River + Wolf

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Brand manager

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

The leader in Cognac, our brand has shone around the world with its exceptional know-how for more than 250 years. Built on the founder's spirit of conquest, the brand is present in more than 160 countries. Based in the heart of the Charente region, our brand is also a steadfast pillar of the regional economy. The House’s success and longevity are rooted in the excellence of its cognacs, each of which is born of a unique process of transmission of know-how from generation to generation. The first spirits house to be certified ISO 14001, our brand unites its capacity for innovation and the support of all of its partners to protect this exceptional area. As a crown jewel of the LVMH Group, our brand is a major contributor to French international trade, with 99% of production sold in export, and a worldwide ambassador for the French art de vivre.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire River + Wolf to accomplish?

• Naming - new beverage innovation

SOLUTION

How did you find River + Wolf?

Referral

Why did you select River + Wolf over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from River + Wolf were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Name development and identical match screening on a new beverage innovation

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We are moving forward on our project with R&W's naming propositions - approved by our different legal teams.

We did a consumer test - the positive result demonstrated that the naming propositions the agency provided are great & relevant.  

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

We had the pleasure of working with Margaret. She carefully understood our request and our issues before proposing a quote that is very in line with our needs. We had a very tight timing and the agency was very flexible in its availability and delivery timing to respond quickly & adequately to our demand. 

Margaret is someone strongly committed and deep-dived all the topics we had. Both our companies share common values such as searching for excellence (with meticulous attention to detail & making sure we fully understand each element of the work delivered), creativity & innovation. I highly recommend Margaret with whom we were able to exchange to better understand the topic of naming, its issues and way of working. River & Wolf has provided us support on the project beyond our expectations.

What was your primary form of communication with River + Wolf?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The very good and fine understanding of our needs and issues. All the experience was great & even after the project 

Are there any areas for improvement or something River + Wolf could have done differently?

With french naming propositions we could be even more relevant - Maybe if we had more time on the project, R&W could have consulted a transcreation consultant so we would have deep-dive french naming propositions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a marketing teammate at Maison Ferrand, a fine spirits company that produces cognac, gin, and rum.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with River + Wolf?

We were evolving as a company and wanted to rebrand our business.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

River + Wolf provided renaming services for us. The team helped us rename our existing brand, which had been on the shelves for 25 years in 120 countries. Our brand had very distinct packaging and labeling for our bottles, and River + Wolf’s team created something that could be very true to that and our DNA as a brand.

What was the team composition? 

We mainly worked with Margaret (Founder & Chief Creative).

How did you come to work with River + Wolf?

We found River + Wolf via Google and Clutch.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January 2023–2024

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Getting a name in the spirits categories is difficult because there are so many brands, but River + Wolf took that challenge and found a name that we liked that was true to our brand's DNA and passed through legal compliance.

How did River + Wolf perform from a project management standpoint?

River + Wolf's team is responsive and proactive. Margaret came up with alternative material even when we didn't ask for it — she never stopped, and we enjoyed working with her.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review? 

Margaret is a tenacious and lovely person who did a lot of research for this project. I had never met someone as consumed with finding a great name as her. She was creative and fantastic to work with.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We worked with around 10 agencies worldwide, but River + Wolf's team provided more names than anyone — Margaret must've given us around 17 different potential names for our company. It was crazy.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I didn't think they could improve anything — they exceeded my expectations.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be prepared for their determination.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Assistant Manager of a consumer products & services company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Manufacturer and Sales distributor of health supplement products (Ginseng oriented)

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire River + Wolf to accomplish?

• To develop a new brand name for US market
• To review our product line-up naming hierarchy

SOLUTION

How did you find River + Wolf?

Clutch Site

Why did you select River + Wolf over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from River + Wolf were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The scope includes:

1. Brand name development (list of names, naming concept and strategy)
2. Preliminary search of naming candidates for trademark application

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Sufficient amount of name candidates for our new brand/product-lineup launching in US

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

River + Wolfe is very punctual and genuinely very involved / interested in their client’s project. Although our company and team does not speak English as first language, River + Wolfe always surpassed this barrier by resonating with us and deeply understanding what messages we want to convey. Through this partnership we had the expected deliverables on time.

What was your primary form of communication with River + Wolf?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

They always endeavor to give the best solution. Brand, naming strategies are on point. They deeply care for the client. Like giving advice and introducing other professionals on some matters not included in the work scope. Overall, it was a pleasure working with their team.

Are there any areas for improvement or something River + Wolf could have done differently?

None.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Global Brand Manager of Versuni (previously known as Philips Domestic Appliances)

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We discover, design and deliver premium home appliances, as a house of consumer brands globally.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire River + Wolf to accomplish?

• Create a new company name
• Create the story / new verbal identity for the new name

SOLUTION

How did you find River + Wolf?

Clutch Site

Why did you select River + Wolf over others?

• Pricing first our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Other

What was the size of River + Wolf’s team?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The team of River+Wolf worked so hard and dedicated on finding and creating the name for our company, and then extending it to the full verbal identity including name story in different formats, video script to present our new name, copy for brand guidelines and website.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Number of potential names
• Legal & cultural checks
• Delivering well in time and having few options available for the client

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The team of River+Wolf, headed by wonderful Margaret, has been very well on track by first accepting the project with challenging deadlines, and then delivering on time. They were eager to go one step ahead proposing extra valuable services and input, having clear deadlines set and respective review rounds and clarifications along the way.

What was your primary form of communication with River + Wolf?

Virtual Meeting, Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

We were impressed with the team's dedication, knowledge, and involvement, especially Margaret Wolfson, into the project. This is admirable how much one person can do and move things around for the client. We do also appreciate a lot the valuable extra input from the River+Wolf team - those things that we might not have taken into account first, but were knowledgeably guided for by Margaret and the team.

In addition, the team has been very open to take on new requests and discuss the changes that were coming in.

Are there any areas for improvement or something River + Wolf could have done differently?

Maybe just a suggestion - if there is a possibility to have a special platform/ location to have all the working files and deliverables together, so to rely less on the email for the last version tracking - might be good for the process as well.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Our company provides software consulting services to businesses of all sizes. We specialize in high quality product development and building high-scale, lovable user experiences. My role is Co-founder and Managing Partner.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire River + Wolf, and what were your goals?

As our business scaled we needed to level up our brand. The start of that journey was a new name. We engaged with River + Wolf to take us through a process to develop and choose a new name for our company.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found a handful of companies online and quickly narrowed them down based on initial conversations. It was immediately apparent River + Wolf was the right choice based on a fantastic working relationship right away and the deep naming insights provided.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

They took us through a very well-thought-out process of gathering information about us, developing name options, and guiding us through exercises to narrow down our choices. The process was very clear every step of the way. After narrowing down our options from several dozen to a handful of top choices, they made a seamless handoff to a very experienced trademark attorney to secure the name.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked almost exclusively with Margaret, the Founder and Chief Creative. She was an excellent partner through the entire process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

While we are still building out the rest of our brand, the name we chose is something the entire company is very pleased with. Additionally, it has led to some really excited overall brand direction we are finding a lot of promise in.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We had regular, weekly check-ins to ensure we were aligned on progress. Things that could be handled async were done over email with very quick replies. Main presentations were done on a video call. Additionally any time an ad-hoc face-to-face was needed, they were happy to accommodate.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The most impressive thing to me was the thought put in to every name option presented. We did not receive simple name options, we received names each with a story behind it. This allowed us to dive deep into our choices and really understand what it would be like to have that name. I also thought it was impressive how much the team truly knew about naming and how they incorporated that into the process.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Nothing significant comes to mind.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the senior marketing manager at an impact fund services company. We offer fund administration, fund management and impact advisory services in community development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire River + Wolf, and what were your goals?

We are updating the branding for our organization and our current name was no longer serving us since we expanded our product offerings. After a few unsuccessful attempts at finding a new company name with the help of agencies, we were put in touch with River and Wolf to help us through the process.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Lisa Singer at Namebase recommended River + Wolf for the assignment. After an initial meeting with Margaret, I knew she was the person to get the job done.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

To start, River + Wolf conducted a discovery meeting to understand our business and goals for the new brand . Since we had already been engaged with a branding agency, we were able to hand off that research to download River + Wolf on the findings. River + Wolf did a thorough review of the information we sent and also gathered their own findings from meetings and emails.

The scope was for an abbreviated naming process that was based off of a core phrase that we liked. River + Wolf offered to present a percentage of names outside of this phrase as well. They presented a large variety of names to our company and there were many that we liked. With their guidance we were able to do an initial IP screening with an attorney to help us narrow down the final choices.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Margaret- Founder/Chief Creative There may have been more people involved but because this was an expedited project, we only interfaced with Margaret.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Because of the project and having a name selected, we are on track to complete our rebranding project. We now have a name that is expressive of what we do and is inspirational to our future goals.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Communication was regular and efficient. We received emails in a timely manner and the scheduling of calls was very easy. At our initial meeting a timeline was proposed and agreed upon and it was followed without incident.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

From the start, they understood what we needed and how to get us there. The expertise and track record in company naming was impressive and made us feel like we were in the right hands. The creativity and thoughtfulness behind the names was above and beyond anything we had seen before (this was our third naming vendor). Margaret was able to pick up on the complex offerings of our business right away which made the process run smoothly.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

I do not have any areas of improvement. They were so accommodating with the budget and project timing that we feel very fortunate to have had their expertise to complete the project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of strategy and development at a surgical robotics company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with River + Wolf?

We hired them to come up with a name for our new product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, we had a discovery meeting with River + Wolf to figure out exactly what type of product they had to name; we also provided them with a product overview. From there, they started with the naming process, identifying some high-level traits that we were looking for. They eventually presented us with some name options, including a rationale for each one, to choose from.

What is the team composition?

We only worked with Margaret (Founder & Chief Creative).

How did you come to work with River + Wolf?

Before I joined the company, they had already worked with us on a previous project. We chose to work with them again based on their process, creativity, and familiarity with our company.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $20,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together on this project from August–September 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

With River + Wolf’s help, we were able to come up with a name and establish a personality for our product. This enabled us to jumpstart conversations around future marketing projects.

How did River + Wolf perform from a project management standpoint?

They delivered everything on time and stayed within budget. For communication, we used Zoom.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We really liked working directly with Margaret — she was very accessible, creative, and clearly good at naming brands.

Are there any areas they could improve on?

No, we were satisfied with their work and process.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure to go in with an open mind and trust the process that they utilize.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are an independent publisher based in New York City with a 20-year history and 10,000+ books published. I'm a senior editor here.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire River + Wolf, and what were your goals?

We are launching a new imprint (a subsidiary brand) devoted to publishing professional and personal development books. We needed to create a brand name that both captured our character and unique value proposition and would distinguish from the competition us in a crowded industry.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We requested proposals from multiple teams and boutique organizations in the area. We evaluated proposals based on time and cost; we needed a provider who could complete the job within a couple months and at a price that a small, independent publisher could afford.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

The naming team created a number of recommendations in a few different categories of character. They provided preliminary screening for those names to make sure they were not exact matches with existing businesses. We joined the team on a call to narrow the choices, where they guided us through exercises to winnow the choices. From there, the provider offered selected vendors with discounted pricing to do a comprehensive trademark screening and create a logo, which we ultimately performed in house.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

One, the founder and chief creative officer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our name was chosen and a trademark application started within 6 weeks, ahead of the initial estimate.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Prompt communication via email.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

I was impressed by Margaret's personal investment in this project, wealth of knowledge, and expertise in naming. Margaret took the time to understand the project and our goals, and she had some previous experience with the publishing industry, and so fully immersed herself in the project and our competitive landscape. She was personally accountable for delivering a quality name on time and on budget, and our sole point of contact and doing so. I felt very comfortable in her knowledge and expertise, her understanding of our industry, and the quality of the options she provided us. She held us accountable to our timelines, too, and was flexible with her normal rates to accommodate us.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

No

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a shareholder and managing partner for a maritime AI company. We have a couple of subsidiaries located in France, Portugal, and the US. I’m responsible for the business management side, including marketing, finance, and HR-related matters.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with River + Wolf?

Our company is a tech company that was founded by engineers, so the entire branding setup was not adequate or professional. At the same time, the company operates in an industry where branding is relevant, so we couldn’t allow this to continue. If you don’t have a really strong brand identity, no one is going to remember you. Hence, we hired River + Wolf to help with our rebranding efforts and find a new name for our company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

River + Wolf mainly worked on producing a new name for our company. We kept in contact with them throughout the rebranding process that was handled by our vendors within our existing German network. We liaised and aligned with River + Wolf so that they were integrated in that process.

Their team also did a lot of research to understand the world that we work in. They then ran an integrated process with the creative and legal teams. Since the legal side can sometimes be quite difficult, they created a wealth of name options that we could choose from. When they delivered the final versions, I got my partner involved so that we could make the final decision together. They assisted with purchasing our website domain as well.

What is the team composition?

We were always in touch with Margaret (Founder & Chief Creative). She had her own team working behind the scenes.

How did you come to work with River + Wolf?

We had done an unsuccessful project with some freelancers before. After that, we went with a German advertising agency, but we didn’t like their proposals. For this particular project,  we needed creative English speakers, so we started searching online for an American agency and found River + Wolf. They had a great website and impressive examples of their previous work that resonated with us.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent over $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together on this project from February–June 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

A sign of success for us was that we found a solution that was worth going through the effort of rebranding our entire company. It was a solution that was widely accepted within the company. Overall, the initial feedback was extremely positive, and we’re looking forward to our relaunch.

How did River + Wolf perform from a project management standpoint?

At the beginning of the project, they gave a clear project plan, stuck to it, and met all deadlines; there were no delays from their side. In the decision-making stages, there were a couple of delays, but that was entirely on us because we had so many good alternatives to choose from. Overall, River + Wolf always delivered on time. 

The project wasn’t too complicated, so we didn’t need to use project management tools. We communicated with them via Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were impressed with their integrated legal and creative process as well as the quality of their work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think so. They did a wonderful job.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Work with them. If I were to do the project again with their team, I wouldn’t do anything differently because the way they managed the process was great. As their client, you can basically follow their lead in running the project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of a new wellness concept that combines a day spa and a craft beer bar into one.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with River + Wolf?

We were looking to rebrand our company as part of our expansion, so we needed a new company name.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The main focus of our engagement was the branding and naming, where they walked us through the process that included timeframes, budget, and background information.

We filled out a straightforward and thoughtful questionnaire to get more information about our company, goals, and expectations, which was followed by proposing a wide variety of naming options. They explained the reason behind every name, where they come from, and what message they convey.

What is the team composition?

We mainly interfaced with Margaret (Founder & Chief Creative).

How did you come to work with River + Wolf?

We vetted about 5–10 different branding companies and ended up hiring River + Wolf because of their strong linguistics background and understanding of the cultural implications of naming.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested roughly $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from June–July 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We haven’t implemented the name yet as we’re still creating all our other brand assets such as the logo. We loved partnering with them because they were highly professional and put in a lot of work in regard to researching the naming options they provided.

How did River + Wolf perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed well from a project management standpoint and strictly adhered to the agreed-upon budget and timelines — which they were highly conscious of.

They worked in tandem with a trademark lawyer and found cost-effective strategies to complete their tasks.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were impressed with Margaret’s personality, as she made the process very approachable. We also like her experience and knowledge of working with well-known international brands, as well as their flexibility to accommodate smaller businesses.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything they need to improve on as the process was very well-structured from beginning to end.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would advise you to put the time and thought into completing their questionnaires and clearly understand your expectations before approaching River + Wolf.