TUNGSTEN

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We produce a range of energy-saving products for the air conditioning market.

What is your role at the company?

I am the CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Tungsten Branding?

We realize how difficult it is to name a business. A .com domain that can be trademarked, but is also fun, catchy, and memorable is very difficult to find.                                                     

SOLUTION

How did you come to work with Tungsten Branding?

We have used Tungsten before, and they did a super job for us with another brand we have called TrickleStar.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

It was less than $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

It was a four-week project from start to finish and was completed in October [2015].

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We have not yet launched the business, so we have no meaningful metrics to share. But we have designed the logo, and the response to the name and logo has been very positive from the project stakeholders.

What distinguishes Tungsten Branding from other providers?

Phil [Davis, president of Tungsten Branding] just gets it. He knows all of the issues. He's been doing this for a number of years, so he knows what is needed and what not to do. He immediately grasps what you need and comes up with options and then a solution quite quickly. The names that Phil comes up with are fun, catchy, and have enough flexibility to allow a business to grow in different directions.

In hindsight, are there areas in which they could improve or things you might do differently?

Honestly, nothing I could ask to be done differently. They did what they were asked to do. It was done quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively. Having been through this process before, we don't even waste any time on naming. We just give it to Phil and ask him to handle it for us, and we are super pleased with everything he has done for us so far.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a holding company with four subsidiaries that all work within the dental insurance space.

What is your role at the company?

I am a senior strategy consultant responsible for strategic planning and business development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Tungsten Branding? 

A name needed to be created for a new IT [information technology] platform that we were beginning to build. The platform includes the claims processing system, customer interface, business analytics, and customer service modules.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

The scope of the project was to create a name, logo and tagline for the IT platform and bring about consensus for what we wanted an IT platform of the future to look like.

How did you come to work with Tungsten Branding?

We looked at three separate companies before choosing Tungsten. Phil's [Tungsten Branding founder and president Phil Davis] experience was visible on our first call, and it was no question to our team who we wanted to work with. 

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

It was between $20,000 and $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began the project in August 2014 with an on time completion date of November 2014.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We have a name, logo and tagline for a system that we are continuing to build. Tungsten was able to provide us a timeless name that allows us greater flexibility for any possible changes made to the platform in the future. We will rehire Phil to help us create the names for different modules within the new system.

What distinguishes Tungsten Branding from other providers?

Tungsten set themselves apart from the rest on the first call. Phil understood and executed the attributes that we desired for the name in various and unique ways. Tungsten's due diligence process and ability to ask the right questions made them able to clearly articulate why they chose each name, tagline, and logo option they presented to us. With Phil's expertise, we were able to get a large group of stakeholders to come to a consensus with ease. He is a very fun person and makes the process interactive and very informative.

In hindsight, are there areas in which they could improve, or things you might do differently?

We have no constructive criticism. We have actually just signed another contract with Tungsten to rename one of our companies.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We develop, source, import, and sell sophisticated, artisanal non-alcoholic beverages. The beverages are delicious on their own but are nuanced enough to pair well with certain types of food.

What is your position?

I am the CEO and co-founder of the company along with my wife.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Tungsten Branding?

After incorporating, we tried for a couple of months to name the company on our own. We learned quickly that there's a difference between coming up with a name that sounds cool or interesting, versus a name that's effective in building your brand and bringing business to you. I did some research and looked for a naming agency to give us a hand in creating a name that would be effective for our business.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

The three main services provided by Tungsten were naming, tagline creation, and brand strategy.

Please describe Tungsten's naming process briefly.

I thought his process was unique and interesting. When you first approach Phil [Davis, CEO of Tungsten Branding], he interviews you, and he wants to see if you're ready to go through the naming process. From his perspective, in order to be ready to name your company, you need to have a very sharp focus on what your company is and what it does, so that he can create names that are specific to building on that identity.

Actually when I first approached him, he didn't feel that I was ready yet, that a tight focus had not yet been achieved, and he actually encouraged me to go back to work for a little bit to achieve that focus. I'm sure there's a lot of people that would have been just happy to take your money and get right to work, but he showed me a lot of professionalism and integrity when he asked me to go back and do a little bit more work before engaging his services.

We wanted a name that was novel, so we weren't looking for something that you could just pull out of the dictionary. We wanted to create a new name. But, even with that in mind, Phil takes you through a number of steps where he creates these concepts, and they're not necessarily, in the early rounds, intended to be the specific name that you'll use, but giving a concept of what your name could be. Some of them were very aggressive, very avant-garde even, and kind of edgy. Others were much more conservative.

Through the early process, he's trying to offer you that range of concepts, trying to determine if you're more comfortable with an edgy name or something more conservative. In the course of that process, we learned we were looking for something not conservative, but not something too far out there because we were dealing with consumer products. We also learned that we wanted a novel name, something that didn't exist before.

How did you come to work with Tungsten Branding?

We interviewed several firms, and they were all quite well known. Their prices ranged considerably, and their approaches were all very different. Every one of them had their strengths. How I found Phil was more indirect. I was going through the process of trying to name the company myself. Phil has written a number of articles that are available on the Internet about the naming process, and so I had read a few of his articles and even watched a video clip of him making a presentation to a group.

I was very impressed by his approach and his knowledge. He seemed to understand both the art and science of naming because it really is one part science and one part art. When I finally realized I wasn't going to be able to name our company myself, I circled back around to Tungsten because I was familiar with Phil's teachings and tutorials online. When we spoke, we really clicked, and he just seemed to get us and what we were trying to do.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

In total, it was between $10,000 and $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted for about five months in 2014.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The first name we chose ended up running into a copyright issue. Fortunately, we had done five or six final selections with Phil around different name concepts, so we had other names we could choose from. I think we're actually happier with the name we ended up with, as opposed to the one we chose at first.

The name, Delmosa, is a novel name. It kind of sounds familiar to people, but it's not a name they've encountered before. It's easy to pronounce. In almost no matter what language you speak, it rolls off the tongue. It sounds sophisticated and European, which is perfect for our target audience. It was right what we were looking for. We've found, in the course of our business so far, that people like the name, it is easy for them to spell and pronounce, and it sounds sophisticated and interesting to them. Many people ask us the origin of the name and that gives us a chance to explain how we came up with the name and its meaning to us.

What distinguishes Tungsten Branding from other providers?

The process of working with Phil was outstanding. He was always very responsive and always hit his timelines. He's got a great sense of humor, which is actually more important than you might think in a process like this. Working with Phil really took the pressure off us, and sharpened our overall vision for the company. I give Phil and Tungsten very high marks from both the standpoint of the services they offer and the fun of working with them.

Is there anything Tungsten Branding could have improved or done differently?

At first, we thought it was a weakness that Phil had very little experience in the food and beverage industry, which meant there was a learning curve as he caught up with industry concepts and jargon. Ultimately, however, I think that ended up being a positive for us because it meant he was able to come in with a fresh eye and position us in a unique way in the industry.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Trivanta is a commercial real estate advisory firm. We specialize in investment advisory and sales for retail and restaurant properties.

What is your position?

I'm one of the three principals in the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Tungsten Branding?

My two partners and were forming a new company out of a merger of our existing companies. A lot of people in our business just use the names of the partners, like law firms do. We wanted something that sounded a little more institutional, a little more like a brand and not just names. We went through a whole list of names on our own, and didn't find anything that really grabbed our imagination, which led us to call in the professionals.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

The scope of the work included a new name, a tagline, and assistance with the look and feel of our logo. In that sense, it was really a full branding project. Phil [Davis, founder of Tungsten Branding] did a great job giving us names, reasons, branding methodology and philosophies behind each choice, but we kept changing our minds and going in different directions. I would say we were challenging as a customer, if for no other reason than we were three new partners who were just starting to learn to work together. Finally, we narrowed it down to five names, and we picked one.

We went with that name for a couple months, and then after branding the company and going to some meetings and conferences, we came back and changed the name again. That initial name sounded great at first but, ultimately, it was focused too narrowly on one portion of our business. We found out very quickly that it was defining us too narrowly, and we were having to explain our way out of it in meetings. We ended up going with another of the names Phil came up with for us. Tungsten was phenomenal in how they went about this "renaming" process of their original work. They made it clear that the project wasn't over until we were completely satisfied.

How did you come to work with Tungsten Branding?

We did some research on branding and naming, and we found Phil on the Internet. We read some of his articles, called him, and talked to him about what we were trying to accomplish. We liked what he had to say, so we engaged him.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

It was around $15,000.

What was the timeline of the project?

We wanted to do something quickly – within weeks. We started working with Phil in early December [2014], and we had the company named by mid to late January [2015], so 45 or 60 days total. It took longer than we wanted, but that was because we couldn't settle on a name quickly enough.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What have been the results of the project?

The results have been great. The company is growing quickly, and everyone is happy with Trivanta as a name. As I mentioned it's very different from the majority of our competitors. It sounds very private "equity-ish" and institutional, and helps us contend for deals against larger firms. We feel that it gives a customer a real sense of security.

What distinguishes Tungsten Branding from other providers?

I think Tungsten Branding's methodology for finding out who we were and what we wanted to accomplish was something unique. He had very detailed homework for us before he could even start. He sent us a long list of questions so he could understand the message we wanted to convey, who our customer was, and what we wanted our name to evoke. The due diligence they did at the beginning paid dividends throughout the entirety of the project. When he sent us the name options, he had a very good description on why he did that, and what each name was supposed to evoke, what it means, as well as a sample logo. It gave it a whole sense of feel and flair, so you could really visualize it more than just sending us a list of names.

Is there anything Tungsten Branding could have improved or done differently?

No. Phil was very good at keeping us on track for our deadlines. He never made us feel pushed, he never annoyed us, and never made us feel like we were being unreasonable. Even when we came back after a month and changed the name, he only charged a very small amount for acquiring the domain name. I would recommend him to just about anybody.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of a sofdtware development company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Software development, custom development, data and AI

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire TUNGSTEN to accomplish?

• Create a new and unique name for a new AI based software product

SOLUTION

How did you find TUNGSTEN?

prior relationship

Why did you select TUNGSTEN over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Amazing People

How many teammates from TUNGSTEN were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We developed a new AI software product to solve the software delivery life cyle (SDLC) for applicaiton development. We hired them to help us create a new name for this product and tag line.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

At this stage we dont have a measurable outcome but what I can say is people love the name and what it stands for which was the point of the project.

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

The team delivered on time, on budget and did exactly what we needed. Always responsive if we needed additional help. They also followed up with us and keep the project on track when we got busy.

What was your primary form of communication with TUNGSTEN?

Virtual Meeting

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

Phil and his team we have used 5-6 times and love their process. They listen and are super creative. We continue to come back to them because of this.

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

None

UPDATED REVIEW

This review was published on February 12, 2018.

Eric Middleton

CEO, 1Rivet

Information technology

Washington, District of Columbia

51-200

Oct 2017 - Ongoing

$10,000 to $49,999

Verified

Project summary
Tungsten Branding has collaborated on multiple naming projects for a technology firm, presenting options for the company name, applications, and other campaigns.

Feedback summary
They return quickly with evocative possibilities that positively affect advertising budgets. They establish solid rapport in meetings and are dedicated to company vision and values.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a technology firm based in Washington D.C. I am Managing Partner/CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Tungsten Branding?

Our company had a name that wasn’t meaningful enough to people outside our business. We wanted something interesting and instantly recognizable in the marketplace that would attract potential customers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The first project was renaming our company but we’ve worked on four or five projects together. Phil (President, Tungsten Branding) wants to know what we’re trying to embody with the names we use. They help us find names that are memorable by going through the adjectives that define us and each project and come back within about 10–14 days with a list of possibilities. They present mockup websites, logos, imagery, and taglines for each option, with their reasoning behind each name.

When we were renaming our company, they came back with about ten names that we boiled down to three before asking them for additional options. They came back with about five more. 1Rivet was in that second list of names and I knew immediately that it embodied everything we wanted. We had multiple meetings with Phil to discuss messaging and our taglines. We finally landed on the wording that we use today.

We’ve been back to him quite a few times. We’re in the middle of building an application now to disrupt a fairly large industry and just finished the naming process for that. They asked specific questions, went away to do the stake process, and within about a week they had six or eight names for us to choose from.

What is the team composition?

We worked with three or four people on their team. We mostly work with Phil.

How did you come to work with Tungsten Branding?

We first started working with another company that wasn’t giving us what we needed. We were a smaller company at the time and worried about spending more money on a different company, but my partner found Phil through internet research. I had a great conversation with him. He’s easygoing, honest, and energetic and he has great ideas for branding and imagery.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $40,000 and $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together a few years ago, and the latest project took place in September or October 2017. They had the first project done in about two weeks. We’ve since used them for other naming projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’m really happy with our company name. We bought another name they came up with as well, in case we ever split the company into new divisions.

We haven’t launched the app yet, so I can’t go into specifics about it. We do want it to hit the market quickly, and the name embodies everything we want. It will be easily recognizable and will save us money in future advertising.

How did Tungsten Branding perform from a project management standpoint?

It was a great process, and Tungsten was the right answer for us. We’ve met a lot and we have a good rhythm. I can call Phil and he’ll turn around with names quickly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very thoughtful about the process and super creative. They try to fit our brand perspective and can spin ideas we wouldn’t have thought of. They even suggest names that would allow us to expand into other industries. They provide a good dialog and are easy to work with. They’re able to take on our vision and values. Their skills are unparalleled.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I get a lot of value from them and am a repeat customer. I recommend them all the time to clients.

STAR RATINGS

Overall rating: 5.0

I don’t think we’d ever work with a different company.

Quality: 5.0

They brought our name to life on our website and logo and in our taglines. We love the process and every piece they deliver is amazing.

Cost: 5.0

The names that we have are worth what we paid. The process is efficient, and we’ve gotten into a great rhythm with them.

Schedule: 5.0

We don’t have hard deadlines with them, but they always get back to us within a couple of weeks with presentations and suggestions for names.

Willing to refer: 5.0

I’ve referred them several times.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Brand Naming of Select Cycle Laundry

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Retail

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire TUNGSTEN to accomplish?

• Company Naming
• Preliminary TM Research
• Domain Research

SOLUTION

How did you find TUNGSTEN?

Online Search

Why did you select TUNGSTEN over others?

Their (published) naming methodology resonated with me

How many teammates from TUNGSTEN were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Discovery & Positioning Strategy (review brand development worksheets over phone call to identify naming criteria; brand characteristics, naming themes, TM, naming budget, domain requirements)

Brand Name Development (Iterative naming presentations to discuss naming candidates, taglines, supporting context, rationale statement, and domain availability including expiration and cost if applicable)

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Decided on a brand name and purchased domains

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

Deliverables were completed on time and my needs were met through Tungston's thoughtfulness, creativity, and flexibility.

What was your primary form of communication with TUNGSTEN?

Virtual Meeting

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

TUNGSTEN overdelivered and anticipated my needs in advance, which helped me make decisions quickly

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

NA

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO & Head of Marketing of Expat Republic & Taxbrella

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Media & Marketing Firm

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire TUNGSTEN to accomplish?

• Name, Identity and logos

SOLUTION

How did you find TUNGSTEN?

Online Search

Why did you select TUNGSTEN over others?

Company values aligned

How many teammates from TUNGSTEN were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

All I can say is these guys are amazing. Amazing! Also very nice and friendly to work with. Really like them a lot.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Amazing visuals, name and brand. Really love it!

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

Yes, 100%

What was your primary form of communication with TUNGSTEN?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their approach and flexibility were impressive.

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

Nope. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Sales Director Commercial Flooring of REGUPOL Germany GmbH & Co. KG

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

we produce Innovative solutions for sports, acoustics, load securing, commercial and construction all out of recycled Rubber.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire TUNGSTEN to accomplish?

• Brand development, Naming convention

SOLUTION

How did you find TUNGSTEN?

Online Search

Why did you select TUNGSTEN over others?

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

How many teammates from TUNGSTEN were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Brand Name Development

● Researching, concepting, and development of potential naming candidates

Prioritize naming candidates that clear the 2-step filter process
● Creation of example taglines for supporting context of each naming candidate
● Creation of a rationale statement for each naming candidate, explaining how the name could be utilized and strategically positioned in the client's industry
● Reporting on the domain name availability of each naming candidate; e.g. available, secured, expiring soon, for sale, etc.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

finding a global name for our new product that all involved parties agree to

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

TUNGSTEN delivered great results on time in a very constructive, motivated, and personal way. Truly a 5-star company with great people.

What was your primary form of communication with TUNGSTEN?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

the professionalism

the creativity

the personal connection with both Gentlemen from Tungsten

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

no, all was really great and professionally handled.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President of Ameritas College

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a college expanding from serving the Tri-State area to serve students across the country and around the world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire TUNGSTEN to accomplish?

• Rename the college to reflect our bigger mission.

SOLUTION

How did you find TUNGSTEN?

Referral

Why did you select TUNGSTEN over others?

• High ratings
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from TUNGSTEN were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Assist the college in developing a new name and related branding language.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Arriving at a name that met our needs.

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

Yes, they were very responsive and patient!

What was your primary form of communication with TUNGSTEN?

Virtual Meeting

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

They really understood our mission and immediately developed a rapport. 

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

No. I was very satisfied!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Investment Professional of a financial services company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Lower middle market private equity firm

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire TUNGSTEN to accomplish?

• Firm name

SOLUTION

How did you find TUNGSTEN?

Referral

Why did you select TUNGSTEN over others?

Referred to me

How many teammates from TUNGSTEN were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Tungsten was responsible for providing potential name options aligned with our criteria and also passed initial trademark / domain screens

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Phil and Blake were able to provide us with 25+ name options and we chose one that they originated

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

Extremely responsive and timely

What was your primary form of communication with TUNGSTEN?

Virtual Meeting

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

We were impressed with their ability to quickly understand our criteria and business, attention to detail, responsiveness

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

NA