Tanj

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a growth-oriented private equity firm focused on the middle market. I am one of our investment professionals.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Tanj?

We were launching a new holding company that would become a mergers and acquisitions platform. We tried naming companies in the past and developed an appreciation for how difficult it is. We wanted a team to help us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They took us through a methodical process to make sure the name gave the right impression and had the right message. They were very systematic and allowed us to select from several options. We had multiple rounds before we came up with the most compelling fit. They also helped with trademarking and other legal procedures.

What is the team composition?

We worked directly with Scott (Founder, Managing Director, Tanj).

How did you come to work with Tanj?

We found them through a Google search. We had a good first discussion with them and they walked us through how they work with firms like ours. They had a good track record and we decided to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent somewhere between $10,000–$20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working in March or April 2018. The whole project was completed within two or three weeks.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had multiple options for names that were viable. It’s a binary process; either you get a good name or you don’t. We selected the best option they provided and the vast majority of feedback is positive.

How did Tanj perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very organized and a pleasure to work with. We usually communicated via phone and email and they shared PowerPoints and other slides throughout the process.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have a disciplined approach and an effective process. They are talented, creative, and thoughtful and provided us with several good options. They were professional and generally likable.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. The process was largely successful and they were always timely.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust their process.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a consumer electronics company. I was VP of sales and marketing. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Tanj?

We were working on some new products and needed to come up with some unique names that would work in international markets. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

It was very streamlined. We had an introductory call where we gave them all the necessary details; what we were looking for, what the product was, and how it could be affected by the different regions we were going to be in. 

From there, they did some research and ran through prescreening for legal. Step two was reconvening with them to go through their findings and some of the names they were proposing for us. After that, we gave feedback. We told them which ones we liked, which ones we didn’t, and which ones we wanted to explore to see further options and variations on. We did the same process of another round of feedback and after that, we nailed one down that we really liked. 

Next, they helped us get to the next stage of finding a lawyer to trademark the name. We decided that since they’d already done some of the work, it would be easiest to continue with who they had. The timeframe from start to finish was around 60 days. 

What is the team composition? 

Scott [Founder & Managing Director, Tanj] was my main point person from start to finish. He was in charge.

How did you come to work with Tanj?

I was instructed to find a brand name agency that was either in New York or San Francisco. I did a Google search and pulled together a list of about 50 different companies. I went through and narrowed the list down to 20 potential companies. I went through those with my board of directors and narrowed that down to 5. 

I got in touch with 3 because 2 of them never called back. Tanj was the best fit for us. Upon meeting Scott for the first time, I found him to be very down to earth and understanding about our needs as a startup. We don’t have the budget that he may be used to working with. They were flexible in a lot of ways and that worked well for us.

How much have you invested with them?

$44,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August of this year and finished in October.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had a lot of good feedback on many of the options they gave us. We could tell they really took in what we gave them and tried to work around that as best they could. We gave them a lot of specifics and they did very well with that. In each round, we had 4–5 names that we really liked. Everybody enjoyed their work and working with them. Most likely, if we have another project soon, we’ll come back to them. 

I never felt like they were just generating names for the sake of presenting several names. It really felt like every name they presented to us, there was a thought process behind it and there was an actual reason as to why they felt it could fit with what we were trying to do.

How did Tanj perform from a project management standpoint?

I’d give them a 10 out of 10. The way they managed the project with the specifics we gave them was excellent. They did the work relatively quickly given that we were pushing them hard to get things done faster than normal. 

They took on two naming projects for us at once, which wasn’t initially discussed. We sprung that on them the week we were going to sign a contract. They handled that excellently. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were quick and their process was relatively robust. They did a good job of presenting a lot of relevant options centered around what we asked them to give us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they were great. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are an internet security provider and registry operator for some top-level domains like .com, .net and .gov. I am responsible for product marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Tanj?

We were trying to name a new product, as well as develop a brand positioning and value proposition.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Tanj put together a robust plan on how we would come to the right name, messaging, and proposition. We had a discovery session with our internal stakeholders, including the product marketing and the product management teams, in order to learn about the product, target audience, competitors, current messaging, and the positioning we had in mind. Tanj worked hard to understand all of these from our viewpoint, and also conducted external research to see what our competitors were doing.

We started out with 120 names presented to us, but, on their end, I believe they looked at upwards of 1,000. They did a preliminary screening to make sure that particular names were not being used by other organizations, that we were clear from a trademark perspective, and that the names aligned with how we wanted to position the product. We narrowed that list down to around 20 names and came up with a shortlist of 6, for which we screened more in-depth using our internal legal counsel.

They also provided us with value-proposition statements and key supporting messages. These were put on real concepts: how they would look on our website and digital marketing ads. With the product name, they created stories to help us articulate what the name meant.

What is the team dynamic?

I worked with Scott Milano [Founder, Tanj] and their research lead.

How did you come to work with Tanj?

I came across a 2016 Clutch research piece which was about the challenges startups were facing with business naming and finding the right domain names. As I went through it, I found the actual ratings. Tanj was one of the listed companies, and I looked at their reviews and ratings. We reached out to 3 other agencies and got more information, but eventually chose Tanj.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost was around $60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in June 2017 and wrapped up in September.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have just decided on the name but haven’t rolled it out yet. The product will be launched later in 2017. We have a tough crowd here, but our people have been pleased with the approach. Tanj was responsive and open to suggestions.

Getting end-user validation is key for us, and it’s something which they don’t necessarily do. We felt strongly about it, however, so they helped us in that area too.

How did Tanj perform from a project management standpoint?

We didn’t use a project management tool, but we had weekly check-in meetings on the status of our work. They provided a schedule on the onset, and, as things changed on our end, they adjusted quickly. We stayed on-track in terms of delivery date, and were able to make up some time during research and validation. We had regular face-to-face meetings at key milestones of the project, and the rest was done via conference calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

This was our first time working with a naming agency. The fact that they’re a boutique firm helped, and we had a strong team ourselves. They were responsive and flexible, which are key attributes.

There was a point when we needed to convince other members of our team of the direction to take from a strategic naming standpoint — to have a single name or several. Tanj put together a convincing presentation which helped us inform on our decision.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing sticks out to me as a major drawback.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

One of the things we didn’t consider from the onset, but wish we’d had the foresight to, was not only to do linguistic and trademark checks, but also social media handle checks. We did uncover that the name we selected had already been taken on a social platform. I don’t know if it would have ended up being a showstopper, but it’s definitely something we should have caught early on.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a national non-profit association. I am the chief operating officer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Tanj?

We are working to relaunch our annual conference under a new brand and hired Tanj to help us come up with a new name for the event.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Tanj’s step-by-step process for any naming exercise is detailed and thoughtful. It included a series of interviews with key stakeholders. We began at a high level and, over the course of four weeks, got deeper and deeper into the project. Tanj presented an initial set of name categories, with samples for us to react to. Based on those reactions, they came back with an even more detailed list of names. We went through hundreds of names and narrowed it down to about a dozen in the final presentation. From that list, we selected the new name for the event.

What is the team dynamic? 

We worked with two people from Tanj — Scott Milano, their founder, and another contact. There were others who contributed to the project, but mainly our interface was with those two contacts.

How did you come to work with Tanj?

We selected them based on a previous experience I’d had with them with another organization. That project involved renaming a 40-year-old company, and we were blown away with the quality of work. Based on that, I thought it would be fantastic to work with Tanj again. Our marketing and communications team checked for other firms, and also landed on Tanj. I’ve now had two extraordinarily positive naming experiences with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Tanj in May or June 2017. The project was completed around five weeks later.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did Tanj perform from a project management standpoint?

We thought it would be a much longer process, but it was very quick and thorough. The communication and the naming decks Tanj put together in the interim were helpful throughout the process. Everyone felt involved, and Tanj was ideal to work with. The work was high quality throughout, we always knew what the next step was, and they never missed a deadline.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Over the course of a 25-year professional career working with consultants of all sizes, I think Tanj is probably the best vendor I’ve used. This was a specific project at a narrow moment in time, but the transparency of the process, the quality of interactions we had with the staff, their availability for questions and willingness to accommodate changes on our end, as well as the quality of the product, in the end, made them stand out. 

In a naming exercise, there’s always anxiety about whether we’ll end up with something that works. In this case, we got several options we were confident would work, and had the difficulty of trying to decide as a group. We still have to test and roll out the new brand, but I think its success will have to do with both our execution and with the quality of name we got from Tanj.

Are there any areas they could improve?

In terms of follow-on work, selecting a name is one step of a large branding and identity process. Tanj could create more than just a name, but their focus is one of the things which makes the team successful. I would have liked to work with them more in terms of other services, but they found a model which works for them. On the other hand, it limits the scope and scale of the relationship we can have. We can only name things a certain number of times over the course of a business, and we’ve had such a positive experience with Tanj, that I wish they were a full-service branding and marketing shop, which would allow us to do more. This isn’t a comment against them, but more of a compliment.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am no longer with the agency for which I worked with Tanj. I was the creative director, responsible for all language-based brand development. This involved naming, establishing and articulating position statements, and finding ways in which companies or the services/products within those companies were positioned and differentiated competitively.

I was responsible for naming, specifically, and defining how the brand expressed itself, taking that tone of voice, and translating it into an actual consumer-facing copy. 

The agency itself was digitally-based, and it approached everything from this perspective. It offered everything, including developing websites, in-store experiences, brands, and new products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Tanj?

There were numerous challenges and products we’ve worked on together. I don’t remember if Tanj was my first partner, but I have worked with other agencies in a naming capacity since then.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Tanj was involved in many of our naming projects for clients like Toyota, Walmart and other large companies. I would develop a brief myself or work on it with the client, then engage Tanj for lists of names.

A naming process involves going through a number of rounds and names, which are pre-screened legally and presented to the client, who will opt for a certain direction. We then refine the direction, go back to Tanj to develop more names, or we will develop some names internally at the agency as well. This was one broad project type Tanj was involved with.

With at least one other client, there was a shallow brand voice made of uplifting or evocative communication. They had a challenging set of adjectives which described the brand, and they had a hard time articulating or expressing the brand. I developed a system to help the client and engaged Tanj to write small snippets of copy which showed what worked for the brand voice, and what didn’t. The purpose was to show this client how to direct their writing.

What is the team dynamic?

At the time, I was only working with Scott Milano [Founder, Tanj]. I don’t know who else he had on the project, but I did know that there were other people involved.

How did you come to work with Tanj?

I found them through a referral from a colleague. We had a small, trial engagement in order to see how we’d work together. It went well, so we kept doing more projects together. I felt it would be a good collaboration because the Tanj team is both creative and organized. In the world of naming especially, it can be a cumbersome process, and it’s based on volume—we have to generate a lot of names in order to satisfy legal and domain-name criteria. Tanj was good at organizing it all, as well as developing creative solutions. Usually, we get one or the other: creative agencies which don’t know how to organize things, or agencies which are organized, but don’t have a lot of creativity. Tanj does both very well.

How much have you invested with them?

Over the 2-3-year collaboration, $100,000 to $200,000 sounds about right. As a creative director, I didn’t always see what the contracts were. The managers or producers would take care of that.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Tanj in 2010 or 2011, and continued for 2-3 years, until around 2013. I am no longer with that agency.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s very hard to measure name or brand work, except for the fact that the client was happy. The brand voice and messaging project I mentioned was successful through a combination of how I organized things, and what Tanj wrote in order to help bring to light what I had organized. The clients we had at the agency were happy with the work and said it would work well for them.

How did Tanj perform from a project management standpoint?

At the time, I was really the project manager overseeing them. Tanj was always on time and over delivered. If it was a naming project, they brought in more names we would ask for. This is always good. There was never a problem in terms of delivering what we needed when we needed it.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It's the combination of their organization and creativity. Tanj made it very easy for a client to process the work, and the work itself is creative.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a large trade association with about 500 employees. I work on various projects throughout the organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Tanj?

Our organization has a ton of technical materials about the various groups and departments within the building. However, we didn’t have a piece that tied everything together, something that could be easily understood by a layperson. We were looking to put something together that would describe our organization and include lots of pictures. We could then take this marketing piece to meetings with existing and prospective members.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

With Tanj’s help, we set out to create The Storybook, a large and updated marketing piece that is 100% for external viewers. We primarily worked with Jill [Naming & Strategy Director, Tanj]. She undertook the daunting task of interviewing every single senior person at our organization, from the CEO to the head of HR. From those interviews, Jill took technical and complex issues and put them into a story that made sense to people who aren’t familiar with this information.

How did you come to work with­ Tanj?

My boss came across Tanj on LinkedIn while searching for firms. We read some of their work and really liked what they had previously done. Once we met them, it was clear that they had the right personality for the job.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $35,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Tanj in July 2015. We worked on this project with them for about 1 ½ years.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The Storybook has been used at hundreds of meetings. The principal people around the building use the book to sell and meet with members. They all had great feedback and are very happy with it. They love the way it is written and found it useful. It’s a great tool, and we can give it to people so that they can read about our organization in a more interesting way.

How did Tanj perform from a project management standpoint?

Tanj is fantastic, and the turnaround was quick. Jill knew what pieces we were missing and what the next steps were to get those pieces.

What did you find the most impressive about them?

Tanj’s team was really pleasant to work with. Jill did a fantastic job with the interviews and was able to work with the different personalities around the building. She was completely professional, and we were confident about sending her to our CEO.

Jill was really great at writing, doing so in a way that was different than what we are used to. She had an excellent grasp of the type of writing we wanted for this book. Instead of boring policy language, she took important details and made them fun and easy to read. She took something complicated and technical and made it interesting. She turned something very confusing into something simple.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not that I can think of. They were fantastic.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are architects and entrepreneurs. I am the principal.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Tanj?

We specifically worked with Tanj on naming companies and projects, working on the language and storytelling in relation to the new company or project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Tanj has engaged in a process of discovery/information gathering in order to understand the project and our group. They have gone back to their studio and returned to us for meetings several times as we’ve iterated and looked at options. It’s a fairly compressed process over a period of a couple of months, during which Tanj will present options to us, we will provide feedback, and so forth, until we’ve arrived at the deliverable: the name.

A big part of this process is determining the web landscape and what domain names are available or unavailable. After the naming part, we work on the language and storytelling around the brand and name.

We’ve worked on a series of projects with Tanj, the latest one being for a real estate and design platform.

How did you come to work with Tanj?

We had worked with branding and naming firms in the past, one of which brought Scott Milano, Tanj’s founder, into the team. He worked with us and our branding consultant. We selected Tanj on the basis of the recommendation coming from our branding team.

How much have you invested with Tanj?

Our setup is that we pay our primary branding consultant, who then pays Tanj. The financial investment so far has been between $20,000 to $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Tanj in the summer of 2013. We’re currently talking about new projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

I would recommend Tanj, enjoy working with them, and feel that we’ve derived a lot of value from our work together.

Results from the first project completed with Tanj included having our company mentioned in 50+ reputable media outlets, we've increased our social media presence substantially, and we've participated in 15+ events that have helped tremendously in spreading our name to new markets.

How did Tanj perform from a project management standpoint?

We only interfaced with Scott, who was the only one present during meetings. I imagine other people worked on the backend. I have no issues with the project management, timing of delivery, responsiveness or availability. Everything has worked smoothly. Tanj was simply right: not overly insistent or proactive, but timely in their work process and delivery.

What did you find most impressive about Tanj?

The process isn’t just mechanical with them. There is a lot of empathy with what Tanj does, and they’ve taken the time to understand us as the client and our objectives, and then engaged in a rigorous process. They’ve become a good extension of our team, without bringing their egos to the table. This is rare, and it’s what distinguishes Tanj.

Are there any areas Tanj could improve?

With everyone, there always is something to improve. I have no complaints, and I frankly don’t know what they could do better. I would love to work with them more and longer. What we’ve paid in relation to the value we’ve gotten is perfectly aligned.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Buckminster was a management consulting and marketing firm which helped groups and companies monetize their assets and audiences, and helped apply a media-company filter onto other businesses. I was the principal.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Tanj?

I was going out on my own, and was trying to brand my own company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Tanj was able to apply a thoughtful process to naming and branding, instead of having a subjective pursuit. There was a lot of method in how they went about the branding, and we got to a thoughtful answer that was on point with what the company did.

They had a great process and skills, and were helpful in taking me through that process. It was largely a naming effort. Tanj offered multiple rounds, taking my feedback and evolving it over time.

How did you come to work with Tanj?

I found Jill Stanewick [Naming & Strategy Director] through a friend on LinkedIn. I had worked with many branding firms in the past, but this was the first time I worked on a single name. This would take its own process and set of skills, and Tanj rose to the top and was a great partner.

How much have you invested with Tanj?

The cost of their work was $20,000 to $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Tanj in June 2015. The process took 5-6 weeks.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Whenever I was in front of a client, Tanj’s branding helped me have a modern edge with all of my work.

How did Tanj perform from a project management standpoint?

I was led through the project step-by-step. Tanj brought assets for creative work, and they were generally efficient and got things done fast.

What did you find most impressive about Tanj?

Not only are they great at what they do, but they’re also lovely people. When working on some of these projects, it’s important to have this chemistry. Tanj is a great team.

Are there any areas Tanj could improve?

I don’t think so.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our company is among the top three strategy consulting firms in the world and has been for the last 40 years. I worked in the global branding department as a product marketing manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Tanj?

We currently have hundreds of products and needed a naming architecture that worked, as well as a partner for the naming itself. It’s a creative process with trademark implications. We needed to look at what was already on the market, and we didn’t have the in-house resources to manage this for 20–30 products.

Our company has worked with agencies before for branding and rebranding, but I don’t know if we specifically worked with anyone else for naming. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Tanj helped us with our brand naming architecture. We’d rebranded many of our products and services. Many of our competitors—and the consulting industry in general—were moving away from custom services for specific clients and advertising these services almost as products. We were productizing our offering, which meant finding new names and better language to convey them. We were trying to package many of the things we offered to clients and give those items names. To do that, we were looking for a naming architecture that made sense and didn’t confuse people. For example, we offer supply-chain services and strategy, so we wanted to build a product with a related name, as well as sub-products that could be bought individually or added, making the selection easier.

How did you come to work with Tanj?

We had an extensive RFP with many naming companies and selected Tanj. We found them through a Google search. We also encountered several large firms that had worked on significant products like the Pentium Processor. This was impressive since most people never really think about how important a processor’s name is.

We were looking for a company that had done major projects but wasn’t necessarily massive itself. Scott [Founder and Director, Tanj], their owner, had worked on naming Sony’s Bravia TV, the Nintendo Wii, and so on. Tanj’s team was fresh, and their language was more modern and on the pulse of what millennials would expect to read. Many of the other companies were more old-school and traditional.  

How much have you invested with Tanj?

The cost of their work was around $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Tanj around November or December 2015. All the agreements and payments were done by December. The initial naming process was for 10–15 products, which took around 6 months. Tanj was kept on retainer, and we continued to use them up until 2017. We don’t have as many products to name now, but we still rely on them for expert advice. When a project is challenging and requires high-level thinking, we call them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or impact of the engagement?

We could attribute more click-through numbers to the naming work, but I don’t have any statistics to mention. Our chief marketing officer is a big fan of Tanj, as was the former head of our brand. We heard a lot of praise from partners about their team. We never had a negative comment or a complaint about Tanj.

How did Tanj perform from a project management standpoint?

They were always prepared and ready for meetings, and they met tight deadlines whenever we asked. But, I wouldn’t say that they specifically managed the process; at least, not according to what I knew. I managed the meetings and our relationship and sent them the materials they needed.

Tanj’s project management was limited to the work they did. I pinged them reminders and checked on their progress. The communication was less proactive from their side.  

Scott and Jill [Naming and Strategy Director, Tanj] were easy to work with and could handle very challenging and high-achieving clients. Scott was never at a loss for words or unable to answer a question. They commanded a lot of respect during our meetings with senior partners.

What did you find most impressive about Tanj?

They bring a modern, millennial mindset to larger firms. Due to their smaller size, Tanj is very responsive. Whenever I reached out to them, they got back to me quickly. Meetings were always pleasant. We actually felt attacked by some of the other companies when they spoke down to us. Scott and Jill, in contrast, always conducted themselves professionally and politely. Their expertise shone through in a way that made us feel comfortable. We have a different kind of marketing expertise. We are good at branding, but we wanted to learn from experts in other fields.

Are there any areas Tanj could improve?

Only one thing really comes to mind. Several times, they suggested names that were already trademarked, so they didn’t do a robust search. I think this may have been because of our contract and tight deadlines. After simply googling the names we were given, the first result showed that there was a company with that name on a few occasions. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the chief marketing officer of a company that provides international B2B payment solutions. We connect businesses quickly and easily, allowing them to save time on extraneous work.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Tanj?

We were in a transitional phase after receiving new investment capital. At that time, we realized that we wanted a new name since the old one didn’t fit us anymore. We had grown under it, but we had some challenges in differentiating ourselves in the digital world. We tried to do it internally but soon realized that we needed help.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We worked with one of Tanj’s department heads and with one of his team members, who performed the formal ideation. Tanj sat down with our company and collected all the information about us in terms of brand and market. They built a nice framework by taking down our thoughts and illustrating them on a grid. It showed the different aspects of having a functional name, an inspirational one, and so on. Tanj gave us different flavor buckets that we could choose from. By throwing some of those up and giving examples during the first round, Tanj got a feel of our DNA. The founder and I looked through all the options and gravitated towards one particular pocket. After more brainstorming, Tanj came back with several names.

We chose a few semifinalists and went through due diligence. They showed us both the pros and cons of our choices. We had to consider things like the ability to trademark the name in all 50 countries where we operated, search engine optimization concerns, and domain name availability. We went through a second round of names just in case, but it turned out to be unnecessary.

How did you come to work with Tanj?

One of my friends told me about Clutch. I reviewed several firms that I thought would fit us and interviewed them all. Tanj had the right balance between knowing the protocol and being able to move fast. Most companies I talked to went through standards pitches, almost working off of scripts, but Tanj took the time to listen to my needs and customize them. They seemed to be customer-adaptive in that sense.

How much have you invested with Tanj?

The cost of Tanj’s services was around $35,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Tanj in January 2017. The project was completed in February.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

The name is out there. We have good feedback from investors and other people who’ve come across it. Unfortunately, we have struggled with differentiation. I don’t think that Tanj provided the full gambit on what it would take to overcome neighboring names. There was a software company with a similar name to ours, and we’ve had to struggle with separating ourselves from them. We’re doing it, but it was a surprise. Other than this, employees are happy with the name, and everything seems to be good.

How did Tanj perform from a project management standpoint?

They stuck to timelines very well.

What did you find most impressive about Tanj?

Tanj is responsive to customers. They’re very personable. They take the time to listen and understood what we needed. When we told them that we might need another iteration because we may not get our domain name, Tanj responded quickly and without any kind of complaint. They were very good at making us feel like all of the attention was on us.

Are there any areas Tanj could improve?

They should do more work on giving guidance for cases when there is a neighboring name to the one being chosen. There are other considerations to make beyond the URL tree.