The Naming Group

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I served for 30 years at HP across different divisions. I retired in Nov 2019. While at HP I worked with The Naming Group and House of Who during my tenure as a Marketing Specialist within HP’s Personal Systems division. This encompassed PCs across personal and business use.

My role was to lead the integration of consumer and business marketing strategies into a unified front for cross-organizational and company-wide initiatives such as trade shows, events, portfolio planning, and omnichannel marketing. I was also the HP Naming Manager.

Much of my time was spent managing and overseeing the naming process across hundreds of products and solutions as well as implementing cross-company naming process improvement.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire The Naming Group?

I had the opportunity to work with HoW & TNG, HP’s primary naming partner across the whole company, on a number of naming strategy and brand and naming architecture projects within my division, Personal Systems. This included laptops remote workforce solutions, and security software.

As marketing team leaders at HP, we’re inundated with ongoing brand and naming challenges and the demands of speedy deadlines and complex decision-making matrices. Not only do we need fast support, but we need incredibly skilled support to help us navigate through our internal strategic questions and team dynamics.

HoW & TNG are so valuable to have as skilled, outside consultants - they often grasp our challenges better than we do since we’re in them all day, every day. Their unique perspective, creativity, and deep expertise in leading and improving naming at large, complex corporations have saved us time, stress, and confusion, resulting in stronger work across the board.

What were your goals for this project?

For every project that we worked on with HoW & TNG, we’re looking for high-level insights and fresh thinking on our naming and brand strategy, a tight objective process as well as all-around great creative generation when we get to naming.

What is particularly helpful about their process is how thorough their discovery work is at the beginning of a project as well as their ability to distill down all the most important parts of a project into 3-5 criteria.

This becomes a beacon for all of the creative work we do, helping create alignment amongst the broader team.

SOLUTION

How did you select The Naming Group?

We originally found The Naming Group through an RFP to lead naming at HP. They soon partnered with House of Who on the HP account and the dovetail of the two agencies - bringing together rigorous process, strategy and wild creativity is invaluable.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Every project with HoW & TNG begins with an initial email or call with their team. Once we’ve shared the scope of the project, they prepare a proper SOW for us to review and sign ahead of our kickoff meeting.

Before any creative generation begins, we always align as a client/agency team on what the criteria are for a given project. After our teams align, they go away and do their magic--whether that involves a full strategic assessment, competitor audit, and/or multiple rounds of creative development, legal and linguistic screening all the way through selling in names and concepts to leadership.

Whatever our ask is, HoW & TNG always deliver work in a step-by-step process that’s thorough and fruitful.

What was the team composition?

HoW & TNG are a powerful team that consists of one or a creative director, account director, strategist, project manager, and namers on each project. We always feel incredibly supported.

HoW & TNG are not only experienced but incredibly agile. Through each project, they accommodate our shifting internal strategies and present back to us updated creative work that reflects where our team is at. This nimble and highly collaborative work style allows us to get to the best thinking and work every time.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

TNG and HoW brought in a valuable tool and process to minimize "subjective group think" when it came to providing feedback on the name candidates. They also helped us to evaluate names against the aligned naming strategy/criteria set forth at the beginning of the project. This gave us a more objective way to evaluate names.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow, communication, and accessibility between HP and TNG/HoW was quick, professional, and very effective. This was key as the projects were on an expedited timeline and needed instant turnaround for feedback, updates to name candidates, and decisions.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The most impressive feature of TNG and HoW is the upstream deep dive into the customer to get in their minds on how they behave in the market to design names that resonate with them and would entice them to buy.

One marketing leader said she was very impressed at the upfront work done to understand the customer.

Are there any areas for improvement?

HP is a complex organization. It would benefit TNG and HoW to continue to learn about the various groups within the company in order to build more integrated and consistently executed brand names and brand architecture systems for the entire HP product portfolio.

I know that as they execute more projects across the company this will become easy for them to accomplish.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder and creative director of Cosma Schema, a global brand strategy, design and experience agency. We focus mostly on the new space economy, however from time to time take on truly innovative projects in other industries. Clients hire us for design and brand strategy work and we’ve engaged The Naming Group multiple times for foundational brand strategy and naming work across all different clients and industries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire The Naming Group?

As mentioned above, The Naming Group is our go-to naming and brand positioning firm. Whenever we have a client in need of brand clarity and naming work, we bring them on to lead the process directly with our clients. For this project in particular, one of our long-term clients in the space sector was creating a new side business in the food tech industry in the Bay Area. We needed a partner who was not going to merely come up with creative ideas. The Naming Group consistently goes above and beyond merely creative naming in that they consider all related language and terminology in a clients’ industry, taking into account the larger communication landscape in which a name will ultimately live.

What were your goals for this project?

Our client needed clarity on how to position and name their company in an extremely crowded, competitive landscape. Their need was also slightly more complex than the average client in that they needed a brand strategy and name that worked well across a very broad market - in major US cities and beyond, reaching into suburban areas, too. The name also had to work within very specific constraints as it would show up on existing software platforms and applications. This meant that the name had to be short and also powerful because it will ultimately be paired alongside other brand names on said platforms. Our client wanted a name that would signify a completely new way of approaching food in everyday life, so, in short, this name had to really nail it.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

The Naming Group is our preferred partner because their process is the most thorough and has had the most success with our clients. When they are available to work with us, we choose them because their work goes beyond throwing out creative ideas (where other naming consultants and agencies often stop) and instead creates naming criteria that our clients can use to judge the success of the names they are presented with.

The Naming Group also conducts preliminary trademark and URL screening which is valuable to our clients and saves us from having to coordinate those screens with other vendors. I am the primary decision-maker on which partners and vendors we use.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

There are four main phases that The Naming Group took us through. The first phase was all about gather information, both from the client and many hours of research into their industry, tracking trends in the food tech startup space and examining how consumers use language in this realm. After that, they presented research in a comprehensive brand positioning deck that gave our client language for how to speak about their audience and how to address industry-wide challenges. The Naming Group also delivered their signature “Naming Criteria” - the 4 things we’d use to judge the success of the names they’d present, based on the research and brand strategy. They proceeded to develop two rounds of names along with preliminary trademark screening, mockups to show what the name would look like in context and showed available URLs for each name.

They then helped our client narrow down names and navigate an extremely crowded trademark landscape with the help of a trademark attorney they referred to our client. We could not have been nearly as helpful to our client without The Naming Group interfacing directly with them and with legal counsel. My role in the project was Creative Director. I worked with my team to manage the client and worked with The Naming Group to give feedback on their work throughout the process. That said, there was very little feedback needed - they are pretty plug n’ play!

What was the team composition?

We interfaced with a core team of three people across the project. I like working with The Naming Group because it’s easy to access leadership and they work nimbly and responsively.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

After The Naming Group helped our client land on a name, my team and I took over to do the visual design work of creating a logo and visual brand design guidelines. The positioning work that The Naming Group put into the project was absolutely invaluable to my team of designers in the work they did. We referred back to it constantly with the client when presenting our design work. They completely set us up for success. I think a true test of The Naming Group’s skill is their ability to handle difficult decision-makers and stakeholders. On this project, we had an important stakeholder come quite late to the game who was fairly critical of the process and name, despite the rest of the leadership team being on board.

The Naming Group constructively, patiently worked with this team member to help catch them up to speed and feel more comfortable and confident in the name and brand strategy overall. They helped us dodge a serious bullet in this way.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Totally a breeze. They had no qualms about integrating into our vendor portal and communicating with my team on Slack. Not every vendor we work with is willing to integrate in this way so we’re grateful for The Naming Group’s ability to roll up their sleeves and jump right into our systems and processes. Makes our lives so much easier. They also availed themselves to help us design the scope and proposal for our client which we really appreciate. They give us as much valuable feedback as I hope we give them when working together!

What did you find most impressive about this company?

As usual, The Naming Group far exceeded our and our client’s expectations. The entire client team is on board with the way that The Naming Group helped clarify their positioning and love the name.

They’re excited to launch later this year. It’s worth noting that something this agency consistently does is helps clarify the business strategy of our clients - whether its part of the scope of work or not. They ask critical questions that generally push beyond brand and into company vision and operations. I think the true test of a good partner is one that already feels like a part of your team and at Cosma Schema we certainly feel that way about The Naming Group.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nope. We are always stoked.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the VP of Business Development at DouxMatok, a food-tech company based in Israel. We developed a sugar based sugar reduction solution based on real cane sugar, that allows for up to 50% sugar reduction in various food products while maintaining the same sweet taste.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire The Naming Group?

As we were preparing to launch our sugar reduction solution in Europe and U.S., we have decided to brand our sugar (not straight forward for B2B food ingredients), and the first step was to find a name that will resonate with consumers, who are looking for foods with overall better nutrition without the taste compromise.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to develop a distinct brand-name for our proprietary product, that will appeal to both the end consumer and to DouxMatok’s direct customers – food companies. We are building our ingredient to be the 'new sugar of choice’ for consumers.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We collected recommendations from marketing people in our network, interviewed 5 of them, and it was clear to us that Nina and the Naming Group's approach and vibe were a perfect fit. This ended up being one of the best decisions we've made in the process!

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The naming work started with defining naming criteria that underlie our brand strategy, and building clear and agreed filters to screen in and out names. The process was well funneled - from a list of number of recommended name candidates that went through a trademark screening, we ended up with 3 final ones to select from.

What was the team composition?

We worked directly with the founder and president, Nina Becjhart, and her partner, Jana Zednickova.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The name we picked is Incredo. It was the first step in bringing our brand to life, and that choice paved to way for all other brand decisions. We get great feedback on the name from customers, consumers and other marketing vendors that worked with us since then.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective and clear from the begining.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Nina and the Naming Group team were super professional - not only we were very happy with the result, but the process was very well managed - from setting expectations, managing the process' methodology , addressing psychological and emotions of all stakeholders in the process, being open to feedback and flexible enough to use it to optimize the outcome.

A year and a half later, we are still in touch and consult on brand dilemmas with Nina!

Are there any areas for improvement?

NA

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of Interior Design Firm, a psychotherapy practice for adults, teens, couples and families based in Los Angeles, CA. I work with all kinds of people who struggle with all kinds of problems: individual adults, teens (mature-ish ones), and couples. I specialize and have advanced training in the treatment of trauma and all of its residual symptoms (EMDR), as well as in couples therapy (PACT and The Developmental Model).

I hold a bachelor’s in English and a master’s degree in education from UCLA. I also hold a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Fuller Seminary’s Graduate School of Psychology. I am currently a Clinical Associate in psychoanalytic training at the New Center for Psychoanalysis and a member of the American Psychoanalytic Association.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire The Naming Group?

Back in 2018, I was operating as a sole proprietorship but decided to expand my work into a group practice, a place for me to supervise & train new therapist interns, a space for other independent therapists to facilitate group therapy, or possibly just a larger office space where therapists sublease space from me.

What were your goals for this project?

I needed a name that was going to serve my vision and honor my style while also creating a welcoming brand to collaborate with others, too. More specifically, I needed a name that would show that I am “irreverently helpful.” I’m comfortable with complicated and not afraid of the messiness that comes with being human.

Practical yet sensitive. I can move pretty comfortably between “dark night of the soul” matters and Arrested Development references in any given session. I believe we can do deep, meaningful, challenging work while also sharing some laughs. Any life worth living includes a certain amount of play. I think my clients and colleagues would say we spend time honoring the sacred as well as the absurd.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

The Naming Group was referred to me by my attorney who I worked with to set up my business.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The Naming Group asked me to complete a full project questionnaire first. It asked me questions about myself and my brand vision and goals for my business. From there they conducted their own strategy research and creative development.

They presented naming criteria (the things the name should accomplish) and a number of different conceptual areas of exploration along with a large number of different names with strategic rationale for each.

What was the team composition?

I worked closely with Nina (Founder, The Naming Group) throughout the process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

My business name sets us apart from other group therapy practices in an extremely good way! It catches people’s attention, captures the essence of our brand, and it is always a conversation-starter, which is invaluable. Working with Nina throughout the development process, I was challenged to clarify the vision for my brand and articulate some of the business's core values I knew on an unconscious level but had not fully brought to awareness.

This clarified awareness has allowed me to hire the right therapists who share these values and believe in the brand. My whole group has said that working under the name “Interior Design Firm” has helped attract the client demographic we were aiming to reach: professionals, creatives, who can be both intentional and playful about doing their emotional & psychological "inner/interior” work.

My experience with The Naming Group allowed me to consolidate my company's vision in a way I would have never been able to do on my own and attract the right staff and clients. We truly enjoy our group practice's name.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Extremely effective. Nina, the company founder, was clear about the process, expectations, and deliverables. She was professional and delightful to work with. I felt completely comfortable sharing my thoughts and feelings throughout the project discovery/questionnaire process, as well as about the ultimate name recommendations she provided.

When I was anxious and requested additional feedback, she was both supportive and challenging. At many points, I considered going with one of the “safer” directions, and while being supportive, she would remind me of earlier discussions in which I had committed to being bold. I found the workflow between my company and theirs to be both thorough, thoughtful and efficient.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I found that The Naming Group truly listened to, helped me clarify, and understood my goals and company ethos. They were able to capture the essence of what I was going for in naming our group and produced a name that fits who we are.

Also, Nina is a word wizard, and it was truly a fun experience to collaborate with her to locate in language the exact feel I was going for. She is professional, creative, and has developed a collaborative process that works.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Marketing Coordinator of Sheldon Manufacturing, Inc. an ISO 9001:2015 certified manufacturer of high quality and innovative constant temperature equipment to the global market. Major product lines include incubators, humidity test chambers, ovens, water and bead baths, and anaerobic chambers for the life science, pharmaceutical, biomedical, environmental and industrial markets.

My role there includes implementing marketing strategies, analytics, etc. in order to help Sheldon grow, along with assisting and coordinating exhibitions and shows, updating the website with current information, creating marketing materials using Adobe Creative Suite, brand building/awareness.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire The Naming Group?

We needed to develop a name for an exciting new line of features-heavy incubators that will have a base model and upgrades that consolidates several functions that were previously found only specialized incubators.

In short, we’re hoping to offer an incubator that is similar to buying a car – one model with several possible options when ordering from the factory. There are 8 different configurations of this unit that will be available.

What were your goals for this project?

Usually, our name scheme is an acronym of the product, for example: “SMO” is a “Sheldon Mechanical Oven”. Since this product is different than our others, we would like to have a unique name as well.

A named product with aesthetic design elements (polished graphical user interface, curved door with graphics panel) may not be seen as “serious” in the market and introducing a line of brand-new modern incubators will be met with some doubt, so we needed a particularly strong name that instills confidence in users.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I searched through branding and specifically naming agencies through Google. I reached out to 5 separate companies for quotes.

I ultimately chose the Naming Group after talking with their team, I was impressed with their case studies and especially with all the white papers on their site detailing the specific considerations of brand name choice.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The Naming Group asked us to complete a comprehensive project overview and brand questionnaire before they embarked on conducting their own internal research.

They presented a number of strategic insights including contextual support, name type recommendations, a competitive snapshot and opportunities, name tone and unique selling proposition definition along with a number of name candidates across different naming territories.

Names were also presented with visual contextualizers to show how they would appear in real-life usage.

What was the team composition?

Nina, Founder/President was our main point of contact. Naming consultants worked on the creative portion of the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Our product is still in the“pre-launch” stage, but the reviews of our new name have been extremely well received internally. We haven’t done something like this for this brand of products, so we are very excited to release it to a wider market.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We received a schedule with project milestones and when deliverables would be expected from our team. Nina was always very prompt in getting back with questions.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I appreciated their passion for what they do. Most people can’t really get excited to work on a project focusing on incubators, but they were eager to step into an industry they hadn’t worked with before. They came up with valuable insights into our industry that other companies lacked.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Some of the people in our company were a little confused by some of the questions they asked but was a non-issue once they were clarified. We are planning on using their services again in the future!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the corporate development manager for BritePool. We’re trying to create an all-inclusive, verifiable ecosystem formed and owned by the digital marketing industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire The Naming Group?

We needed to create a brand name and descriptor for our newest venture. Our core offering is both B2B and B2C, which posed a unique naming challenge.

What were your goals for this project?

We set out to position our brand to be both irresistible to consumers and transformational to the advertising industry, making people trust and accept modern advertising. The name had to create a strong picture in people’s minds.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

One of our founders conducted an extensive search and chose The Naming Group because of the high quality of work featured on their website. Additionally, their philosophy and approach to selecting a name aligned with our goals.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The Naming Group started out by interviewing stakeholders to gather company and brand information. Then, they conducted their own exhaustive industry survey, tracking key customers, competitors, and the language they used to refer to competing products. We learned our space was saturated with jargon, which consumers don’t naturally trust or gravitate toward, and that customers are skeptical of identity tech platforms.

Using these insights, The Naming Group created criteria to identify an approachable, helpful, and exciting name. They presented an initial set of name candidates for us to respond too, and then they integrated our feedback. After screening final name candidates, they mocked up a website landing page and provided potential user language for each candidate. Finally, they led us through a decision-making process.

What was the team composition?

We worked directly with Nina (Founder, The Naming Group) and a second resource on this project. They brought on a trademark specialist and a few other people behind the scenes as well. The Naming Group also introduced us to a trademark attorney we used.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We were able to register our first-choice name for a trademark and are now developing branding around it. Even though it’s still early, we’re happy with how the name stands out in the crowd.

How effective was the workflow between your team and z theirs?

From the beginning, The Naming Group was transparent with their workflow and helped guide our team through it. They proposed a timeline and stuck to it and ensured all our voices were heard. We weren’t caught off-guard by anything because they were upfront about what to expect.  

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They excelled and distilled various stakeholders’ opinions and suggestions down into names that met our initial criteria (satisfy both the B2B and B2C markets) without being too tech-centric.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, nothing comes to mind.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the chief of ideas at IN GOOD COMPANY. We’re a culture-conscious creative and strategic brand consultancy founded on a belief that how you work directly impacts the work itself.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire The Naming Group?

We needed to develop a name for one of our clients.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted someone to develop several name candidates based on the brand foundation we’d already laid. The name had to bring a modern perspective to luxury and style while promoting women, culture, and community.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

One of our team members recommended The Naming Group to us.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We’d already started creating our client’s brand, and The Naming Group immediately jumped in to clarify it and better define our strategy. During a research phase, they worked seamlessly with our team to make additions to our internal documents. They then produced a comprehensive deck of name candidates grouped by strategic direction and up-front strategic insights. The strategic insights provided carefully researched whitespace, language trends, themes, tones, and decision-making criteria we could pass along to our client.

What was the team composition?

Of all the team members at The Naming Group, we worked most closely with Nina (Founder, The Naming Group).

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The Naming Group’s output far exceeded our expectations. The care, creativity, and expertise they put into every option were beyond compare.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We worked together seamlessly. From the thorough, easy-to-execute kickoff exercise through to every deck presented, working with them is like welcoming back a well-oiled member of your team. I couldn’t ask for more.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Naming is a fine art, and the people at The Naming Group are masters. The best part was seeing the thought and creativity they put into all the names—each one strategically on-point but without sacrificing the fun we were after.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, not that I saw. I loved every bit of our engagement and I can't wait to work with them again.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CEO of a new client-services company. We’re an innovative agency that helps companies make sustainable, relevant progress through their people.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire The Naming Group?

This new company is formed through a merger of two smaller agencies/consultancies, so we needed a new company name and narrative. We needed these things to combine the two company’s histories. We also needed significant help finding simple ways to explain who we are and what we do, breaking through a crowded, buzzword-filled space.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed to identify a new company name and positioning that represented our direction as a firm. We wanted to find simple ways to explain who we are and what we do, breaking through a crowded, buzzword-filled space.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Myself and the co-founder had each known the founder of The Naming Group, Nina, for years. They were the obvious choice because of their specialized expertise, impressive client work, and humanized approach. We had complete trust in their capabilities, so selecting them was a no-brainer.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The Naming Company gave us a scope with 4 phases. The first included discovery and research of our company. Their team gave myself and our co-founder forms to fill out about who we were, where we hoped to go, and our competitive landscape. Nina had us compare our answers to clarify the discrepancies, resulting in a more unified understanding of our goals. The next phase involved planning. The team developed naming criteria for selecting names, including essence, tone, and differentiation. The team spent significant time defining our essence. The next phase focused on the creation, in which Nina sent us possible names and took our feedback on them. Lastly, her team ran a trademark screening for the name we wanted and we made our final decision.

What was the team composition?

We worked primarily with Nina; she referred us to a partner for the trademark screening and offered a trademarking lawyer. We provide our team during phase four of the decision-making process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Though we haven’t launched yet, we have found a name we feel incredibly confident in. We’ve gotten incredible support from our clients. The name has given our team the momentum and clarity we need to be a brand for thought leadership. Although it's scary to leave behind our old name, we have confidence in moving forward because of the help from The Naming Group. 

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The Naming Group team was very clear about the progress and the scope of the work. Each deliverable was given to us with a clear cover page about where we are in the process. The cover pages included graphics showing our exact progress and what was to come. We communicated with Nina through email and Google Docs; she was even more responsive than we expected.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The team was up for the challenge and made us feel valued throughout the process; they went above and beyond for this project. There was a significant amount of work Nina had to do upfront to figure out what made us different from our competitors. They were able to break down complex ideas into concepts we could fully understand. We would definitely work with this team again because it was a near perfect experience. The Naming Group accomplished what we had been trying to do for years, in just a few weeks.

Are there any areas for improvement?

If they were to include more information in the progress graphics on the cover pages, it would help us understand the micro-steps in the process.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO and co-founder of Greenhouse Software, the world’s fastest-growing enterprise talent acquisition suite. Our software products help our customers identify and attract top talent, deliver exceptional experiences to candidates, make faster and smarter hiring decisions, and continuously iterate and improve their recruiting.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire The Naming Group?

We needed a name for the company that would help position us in a very crowded market with hundreds of competitors and a low perception of value by customers.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to have a great name that would set us apart from the competition. Our name should capture the benefits of a software platform that provides exponential value by helping transform a company's entire approach to hiring.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I was fortunate to meet Nina (Founder & President, The Naming Group) and learn about what they do. After hearing about their sophisticated and thorough approach, it was clear that it was worth it to invest in real professionals and not just make up a name by looking for available domains, like so many startups do.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

They ran a thoughtful and systematic process. After evaluating the market and developing themes, they established a clear framework for us to strategically evaluate name ideas. They delivered a number of decks and interim work that demonstrated their professionalism and skill. These helped align our key stakeholders and ensured the final outcome had real buy-in.

What was the team composition?

Nina led the project and had a creative partner brought in for research and design execution.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Our name serves as the lynchpin of the brand. Nearly seven years later, it still stands out as something elevated and aspirational amongst a sea of boring, me-too brands.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They were thorough, effective, and efficient.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I had never imagined that something as seemingly simple as naming a company or product could have such a winning methodology behind it. They had real expertise applied thoughtfully and with great taste, judgment, and experience backing it up.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the SVP of Digital Marketing at tronc, a media company with titles including the Chicago Tribune, New York Daily News, and The Baltimore Sun.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire The Naming Group?

We needed to develop a name for a new web property we were exploring that would cut across the geographically-specific articles and audiences currently associated with tronc’s eight news brands in the U.S.​

​​​​​​What were your goals for this project?

This project marks an important development point in the company. The name had to represent a brand in and of itself with the possibility for syndication to other outlets.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

After reaching out to a number of different naming agencies, we found that The Naming Group was the best fit for our needs.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The Naming Group conducted an initial intake process, having us complete a thorough brand questionnaire in addition to conducting their own internal research. They presented a number of name candidates along with strategic insights for each, real-life mockups of what the names would look like in context, and other decision-making guidance. This helped us envision the names as brands in the real world.

What was the team composition?

We worked primarily with their founder.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Among the suggestions we received from The Naming Group, we landed on one name that was universally praised and which cleared trademark review.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They were prompt, efficient, and clear.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Beyond the favorable timeline and cost, the most impressive component was the quality of the work. They fully understood what we were trying to accomplish via their thorough intake process, and thus produced naming suggestions that nailed the assignment on the first try.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None.