River + Wolf

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an executive at HUBB LLC

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Designs and sells sportswear

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Brand Naming

SOLUTION

How did you find River + Wolf?

Clutch Site

Why did you select River + Wolf over others?

• High ratings
• Great care for the clients

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.

I hired River & Wolf to develop a distinctive, ownable name for my sportswear brand. Deliverables included a longlist of name candidates organized by thematic territories and the final approved brand name, supported by preliminary trademark check.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The measurable outcome from the project was the generation of over 30 versatile name options from different angles, each with low trademark risk, leading to the selection of one final name for the project.

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

River + Wolf's project management was flawless. First of all, the project and the whole idea were understood very thoroughly. I was provided with regular updates about the progress. If any further information was needed, I was notified without wasting time. They are very understanding of detailed and nuanced feedback, and they are excellent at interpreting and applying it.

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?

What impressed me was their deep and genuine understanding of me as the client, the project, and its requirements. When I work with an agency, I’m often afraid I’ll just be treated as a client—that they won’t fully invest in the project and will only do "enough". But this was not the case with River + Wolf. Working with them felt like more than just a client–agency relationship—it truly felt like a partnership.

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

I was very satisfied with the whole process from the beginning to the end, and I would not change a thing!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of marketing at IntelyCare, a staffing technology agency. We provide staffing solutions for clinicians who want to work shift-based options in long-term care facilities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We were building a new brand. We had done a lot of internal brainstorming about the name, needed some outside expertise to push our thinking and help with the trademarking aspect. As a result, we hired River + Wolf to help us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

River + Wolf has provided branding services, specifically focused on naming. The team has led a thorough and strategic process. We've spent a good amount of time upfront talking about the project's strategic inputs, including our goals, positioning, and target audience. We've also discussed our industry and adjacent industries, including what we like and dislike about some of those brands. We've even gotten into the etymology of words, including what kinds of words and structures appeal to us.

River + Wolf has also helped us with trademarking. The team has done an initial search on all the options they've shared with us. They've given us a lot of options that have come back as high risk in their search to show us what to avoid. Then, we've worked with their IP attorney to run a full search on a shortlist of names we've selected and run the whole trademark registration process for the final name selection. They will start working on the logo after finalizing the naming process.

What is the team composition?

Margaret is our main contact. She leads the project. We've also worked with their IP attorney.

How did you come to work with River + Wolf?

We found River + Wolf through a Google search. Based on their reviews and website, we felt confident they'd be the right partner. As a result, we didn't look at anyone else.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working together since April 2025, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They've been amazing partners throughout the whole project. We haven't put anything in the market yet, but River + Wolf has saved us a lot of time and increased our confidence. If we had tried to replicate this process internally, we would have gone through many more rounds and gotten a lot more feedback from people internally. We would also have spent a lot of time doing the full research and validation. Overall, we've saved time, which translates to cost savings.

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

River + Wolf has been extremely communicative about the process. We've had regular check-ins and formal reviews, and they've always been on budget and on time. The team has also gone above and beyond with the content they share with us at each check-in.

We communicate via email and Microsoft Teams. Margaret and I have a good rapport through email, and the communication between those two channels has been fluid. They've tracked the project internally via Asana.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their expertise is impressive. Margaret has been transparent about the process they use to come up with names. It's a science and an art. I also like how the team combines the creative and artistic parts of the project with the logical and rational needs of the client.

Margaret has spent extra time with us and followed up regularly. She is extremely responsive and brought so much perspective and expertise to the project. She gives us a lot of guidance and direction. She helps us understand the creative process and its legality, as well as how to be open to different ideas based on what's available from a trademarking perspective.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't have any. This has been one of the best experiences I've had with a partner.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open to River + Wolf's guidance. They're experts in their field, so let them take you on that journey. Don't be so rigid about what the output needs to be. You have no idea what you're looking for until you go through the process with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a senior manager at an advertising company. My team does B2B consulting, and we sometimes take in clients who want to develop a new company name or value system.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We needed help with naming an end client's company. They have recently established themselves in the US.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

River + Wolf has been helping us develop a company name. We’ve done three rounds of development and one conditional development round, for a total of four rounds of name development. They’ve also done preliminary screenings and searches for the names.

At first, the client wanted an enigmatic name with a background story. For rounds three and four, they wanted natural language names. River + Wolf has also been doing some follow-up work.

What is the team composition?

Margaret, the founder and head of the agency, is our main point of contact. There are 3–4 more teammates developing a name, and there’s also an IP attorney.

How did you come to work with River + Wolf?

Our client wanted to hire a US naming agency, so we looked for one. I also looked on Clutch, and River + Wolf had good reviews and a good portfolio. Eventually, we chose them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2024, and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quality of River + Wolf’s work is super. They have delivered almost 40 names so far. Besides, there have been modifications that the client has requested, and River + Wolf has always accommodated them. Overall, the end client is quite satisfied.

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

River + Wolf's project management has been great. They've accommodated last-minute requests or modifications. We mostly communicate through email and sometimes do Zoom calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their work ethic is impressive. They’ll do anything to make the project work, which I appreciate.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The team changed the guidelines in the middle of the engagement. It would have been great if we could have avoided that.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s important to know your client’s needs very clearly. Once River + Wolf gets the direction, they’ll do great work. If the client changes their mind, it’s going to be a waste.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm an executive of Innovative Conscious Trading.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We needed help with naming our brand.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had 4–5 sessions with  River + Wolf and exchanged countless emails. The process went through three major stages. In the last stage, they provided several of names, and we chose from them. After that, we moved on to the final stage, where we picked a name from all the names they suggested.

What is the team composition?

We mainly worked with Margaret. We also worked with at least three other people along the process.

How did you come to work with River + Wolf?

We found them through Clutch.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $10,000–$49,999.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together in December 2024.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

River + Wolf did an outstanding job. They even overdelivered. Their work was a 10 out of 10.

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

Everything was appropriately structured, and they met all the deadlines. We mainly communicated through emails and used Asana, but they were also very quick on the phone. They opened up all their channels for us.

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

Margaret was outstanding and exceptionally talented.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their passion was impressive. They loved what they were doing. They went out of their way to help us understand every step of the project. The communication was incredibly excellent. Margaret specifically was a game changer; she was an exceptional talent and knew what she was doing. River + Wolf's work was fantastic.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I wouldn't change anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Do your due diligence before working with them. Think about many names in advance and how you feel about those names. Think about how they apply to the brand positioning. That could make it easier for you to tackle the project. Take that extra step to tell River + Wolf what you want.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of a medical technology company.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our company designs and develops advanced intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) systems for calcific artery disease.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Propose names for both our electric and laser IVL systems.

SOLUTION

How did you find River + Wolf?

Online Search

Why did you select River + Wolf over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost

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

Objective: To develop unique, memorable, and appropriate names for two distinct IVL (Intravascular Lithotripsy) systems, along with a PowerPoint presentation showcasing potential naming options.

Deliverables:
 1. Naming Research and Development
 • Conduct thorough market research on existing IVL systems and adjacent competitors
 • Analyze industry trends and naming conventions in medical technology
 2. Name Generation
 • Create a minimum of 10 unique name options for each IVL system
 • Ensure names are: distinctive and memorable, reflective of the systems’ functions and benefits, legally available and trademark-friendly, culturally appropriate for global markets.
 3. Name Screening
 • Conduct preliminary trademark screening
 • Perform linguistic checks to avoid negative connotations in major languages
 4. PowerPoint Presentation
 • Design a comprehensive PowerPoint deck featuring: project overview and naming strategy, top 10-15 name options for each IVL system, rationale and creative story behind each name

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Stakeholder Satisfaction
Qualitative Feedback:
• Collect anecdotal evidence through informal conversations with stakeholders
• Gather testimonials or success stories from key stakeholders
Stakeholder Advocacy:
• Observe whether stakeholders proactively promote the new IVL system names
• Note instances of stakeholders defending or explaining the naming choices to others

Trademark and Legal
Legal Team Confidence:
• Gauge the legal team’s comfort level with the chosen names
• Evaluate the legal team’s perception of potential future challenges
Brand Integrity:
• Evaluate how well the new names align with the company’s overall brand strategy
• Observe whether the names contribute to a cohesive brand identity

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

River + Wolf demonstrated a reliable approach to project management and their performance met our basic expectations.

Timeliness:
River + Wolf adhered to the agreed-upon timeline and communicated appropriately.

Responsiveness:
The team at River + Wolf was responsive to our needs and inquiries. They typically acknowledged our messages within one business day and were readily available for discussions and clarifications.

Adaptability:
They made efforts to incorporate our feedback into subsequent iterations of the naming options. 

Communication:
Their communication was generally clear and professional. Regular project updates were provided and their team was open to scheduling additional calls when necessary to discuss complex aspects of the project.

Overall, River + Wolf’s project management was competent and got the job done. They delivered a solid naming project that met our primary objectives.

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

Email or Messaging App

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

What stood out most about River + Wolf was their founder's hands-on involvement and deep passion for naming. Additionally, River + Wolf’s responsiveness, clear communication, and ability to meet deadlines while remaining flexible to client needs made them stand out as a reliable and effective naming partner.

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

While River + Wolf delivered solid name options for our IVL systems, the range of creative territories explored could have been broader. While the names provided were good, they didn’t push boundaries or offer truly unexpected options that might have led to more distinctive choices. A deeper dive into our technologies or the exploration of unique capabilities related to our IVL systems might have yielded more compelling results.

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.