <a href="http://jsupnick.com/">Jon Supnick</a> who designed the logo with a wit befitting the name:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XVO9jbwm0qU/Sv5aN4ruDXI/AAAAAAAAAYE/PnhXHFh5bAU/s1600-h/Run+Brain+Run.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XVO9jbwm0qU/Sv5aN4ruDXI/AAAAAAAAAYE/PnhXHFh5bAU/s320/Run+Brain+Run.jpg" /></a><br />
</div>Two of the games offered by Run Brain Run I also named:<br />
<ul><li><a href="http://www.runbrainrun.com/games/seattle/search-party">Search Party</a>: A fun-filled team quest </li>
<li><a href="http://www.runbrainrun.com/games/seattle/alias-alibi">Alias & Alibi</a>: A spy-themed challenge</li>
</ul><br />
David, congratulations on your new company.<br />
<br />
Thank you for being such a great client.<br />
<br />
Long may you run.<br />
<br />
<br />
- AnthAnthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-56477723732295410552009-11-10T14:53:00.000-08:002017-05-30T11:02:49.274-07:00An equal and opposite reaction: How to wrangle emotions and subjectivity in a naming program<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8gKZy78OjcE/WS2tngBSwQI/AAAAAAAACHA/JNpfzEoZdAU71MwEOIOF091r_nsNwH_OwCLcB/s1600/1280px-Lion_tamer_%2528LOC_pga.03749%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="922" data-original-width="1280" height="230" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8gKZy78OjcE/WS2tngBSwQI/AAAAAAAACHA/JNpfzEoZdAU71MwEOIOF091r_nsNwH_OwCLcB/s320/1280px-Lion_tamer_%2528LOC_pga.03749%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Mel Brooks was <a href="http://www.metafilter.com/71542/homemade-film">asked</a>, "What's the hardest part of making a film?"<br />
He answered, "Cutting all those little holes in the sides."<br />
<br />
Naming's like film. The hardest part of making a brand name is the cutting of little holes in the names. In other words, idiosyncratic and subjective reactions — poking holes — are what really make the naming process difficult.<br />
<br />
Because emotions and subjectivity are an inevitable part of the process, it's helpful to know how to work well with them. <br />
<br />
In the second half of my interview with Irene Gil of <a href="http://www.grasp.es/">Grasp</a>, I discuss key principles and practices for naming practitioners. Her verbatim Spanish translation can be found <a href="http://s300527316.mialojamiento.es/wordpress/?p=72">here</a>. <b> <br />
</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Q: It is incredible the quantity of emotions that are managed during the process and how political the decision can be. How can be anxiety managed? How to avoid that names with a good brand potential are rejected at a first sight?</b><br />
<blockquote>
<b>Anthony Shore:</b></blockquote>
<blockquote>
No matter how hard one tries to make it an objective exercise, naming is subjective and emotional. Each client in a meeting has their own associations with a word; it is often assumed — incorrectly — that others will have the same idiosyncratic associations. <br />
<br />
Here's how I wrangle the emotions and subjectivity that attend brand naming programs:<br />
<br />
<b>Each client needs to feel that their opinions and ideas have been heard throughout a naming program.</b> Active listening, that is re-stating what the client said, shows you've listened. So does writing it down. It's vital that your naming creative brief reflects everything important you've heard; a name presentation should repeat the most important points of your creative brief, and name rationale should feature those same points. <br />
<br />
<b>If a client asks you to explore a word or an idea or a name style in your creative work, do it, even if you disagree. </b>You are obliged to advise the client of your concerns, but it's really in your best interest as a naming practitioner to fulfill the client's request. Failure to do so might make the client much less receptive to your names. That same client could "poison the well," and make offhand, pejorative comments that derail other names. <br />
<br />
It's often true that good candidate names — especially highly differentiated ones — may be rejected by clients, leading to the <i>brander's paradox</i>: Differentiated ideas are essential to effective branding, yet differentiated ideas are initially rejected simply because they are unfamiliar. </blockquote>
<blockquote>
I delve into this topic in <a href="http://operativewords.blogspot.com/2009/06/instinct-as-enemy-how-to-sell-in-new.html">Instinct as Enemy</a> where I recommend these techniques to rally support for new and unfamiliar names:<br />
<br />
<b>Repetition</b><br />
Each candidate name should be said several times so it begins to feel familiar.<br />
<br />
<b>Analogy</b><br />
When a presenting a differentiated name, give your client examples of other successful product or company names that are comparable in style, metaphor or construction. When a client sees that someone else has tried the same naming approach and succeeded, they'll warm up. <br />
<br />
<b>Context</b><br />
Presenting candidate names in a real-world context, like a business card, web page or building sign, helps make the candidate name seem less speculative and more like a real, de facto brand.</blockquote>
<b>Q: What do you think should be the role of research in a naming process? Do you recommend the naming test?</b><br />
<blockquote>
Name research must be done mindfully and for the right reasons. In <a href="http://operativewords.blogspot.com/2009/05/decisions-decisions-how-to-research.html">Decisions, Decisions: How to Research Brand Names</a>, I write that <b>research should not be used to "pick a winner."</b> Instead, research should illuminate the names' relative ability to support the brand positioning and attributes. Research can reveal "red-flag" associations and provide creative ideas for messaging and launch of a name. Research can neutralize some of the subjective associations and political dynamics around names.<br />
<br />
<b>Name research should not ask customers what names they "like," whether the names "fit with the category" or if they are "memorable."</b> I advise against using focus groups for name evaluation and instead suggest one-on-ones. Focus groups can be useful before naming begins to learn what features or benefits are important to them and what their "pain points" are. This understanding can guide the brand positioning and inform the naming strategy.</blockquote>
<b>Q: Having conducted the Accenture huge naming process, what do you think of employee's competition?</b><br />
<blockquote>
As I <a href="http://operativewords.blogspot.com/2009/11/whats-in-namer.html#greatnames">mentioned</a>, <b>I believe that great names can come from anywhere</b>. Naivete can inspire wonderful names or terrible ones. Accenture notswithstanding, whose name was developed by an Accenture employee, an employee competition will not very likely bring forth a good, trademarkable name. In my experience, employee contests tend to garner names that are descriptive or obvious. </blockquote>
<blockquote>
Perhaps most problematic, <b>an employee naming contest signals that it's not a difficult, strategic or terribly important matter</b>. Companies do not throw contests asking which competitor should be acquired, whether a line of business should be divested, or how their flagship product should be positioned. <br />
<br />
<b>Q: When you work in global names, how do you assure there are no negative connotations in other languages?</b></blockquote>
<blockquote>
You need to ask the right people the right questions and evaluate their answers critically. When people are exposed to candidate brand names in a linguistic check, there are personal associations that would not arise after the name is adopted and launched. The challenge is to determine the nature of foreign speakers' associations. <b>You have to make a judgment: Is a negative response to a name just one person's idiosyncratic reaction or will it be widespread? And if a negative reaction is likely to be widespread, does that really matter? </b><br />
<br />
For example, if Nintendo tested the name Wii for negative connotations in the U.S., it would have bombed mightily: It's homonymous with a childish word for penis and peeing. Yet, the name and product have succeeded because (1) the product's appeal eclipsed its giggle-inducing name and (2) the name was brought to life with animation (the two "i"s bow) and nomenclature (Wiimote). Today, you can ask someone to come over and play with your Wii without getting slapped. <br />
<br />
As the success of names like Wii, Virgin, Motley Fool and Banana Republic demonstrate, negative connotations aren't necessarily bad.<br />
<br />
<b>These are some of the questions I ask when conducting native speaker checks: </b></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<blockquote>
How will this word be pronounced by a native speaker of your language? </blockquote>
<blockquote>
Is the word similar in sound or appearance to other words in your language? If so, what are those words, how are they pronounced, and what do they mean? </blockquote>
<blockquote>
Are there any inappropriate associations that a native speaker of your language might have with this word? If so, what exactly are those associations and why would they be associated?</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<b>Q: Do you think brand names have to be liked by the majority of the target audience or is it good to provoke a certain controversy at least in its launching?</b><br />
<blockquote>
With time and exposure, people will grow to like a name, no matter how they felt about it at launch. The day Accenture launched, a few people quipped the name sounded like "dentures." On day 2, nobody did because the name took on an identity all its own. That happens with all names.<br />
<br />
<b>A name is liked as much as the product or company it refers to.</b> If the product is great, people will think better of its name than if it's lousy. The name Andersen Consulting was revered when a judge compelled the company to rename. Months later, when Accenture's former parent company, Andersen Worldwide, melted down because of Enron, the Andersen name was rendered toxic. Accenture, even though it was a new name, became even stronger and more favorable in the aftermath. <br />
<br />
Controversial names have the benefit of being different and memorable; they trigger strong emotions that forge a bond. These are desirable traits in a name. But a controversial name should be borne from the brand positioning. Irrelevant controversy can undermine or overshadow brand messaging. For example, the name FCUK is controversial but well-suited for rebellious teens. But the recently launched Kraft iSnack 2.0 didn't work, even as a "next generation Vegemite." The name was <a href="http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/869722/kraft-dumps-controversial-isnack-name">retired</a> after just a few weeks of public ridicule. Cheesybite, a suitable, not-stupid name, took its place.</blockquote>
<b>Q: In my experience, to find a good name is just 50% of the task. The other 50% (or even more) is to convince the company that it is the adequate decision. Do you agree?</b><br />
<blockquote>
For most projects, generating a list of strategic and fresh names is not that hard, especially when you've been doing it for 30 years. Convincing a roomful of clients to adopt the best one is another matter. It's when the rubber hits the road, when clients balk at or mock your names, where experience in naming makes a huge difference. An experienced namer will be able to persuade a client to adopt a powerful, meaning-laden, real-word name or a controversial one. An inexperienced namer might be able to sell-in a name, but it will probably be an "empty vessel" coined name that doesn't arrive with much meaning. <b>Names that don't say anything also don't have much to criticize...or to love. </b></blockquote>
<br />
Thank you, Irene, for translating and sharing my thoughts with your Spanish readers.Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-49934687206912369932009-11-09T14:46:00.000-08:002013-01-28T11:05:54.473-08:00What's in a namer?It's ironic. I spend my days helping clients exercise discipline and economy in their brand expressions, but can't do that myself once I get talking about naming. Really, it's hard to shut me up. <br />
<br />
Case in point: What should have been a quick little interview for <a href="http://www.grasp.es/">Grasp</a>, a Spanish naming blog, I turned into diatribe so long that it couldn't fit into a single post. <br />
<br />
Iberian blogger and namer <a href="http://es.linkedin.com/in/irenegilbranding">Irene Gil</a> faithfully translated my responses in their entirety. She must know what it feels like when fingers beg for mercy. <br />
<br />
My English answers to Irene's first two questions are below. Her painstaking Spanish translation can be read <a href="http://www.grasp.es/?p=100">here</a>. <br />
<br />
<b>Q: Anthony, from your long experience, what is the best profile for a good namer? It's an MBA specialised in brand strategy? It's a linguistic with a sound knowledge of different languages? It's a very cultivated person with a broad vocabulary?...</b><br />
<blockquote>
Eleven years ago, a veteran namer told me the best namers are linguists with an MBA. That captures 2 dimensions of a good namer, but I believe that characterization is incomplete. <br />
<br />
Good namers are specialists who, paradoxically, are often the best generalists. <br />
<br />
A namer must be a good:<br />
<br />
<b>Account manager</b><br />
Listening to clients, building their trust, reading non-verbal cues from a room of executives, responding positively and not defensively to client concerns and building consensus are all vital naming skills, just as they are good skills in account managers. <br />
<br />
<b>Strategist/Account planner</b><br />
A namer must think strategically to ensure their names support client's business objectives. Strategic thinking and rationale build the namer's credibility and make them more persuasive. Good namers, like good planners, always consider the customer perspective.<br />
<br />
<b>Creative</b><br />
Creating good names requires looking at a client's business from many perspectives. Namers must be creatively prolific and fearless. And as fellow "grizzled veteran" namer Mark Gunnion said in this <a href="http://artofmanliness.com/2009/10/07/so-you-want-my-job-name-consultant/">interview</a>,</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<blockquote>
"You have to be thick-skinned -- 99.9% of what you create is rejected, usually without a second glance or explanation." </blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<b>Storyteller</b><br />
Engendering client trust and helping a client see how a word could become their brand requires great storytelling. Your name story and rationale must be persuasive and pass the "sniff test". An effective name presentation brings together the right blend of emotion and logic. <br />
<br />
<b>"Sprachgefuhl"</b><br />
It's a German word that means "a feeling for speech". Good namers understand the nuances of words and meanings. Good namers are articulate. And only a person madly in love with words could become a namer. But love and knowledge of words is not enough. As I wrote in <a href="http://operativewords.blogspot.com/2009/05/knowledge-vs-naivete.html">Knowledge vs. Naivete</a>, linguistic expertise is helpful for naming but so is the ability to "turn off" that knowledge and imagine how names would be perceived by a typical customer.<br />
<br />
<b>Marketing communicator</b><br />
Good namers must consider how their names might come to life across all communications: Visual identity, advertising, messaging, PR, merchandising, etc. Although namers typically don't design logos or advertising campaigns, their ability to communicate their names' potential helps identify and persuade the client of the best ones. </blockquote>
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5608588391267757280" name="greatnames"></a><b>Q: If everybody is able to create a brand, why subcontract this task to a namer? What is the added value?</b><br />
<blockquote>
I honestly believe that great names can come from anyone; founder-created names like Apple, Virgin, Amazon and Google prove this. But involving an expert namer can help in ways tangible and intangible:<br />
<br />
<b>Make clients money</b><br />
A great name has the right sound and meaning, making it more likely to be shared by others through word-of-mouth. A great name inspires merchandising that becomes a new revenue source. Great names that can accomplish these bottom-line benefits (and clear trademark hurdles) are more likely to be created by an expert namer than a client who is not an experienced namer. <br />
<br />
<b>Save clients money</b><br />
A great name is intrinsically memorable so it needs less marketing to be remembered. By giving good advice, an expert namer can help clients' avoid trademark infringement and other costly problems. For example, in 1997 Reebok launched -- and then recalled -- a women's running shoe called Incubus. A good namer with a good liberal arts background would have advised Reebok against this name: an Incubus is a demon who attacks women in their sleep.<br />
<br />
<b>Build consensus</b><br />
A namer is a neutral, disinterested party who can build client consensus and trust because they are insulated from their client's internal politics. <br />
<br />
<b>Accelerate timing</b><br />
A good namer helps clients avoid problems that can delay naming programs. Pro namers maintain forward momentum by managing expectations, building client consensus, developing a breadth and depth of unique names, and weeding out obviously problematic names in trademark and international linguistic assessment. <br />
<br />
<b>Build confidence</b><br />
A good range of naming creative, logical rationale, name launch strategies and marketing approaches builds client confidence in their name choice. <br />
<br />
<b>Ease client workloads</b><br />
Clients already have a job to do, and it's probably not naming. An outside namer removes this burden from their client and shields them from the emotional perils of moderating a naming discussion. It's better if an outside expert rejects a [terrible] client-created name than a colleague. </blockquote>
After Irene's fingers recover, she'll translate and post more of my interview.Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-46903103570883840392009-11-02T13:47:00.000-08:002009-11-02T19:48:58.018-08:00Creative names the easy way<span style="font-weight: bold;">What does a stylish mobile phone have in common with a nightclub?<br />
</span><br />
When it comes to naming, everything.<br />
<br />
Nightclubs and phones can share the same abstract characteristics, so they can share the same name. A nightclub can be stylish, as can a phone. They can both be friendly or alluring or opulent or minimalistic. A trademarked name that suggests any of these qualities in a nightclub will do the same for a phone. <br />
<br />
This works because trademarks act like adjectives (e.g. Bounty®) that modify nouns (e.g. paper towels). An adjective retains its essential meaning even when modifying different nouns: A <i>clear</i> window, a <i>clear</i> path, a <i>clear</i> thought. (Technically speaking, trademarks are really not adjectives but "attributive modifiers" as Geoff Pullum of Language Log <a href="http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/%7Emyl/languagelog/archives/000943.html">pointed out</a>.) <br />
<br />
Homonymous brands put into practice this principle of persistent meaning. The names Microsoft Excel and Hyundai Excel imply performance. Edge tennis rackets and Edge shaving gel are both edgy. Anything called Venus is for women: razors, phones, emollient, etc.<br />
<br />
This phenomenon forms the basis for my favorite creative naming technique:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">The cloaked brief </span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br />
<br />
A cloaked brief is ostensibly for a product different than the real one, but shares the same desired brand attributes. The idea is to name something else.<br />
<br />
Instead of briefing my creative team on our client's hot, new phone, I'll brief them on a hot, new nightclub. <br />
<br />
There are, in fact, cell phones and nightclubs named the same. Geeksugar noticed and made a <a href="http://www.geeksugar.com/3014786">quiz</a> of it; many quizzes, actually, each based on the similarity between cell phone names and the names of <a href="http://www.geeksugar.com/2515942">energy drinks</a>, <a href="http://www.geeksugar.com/3191021">80's TV shows</a>, <a href="http://www.geeksugar.com/2337557">ladies' razors</a>, <a href="http://www.geeksugar.com/1737071">Hitchcock films</a>, <a href="http://www.geeksugar.com/2750390">Britney songs</a>, <a href="http://www.geeksugar.com/1704242">perfumes</a> and <a href="http://www.geeksugar.com/2856416">chewing gum</a>.<br />
<br />
I've found cloaked briefings effective for naming both companies and products. Done well, they can inspire and energize "creatives" more than straightforward approaches. A detailed and colorful cloaked briefing enables a namer to suspend disbelief. It immerses them in the lie.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Cloaked briefings will:</span><br />
<ul><li>Inspire strategically-targeted creativity in you and your team</li>
<li>Accelerate generation of differentiated and relevant names <span style="font-style: italic;">en masse</span><br />
</li>
<li>Increase the likelihood of securing trademark registration because the names are borne of divergent, out-of-category thinking</li>
</ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">How to create a cloaked brief:</span><br />
<ol><li>Establish the key strategic, distinguishing attributes of the thing you are naming<span style="font-style: italic;"> (e.g. a mobile phone that's <span style="font-weight: bold;">stylish</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">friendly</span>)</span></li>
<li>Brainstorm <span style="font-style: italic;">categories</span> of other things that embody those attributes<span style="font-style: italic;"> (e.g. nightclubs, spas, concierge services)</span></li>
<li>Pick a category that's unexpected and interesting<span style="font-style: italic;"> (e.g. nightclubs)</span></li>
<li>Outline a naming brief based on an imaginary yet credible product from that category. The more attributes the imaginary product has in common with the real one, the better.<span style="font-style: italic;"> (e.g. name a nightclub in LA that lavishes its guests with attentive service)</span></li>
</ol>The desired attributes should be intrinsic to the cloaked category. Nightclubs are invariably stylish (or strive to be), so that's a good cloaked category for naming a stylish phone. If the phone is rugged rather than stylish, SUVs would be a fruitful creative (mis)direction.<br />
<br />
Here's an example from my own experience: On an embedded-technology project, the client said their product will make computers so much more powerful, vibrant and useful that people would be wowed by the experience. Therefore, the new technology name should be as remarkable as the devices that would be powered by it.<br />
<br />
How do you inspire remarkable names? Name something remarkable.<br />
<br />
A <a href="http://amanda.guck.net/">member</a> of my team came up with the brilliant cloaked creative direction to name a remarkable new circus. It would have exactly six of the "World's Greatest" people in it: The world's greatest acrobat, world's greatest magician, world's greatest contortionist, etc. (the number six referred to the six capabilities of our client's product). Every performance would leave spectators agog. Cirque du Soleil would seem lifeless in comparison. <br />
<br />
Naming a circus troupe instead of technology? That's like comparing apples and orangutans.<br />
<br />
But it worked.<br />
<br />
The creative results of the exercise were astonishing; dozens and dozens of names I had never seen on any list made their debut. Having worked on over a thousand naming assignments, that's remarkable indeed.<br />
<br />
The names were not just creative, they were also relevant and strategic because they elicited the visceral awe and wonder that defined the brand.<br />
<br />
The circus direction was effective because circuses are <span style="font-style: italic;">intrinsically</span> spectacular.<br />
<br />
Cloaking is helpful for naming research, too. Asking respondents to rank candidate names against attributes in a cloaked category (instead of the actual product category) can eliminate category bias and increase participants' comfort with differentiated creative. So if you're testing names for a fast microprocessor, tell respondents they are names for race cars or jet engines.<br />
<br />
I discuss this and other name research techniques in <a href="http://operativewords.blogspot.com/2009/05/decisions-decisions-how-to-research.html">Decisions, decisions: How to research brand names</a>.<br />
<br />
For your next creative naming project, I encourage you to give cloaked briefings and cloaked research a shot.<br />
<br />
I'd love to hear back if you've tried this approach and what kind of results you've seen.Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-57703610759027442942009-10-16T11:04:00.000-07:002010-02-16T16:08:01.261-08:00Describe different<b>"What am I?"<br />
<br />
</b>Every invention begs this essential question of identity.<br />
<br />
The answer is found in the product's descriptor. A descriptor defines a thing, categorizing it, framing it, positioning it and signaling its intended future.<br />
<br />
A product that doesn't claim to break new ground adopts its category's standard convention. For example, a new, run-of-the-mill digital camera would be marketed as a "digital camera".<br />
<br />
A revolutionary product, on the other hand, deserves an innovative product descriptor. And, sometimes, a me-too product benefits from one, too.<br />
<br />
The trouble is, innovation is easier done than said.<br />
<br />
I wrote in <a href="http://operativewords.blogspot.com/2009/06/instinct-as-enemy-how-to-sell-in-new.html">this article</a> about the "brander's paradox": Human instincts make us wary of unfamiliar and different things, yet differentiation is essential to a product's success.<br />
<br />
By definition, an innovation is unfamiliar. How can its product descriptor differentiate without triggering people's fear of the unknown?<br />
<br />
The New York Times gives us an idea in <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/04/business/04proto.html?_r=1&ref=technology">this</a> recent article about product descriptors,<br />
<blockquote>"When people encounter something they don’t recognize, they make sense of it by associating it with something familiar."</blockquote>The most effective new descriptors combine familiar terms in unfamiliar ways. They make product function or form clearly understood, even upon first exposure. Novel descriptors insufficiently informative should at the very least pique interest.<br />
<br />
<b>Descriptors that differ</b><br />
<br />
The following products illustrate different approaches:<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XVO9jbwm0qU/S3st7C5Yk_I/AAAAAAAAAkk/J1EpZFtE-UE/s1600-h/Starbucks+Via.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<b>Starbucks VIA ready brew</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XVO9jbwm0qU/S3st7C5Yk_I/AAAAAAAAAkk/J1EpZFtE-UE/s1600-h/Starbucks+Via.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XVO9jbwm0qU/S3st7C5Yk_I/AAAAAAAAAkk/J1EpZFtE-UE/s200/Starbucks+Via.png" width="71" /></a><br />
<br />
It's a me-too product but you can't tell from its descriptor. This is really instant coffee, a product designator unbecoming Starbucks. "Ready brew" emphasizes the chief benefit of saving time by using current, casual vernacular.<br />
<br />
<b>Dreyer's Slow Churned ice cream</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XVO9jbwm0qU/S3suNmaoEnI/AAAAAAAAAks/a7vK1kWU-_A/s1600-h/Dreyer%27s+Slow+churned.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XVO9jbwm0qU/S3suNmaoEnI/AAAAAAAAAks/a7vK1kWU-_A/s200/Dreyer%27s+Slow+churned.png" width="165" /></a><br />
<br />
Food scientists have a name for everything, but that name isn't always appetizing. The dessert wizards at Dreyer's, for example, had perfected a new way to blend low-fat ice cream so it acquires the texture and richness of full-fat ice cream. In precise but dry science lingo, they called the process "low-temperature extrusion". Doesn't exactly make the mouth water, does it?.<br />
<br />
Dreyer's isn't dumb. They knew "extrusion" had no place on a quart of mint chip. They needed a term that had immediate appetite appeal. The words of their final, market-facing descriptor, "Slow Churned", taps into the semiotics of yesteryear, when food was simpler, unprocessed, and naturally indulgent. "Churned" evokes hand-mixed barrels of butter, hinting at the product's creamy richness. "Slow" connotes food that's unprocessed and handcrafted.<br />
<br />
On the heels of Slow Churned ice cream's astounding <a href="http://docs.google.com/gview?a=v&q=cache%3AH3yENz3f6tAJ%3Awww.dreyersinc.com%2Fnewsroom%2FPressReleases%2F03_22_2005.pdf+site%3Awww.dreyersinc.com+dreyer%27s+slow+churned+sales+growth&hl=en&gl=us&sig=AFQjCNFVQWfTwD6yXfwZ71rQbrQyU1Z-qA&pli=1">success</a>, Breyer's flattered Dreyer's with their imitative descriptor, Double Churned ice cream.<br />
<br />
Disclaimer: I <a href="http://www.landor.com/index.cfm?do=ourwork.casehistory&cn=5605&source=enews&bhcp=1">led the naming</a> of Dreyer's Slow Churned ice cream as Global Director of Naming and Writing at Landor Associates.<br />
<br />
<b>Bing decision engine</b><br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XVO9jbwm0qU/S3svcmgszVI/AAAAAAAAAk0/Pp3lykRgyIM/s1600-h/bing.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="154" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XVO9jbwm0qU/S3svcmgszVI/AAAAAAAAAk0/Pp3lykRgyIM/s200/bing.png" width="200" /></a><br />
Can't fault Microsoft for trying. Bing is a search engine, pure and simple. Although "decision engine" will never become part of the vernacular, it does suggest how Bing is different: Giving relevant information to help make a informed decision, instead of overwhelming with googlebytes of information.<br />
<br />
<b>Noah's Stuffed Saladwich</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XVO9jbwm0qU/S3sv84_LmsI/AAAAAAAAAk8/JkatXPw7skA/s1600-h/Saladwich.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XVO9jbwm0qU/S3sv84_LmsI/AAAAAAAAAk8/JkatXPw7skA/s200/Saladwich.png" width="200" /></a><br />
<br />
Coined words are hard to get right. This inventive, efficient descriptor gets mixed results. At a glance, "saladwich" <i>looks</i> like real word because it begins and ends with the same letters as "sandwich" (a phenomenon cheekily called, "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typoglycemia">typoglycemia</a>"). But "Saladwich" <i>sounds</i> clunky because "-wich" is not a productive suffix and doesn't normally combine with other words (unlike the "-tini" of "martini" that gives us "chocotini" and "apple-tini"). "Saladwich" will sound less contrived as it becomes more familiar.<br />
<br />
<b>Blackberry wireless email solution</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XVO9jbwm0qU/S3swIUlr4YI/AAAAAAAAAlE/RZQLn6gJYIc/s1600-h/blackberry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XVO9jbwm0qU/S3swIUlr4YI/AAAAAAAAAlE/RZQLn6gJYIc/s200/blackberry.jpg" width="160" /></a><br />
<br />
Technology products that blend hardware, software and services are tough to describe. More often than not, catch-all words like "solution" or "system" are employed. Though vague, these words avoid long descriptors that specify all key product dimensions. "Wireless email solution" is a lot shorter than "phone, PDA, email, internet, software and services." To its credit (and my alma mater's, <a href="http://www.lexicon-branding.com/">Lexicon</a>), the differentiation in Blackberry is borne primarily by the Blackberry name itself, not its ho-hum descriptor.<br />
<br />
<b>Segway personal transporter</b><br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XVO9jbwm0qU/S3swZN5owwI/AAAAAAAAAlM/VSanxQL1SAQ/s1600-h/segway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XVO9jbwm0qU/S3swZN5owwI/AAAAAAAAAlM/VSanxQL1SAQ/s200/segway.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<br />
This NYT article discusses the difficulty categorizing the Segway, a product that's really unlike anything else. Although the article touches on the brand name, it doesn't mention Segway's <a href="http://www.segway.com/about-segway/index.php">official</a> descriptor. "Personal transporter" suggests who the product is for and what it does at a basic level, but it doesn't capture how revolutionary the product is, what it looks like or even whether it's motorized.<br />
<br />
But a descriptor can't do everything. Like most products visibly inventive, a photo of the Segway speaks volumes. And messaging, mostly communicated through PR, does the heavy lifting of describing Segway technology and its applications.<br />
<br />
<b>Describing technology convergence</b><br />
<br />
Each of the products above fit, more or less, into one functional category. But in electronic devices, disparate functions inevitably converge. Over time, we've seen phones integrate video cameras, music players evolve into movie players, and televisions that browse the Web.<br />
<br />
Technology convergence presents a naming quandary: How do you categorize a product that merges others?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XVO9jbwm0qU/S3sxAaLTS7I/AAAAAAAAAlU/eLHLJBBj-ZI/s1600-h/Lemon+Shimmer.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XVO9jbwm0qU/S3sxAaLTS7I/AAAAAAAAAlU/eLHLJBBj-ZI/s320/Lemon+Shimmer.png" /></a><br />
<br />
There are five approaches a marketer can take when describing one device that does the work of many:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>List all of the converged technologies (e.g. "all-in-one printer, fax, scanner")<br />
<i>Long but accurate, clear and communicative. Needs to change as new functions are added. Generic and not protectable.<br />
</i></li>
<li>Cite one function only (e.g. "mobile phone" [the built-in camera is not referenced in the descriptor])<br />
<i>Short; relies on copy and imagery to tout other functions. Doesn't suggest "new". Generic, not protectable.</i><br />
</li>
</ul><ul><li>Use one of the technology descriptors as the focus but modify it (e.g. "smartphone")<br />
<i>Short; borrows from the familiar to aid understanding. These descriptors can take a long time to be adopted by industry and customers. It helps if the modifier is already understood from other categories and retains that meaning. May or may not be protectable.<br />
<br />
</i></li>
<li>Come up with something totally new (e.g. "media center")<br />
<i>In naming, unfamiliarity is friction. Descriptors like these resist widespread adoption. They typically require a lot of time and money to gain traction. May or may not be protectable.<br />
<br />
</i></li>
<li>Use no descriptor at all (e.g. "iPod")<br />
<i>This is a risky approach and is only viable when the device marketer has<br />
(1) control over all communications, distribution and sales<br />
and<br />
(2) a lot of money.</i></li>
</ul>Apple has conspicuously avoided using a product descriptor <i>per se</i> for iPod. It turns out, they didn't need one. No distributors or resellers could tinker with Apple's disciplined and exacting messaging. At launch, the ad headline, "1000 songs in your pocket" made it clear the iPod was a portable music player.<br />
<br />
Today, the iPod has grown in function and familiarity. So confident is Apple, they answer "What is iPod touch?" with "A great iPod. A great pocket computer. A great portable game player." When you can recursively describe your product and people get it, you've transcended product descriptors and become a category unto yourself.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_XVO9jbwm0qU/S3sxs7H8GJI/AAAAAAAAAlc/1fhHeH63psI/s1600-h/What+is+iPod+touch%3F.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="54" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_XVO9jbwm0qU/S3sxs7H8GJI/AAAAAAAAAlc/1fhHeH63psI/s320/What+is+iPod+touch%3F.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
The iPod answers "What am I?" with the most basic statement of identity, "I am me".<br />
I guess if you're iPod, that's all you need to know.<br />
<br />
###<br />
<br />
<b>Take the innovation descriptor challenge!</b><br />
<br />
Innovations are easier done than said. See if you can come up with better product descriptors than these:<br />
<ul><li>Segway personal transporter</li>
<li>Blackberry wireless email solution</li>
<li>The Internet global network</li>
<li>Onstar in-vehicle safety and security system</li>
<li>Wii console</li>
</ul>Share your ideas in the comments section.<br />
<br />
[This article was originally published in <a href="http://www.duetsblog.com/2009/10/articles/guest-bloggers/describe-different/">Duets Blog</a>]Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-26675188605587337602009-10-01T20:20:00.000-07:002009-10-01T22:29:55.206-07:00Branding Mavericks<span style="font-weight: bold;">“How far should our brand stretch?</span>”<br /><br />It's a question every brand manager must ask.<br /><br />In our sluggish economy, businesses want to wring every dollar possible from their assets. One way to do that is by extending brands into new product lines.<br /><br />For example, Starbucks extended their brand to liqueur and ice cream. The company makes money and consumers can enjoy products with authentic coffee taste. It is good.<br /><br />But stretch a brand too far and it loses meaning -- and money.<br /><br />The dangers to overextension are:<br /><ol><li>the initial investment will not be recouped when the new product flops</li><li>you'll tick off your most loyal customers who feel betrayed, thus giving competitors an opportunity to steal market share.</li></ol>Coke pursued Pepsi youth with New Coke. We all know how well that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Coke">went</a>. And Virgin can mean a lot of <a href="http://www.virgin.com/company/">things</a> -- travel, music, telephony -- but apparently <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=6o7SrLdgx8gC&pg=PA83&lpg=PA83&dq=stretch+a+brand+too+far&source=bl&ots=tcTn9v7YAL&sig=XisKb90c1EP7NVQ5ToxM7kFJmBE&hl=en&ei=bE3FStSlEZHiMOXwoPMH&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=29&ved=0CGUQ6AEwHA#v=onepage&q=stretch%20a%20brand%20too%20far&f=false">not cola</a>. Bic <a href="http://freshpeel.com/2007/11/how-far-can-a-brand-stretch/">tried</a> pantyhose on for size. Didn't fit.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XVO9jbwm0qU/SsVxkZb2yxI/AAAAAAAAAPM/omznqS6iMKY/s1600-h/sony+yogurt.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 265px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XVO9jbwm0qU/SsVxkZb2yxI/AAAAAAAAAPM/omznqS6iMKY/s320/sony+yogurt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387837399335619346" border="0" /></a><br />I live in San Francisco, 25 minutes north of a notorious surfing spot called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mavericks_%28location%29">Mavericks</a>. Once every year or two, when the winter conditions are just right, the world's best big-wave riders are invited -- with only 24 hours notice -- to surf Mavericks' grotesquely giant <a href="http://www.jmg-galleries.com/blog_images/best_of_2008/_4_011208_mavericks_surf_contest_2008_greg_long_jamie_sterling_520c.jpg">waves</a>.<br /><br />The bigger they are, the harder they fall. A 50 foot wave falls <span style="font-style: italic;">hard</span>.<br /><br />It's a deadly contest. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mavericks_%28location%29#Death_of_Mark_Foo">Literally</a>.<br /><br />Today, Mavericks has a small, dedicated following of surfers and others who are drawn to its danger and unpredictability. For them, Mavericks represents the ultimate confrontation of Man vs. Nature. Those who survive the mountainous waves have cheated death. And until proven otherwise, these gods-among-men are immortal.<br /><br />At its core, the Mavericks brand means more than just a surf contest. That's why it has "permission" to extend to other categories -- up to a point.<br /><br />Mavericks Surf Ventures recognizes the potential of their brand. To build visibility, Mavericks will sponsor a live reggae music <a href="http://www.maverickssurf.com/">tour</a>. The intent is to build broader awareness before applying the brand to clothing and other sensible -- and lucrative -- product categories.<br /><br />This week, the Half Moon Bay Review <a href="http://www.hmbreview.com/articles/2009/09/30/news/doc4ac3b93f72c50805283991.txt">asked</a> me if I thought Mavericks ought to be extended to live music tours. This is what I said:<br /><blockquote>“There’s a good long-term position (company executives) are tapping into for the recognition and awareness of Mavericks. ... They need to make sure the spirit of the Mavericks brand is reflected and held true within the context of that sponsorship,” Shore said.</blockquote>So, yes, I do think it's a good idea to extend Mavericks into live music as long as the brand managers don't betray what the brand really means. A reggae tour is a natural fit. A Celine Dion tour is not.<br /><br />Beyond music, Mavericks could move smoothly into clothing or sporting equipment. But some product categories, say...nursing homes or flatware, would make no sense.<br /><br />Someday, Mavericks-branded products could compete directly against a surf brand like O'Neill, an adventure brand like North Face, and a human potential brand like the Olympics.<br /><br />As long as the Mavericks brand managers don't get too maverick, they can look forward to a brand that will keep on giving.Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-39187626992818909492009-08-04T22:36:00.000-07:002013-11-27T08:14:14.230-08:00Pattern Energy: The story behind the name<span style="color: black;">When you're caught in a fast-moving stream of thought, just relax and follow the current.</span> <span style="color: black;">That’s what I was doing one May evening, riding a current of ideas creating names for a renewable energy company. Then I typed a word that suddenly stopped the current.</span><o:p style="color: black;"></o:p><br />
<div style="color: black;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; margin-bottom: 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></div>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Pattern</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I read it and re-read it. Two thoughts came to me:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I've never seen that name before!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">It's perfect. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"> True, I can't be 100% sure I've never seen the name before. I've worked a thousand assignments, but Pattern was -- miraculously -- new to me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">It's rare that I'll think a name is "perfect". As I wrote in my post about <a href="http://operativewords.blogspot.com/2009/05/decisions-decisions-how-to-research.html">brand name research</a>, names aren't born perfect, but become ever-better as identity, messaging, and the entire brand is positively experienced.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">But even as an abstract word on the page, Pattern was perfect for this company.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">To understand why, I'll first share some background on my client.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Babcock & Brown, a diversified investment firm, was closing down its business, another casualty of the great recession. But their wind and solar power generation and transmission division was prospering despite the red-ink economy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Green was good for business.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Babcock & Brown was selling off their renewable energy division and the folks in charge of that division asked me to name it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Their Creative Director, <a href="http://www.elfortes.com/">Erin Fortes</a>, invited me to the "fishbowl", a glass-walled conference room, where she, the CEO and others briefed me about what their business does, how it does it, and what makes it different.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Two oppositional themes emerged as differentiators:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<blockquote style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">The company has amazingly smart people who analyze financial, meteorological and financial data to figure out where to situate and how to finance an energy project. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">They are salt-of-the-earth realists who take a pragmatic and hands-on approach to building and operating energy projects. This grounding in real-world construction makes their projects effective at generating a healthy return, not just clean energy. <o:p></o:p></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;">Brains <i>and</i></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;"> brawn. Interesting.<br /><o:p></o:p></span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">The contrasting concepts made for a challenging naming exercise. On one hand, I wanted a smart name to support their intelligent, analytic approach. On the other hand, if the name was an unfamiliar or highfalutin word it would conflict with their no-nonsense, roll-up-their-sleeves side. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<blockquote style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">"We don't want a Greek or a new age name," CEO Mike Garland said <o:p></o:p></span></blockquote>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">No coined names. Nothing tricky. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<blockquote style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">“We want a solid name for a solid company that’s going to be around in 20 years.”<o:p></o:p></span></blockquote>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">After the naming brief was approved, I sunk my teeth into the creative.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Entropy fosters my creativity, so as I named this particular May evening, dozens of windows cluttered my laptop screen. Each open window held the tantalizing promise of revealing THE name. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Better yet, each window might reveal a name truly new, one I’ve never seen even after decades of reviewing literally hundreds of thousands of name candidates.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I started my creative focused on the company’s analytic side; words related to thought, problem solving, logic, math, science.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I bounced between inspirational naming resources: <a href="http://www.visuwords.com/">Visuwords</a>, <a href="http://www.onelook.com/">OneLook</a>, <a href="http://www.psy.uwa.edu.au/MRCDataBase/uwa_mrc.htm">MRC Psycholinguistic Database</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page">Wikipedia</a> and <a href="http://www.wordmenu.com/">Word Menu</a>. On this occasion, it was <a href="http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn">WordNet</a>, a relational verbal database, that captivated me longest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">WordNet is not exactly a thesaurus; among other things, it lets you explore the hierarchical relationships between ideas and words. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">This is useful because good brand naming requires looking at key words from every conceivable direction. For example, if a key word is ‘color’, I want endless examples of colors (like ‘crimson’), qualities of colors (like ‘hue’), things that are colorful (like ‘canary’), and other things related, even remotely, to ‘color’ (like ‘deep’ or ‘shrill’ or '<a href="http://images.google.com/images?q=rainbow+wig&hl=en&sourceid=mozilla-search&start=0">rainbow wig</a>'). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I typed ‘analyze’ -- a key word for my client’s new brand -- into WordNet and it responded with 20 different flavors of analyzing (diagnose, explore, audit, et al.). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I followed that into a geometry, architecture, math vein, typing words furiously. And that’s when I saw the name. <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Vector…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Contour…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Array…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Column…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Pattern<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></div>
</blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">A-ha! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></div>
<blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">My client finds patterns in data; they’re better at it than anyone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">They build patterns on land; pretty white windmills, all in a row. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Repeat business and profits, those are patterns too.</span></div>
</blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">As a company name, Pattern is a springboard that’s grounded in strategy. The name would help their marketing:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">It’s distinctive <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">It’s memorable <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Its vivid associations can inspire all of their marketing communications <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p></o:p>Pattern sounds solid. It has built-in phonetic bookends, what linguists call ‘<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_consonant">stops</a>’. The sounds that begin and end the word -- ‘p’ and ‘n’ -- serve to fortify and delineate it. No wishy-washy fricatives here. The word even looks well-defined: With no <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Descender">descenders</a> to break the baseline, Pattern stands solid and even-keeled, even in ASCII. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">All of these qualities, along with the inherent staying power of a real word and its timeless meaning, would contribute to the perception of Pattern as a solid brand that will be around for 20 years. <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I didn’t stop naming after coming up with Pattern. In fact, I had just gotten started. To ensure divergent thinking, I hired two reliable freelancers, <a href="http://www.eatmywords.com/about_bios.html#alexandra">Alexandra Watkins</a> and <a href="http://www.ihatepeople.biz/">Marc Hershon</a>, to contribute names.<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">From the master list of all names, I selected a subset of 188 for preliminary legal screening. Pattern was among the dozens of names that cleared the first trademark hurdle.<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I presented about 20 names and the top six, including Pattern, were selected for full legal clearance. Pattern cleared that hurdle, too.<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I was overjoyed when Pattern was ultimately anointed by the client as the final name. Though I pat myself on the back for creating it, the client deserves a lot of credit. Without their direction, courage and vision, this name might have been rejected. <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">The name chosen, Erin hired two designers for the logo, Graham Atkinson and <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/ppl/webprofile?action=vmi&id=11976914&pvs=pp&authToken=YPbe&authType=name&trk=ppro_viewmore&lnk=vw_pprofile">Rebecca Titcomb</a>. I used to work <a href="http://www.identityworks.com/reviews/2006/sensata.htm">with them</a> at Landor and was thrilled they’d bring the name to life visually.<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Erin and I briefed the designers. I wrote for them this story behind the name: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></div>
<blockquote style="color: black; font-style: italic;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Pattern is a renewable energy company that finds patterns and creates them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">In the chaos of complex economic, geologic and meteorologic data, this company finds patterns where others only see noise. These hidden patterns reveal to their trained eyes, the optimal places, scope, design and conditions for renewable energy projects. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">This ability, coupled with their real-world, on-the-ground experience, makes them more effective than competitors at bringing projects to market and providing a healthy return. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">When healthy returns repeat, they create patterns in spreadsheets and line charts, and in wave after wave of returning customers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Patterns are created by what Pattern builds. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">In their wind farms, against a landscape backdrop, columns and rows of lean, white turbines line in parallel on furrowed fields. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Patterns are created in the grooves of the brown soil, the green dots of growing vegetables, the connecting arcs of rolling hills and in gently turning windmills that generate clean energy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Patterns are created by their transmission lines that carry electricity on long, thin strings under a big, blue sky. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Everything worth doing is worth repeating.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Everything that repeats creates a pattern. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Like the circle of life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Plans well-executed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Healthy returns.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">And renewable energy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Pattern is a renewable energy company that finds patterns and creates them. </span></div>
</blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"> <o:p></o:p>Here’s the logo that the design team created under Erin Fortes’ direction:</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XVO9jbwm0qU/SnnWy5lN2jI/AAAAAAAAACU/-DHUN_7i8j8/s1600-h/Pattern_RGB_2C_pos.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366556600927377970" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XVO9jbwm0qU/SnnWy5lN2jI/AAAAAAAAACU/-DHUN_7i8j8/s320/Pattern_RGB_2C_pos.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 143px; width: 320px;" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"> <o:p></o:p>That is the story behind the name Pattern. I thought it worth repeating.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><b>Addendum</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Following the adoption of the Pattern name, I was invited to create a tagline for the company. The result?</span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Energy For Generations</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I'll point out the two distinct interpretations of the tagline. First: Pattern generates energy. Second: Pattern is here to stay for the long run. They are both messages that resonate with the landowners, financial investors and communities that Pattern serves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Long may they run. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-89331544192284837592009-06-29T14:24:00.000-07:002014-07-31T12:43:56.976-07:00Decisions, decisions: How to research brand namesEveryone involved with naming a product or a company wants to make sure the name they choose is the right one.<br />
<br />
Trouble is, there's rarely <span style="font-style: italic;">one</span> right name. A name <span style="font-style: italic;">become</span>s right by how it's used in the real world, when identity, messaging, nomenclature and the entire brand experience come together holistically and seamlessly, driven by the brand's own internal logic.<br />
<br />
But in the typical brand birthing process, the supporting verbal and visual elements are not fully developed until after a final name is chosen. Decision makers mostly rely on their imagination when facing a list of possible names, envisioning the marketing possibilities afforded by each: in logos and packaging, merchandising and elevator pitches, advertising and stationary.<br />
<br />
For me it's thrilling, bearing witness to a list of candidate brand names, each of which suggest a different potential future reality.<br />
<br />
But for my clients, it can be nerve wracking. So many options! So many possibilities! So much at stake!<br />
<br />
Sometimes clients turn to market research for help.<br />
<br />
How can name research -- when done well -- help?<br />
<ul>
<li>Understand how well candidate names support the brand positioning or specific attributes<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">If a candidate name does some things well but not others, identity and messaging can shore up the weaknesses</span></li>
<li>Reveal red flags, like inappropriate street slang or other unwanted associations<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">But be aware that unwanted associations are far more likely to occur in research than after the name has launched</span></li>
<li>Provide creative ideas for the visual identity, launch events, messaging, brand voice and other communications</li>
<li>Inform talking points about the name origin or rationale<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">When Coca-Cola launched Dasani (created by my alma-mater, <a href="http://lexicon-branding.com/">Lexicon</a>), they </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dasani" style="font-style: italic;">said</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> the name "was chosen when consumer testing showed that the name was relaxing and suggested 'pureness' and 'replenishment'." This rationale fares better than saying, "gosh, we just liked it."</span></li>
<li>Neutralize some of the subjective, idiosyncratic and internal political dynamics that influence name selection</li>
<li>Foster consensus and catalyze a final decision when the client's stuck<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Sometimes, another "data point" provides the extra push to get through "analysis paralysis"</span></li>
<li>Eliminate a terrible name that's loved by just one or two execs<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The customer perspective can make a name's shortcomings obvious. If a client created the name, it's easier for them to accept the rejection when the customer kills it. </span></li>
</ul>
Research may indeed be able to help. But it can also harm, as I discussed in my post, <a href="http://operativewords.blogspot.com/2009/06/instinct-as-enemy-how-to-sell-in-new.html">Instinct as enemy</a>.<br />
<br />
To ensure research first does no harm, it's important to recognize and account for its unintended consequences.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Observations change the observed</span><br />
<br />
Research is usually intended to be a window: to understand perception, to assess compatibility with strategy, to observe reactions, to inform communications. It is framed as passive observation, with disinterested moderators asking unbiased questions.<br />
<br />
But research isn't passive. The very act of observation is intrusive and influential. It changes what's observed.<br />
<br />
Physicists and psychologists account for this phenomenon in their work. The <span style="font-style: italic;">Heisenberg uncertainty principle</span>, the <span style="font-style: italic;">observer effect</span>, and <span style="font-style: italic;">reactivity</span> all relate to this bizarre, counter-intuitive experience, that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heisenberg_uncertainty_principle#Uncertainty_principle_and_observer_effect">the mere act of looking at something alters it</a>.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Market research isn't market reality </span><br />
<br />
Research is by nature an artificial construct. But not all research is equally artificial.<br />
<br />
For research to accurately predict how people will react in the real world, its design and process must approximate the real world (or integrate it) as closely as possible.<br />
<br />
Consider the focus group. At every stage, from recruiting respondents to reporting results, focus groups are completely contrived. First, a participant is called by a stranger who asks them questions about their buying habits and income. If that person qualifies, money is offered to them for sitting in a mirrored observation room for a few hours and talking with other strangers. This talk is moderated by another stranger, who asks them to express with utmost honesty every detail of their feelings and relationship to a brand or product.<br />
<br />
It is believed that the responses of a few dozen people are honest enough and truthful enough and projectable enough to be proxies for the millions of potential customers not in the room.<br />
<br />
Their words are transcribed and summarized. They are distilled into bullets points. They fit on a PowerPoint slide.<br />
<br />
But their words also mislead.<br />
<br />
That's because focus groups don't mirror reality, not by a long shot. The obvious contrivance of focus groups is one reason why they usually do a poor job of predicting people's feelings and actions in the real world.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">How testing changes perception</span><br />
<br />
In market research, a candidate brand name will be perceived differently than the same name after it has been launched.<br />
<br />
People react differently to hypothetical situations than real ones. Charlie Wrench, the former CEO of my <i>alma mater</i>, Landor, related this principle to me:<br />
<blockquote>
"Tell a neighbor, 'We're thinking of naming our child, Harold' and he'll feel free to criticize the name. But tell him, 'We've named our child Harold' and your neighbor will think the world of the name."</blockquote>
Give someone a chance to weigh-in on a speculative name and you'll get an earful. If the name is unexpected, a freewheeling litany of negative associations will issue forth. The name will be dissected into pieces and from those bits come more bad things.<br />
<br />
But that very same name, if presented as an actual product or company name already in the market, will be accepted. It won't be dissected and analyzed. Even obvious negative denotations will be ignored. This phenomenon I call the "positivity principle" is discussed in <a href="http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1226">this fascinating paper</a> about the perception color and flavor names.<br />
<br />
The familiarity effect is partly responsible for an initial negative reaction in research. But the speculative and hypothetical framing of the name seems to make it especially ripe for criticism.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Why do people shun candidate names in testing but accept actual names after launch? </span><br />
<ul>
<li>A name that has been adopted and launched has validity conferred upon it. The very fact that a company has chosen that name gives it credibility.</li>
<li>A name that has been adopted and launched is given the benefit of the doubt. People assume that if a company chose a name, there must be positive reasons for it. As if by magic, the swarm of potential negative associations that once seemed certain, don't come to pass.</li>
<li>A name that has been adopted and launched appears in a real-world context that brings focus, definition and relevance. A name not yet launched is abstract, just a word on a page. Free of the context of an actual product, logo, messaging, etc, the name is uncorralled, left to run wild through the imagination.</li>
</ul>
To summarize the important points so far:<br />
<ul>
<li>Testing names changes their perception, usually for the worse</li>
<li>The closer that research can mirror reality -- the less it seems like research -- the better it is at predicting actual perception after launch</li>
<li>Names are more readily accepted if they are perceived as existing brands and not hypothetical or speculative name candidates</li>
</ul>
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Reality suspends disbelief.</span> This is an important governing principle for designing brand name research.<br />
<br />
Here are some other name research principles and tactics:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">It's your decision, not the consumers'</span><br />
<br />
Research should help inform your decision, not decide for you. You, as a company executive, have available far more information about the guiding strategy and the name's future potential. Without this deep understanding, consumers' could not possibly make a fully-informed decision simply because they are not fully-informed.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">It's not a beauty contest, so don't ask what they "like"</span><br />
<br />
People have an <a href="http://operativewords.blogspot.com/2009/06/instinct-as-enemy-how-to-sell-in-new.html">instinctual aversion</a> when first exposed to things new and different. When research respondents are asked directly what names they like, the ones that are most literal, descriptive or similar to existing names will win out. But those kind of names win only in research. After launch, literal names or ones similar to others fail to stand out. This is the "brander's paradox" laid bare: A brand must be differentiated to succeed, yet differentiated ideas are at first disliked.<br />
<br />
To avoid the wholesale rejection of unexpected, differentiated names -- those which actually have the greatest potential once in market -- don't ask "like" or "appeal" questions in research.<br />
<br />
If a well-meaning colleague suggests that it wouldn't hurt just to ask participants which name they like best, you should refuse. Because regardless of other research results, the response to this one little question will overshadow all the others. A bullet point on an executive summary that says "Consumers liked name X best" is hard to resist.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Don't ask if a name is memorable<br /></span>Unless your consumers are linguists or cognitive psychologists, they don't really know if a name is memorable. Respondents, to avoid cognitive dissonance, will tend to say a name is memorable if they already think favorably of it. Moreover, name research participants won't see, and can't easily imagine, the marketing mnemonics that will eventually be created after a name is chosen like taglines, jingles, advertising and design.<br />
<br />
Name memorability can be assessed; just not by asking people what they think is memorable. To test memorability, expose consumers to a few names and then follow up a week or two later. The names remembered are memorable. This ain't rocket science, folks.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Don't ask if it fits in the category</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">; great brand names are misfits</span><br />
<br />
How can a name truly be different if it fits in established category naming conventions? It can't.<br />
<br />
By definition, a differentiated name is one that <span style="font-style: italic;">doesn't</span> fit in a category.<br />
<br />
Surveying category and competitor naming conventions is useful <span style="font-style: italic;">before</span> naming begins because this reveals the white space of unoccupied territory. Sometimes it's easy to identify what kind of name will stand out.<br />
<br />
For example, the semiconductor category is rife with Latin- and Greek-based coined names: Pentium, Athlon, Centrino, Xeon, Opteron, Itanium, Duron, et cetera. So when Qualcomm asked Landor to name a new chipset, the way to differentiate was obvious. Instead of using a coined word, I <a href="http://www.landor.com/index.cfm?do=ourwork.casehistory&cn=5787&bhcp=1">advised</a> Qualcomm to use a real word, specifically one that's Anglo-Saxon in origin, not Latin or Greek. The ultimate name born from this strategy, <a href="http://www.qualcomm.com/products_services/chipsets/snapdragon.html">Snapdragon</a>, is highly differentiated because it doesn't fit with the category.<br />
<br />
Not every name should violate category conventions. Company division descriptors, for example, often strive for clarity and not distinctiveness. Or, if you're developing a product nomenclature system for a complicated category, like health insurance, descriptors should use industry-standard words to aid understanding. The differentiation in these cases would be delivered by the parent brand, messaging, brand voice and the products themselves.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Don't present names as speculative<br /></span>By telling research participants that you'd like their feedback on list of <span style="font-style: italic;">possible</span> names, you greatly increase the odds of hearing only negative, subjective reactions.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Do present names as if they are existing brands</span><br />
<br />
Tell participants that the names are existing brands, though because they are sold in different regions the names might not be familiar. But avoid testing actual, known brands against unknown, candidate brand names. A known brand name will usually blow away unknown names in testing just because they are more familiar and have accrued secondary meaning over time.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Do present names in a credible, real-world context</span><br />
<br />
Mock up a web page, product, package, business card or billboard to make the names seem real. Help respondents suspend their disbelief. To avoid confounding variables, each context should be identical.<br />
<br />
Have an online-based brand? How about creating banner ads which differ by name only and measuring the click-through rates? That's a sure-fire way of measuring how much interest your names garner.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Do evaluate names against the brand positioning and attributes</span><br />
<br />
With each name staged in its real-world context, ask participants to rank them against attributes or key words drawn from the positioning. For example: "These are five different laptop computers. Which is fastest? Which is most user-friendly? Which is most energy efficient?" Their responses will differ based only on the names.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Do evaluate the names against different product categories</span><br />
<br />
To avoid category bias, tell participants these are names for products in a category different than the actual one. For example, if you're really testing names for a healthy juice, tell them they are names for a spa. Ask, "Which of these spas is the healthiest?" If you're naming a line of stylish clothes, tell them they are names of fashion magazines. "Which magazine is most stylish?" This works best when the alternate category embodies the target attribute (healthy=spa; style=fashion magazine, etc).<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Don't use focus groups</span><br />
<br />
The contrived nature of a focus group and their dynamics is ruinous for testing potential brand names. Conduct one-on-one interviews instead.<br />
<br />
Focus groups are an appropriate way to establish strategy. They can help determine and prioritize brand attributes, understand competitor perception and inform positioning and messaging. But don't use focus groups for testing potential brand names.<br />
<br />
<br />
I hope you find these principles and tactics of brand name research helpful. I'd love to hear if you've had success with unconventional name research.Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-54899813700928961692009-06-16T13:54:00.000-07:002017-04-26T08:58:16.680-07:00Where are the most creative names?<div class="q-details">
This question was asked by a namer on the LinkedIn VERB forum:</div>
<div class="q-details">
</div>
<blockquote>
<div class="q-details">
Where do you think the most creative names are? Cars? Internet companies? Racehorses? My personal favorite is Boat Names...and <a href="http://www2.10000boatnames.com/" target="_blank">here</a> is a site with 10,000 of them. What are your favorites? </div>
</blockquote>
It's an interesting question. Pondering its answer has led me to some interesting observations and conclusions.<br />
<br />
First, what's <i>creative</i>? I'd venture that creative here, as elsewhere, means <i>unexpected juxtapositions</i>. So any name will be creative if either:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
(1) the name itself is an unexpected juxtaposition of sounds, words or word parts<br />(2) the name is a real word applied to an unexpected context.</blockquote>
Thus:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">It is by virtue of their essence or referent that names are creative.</span></blockquote>
Browse through a list of products for kids and you'll find lots of names that are intrinsically creative. Rhyme, alliteration, reduplication and letter substitution all lend a fun, playful and off-beat bent. These same techniques are used, for better or worse, as web-based company names.<br />
<br />
These child-like brand names are creative by their construction, rather than their context:<br />
<blockquote>
Bugaboo<br />
Chuck E. Cheese<br />
Tinker Toys<br />
Etch-a-Sketch<br />
Lincoln Logs<br />
Balloon Lagoon<br />
Cadoo<br />
UmBongo<br />
Juicy Juice<br />
Hannah Montana</blockquote>
Names for web-centric companies, driven by the perceived need for an available dot com domain, can also be creative by construction. Many are...but to a fault.<br />
<blockquote>
Joost<br />
BooRah<br />
Meebo<br />
Squidoo<br />
Bebo</blockquote>
I discuss the pitfalls of these types of names in <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/27/AR2007112702321.html">The Washington Post</a>.<br />
<br />
Brand names can be creatively constructed without being silly:<br />
<blockquote>
Sony<br />
Tivo<br />
Kodak<br />
Pantene<br />
Centrino</blockquote>
Here are some I've developed:<br />
<blockquote>
<a href="http://wanderfulstorybooks.com/" target="_blank">Wanderful</a> (interactive storybooks)<br />
<a href="http://chemetrycorp.com/" target="_blank">Chemetry</a> (safer, cleaner chemical production)<br />
<a href="https://www.lytro.com/" target="_blank">Lytro</a> (the world's first commercial light field camera)<br />
<a href="http://www.ultrasoft.com/BrainForest/">Brainforest</a> (idea development software)<br />
<a href="http://www.landor.com/index.cfm?do=ourwork.casehistory&cn=6098&bhcp=1">Flying Spoons</a> (Embassy Suites casual dining restaurant)</blockquote>
I am particularly fascinated by creative names which are not <span style="font-style: italic;">born</span> creative, but <span style="font-style: italic;">become</span> creative when thrust upon a product unexpectedly. Names that are metaphors or borrow from far-flung domains tickle our imagination and offer layers of meaning that simple wordplay can't match.<br />
<br />
For example, Sanctuary would be an expected, uncreative name for a spa. But as a name for ultra-powerful security software, <a href="http://sanctuary-application-server.software.informer.com/" target="_blank">Sanctuary</a> is quite creative.<br />
<br />
There are entire categories of products that, by their nature, demand creative names. As a general rule:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Products that defy literal or objective description have creative names.</span></blockquote>
Consider perfumes.<br />
<br />
Perfumes are ethereal. Their scent is chameleonic, as variable as skin. Perfumes are subjective. Their names are rarely descriptive. Instead, they boast attitude, exude mystique and incite with provocations.<br />
<br />
Perfume names are creative because they are arbitrary. A rose-imbued perfume called Rose would not smell as sweet as one named Eden or Chianti or Renoir.<br />
<br />
I think Kane would be an excellent name for rose-scented perfume.<br />
<br />
Here are some creative perfume names:<br />
<blockquote>
Joy<br />
Opium<br />
Obsession<br />
No. 5<br />
Grey Flannel<br />
Poison<br />
Envy<br />
Happy<br />
Chance<br />
Mania<br />
Flowerbomb (though rather descriptive, this succeeds because it confidently yet imaginately flaunts category convention)</blockquote>
Wines are also ripe for creative naming. Like perfumes, their beauty is subject to the beholder. The relationship of the liquid in the bottle to the name on the bottle is mostly arbitrary.<br />
<br />
I like these names:<br />
<blockquote>
Conundrum<br />
Earthquake<br />
Lost Vineyard<br />
Lolita<br />
Incognito<br />
Anomaly<br />
Summer in Napa<br />
Frog's Leap (the cork says "ribbit")<br />
Layer Cake (a suggestive name that's marvelous)</blockquote>
I gave a winery the name <a href="http://scribewinery.com/">Scribe</a>. Though in and of itself interesting, it's this name's potential to inspire great packaging, merchandising and promotions that really excited my clients.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cheeses">Cheeses</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cocktails">cocktails</a>, like wine, perfumes and other hedonic products, also lend themselves to creative names. Cocktail naming holds a special place in my heart. My very first professional naming gig was in 1989 at Waxman Wool Advertising in San Jose, naming cocktails for the Hotel de Anza. Oh, how I'd love to see my first naming list from 20 years ago.<br />
<br />
Like other things that defy description, band names are invariably creative. I recently bought <a href="http://www.amazon.com/All-Known-Metal-Bands-Mcsweeneys/dp/1932416927/ref=amb_link_7242752_11?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=0SYQA0Z6A6QS16PH807Z&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_p=421411201&pf_rd_i=1000259261">All Known Metal Bands</a>, a hard-backed, black-clad tome listing thousands of heavy metal band names. Each name offers a different perspective on the dark side of humanity.<br />
<br />
Some choice morsels:<br />
<blockquote>
Fatal<br />
Rancid<br />
Rupture<br />
Organ Harvest<br />
Kreditor<br />
Ravine<br />
As I Lay Dying<br />
Sarcoma<br />
Made in France<br />
Totem<br />
Lady Winter<br />
Nightfall</blockquote>
I named a friend's band, <a href="http://www.blissisignorance.com/marrow.html" target="_blank">Marrow</a>. Their music isn't metal, but it is dark. If you're the kind of person that prefers <a href="http://fuckyoupenguin.blogspot.com/">Fuck You, Penguin</a> to <a href="http://cuteoverload.com/">Cute Overload</a>, you'll want to give them a <a href="http://www.blissisignorance.com/sunshine.html" target="_blank">listen</a>.<br />
<br />
Perfume, wine, cheese, cocktail and band names are categorically creative because of the arbitrary relationship of name to product. There are exceptions, chiefly those that follow very traditional naming conventions. The name of the source, whether person (winemaker, cheesemaker, perfumer, guitarist, celebrity sponsor, etc.) or place (district, appellation, region, farm, etc.), or ingredients makes an obvious, indistinct, uncreative, fall-back moniker.<br />
<br />
To wit (or lack thereof):<br />
<blockquote>
Dave Matthews Band<br />
Beringer Wines<br />
Rum & Coke<br />
Napa Valley Vineyards<br />
California Premium Cheese<br />
Chateau Lafitte<br />
Carlos by Carlos Santana</blockquote>
There's one category of creative names that's not just arbitrary, but intentionally obfuscatory: code names.<br />
<br />
Code names deliberately hide what they refer to. Companies <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_name#Commercial_code_names_in_the_computer_industry">use</a> code names internally for products in development. Some companies have established nomenclature systems for theirs. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Intel_codenames">Intel code names</a> their chips based on "geographical names (since they can never be trademarked by someone else) of towns, rivers or mountains near the location of the Intel facility" (Alviso, Klamath, Covington, etc.). Apple used cats as code names for versions of its operating system; the cat is incorporated into the official product name (Panther, Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard, etc).<br />
<br />
Though it typically begins life as a ruse to obscure, a code name will become part of a company's everyday lingo as it's used by employees and becomes familiar to them. When typed in emails and product specification sheets, and uttered in hushed tones around the water cooler, the code name <a href="http://operativewords.blogspot.com/2009/06/instinct-as-enemy-how-to-sell-in-new.html">sheds its strangeness</a>. And, as observed by fellow namers in this<a href="http://catchwordbranding.com/catchthis/catchword-in-the-news/whats-code-name/" target="_blank"> article</a>, "a popular code name can help engineering teams build an emotional attachment to the product". When it comes time to brand the product for the real world, the code name might be the most compelling name in consideration.<br />
<br />
One unintended benefit of code names is that, by virtue of their arbitrariness, they are also likely be clear as trademarks.<br />
<br />
Code names can actually make great go-to-market brand names:<br />
<ul>
<li>They are arbitrary and don't directly refer to a product's features or design. They won't age or become outdated like feature-based names.</li>
<li>Code names are often based on imaginative metaphors. They can trigger many personal associations and thereby foster an emotional bond.</li>
<li>They are often free to use as a trademark.</li>
</ul>
This is why a code name will sometimes be adopted as the final go-to-market name. These brands started as internal code names:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturn</span><br />
In the 1980's, the Big Three were fighting Japanese car makers for dominance of the US market. GM believed their struggle was analogous to the U.S.-Russian space race three decades prior. In that spirit, GM executives code-named their new product initiative Saturn, inspired by the Saturn V rocket that first brought man — a U.S. man — to the moon. A vehicle called Saturn won the space race; maybe it could win their race too. A different kind of car name was a great way for GM to demonstrate this would be "a different kind of company, a different kind of car". GM recently shuffled off the Saturn brand. It's been bought by the Penske Automotive Group.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Ford Taurus</span><br />
I have heard, though can't find the original source, that the name Taurus was inspired by astrology. Two people working on the project discovered each others' wife was a Taurus. Despite its basis in astrology, and regarded as a pseudoscience or superstition by many, the Ford Taurus became one of America's best-selling cars.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Apple Macintosh</span><br />
Yes, another code name.<br />
<br />
As a namer who has faced the challenge of selling-in arbitrary names, the success of code names encourages me. A name that would be difficult, if not impossible, for me to rally an executive team around, stands a better chance if it sneaks by through the subterfuge of a code name. The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mere-exposure_effect" target="_blank">exposure effect</a> makes the client more and more comfortable with the name over time. Thus what was once arbitrary may become inevitable.<br />
<br />
It would be instructive if my clients gave me a list of possible code names for whatever I'm naming. I should try that sometime.<br />
<br />
Results are not always rosy when a code name is revealed to the public. One notorious example has changed how many high-profile companies choose theirs:<br />
<blockquote>
Apple meant no ill-will when its Power Macintosh 7100 was code-named Sagan. They <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_Macintosh_7100#Codename_Lawsuit">chose</a> Carl Sagan because his trademark catchphrase, "billions and billions", reflected their hopes for astronomical revenue. But the astronomer took offense, perhaps because other Apple code names included an anthropological hoax and a scientific pariah (Piltdown Man and Cold Fusion, respectively). Sagan sued Apple and lost. Apple, none too happy it was sued, then changed the product's internal code name to BHA, for Butt-Head Astronomer. Sagan sued again and lost. The Apple team finally changed the internal code name to LAW, Lawyers Are Wimps.</blockquote>
The lesson for companies is that if a code name leaks, litigation or embarassment could ensue. Code names are not be chosen lightly.<br />
<br />
An <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1563722.stm">instance</a> of an ill-chosen military code name was Operation Infinite Justice, the U.S. Department of Defense's named response to the 9/11 attacks. Muslims took offense to the name, believing that only Allah can mete out infinite justice. This code name, it was thought, would make the military's job harder, so it was quickly changed to Operation Enduring Freedom.<br />
<br />
Military "code words", like those in the private sector, are also creative though they are constructed using a prescribed, regimented methodology and approved set of source words. I wonder if the name Operation Infinite Justice followed the Department of Defense guidelines, or if it was created ad hoc?<br />
<br />
This <a href="http://www.designation-systems.net/usmilav/codenames.html">page</a> details Department of Defense code name, nickname and exercise term nomenclature. Fellow verbivores will salivate over the <a href="http://www.designation-systems.net/usmilav/dms-nicknames.zip">Code of Names Handbook</a> (pdf) which lists all two-word code names prior to 1983.<br />
<br />
Here are some creative examples. Some seem fitting; others ironic:<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: georgia;">
<b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant: small-caps;"></span></b></div>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Beartrap</span>: USN, classified anti-submarine aircraft program<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Big Belly</span>: Conversion program to enlarge conventional bomb load of B-52Ds, 12/1965-<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Big Stick</span>: A new Navy bomb-carrying canister for use on A-4, A-6 and A-7 attack aircraft<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Blow Hole: </span>Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency effort connected with target location and identification<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Cold Flare</span>: Study of solar flare activity at high altitude, in preparation for polar or high-altitude supersonic flights<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">College Girls</span>: High level intercept activity against U-2<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Face Lift</span>: An Air Force recovery procedure<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Idealist</span>: CIA codename for development of U-2<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Ranch Hand</span>: Operation, spraying of more than 18 million gallons of 'Agent Orange' and other herbicides from UC-123s over South-Vietnam, 1962-1971</blockquote>
So, where are the most creative names?<br />
<blockquote>
Products for kids<br />
Web-based companies<br />
Perfumes<br />
Wines<br />
Cocktails<br />
Bands<br />
Code names </blockquote>
Find lists of those things and you'll find the most creative names.<br />
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</div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana"; font-size: 10pt;"></span>Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-38156109376257634872009-06-03T01:21:00.000-07:002009-09-11T05:59:42.685-07:00Instinct as enemy: How to sell-in the new and unfamiliarYour instinct can be your enemy.<br /><br />It's another paradox of the human condition. Although our instincts have mostly served us well, sometimes following an instinct is a mistake.<br /><br />Consider our instinct to be wary of things unfamiliar.<br /><br />Imagine, while strolling through the woods, that you come upon a bush covered with little red berries. If you've never seen these berries before, you don't know if they are safe or poisonous. Your instinct says, "don't eat." You live another day, thanks to your cautious, risk-averse nature.<br /><br />But this very same instinct, the fear of the unknown, makes the branding process intrinsically difficult. That's because branding requires creating and saying something different than others. Differentiation is, after all, the very essence of branding.<br /><br />So when a truly differentiated strategy or name or logo is first presented to clients, typically their instinctive reaction is to recoil, to reject the unfamiliar.<br /><br />Although I've seen this phenomenon in client meetings and consumer research, it was <a href="http://www.taitsubler.com/articles/how-marketing-science-undermines-brands.php">this impassioned article</a> that first exposed me to 'The Zajonc Effect.'<br /><blockquote style="font-style: italic;">Psychologist Robert Zajonc from Stanford University has found that humans don’t initially like rare or unfamiliar things. And the more we see the same thing, the more we like it.</blockquote>The Zajonc Effect, known as the '<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exposure_effect">exposure effect</a>' to psychologists, turns a proverb on its head: Familiarity does not breed contempt; to the contrary, it breeds comfort.<br /><br />The article's author, Bruce Tait, articulates clearly the brander's paradox:<br /><blockquote style="font-style: italic;">“If brands are to succeed they need to be based on differentiated, unfamiliar brand strategies. Unfortunately, these are the exact same kind of ideas that people initially dislike.”</blockquote>Tait lays the blame for the widespread, systemic loss of brand differentiation at the feet of 'marketing science,' the consumer testing, quantification, and rigid processes that fledgling ideas are commonly subjected to. Marketing science, in Tait's view, alleviates employees' fear of failure and gives them confidence. But their false prophet of hard numbers does a poor job divining what will actually succeed in the real world.<br /><blockquote style="font-style: italic;">Quantitative testing of alternative positioning ideas will likely systematically kill the more original ideas, and people will prefer the ones that are closest to what they already know.</blockquote>Seinfeld, Sony Walkman, Absolut vodka and, as cited by Malcom Gladwell in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0316172324/gladwellcom#reader">Blink</a>, the Aeron chair, performed dismally in market research precisely because they were unlike anything else. But these all turned out to be quite successful after launch in the real world.<br /><br />Consumers' negativity to unfamiliar things is inscribed in qualitative and quantitative research executive summaries that, in striving for clarity and brevity, magnify differences and minimize complexities. Even if research is done just as a "disaster check," negative results not disastrous will undermine confidence and often lead to adoption of safer, less-different solutions. <br /><br />Tait's antidote to marketing science is to engage the CEO in the branding process. If the Chief Executive embraces truly different ideas, quantitative research is no longer needed to establish their legitimacy. <br /><br />But CEOs are human, too. Despite their confidence and accomplishments, CEOs are not immune to The Zajonc Effect.<br /><br />Because it's my duty to create differentiated brand names for my clients, I have to counteract their instinctive aversion to the new and unfamiliar. To do that, I use these presentation techniques:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Repetition</span><br /><br />When presenting a candidate brand name, I repeat it at least 3 times. As clients hear the name over and over, it becomes familiar. Sometimes, I get sneaky: If there's a candidate name I'll be recommending, and if it's a real word, I'll casually and naturally include the word when chatting with the client before the meeting starts. By merely hearing the word earlier, a client is more likely to accept it when it's presented as a candidate name. Exposure research <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=PB3xzjIzyOwC&pg=PA199&dq=%2Bzajonc&as_brr=1&ei=4V4mSrHfMJmalQSCiqTpBg">shows</a> this is actually the best way to foster familiarity.<br /><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">The mere-exposure effect is amplified if stimuli, rather than being consciously perceived, are perceived without awareness.</span></blockquote>Names that the client rejects in a first naming presentation have a funny way of coming back in favor during later presentations. No longer strange and unfamiliar, these names get a second chance with a second look.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Analogy</span><br /><br />Clients become more comfortable with a candidate name if they think a company has already succeeded using a similar approach. Showing a simple list of successful brands that are comparable to the candidate name in style, metaphor or construction, makes the unfamiliar name seem familiar and pre-proven. Care must be taken in framing the category of the name and the selection of analogous brands; the candidate name should not seem derivative or undifferentiated in that context.<br /><br />Here's an example: At Landor, I was part of the team who worked with Earthlink to create a name for their municipal wi-fi service. Our immediate clients guided us, made decisions on name candidates, and determined what should be the recommended finalist. But they didn't have the authority to render a final decision on the one go-to-market name. That responsibility rested with the executive team who would have the final recommended name unveiled to them.<br /><br />Unveiling a final name to decision makers who have had no involvement is not exactly a recipe for success.<br /><br />The recommended name for Earthlink's wi-fi service was Feather. Despite our clients' enthusiasm, I was concerned by how their senior executives might react. Something told me that the executive team, all men, in Georgia, might not cotton to Feather. It would seem too light and airy. In their eyes, they were building communications infrastructure for the future, not...feathers.<br /><br />I used analogy to frame Feather as a strong, leader brand by placing it in a list with these actual brand names:<br /><blockquote>Shell<br />BlackBerry<br />Caterpillar<br />Sun<br />Feather<br />Orange<br />Canopy<br /></blockquote>The technique worked. One of the executives said, "Gosh, what's a Shell? It's light, small, delicate and it's got nothing to do with their business. But they're huge." If Shell can be big and strong, so can Feather.<br /><br />That's the power of analogy.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Context</span><br /><br />A name presentation should help an audience suspend disbelief. Words that clients have never seen as brands are not easily envisioned by them as brands. It's a namer's job to help the client imagine how a word on a page could become their brand. Some of this facilitated imagination is done through storytelling: the background and inspiration of the name, its fit with strategy, and the implications for identity, messaging, advertising, promotions, nomenclature, product design and so on.<br /><br />But a thousand words can't do what one picture can. That's why I always show names in a real-world context, like a business card, building sign or package. The more realistic and credible the context, the more likely the client will see the candidate as a viable option. To avoid confounding variables, every name is presented in the same typeface in the same exhibit.<br /><br />Text can provide further context. Just below the name exhibit, the first sentence of a press release includes the candidate name. By including multiple real-world contexts on a page, the client is better equipped to imagine the name as their name. And, repeating the name on a page fosters a sense of familiarity.<br /><br /><br />Instincts are essential for survival, but not every instinct should be followed. Our natural and protective fear of things different can also undermine our true best interests. When it comes to branding, your instinct can be your enemy. Fight fear of the unfamiliar as if the future of your brand hangs in the balance. Because it does.Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-12546258417840125242009-05-28T16:57:00.001-07:002010-03-30T13:00:34.104-07:00The case for coiningI argue with myself.<br />
<br />
I just can't help it. When a problem needs to be solved -- like which name I should recommend to a client -- I'll look at every angle of each proposed solution in light of its objectives. Each of their strengths and weaknesses grapple tooth and nail for supremacy as The Optimal Answer.<br />
<br />
It's a bit like professional wrestling but without the leotards -- or the predetermined outcome.<br />
<br />
I take comfort knowing there are others like me who, in their efforts to solve a problem, argue with themselves.<br />
<br />
I learned this as part of my participation in a Center for Creative Leadership <a href="http://www.ccl.org/leadership/programs/LDPOverview.aspx">program</a>, where I was assessed for my <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myers-Briggs_Type_Indicator">Myers-Briggs Type Indicator</a>. This well-established (though sometimes <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myers-Briggs_Type_Indicator#Criticism">questioned</a>) personality test determines a person's specific personality type. According to the theory of MBTI, all six billion people on the planet Earth fall neatly into sixteen personality types.<br />
<br />
Me? I'm an <a href="http://typelogic.com/entp.html">ENTP</a>:<br />
<blockquote>Extroverted (not Introverted)<br />
iNtuition (not Sensing)<br />
Thinking (not Feeling)<br />
Perceiving (not Judging)</blockquote>ENTPs are The Innovators, The Originators, The Lawyers, The Explorers, and The Visionaries.<br />
<br />
They also play The Devil's Advocate.<br />
<br />
Although a person's MBTI is codified as a pat, four-letter word (like ENTP or ISFJ), there is actually a continuum along each dimension. A numeric score along this continuum reflects the degree to which one is Extroverted or Introverted, Thinking or Feeling, and so on.<br />
<br />
It turns out, I'm <span style="font-style: italic;">unusually</span> compelled to argue and objectively consider all sides of an argument.<br />
<br />
My own MBTI test revealed that I am almost 100% Thinking, having scored a 59 out of 60 along the Thinking-Feeling continuum. This reflects that I'm governed by head more than heart. I'll always follow the logical, objective, fact-based path over the one that makes me (or others) just feel good.<br />
<br />
And so, here I go again in typical ENTP fashion, arguing with myself.<br />
<br />
<a name="coining"></a>As I wrote in <a href="http://operativewords.blogspot.com/2009/04/real-words-make-better-brand-names.html">Real words make better brand names</a>, I believe that real words rich with meaning generally offer advantages over made-up words like Kodak.<br />
<br />
I also noted that coined names are not utterly bereft of benefits. In the spirit of devil's advocacy, I'd like to build on that and go further into the benefits of coined names and share what makes for a good coined name.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Distinctiveness</span><br />
A coined name is more likely to jump off the page than one that's a product-relevant, real word. Humans are hard-wired to notice things that are different, so a word you've never seen before stands out.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Trademarkability</span><br />
Made-up words are more likely to be available for trademark clearance than a real word.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Domain Availability</span><br />
Online companies gotta have that dotcom domain name. That's why so many have adopted misspelled real words or entirely made-up ones.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Flexibility</span><br />
Coined names are less likely to reference a specific feature or function than real-word names. Coined names, being more ambiguous, can withstand changes in a company's or product's features, benefits and positioning.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">International Appeal</span><br />
In non-English speaking markets, they generally prefer non-English names. The projects I've directed throughout Asia, Europe and the Mideast revealed to me that, for those audiences, the sound of a name is more important than what it means. Euphony often trumps semantics in non-English speaking countries.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Consensus Building</span><br />
It's easier for a group to agree on a name that means nothing. Names that are real words will trigger associations, and those associations can become liabilities when picked apart by a large or risk-averse group.<br />
<br />
It's no accident that big branding agencies like Landor and Interbrand have a lot of coined names in their portfolio. They attract large, risk-averse clients that have large decision-making teams. There's often someone in the room who "poisons the well" by sharing their own negative, albeit subjective and idiosyncratic, reaction to a real-word name. Large companies also tend to research names to death by using focus groups.<br />
<br />
Like I said, it's easier for a group -- any group -- to agree on a name that means nothing.<br />
<br />
Given these benefits of coined names, why do I still generally recommend real, meaningful English words to clients?<br />
<ul><li>Real words, especially "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trademark_distinctiveness#Arbitrary_marks">arbitrary</a>" ones such as Apple, Amazon and Feather, can be just as distinctive, trademarkable and flexible as coined names.<br />
</li>
<li>They are more memorable than coined names. Words that trigger emotions or images are particularly memorable. </li>
<li>Because they are easier to recall, real-word names are more likely to be shared with others by word-of-mouth.</li>
<li>They can inspire marketing campaigns, product and feature naming and messaging. Names that don't mean anything won't do this, unless it's just to clarify how to pronounce their name. Take a bow, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acCfnwTpdxU">Geico</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D38U1xCbN7I&feature=related">Aflac</a>, for turning your lemon names into lemonade.</li>
<li>Thanks to their superior memorability, shareability and campaignability, arbitrary real-word names are cheaper to build than coined names. [I'd love to see those differences quantified. Any ideas?]<br />
</li>
</ul>Coined names still hold an advantage over real words in their appeal to non-English speaking markets, and they are easier for large and risk-averse companies to stomach.<br />
<br />
So, let's pretend you're a Fortune 500 company and you're planning to spin-off a big division that will focus on international markets. I'd suggest you include real-word brand names in your mix of name candidates along with coined names.<br />
<br />
Up to now, I've painted coined names with a broad brush. But in truth there are good coined names and bad coined names.<br />
<br />
<a name="coining_tips"></a>What makes a good coined name? In a word: <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=XV1vWAQq9F4C&pg=PR5&source=gbs_selected_pages&cad=0_1#PPA41,M1">Naturalness</a>.<br />
<br />
A natural coined name is one that follows a language's naturally-occurring phonetics (individual sounds), phonology (how those sounds are organized) and morphology (how words are formed). The trick here is that languages differ in these dimensions. If your brand name is going to be marketed to Chinese, German, Hindi, Japanese, and Arabic speakers, you have to aim for a lowest common denominator, linguistically speaking.<br />
<br />
Here are a few tips:<br />
<ul><li>Avoid stringing consonants together, as many languages disallow that in their phonology. In Japanese, for example, the name Hasbro is pronounced "ha-su-bu-ro". The brand Adidas, formed from its founder Adi Dassler, will be pronounced the same the world over. It has a universally-natural "open" syllable structure of alternating consonants and vowels.</li>
</ul><ul><li>When combining morphemes (salient word parts) to create new words, use the same source language. A Greek morpheme should be paired with another Greek morpheme. Mash together morphemes from different languages and the resulting name might feel contrived. Compare Interbrand (Latin+Anglo-Saxon) to Lenovo (Italian+Italian). Interbrand, who actually created the name Lenovo, served their client better than themselves.<br />
</li>
</ul><ul><li>Pair prefixes with roots, or roots with suffixes. A name that combines prefixes, roots, or suffixes in ways that don't naturally occur will feel contrived. The name InBev unnaturally combines the prefix "In" with the first part of the word "beverage". There are no English words that have "bev" in the middle, so InBev feels unnatural. Another example: Compare Aricent (unnatural) to Lucent (natural). Aricent is based on "arise" plus "ascent", but "ari-" is not a real prefix. Lucent, on the other hand, is built from the productive Latin root "luc-" (meaning light) and the "-ent" suffix, also from Latin and also a common suffix. </li>
</ul><blockquote></blockquote><ul><li>Consider your consonants. Brand names with phonemes that don't naturally occur in other languages will be pronounced differently, with an accent. This is not disastrous, but it's something to be mindful of. It's well-known that "l" and "r" are pronounced the same in some Asian countries, so "Red Hat" sounds the same as "Led Hat". In Japanese and Spanish "v" is pronounced "b". The sounds "th" and "sh" are fairly uncommon, so those will change, too.</li>
</ul><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote>Here's the <a href="http://www.lululemon.com/community/blog/how-the-name-lululemon-athletica-was-created/">story</a> of Lululemon, a brand name that was specifically created to sound foreign to its target audience:</blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">It was thought that a Japanese marketing firm would not try to create a North American sounding brand with the letter “L” because the sound does not exist in Japanese phonetics. By including an “L” in the name it was thought the Japanese consumer would find the name innately North American and authentic. Chip [the company founder] felt that the distributor had paid a premium for the “L” [in their original name, Homless] so he challenged himself to come up with a name that had 3 “L’s” for his new company.</span></blockquote><ul><li>Use a real foreign word. Back in the day, I gave the name Kanisa to a "knowledge management" company. The word comes from an African language called Lingala and means "you must think". It has no obvious meaning outside of central Africa, but the story behind the name is relevant and it's easy to say the world over. And Samsung might seem made-up, but it's actually Korean for "three stars". Like the trademark attorneys say, "What's arbitrary to one man is fanciful to another". [OK, they don't really say that, but perhaps they'll start.]<br />
</li>
</ul><ul><li>Try swapping out just one letter of a known word. Zune came from "tune" and Viagra from "Niagra".</li>
</ul>There are other coining techniques you can find <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Word_formation">here</a>.<br />
<br />
Keep in mind the principle of naturalness and your coined brand name might not turn out half-bad.<br />
<br />
At least, that's what I'd argue.Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-19452346338423864762009-05-08T00:22:00.000-07:002009-09-11T06:04:04.039-07:00Knowledge vs. naiveteA Linguistics <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/danielevirgillito">student</a> asked namers on LinkedIn a simple <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/groupAnswers?viewQuestionAndAnswers=&gid=1866616&discussionID=2374854&sik=1241770332983&trk=ug_qa_q&goback=%2Eanh_1866616%2Eana_1866616_1241770332983_3_1">question</a>: Is linguistic analysis of candidate brand names helpful?<br /><br />As a brand namer, my background in <a href="http://ling.ucsc.edu/">Linguistics</a> and cognitive psychology has been wildly useful. A deep understanding of language and creativity informs naming briefs that inspire both me and my team. I am able to create objectives for candidate names that facilitate their evaluation, fit with strategy and assure customer appeal. And <a href="http://cogsci.berkeley.edu/lakoff/">metaphor</a> expertise fuels my creative generation, resulting in exceptionally long lists of prospective names that are relevant and have a shot at trademark clearance.<br /><br />If a client wants to consider a coined brand name, as they often do in non-English speaking markets, understanding morphology, phonology and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_symbolism">sound symbolism</a> is essential. The same holds true for pharmaceutical naming.<br /><br />For some clients, the detailed, linguistic analysis of a candidate name helps build consensus. For large companies and their large decision-making teams, this analysis grounds them in logical rationale, bringing solid objectivity to an essentially emotional and subjective exercise.<br /><br />But I am also mindful of <a href="http://www.37signals.com/svn/posts/213-the-curse-of-knowledge">The Curse of Knowledge</a>. When you know a lot about something like language, it’s easy to magnify the importance of details that are actually academic or esoteric. Brand names should help sell products or services to people who don’t know nearly as much about language. Consumers are not enamored nor won over by linguistic minutiae. Linguist-namers should never think that what they find fascinating in a name will be shared or recognized by the people who really matter: Customers.<br /><br />The importance of empathy cannot be overstated.<br /><br />Some of the very best brand namers I know have not been to college. They wouldn’t know a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoneme">phoneme</a> from a phone booth. But they have a gift. They have the ability to create names without breaking down sounds and syllables. They see names as a consumer would. No smoke. No mirrors. No academic bull.<br /><br />My linguistic knowledge and analytic inclinations have certainly been valuable. But at least as important is the ability to that turn off. Training myself to become naive and forget what I know, at least temporarily, has helped me create ever-better product and company names intended for real customers in real world.<br /><br />The linguist in me wants to call this quality, ‘ambilextrous’.<br /><br />But then again, no.Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-4219605478809133062009-05-04T23:14:00.000-07:002009-09-11T06:06:31.501-07:00Kick the bucketThose who know me, know I hate 'buckets'.<br /><br />The way the word 'bucket' is bandied about in business meetings drives me nuts. After a brainstorming session, do we really have to put the ideas into 'buckets'? Couldn't we just, you know, 'group' them? Buckets are for chum, not ideas. I wonder if people in certain parts of America organize their ideas into '<a href="http://www.parallaxshift.com/%7Ekiddo/linguistics/old/old4.html">pails</a>' instead.<br /><br />But beyond my word choice peeve, there is another, bigger issue with buckets. And it's not the word I'm referring to, but the very act of categorizing ideas.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">When you label a group of things, you change how people perceive them.</span><br /><br />This came to life last week during a corporate naming presentation I gave. The meeting objective was for my client to select at least six names to undergo full trademark screening. The 30 candidate names I presented were organized in four categories, each reflecting a direction in the client-approved creative brief.<br /><br />Going into this, I knew there was some risk categorizing the names. That's because really good name candidates, being multidimensional, will fit well in multiple categories, not just one. But to avoid fatigue, each name is shown just once (plus a summary of all candidates at the end).<br /><br />In some cases, the category assigned to a name was a toss-up, or an attempt to balance the number of names in each category. I advised my client to see the names as more multifaceted than their singular categorization would suggest; to see the names as a customer would in the real world, without the construct of these behind-the-scenes groupings.<br /><br />The names presented, we discussed their relative merits and shortcomings. The client rejected the names belonging to two of the four categories. I reasoned that a few of those discarded candidates were actually similar to the keepers from the other categories, therefore, shouldn't they also be finalists? But they were dropped along with others in their category.<br /><br />As a seasoned namer, I am accustomed to seeing names fall by the wayside. In fact, names have to be rejected. A company is just not going to adopt more than one name for itself.<br /><br />But the rejection of similar names that happened to be labeled differently was frustrating. It confounded my sense of logic.<br /><br />At the same time, the experience was instructive.<br /><br />Evidently, the labels ascribed had undermined and overshadowed the names themselves. They cordoned off meaning. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sign_%28semiotics%29"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">s</span>ignifier</a> eclipsed the signified.<br /><br />Had I not categorized the names, or if had I better-worded the category labels, I think some of the rejects might have been accepted. Then again, it's also possible some of the finalists would have been left behind, had they not had the good fortune be grouped under a well-liked category label.<br /><br />Although a few too many babies got thrown out with the bathwater, the client and I both agreed the meeting was a resounding success. There were plenty of names brought forward for full legal screening.<br /><br />That evening while relaxing at home, I cracked open my new book, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=0gos8F9OQxwC">Psycholinguistic Phenomena in Marketing Communications</a>. For an analytically-minded word wallower like me, this collection of academic studies is pure heaven.<br /><br />As luck would have it, the first article was <a href="http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=0gos8F9OQxwC&oi=fnd&pg=PA3&dq=%22Hoegg%22+%22Linguistic+framing+of+sensory+experience:+There+is+some+...%22+&ots=9-hteChTPN&sig=xsnOp8-rPjGLFzEWOEq9ci9F1pU#PPA3,M1"><em></em>Linguistic Framing of Sensory Experience: There Is Some Accounting for Taste</a>. The authors, JoAndrea Hoegg and Joseph Alba, researched whether labels on cups of orange juice would alter people's taste perception.<br /><br />Labels matter, they found. (Huh. Imagine that.)<br /><br />In the study, participants reported that two cups of juice labeled the same also tasted the same, even though one was secretly sweetened. A corollary result was that cups of identical juice which were labeled differently also differed in perceived taste.<br /><br />In essence, the study's participants were no different from my clients (nor, I suppose, the rest of us).<br /><br />My experience last week and the results of this research make the conclusion clear:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Labels increase perceived differences across categories and diminish differences within categories.</span><br /><br />People see things in the same group as similar, even if they are not. And things in different categories are seen as more different than they actually are.<br /><br />Upon reflection, this truth should come as no surprise. Brand architecture and nomenclature decisions are based on it; positioning, too.<br /><br />So if you're going to group things, group wisely.<br /><br />Please, just don't 'bucket' them.Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-72548406159959407312009-04-23T23:04:00.000-07:002009-09-11T06:07:37.152-07:00Real words make better brand namesBrand names based on familiar, real words -- the kind of words you’d use in everyday speech -- offer advantages over completely made-up names.<br /><br />In other words, names like <span style="font-style: italic;">Amazon</span> trump names like <span style="font-style: italic;">Kodak</span>.<br /><br />Two sources provide solid evidence that real-word brand names are more readily adopted and remembered than coined names. One source, an academic paper, features research about brand name memorability. The other source is a book that analyzed the types of new words adopted into English over a fifty-year period; it casts light on the types of names English speakers are predisposed to adopting.<br /><br />The academic paper (a paid download), <a href="http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/94516213/abstract">Recall and Recognition of Brand Names: A Comparison of Word and Nonword Name Types</a>, demonstrates that real-word brand names are much more likely to be recalled than "nonword" brand names (68.8% recall vs. 38.1%). The authors, Dawn Lerman of Fordham University and Ellen Garbarino of Case Western Reserve University, also found that "irrelevant" names are recalled at about the same rate as "relevant" names, thus validating so-called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Product_naming#Arbitrary">arbitrary</a> names like Apple and Grey Goose. You don't have to call your online bookstore Books.com if you want to be remembered. In fact, you shouldn't.<br /><br />Nonword brand names are not <span style="font-style: italic;">all</span> bad. If the brand name is a nonword, it will be more distinctive and therefore stand out more. The hypothetical camera brand names in the article, Monit and Parade, do differ in their distinctiveness. Monit stands out because you've never seen it.<br /><br />But <span style="font-style: italic;">irrelevant</span> real-word names are also more distinctive than <span style="font-style: italic;">relevant</span> real-word names. A small email device named <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=gRhwaEEMa70C&pg=PA31&lpg=PA31&dq=pocketlink+blackberry&source=bl&ots=RLS4of8ENi&sig=DeBJs7xLzEEaiWXpUGKO_EmW7pQ&hl=en&ei=z93dSefkN5GqMoCl3YQK&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10">PocketLink</a> would not stand out like one called BlackBerry.<br /><br />The lesson here is you’re better off with a name that's an arbitrary real word rather than a coined name. Although both will be distinctive, the arbitrary name will be more memorable. Amazon: 2. Kodak: 1.<br /><br />The other source,<span class="__mozilla-findbar-search" style="padding: 0pt; background-color: white; display: inline;font-size:inherit;color:black;" ><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span></span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://books.google.com/books?id=egxyM6zK0PEC">Fifty Years Among the New Words (A Dictionary of Neologisms)</a> by John Algeo, catalogs the words introduced into English between 1941 and 1991. Algeo documented new words not brand names. I'll take it as a given that what Algeo observed with words also applies to brand names.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5608588391267757280&postID=7254840615995940731#1"><sup>1</sup></a><br /><br />To Algeo, a “new" word is one “not recorded in general dictionaries.” This includes single words (e.g. guesstimate), multiple words (e.g. sandwich generation) or idiomatic phrases (e.g. out of the loop).<br /><br />Algeo cites six etymological processes behind new words:<br /><ul><li><span style="font-style: italic;">borrowing</span> from different languages</li><li><span style="font-style: italic;">combining</span> two existing words to create a compound</li><li><span style="font-style: italic;">shortening</span> an existing word</li><li><span style="font-style: italic;">blending</span> existing words both combined and shortened</li><li><span style="font-style: italic;">shifting</span> the meaning of an existing word</li><li><span style="font-style: italic;">creating</span> new words not based on existing words, like the "nonwords" cited above</li></ul>He found that these processes were not equally productive toward generating new words. For example, over 50% of the new words came from the process of combining, in which two known words c<span class="__mozilla-findbar-search" style="padding: 0pt; background-color: white; display: inline;font-size:inherit;color:black;" ></span>reated a new one. “Moonlighting” and “user-friendly” are good examples.<br /><br />As it turns out, the least productive process leading to the fewest new words in English is the creation of new words without a clear link to existing language (i.e., nonwords). Algeo observed<span class="__mozilla-findbar-search" style="padding: 0pt; background-color: white; display: inline;font-size:inherit;color:black;" > </span>that very few words are created from nothing and then widely adopted. “To make something out of nothing does not seem to be a human talent,” wrote Algeo.<br /><br />The reason so few invented words are created and adopted is because our brains follow a path of least resistance. When we need a new word, re-defining something known or combining words in a new way is easier than starting from scratch. When new words are shared, it's easier to recall a known word than to create and remember an entirely new lexical entry. It’s <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occam%27s_razor">Occam’s Razor</a> as applied to word adoption.<br /><br />The implications for brand naming are clear: People remember brand names more readily if<span class="__mozilla-findbar-search" style="padding: 0pt; background-color: white; display: inline;font-size:inherit;color:black;" > </span>based on known words rather than made-up ones. But with this generalization come caveats:<br /><ul><li>Not all real words are equally memorable. Another fascinating research paper, <a href="http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/112777122/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0">Recall and Recognition Effects of Brand Name Imagery</a>, documents that "high imagery" words (ones easily pictured) are more memorable than "low imagery" names that are abstract. So an abstract and undifferentiated real-word name like General Software will be far less memorable than a vivid real-word name like Firefly. Moreover, a coined name can be made unforgettable if it’s <a href="http://www.types-of-poetry.org.uk/59-euphony.htm"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">euphonious</span></a> and paired with a good <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4X4MwbVf5OA">jingle</a> or a mnemonic <a href="http://geico.com/">mascot</a>.</li><li>Money<span class="__mozilla-findbar-search" style="padding: 0pt; background-color: white; display: inline;font-size:inherit;color:black;" > </span>talks. With enough promotion, any name whether real or coined will be remembered. A spectacular example, and one in which I <a href="http://www.destinationcrm.com/Articles/CRM-News/Daily-News/The-Rebranding-of-Arthur-Andersen-46187.aspx">participated</a>, is the <a href="http://www.accountingweb.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=31892&d=883&h=884&f=882&dateformat=%25o%20%25B%20%25Y">$175 million</a> that transformed the unknown word Accenture into the best-known name in business consulting.<br /></li><li>Longevity has its rewards. With decades of interaction with customers, brand names like Kodak and Oreo instill a great deal of meaning and associations, even if they began as meaningless words.</li><li>Algeo’s observations were based on English speakers so it’s possible the results would differ if he researched new words in other languages. A former Landor <a href="http://www.landor.com/index.cfm?do=aboutus.bio&bio=174&bhcp=1">colleague</a> told me the French are quite fond of coining words. As Steve Martin observed, "They have a different word for <span style="font-style: italic;">everything</span>."</li></ul>There is abundant and clear evidence that English speakers are more likely to adopt new names if they are based on known, arbitrary words. Marketers pay heed.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Thanks to <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewcross">Matthew Cross</a> for his help.</span><br /><br /><a name="1">1.</a> <span style="font-size:85%;"> There is <a href="http://zaidellab.psych.ucla.edu/pdfs/brandspossi.pdf">evidence</a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"> (PDF will download) that brand names, like proper nouns, are processed differently than other words, but those differences don't apply here. </span>Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-21638674621398294222009-04-22T15:19:00.000-07:002009-09-11T06:08:09.923-07:00SpeechlessOK, that's one naming strategy. Give your website a name that's <a href="http://blog.wired.com/business/2009/03/a-music-search.html">unpronounceable</a> and doesn't use alphanumeric characters. WTF?Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-24473131027501733392009-04-21T23:43:00.000-07:002009-09-11T06:08:43.733-07:00Post impressionism<span style="font-style: italic;">The New York <a href="http://www.nypost.com/">Post</a></span> holds a special place in my heart. As a child growing up in Manhattan, I loved reading their funny and often outrageous headlines as I walked to the bus stop in the morning. The Post would just <span style="font-style: italic;">scream</span> from the shelves of my local <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=272+west+72+nyc&sll=40.780103,-73.983994&sspn=0.009489,0.021007&ie=UTF8&ll=40.779973,-73.984122&spn=0.009099,0.021007&z=16&iwloc=A&layer=c&cbll=40.779675,-73.984151&panoid=MSJDmoKU9iMWgBng8b1oZA&cbp=12,201.43722059762803,,0,6.378958120531153">newsstand</a>. Their headlines could not be ignored.<br /><br />A recent blog <a href="http://fish.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/19/headline-art/?ref=opinion">article</a> by Stanley Fish celebrates headlines from the <a href="http://beta.sling.com/blog/1821/New-York-Post-Hits-Grand-Slam-With-A-HOLE-Headline">sometimes-lowbrow</a> Post. He illustrates the depth, nuances and allusions that a handful of words can deliver.<br /><br />I revere the art of headline writing. Great headlines are stripped of anything superfluous. They must grab people by the throat and command their attention. The best headlines elicit an emotional reaction that sells papers.<br /><br />Great brand names act as headlines. They are minimal. They have <a href="http://operativewords.blogspot.com/2009/04/what-traffic-can-teach-us-about-naming.html">stopping power</a>. And the best of them trigger an emotional response that sells.Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-87286073982835597472009-04-13T13:20:00.000-07:002009-09-11T06:09:18.798-07:00Traffic and names with stopping powerI recently finished reading <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://books.google.com/books?id=SLCqCl146AsC&dq=traffic&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0">Traffic</a><span style="font-style: italic;">: Why we drive the way we do (and what it says about us)</span>. The author, Tom Vanderbilt, makes revelations that are surprising and counterintuitive.<br /><br />For example, roads in crowded areas that are built as safely as possible are actually more prone to accidents. Populating a roadway with signs warning of children, speed bumps, guardrails, curbs, and so on, free drivers up from paying careful attention. The result is that drivers let their guard down and are more likely to have accidents. The signs themselves, also ironically, distract from actual hazards on the road. If you're looking at a sign that says "hazards ahead" you might not notice the hazards ahead.<br /><br />On the other hand, if the road seems dangerous and there are obvious hazards, drivers are likely to be ever-alert and drive more cautiously. Children actually playing on the side of the road will do more to reduce the likelihood of accidents than a sign warning us to watch for children playing.<br /><br />The principle is that if the road doesn't command our attention, we don't pay attention.<br /><br />It's the same with brand names.<br /><br />Names similar to others don't command attention; they blend in with their environment.<br />Descriptive names don't command attention; they fail to engage our minds and imagination.<br />Names that are initials don't command attention; they have no meaning.<br /><br />Consumers' autopilot glides right past unremarkable names, going scarcely noticed.<br /><br />On the other hand, names that commands attention because they are unexpected and violate conventions simply cannot be ignored.<br /><br />Brand names should have stopping power.Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-12237099700995638832009-04-08T19:34:00.000-07:002009-10-21T19:54:49.606-07:00Dot com is today's 800 numberA few years ago, <a href="http://www.lexicon-branding.com/index.html">Lexicon Branding</a>, one of the naming firms where I worked, <a href="http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20060316005223&newsLang=en">researched</a> perceptions of .com, .net and .biz top-level domain names.<br />
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The research found that .coms are, in the abstract, perceived more positively over the lesser-used .biz (et al) domains. This is not surprising: Familiarity breeds trust.<br />
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But that's today. The non-.com domains will eventually become more widespread and familiar as companies struggle and fail to find great .com names. The roster of today's <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/27/AR2007112702321.html">bad web names</a> goes on and on; companies compromise their name and ultimately their success just to secure a .com.<br />
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That's unwise. The Lexicon research also revealed that people's perceptions of an actual website did not differ no matter what its top-level domain. So in the end, the top-level domain doesn't change perceptions.<br />
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Dot com is already losing relevance. The strength of search engines like Google makes finding companies by their name, not their domain name, easy. As a name developer, I welcome the day that the tipping point finally comes when .com top-level domains are no more special than .net, .biz, or whatever others ICANN ordains.<br />
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There was a time when only a 1-800 indicated a toll-free telephone number. Now, there are many and they are readily accepted.<br />
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The same will hold true for top-level domains.Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-55340608189242732552009-03-31T20:00:00.000-07:002009-10-21T19:53:19.757-07:00Birth of a descriptorHardcore naming geeks understand that moment of quickening, when first we discover a new generic descriptor in the wild. That happened to me tonight when I read <a href="http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2009/03/kitchen-pcs-gai.html">this article</a> about 'kitchen PCs.' As computer descriptors go, 'kitchen PC' is clear and distinctive. It's too bad the product names in the kitchen PC category fall short.<br />
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The Asus <span style="font-style: italic;">Eee Top</span> is bizarre. Is that like "Eee, a mouse"? It's a <a href="http://eatmywords.typepad.com/eat_my_words_the_dish/head_scratchers/">head scratcher</a> for sure.<br />
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The Dell <span style="font-style: italic;">Studio One </span>name is flat though inoffensive. No one would get fired for choosing such a safe name. Not sure anyone would clamor to buy one either, at least not based on the name.<br />
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The <b style="font-weight: normal;">MSI Wind <span style="font-style: italic;">Top </span>(the company name seems to be MSI Wind) is also bizarre, though mainly because of the word Wind in the company name; it just sort of comes from left field. Perhaps two companies MSI and Wind merged and this is the Frankenstein<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>result. One interesting quality of the name is that in isolation, I was inclined to read the "wind" of MSI Wind as a breeze. But when the word "wind" is followed by the word "top" I'm suddenly unsure if it should be wind with a long "i" as in "wind a top." The context actually makes pronunciation of the name more ambiguous.<br />
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Although the Wired article suggests the kitchen PC category is new, I remember the ahead-of-its-time 3Com <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3Com_Audrey">Audrey</a> from the turn of the century. Today's kitchen PC marketers would be well served to find product names a little more like Audrey and a lot less like Eee Top.<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;"></span></b>Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-6875144707386317122009-03-28T12:30:00.000-07:002009-03-28T12:35:38.234-07:00The pun is mightier<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/28/opinion/28Tartakovsky.html?em=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1238268568-QDDX81OHYPHocQeExSDn1A">NYT article</a> about the much-reviled pun. Why does everyone pick on puns? Puns need love, too.Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-1962207285211401212009-03-27T14:14:00.000-07:002009-03-27T14:16:14.284-07:00It's OK, but it's no "Reusing Old Graves"Curious article about the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/28/books/28contest.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss">Oddest Book Title of the Year Award</a>.Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-77967717679826433552009-03-27T10:00:00.000-07:002014-01-28T05:53:14.663-08:00Words have work to doIt's my job to come up with the most productive ones.<br />
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At Operative Words, I put words to work as brand names, taglines, and product descriptors.<br />
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I coordinate teams of words for nomenclature systems that organize products and lines of business.<br />
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I recruit just one or two words -- the right words -- to do the heavy, heady work of expressing a brand's essence and positioning.<br />
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For twenty years, words have been my labor of love.<br />
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Before starting Operative Words, I was Global Director of Naming and Writing at Landor Associates; worked there for 13 years.<br />
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At Lexicon Branding, I named consumer products, pharmaceuticals, companies and technologies.<br />
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I've been a typesetter, copywriter, software marketer and product manager. And for a few years, I did nothing but design wine lists. That was fun.<br />
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I have an honors degree in Linguistics from UC Santa Cruz and, on occasion, lecture there and at Haas Business School. <br />
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Over the course of my verbal branding career, I've worked for over 230 companies and brought more than 160 new brand names to market.<br />
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To learn more, please read my <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyshore">profile</a> on LinkedIn.<br />
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Join me. Let's put words to work.Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608588391267757280.post-18934175010651293482009-03-26T08:06:00.000-07:002010-08-30T13:27:16.085-07:00Why I do what I doI name things.<br />
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I've given names to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_Instinct">phones</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accenture">consulting companies</a>, <a href="http://www.panoramameats.com/panorama/main/home/">meat</a>, <a href="http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshoplightroom/">software</a>, <a href="http://www.freescale.com/">semiconductor makers</a>, <a href="http://dotnet.consencis.com/itemDisplay.aspx?dont=1&itemid=2555&maintopic=1223">wireless services</a>, <a href="http://www.lyrichearing.com/">hearing aids</a>, <a href="http://www.soyjoy.com/">soy bars</a>, <a href="http://www.gingerhotels.com/index.aspx">Indian hotels</a>, <a href="http://www.coniferhealth.com/">healthcare companies</a>, <a href="http://www.discountofficesupplies.com/productCatalogWebApp/productsearch.do?itemsearch=icebreaker&mfgname=&itemnum=&minoritychk=&recycledchk=&jwod=&iob=N&aob=N&confilter=N&manmore=N&showimg=L&srchinterface=search&lp=N&cartline=browse&seqno=&clientid=dos&siteid=&cpncode=&srccode=&Ns=P_PriceRank%7C0">pens</a>, <a href="http://scribewinery.com/">wines</a>, <a href="http://www.gscaltex.com/Product/Petroleum/gs_Gasoline.asp">Korean gasoline</a>, <a href="http://www.allbusiness.com/technology/computer-software/3966132-1.html">security technology</a>, <a href="http://dreyers.slowchurned.com/">ice cream</a>, <a href="http://www.hotelinteractive.com/article.aspx?articleID=9649">restaurants</a>, <a href="http://www.weyerhaeuser.com/Sustainability/FutureFuels">next-gen energy companies</a>, <a href="http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2006/05/column_game_mag_weaseling_e3_m_1.php">magazines</a>, <a href="http://www.runbrainrun.com/">urban scavenger hunts</a>, <a href="http://www.qualcomm.com/products_services/chipsets/snapdragon.html">chipsets</a>, <a href="http://www.blissisignorance.com/audio">bands</a>, <a href="http://www.facetbiotech.com/">biotech companies</a>, and <a href="http://company.monster.com/metris/">on</a> and <a href="http://www.meevee.com/">on</a>. In my 20 year career working independently and at agencies like Landor and Lexicon, I've brought over 100 new brand names into the world.<br />
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But why?<br />
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It's because our world is overrun by brands. There is almost no place to go that is entirely brand-free.<br />
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As I see it, if we're going to have brand names foisted on us everywhere we turn, shouldn't they at least be brand names that we don't mind having around?<br />
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That's what motivates and inspires me: The opportunity to change our surroundings in a small but positive way by giving things names that people like.Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282551496173845630noreply@blogger.com