WANT

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My organization is a Fortune 50 technology service company. I’m the diversity and inclusion global marketing lead. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WANT Branding?

We’d hired WANT Branding to help us rebrand a foundational learning program around unconscious bias and privilege.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I had an introductory call with Jonathan (Founder) and about five of his team members, during which they explained their process in great detail. Then, we had calls between some of our program’s stakeholder owners and the WANT team, so that they could understand what the program was going to consist of and why it needed a new name. 

We went through three rounds of possible names to use for the launch of the program. They proposed different names, suggestions, and approaches to our working group. The final deliverable was a name.

What is the team composition?

We mostly worked with Jonathan and two other individuals. 

How did you come to work with WANT Branding?

As an organization, we’ve used them in the past. One of my peers recently used them for another naming project, so they came highly recommended internally. We didn’t consider other organizations when scoping this project.

How much have you invested with them?

It was under $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project went from May–August 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our chief diversity officer and his team were highly involved in the project, as this falls within the D&I department. They were very pleased with their process as well as the team’s professionalism. We were more focused on that in terms of results, rather than metrics.

How did WANT Branding perform from a project management standpoint?

They adhered to deadlines, even to the point that they were waiting on us at some points in the process. We had some internal changes, and WANT was very patient with us as we moved through those. They were very communicative. They built in prior reviews with me to ensure the process would go smoothly in front of the bigger team. All in all, it went really well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their knowledge was impressive, as was their portfolio. They’ve obviously worked with very large, reputable organizations and created quite well-known brands. I’d say that’s their strongest selling point.

They were very good about communication, as well as follow-up and follow-through. They were very professional during our team meetings with the full group. They were open and willing to listen to feedback or concerns that arose during those sessions. They really took that feedback to heart and came back with a solution during the next round.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I’d say the process went well overall. There’s nothing I’d improve upon.

Any advice for potential customers?

Being new to the naming process myself, I’d suggest being prepared and asking questions about the process so that you’re clear on how they work right away. It took me a second to catch up, which I attribute to my lack of experience in this field. I didn’t realize how important names are or how they’re actually created. Be prepared to ask lots of questions, and the WANT team will be more than happy to walk you through them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Traffic Safety Store.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WANT Branding?

We manufacture through contract manufacturing about 40% of what we sell, and we put the name Traffic Safety Store on it, which is a really old and not compelling name. It's very dated. We wanted something new.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

WANT Branding came in with a proposal to help us create what we're referring to as a “house brand.” They created a new brand name and identity, as well as a strategy of how to go to market. This involved a logo and style guide.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Jonathan (Founder), Bruno (Senior Director), John (Brand Analyst), and Celeste (Brand Consultant). Some of their designers would also join in on our calls.

How did you come to work with WANT Branding?

I met Jonathan at a conference in early 2020 and we struck up a conversation. I was telling him about our business, and he later reached out to me telling me that the idea was interesting but the approach was dated, which is when he came up with the proposal.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We signed the contract in late June 2020 and had the first kickoff meeting in early July 2020. They delivered the final version of the name, logo, and style guide in mid-August 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were really impressed. We absolutely love it. The brand feels iconic. When we rolled it out to the company as a whole, a lot of people didn't really understand what we were trying to do. 

But the level of excitement that we saw from all of the employees at every turn was great. The team is super engaged. The KPI from us as the client is that WANT Branding blew us away. It was really fantastic. 

How did WANT Branding perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management was fantastic. We’re a different client for them because they typically work with larger Fortune 500 companies, so I didn’t think they’d be interested in us. They were very efficient. Most of our Zoom calls were 30 minutes or less, which was great.

The team didn’t take up our time unnecessarily to prove that we were getting the value. It was clear that they were spending a lot of time in the background; they just didn’t keep us on the phone to go through all of the minute details, which was great. WANT Branding let their work speak for itself, which impressed me.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They listened very well. For example, the first time I met Jonathan, I told him I was getting ready to go skiing in Utah after the conference. So, in one deck, WANT Branding showed up with a pair of skis with our logo on them.

I was really impressed by that. The team is hands-on, and they want to deliver what their clients are asking for. Additionally, they were very professional and fun.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I have no suggestions. They hit it so far out of the park that I wouldn’t have them change anything. If I have another need, I would hire them in a heartbeat.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Go into the engagement with an open mind. When I talked to Jonathan, I didn’t know what we were lacking. Just go into the engagement and answer their questions.

Answer their questions and trust the process. They interviewed us a lot and we didn’t know initially how it was related to the branding, but the team is very professional and they know that they’re doing. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m Brian Westrick, Chief Operating Officer at WL Snook & Associates, we operate a number of websites including Traffic Safety Store. We’re an e-commerce company that sells a range of traffic safety products like traffic cones, parking blocks and hi-visbility work wear

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire WANT Branding?

After almost 20 years in business, and despite our business success, we weren’t happy with our branding. Our main e-commerce site Traffic Safety Store is a long, descriptive and fairly generic name and very close to competitors who for years have been riding on our coattails. We needed WANT Branding to help us rethink our Brand Strategy.

What were your goals for this project?

We hired them for Brand Strategy, Brand Naming and Brand Identity.

SOLUTION

How did you select WANT Branding?

We weren’t really looking for a branding agency but our CEO, Will met Jonathan at a CEO event and their conversation was the catalyst for working together. In fact, to win the business, WANT Branding on their own dime, did some brand diagnostic and analysis work to highlight where our brand was falling short and to clearly demonstrate that we needed to rebrand and why we should work with them.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

After we selected WANT their team set up a series of interviews with a number of our team members that ranged from our CEO to some of our newer front line employees. Additionally, they did a great job doing some deep-dive research on our firm from an online perspective.

The interviews and research were used to create a very good summary of what our company stood for and this was used as a backdrop to start the process of offering a very thoughtful and excellent selection of naming/branding choices. During a series of refinement conference calls, we worked closely with WANT to filter down the choices to a final selection that we are extremely happy with. They did an amazing job and the process organized and productive at every step.

What was the team composition?

We worked closely with Jonathan (CEO), Bruno (Senior Director), John (Analyst), and Celeste (Naming) throughout the process. There were others on the team and a group of designers also.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The brand that WANT created is still brand new and hasn’t been formally, externally unveiled yet but we’ve been really excited and energized by how well the new brand has been received by employees. Creating this brand with WANT really puts us a step ahead our competition.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

WANT did an amazing job. Truth is, we’re not a big global brand like Coca-Cola or Apple and as a small company were a little concerned that we wouldn’t get a lot of attention from WANT Branding. Jonathan, their CEO, was involved in every step of the way and kept us moving along.

There wasn’t the ‘bait and switch’ you often see where the project is handed to a junior level team after kickoff. WANT Branding has a senior-level team that managed the process from start to finish.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They’re very structured in how they approach all aspects of branding whether its strategy, naming, or design. But within that structure, they were able to deliver highly creative results.

They also have a breadth of experience which was clear as we moved into brand architecture strategy and naming – they were able to foresee any potential pitfalls and get us the right answers quickly.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None - the work was great!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the former senior manager of product strategy and concept development at Royal Caribbean International.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WANT Branding?

We had worked with WANT Branding in the past on several naming projects for new ships and some areas on the ships. We hired them for a project for a ship that was launching in China. 

It was important that the Chinese guests would understand and be able to pronounce the name, and that the name wasn’t offensive in Asia. We also wanted to make sure that the name was powerful enough and well-received within our organization.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We agreed on the budget, and we asked to collaborate on three rounds of creative input. Within that process, WANT Branding provided presentations that included a lot of information regarding the names that were being proposed.

For example, whether the name had a significant meaning or, if it was a name that was built for us, the reasoning behind that. The presentation was shared with senior leadership, and before we went to share the top-selected names, the team helped us create playing cards that had the name.

This allowed us to use them during a conversation rather than just doing a PowerPoint presentation, especially since senior leadership doesn’t have much time to look at a long presentation.

What is the team composition?

We worked primarily with Jonathan (Founder & CEO) and Bruno (Senior Director).

How did you come to work with WANT Branding?

They had been working with our organization for many years. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $300,000–$500,000 across all of the projects they worked on. 

What is the status of this engagement?

They’d been working with the organization for 10 years. Right now, there’s no ongoing work, but that could change in the future. This particular project was three months long, and the work wrapped up at the end of 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were very happy with WANT Branding’s work and professionalism. They were able to take feedback and not take it personally, knowing that it was our brand, and that’s how we wanted to operate.

The team was objective and good at making sure that the final product was the best that they could provide, which is why it was such a good relationship. They understand the science and art behind naming conventions because they’ve done it for so many years.

The process they had to get us to the final approval point was quite smooth. For this particular project, we had them in our meetings with our senior leadership, which allowed them to be the expert voice in the room to appease the subjectivity that occurs when people hear a certain name. 

How did WANT Branding perform from a project management standpoint?

They were incredibly responsive whether it was a phone call or an email. Whenever we needed something, such as new playing cards with the proposed names, they produced them right away.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their expertise in naming and client roster set them apart. They bring a lot of experience to the table; it’s not just a gut feeling.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not that I can think of. They were great to work with. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very transparent, even if it seems awkward. Make sure you bring to the table what you want to stay away from based on the industry and the location of the company. This way, when they provide the first round of recommendations, you don’t have to start over.

You have to have good collaboration from the beginning. We provided them with a good brief about why the ship was going to be important for our company. Because of this, we didn't waste time going down a road we didn’t want to go down. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I was the former SVP of Marketing and Advertising at MGM Resorts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire WANT Branding?

n 2009 we were seeking to rebrand MGM both to external customers and internal employees and stakeholders. MGM had just emerged from the 2008 recession and was seeking to create a brand strategy that could both reposition the business as well determine how top optimize the role of the corporate brand across MGM’s portfolio of properties.

We needed outside partners hat could help us determine how to leverage the corporate brand at the property level. Should we simply endorse each property with ‘An MGM Property’? or create some kind of visual/logo linkage or something else? Various strategies were considered and the recommendation was to allow properties to retain their existing brands and instead leverage a new rewards program that would connect all MGM properties, F&B and entertainment assets.

WANT branding created various ideas over several rounds of development. The final name ‘MLife’ was selected not only for it’s subtle link back to MGM, but also because of the new brand positioning ‘Life’s Moments’. There was a desire to think about a subtle name change from our name at the time – MGM-Mirage – to something broader and less specific.

The problem with MGM-Mirage was that many customers and investors thought the business only had two properties – MGM Grand and The Mirage but these were just two of many properties MGM owned on the strip.

What were your goals for this project?

There was a desire to think about a subtle name change from our name at the time – MGM-Mirage – to something broader and less specific. The problem with MGM-Mirage was that many customers and investors thought the business only had two properties – MGM Grand and The Mirage but these were just two of many properties MGM owned on the strip.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They had a strong track record of naming and branding with senior executives at MGM and had named various elements and innovations including Wet Republic and Aria.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Jonathan and his team was part of a cross agency rebrand, which included MGM’s ad agency, other consultants and a brand research team as well. Jonathan was an integral part of the team working with marketing leadership and ultimately in final meetings with MGM’s CEO.

What was the team composition?

We worked primarily with Jonathan Bell (CEO) and Bruno Benedini (Senior Director).

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Jonathan did a great job integrating himself into the cross-agency team on the rebranding and was always quick to engage in meetings and share his experience in naming and branding

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We had a great flow between the teams.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They quickly immersed themselves in the business and asked great questions to get smart enough so they could deliver the branding and naming solutions we’d tasked them to do. They are super creative and very process-driven.

They have a strong presence in meetings to provide the right amount of guidance but also know when to sit back and listen and respect when we need to discuss and ideate ourselves. We like the work they did that we asked WANT Branding to help us on a a new naming project when I when I joined Two Roads Hospitality after MGM.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I would recommended them – not just creative when it comes to naming but also very thoughtful and strategic.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of marketing at a company that works in the credentialing market and talent management assessment industries. We began a new career services business line with an acquisition last year. We provide online education services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WANT Branding?

We hired them to do a naming and branding exercise for our new career services business line.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

WANT Branding did a lot of discovery for everything and worked through a lot of documents that we already had. The team also did executive interviews to understand the vision. Afterward, they strategized and came back with name options. 

We gave them flexibility throughout the process. Once we picked the name, we went into the logo design and URL adventure to figure out what would work. WANT Branding then did the visual identity after the logo was defined and finalized. 

What is the team composition?

I communicate with three teammates specifically. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from November 2019–April 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

WANT Branding was very excited about the project and understood what it stood for. We haven’t fully launched the brand, but we have a press release going out soon. 

How did WANT Branding perform from a project management standpoint?

The team was really on top of things. They always followed up. When we were trying to figure out the URL, the team motivated us and offered to help us in any way. I was hoping for a March 2020 finish date, but the URL content took a long time. They were very proactive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their willingness to listen and understand was a highlight. There were a lot of things that we were still formulating when we started the project because the line of business was very complex in terms of its industries and audience.

They listened well and came up with something that addressed what we wanted and what we needed. WANT Branding was able to read into it and understand beyond the basic message. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind right away. The team was more proactive towards the end of the project and kind of shy in the beginning when they had to do the executive interviews, which was normal. They just needed time to get into their cadence. Other than that, I was pleased with their work. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Empower and motivate them to do what they do best.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the former CEO of Last Exit.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WANT Branding?

Our client needed some rebranding done.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

WANT Branding supported us in the naming aspect of the rebranding process. They helped in naming the company, the device, and the technology that defines the device. They were integrated into our team to work as partners through the process.

What is the team composition?

Jonathan (Founder) was the main point of contact. There were also three teammates actively involved in the project, with more working behind the scenes. 

How did you come to work with WANT Branding?

I worked with Jonathan years ago.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $35,000–$40,000 for the naming aspect of the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January 2000–April 2010.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It was very successful. The client was positively overwhelmed by the entire thing. They came back numerous times over the following years to work with us and WANT Branding again. 

The device became a household name and spread like wildfire through word of mouth. The name really stuck. The device was even used by the British Olympic team in the London Olympics. 

How did WANT Branding perform from a project management standpoint?

They did a great job of integrating into our team. They were easy to work with, affable, and very skilled, and there was nobody else I would’ve rather worked with on this type of project. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

WANT Branding worked rigorously, leaving no stone unturned in the process. In turn, they were able to bring a high level of insight, creating countless “aha” moments. The team made it easy to work together, even though they were a remote team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not that I can think of.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust the process. Don’t argue the price; they’re high value and worth it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president and founder of Troika Design Group, a brand consultancy and creative agency. We work with a lot of global and national media brands.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WANT Branding?

We needed branding support.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We worked with Jonathan (Founder) and his team a couple of times. Both times, WANT Branding supported us in larger branding exercises. The first time we worked with them was for a full brand positioning exercise for a regional TV network. 

They were involved in workshops with multiple stakeholders, as well as planning and navigating. Jonathan helped facilitate that whole piece of it. Then we did a whole brand creative exercise.

We do a lot of workshops but we needed someone to come in and help us execute on that. He essentially led the brand positioning exercise. The more recent project was a naming assignment for a new brand launch. 

It’s a large entertainment company that is creating a new brand in the TV sports space. We’re helping them eventually launch this new brand. The first step was the naming, and there was also a logo design that we did. 

What is the team composition?

Jonathan is my main point of contact.

How did you come to work with WANT Branding?

A colleague who had worked with Jonathan in the past introduced us, and we hit it off right away. We always look for opportunities to incorporate them when it makes sense.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $75,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2018, and our engagement is ongoing. We completed the TV sports project with them in January 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

WANT Branding has been very helpful to us and the client. I like how seamlessly they’re able to integrate with our team. We’re built to do a lot of these things and everyone has different methodologies and processes. 

We’ve been able to work really collaboratively with them. The team is very nimble and brings a ton of expertise. We like Jonathan to lead where he can, and he’s been really great at working within our system. Additionally, we’ve gotten great feedback from our clients.

How did WANT Branding perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is good. It’s a very organic, personalized style. They’re a small organization so they use a lot of verbal methods. WANT Branding is helpful when it comes to setting ideas up, and they’re strategic in thinking about how to navigate through the creative process. 

We communicate via email and phone calls, and we also have in-person meetings. The team plans meetings with us a day in advance to prepare how we can all work together most successfully. Jonathan is very personable and isn’t rigid.

What did you find most impressive about them?

WANT Branding focuses on navigating the naming process. That’s where their expertise lies. Jonathan is a really nice person who wants to be helpful. He’s super accommodating, collaborative, and a pleasure to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I have no suggestions. They know what they’re doing.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust their expertise.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for a government contractor systems integrator. I’m the director of our acquisition innovation center.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WANT Branding?

We brought in WANT Branding to develop the name of a project we were working on.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We gave them background on what we were looking for in a name. From there, we had a preliminary conversation with us. Then we did two rounds of presentations in which they went through various name options and the reasons behind them. Each round had about 30 different options.

We were looking for something innovative, fresh, and cutting-edge look and feel. We wanted something unrelated to our company, so we needed their fresh perspective.

What is the team composition?

We worked with three people and Jonathan was our main point of contact.

How did you come to work with WANT Branding?

It was a referral from another project. We worked with them through another company. They completed things really quickly, so we contacted them and went through the process quickly.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $24,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted for two weeks in May 2020. We’re looking into an ongoing partnership with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The biggest thing for us was the speed; we really needed a quick turnaround. I was impressed with their ability to get us the first round of naming options. We actually ended up selecting a name from the first round. There were several good naming options, which I was very pleased with.

How did WANT Branding perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very responsive and proactive. Things were turned around very quickly. Jonathan communicated with me behind the scenes, and then they were able to present to my team.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their creativity was really great. They figured out exactly what we were looking for. They listened to what I wanted, and that’s what made this partnership so successful. We basically got the results we needed in the first go-around.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very clear about what you want, and they will deliver.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a partner at a global branding agency with offices in New York City, Toronto, Dubai, and Mexico. We have about 125 people globally.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WANT Branding?

We were looking for a naming partner to collaborate with us on a project. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The initial project went well, so we’ve used WANT for their naming expertise on four different projects, including one industrial spinoff, one financial services, and two health tech brands.

WANT Branding led the naming portions of larger branding engagements. Their scope included competitive intelligence on category names, generating names, joining us for in-person and phone meetings, leading the naming sessions, helping the clients feel comfortable with the names, working with legal to ensure the names were available, and helping the client in the end go through the trademark process.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 3–4 people, primarily Jonathan (Founder) but also Bruno (Senior Director) and John (Brand Analyst).

How did you come to work with WANT Branding?

We were introduced to them by a member of my team who had worked with Jonathan in the past. Even though we do some naming at MBLM, we had a client that was really looking for expertise, so we brought WANT on. It worked very seamlessly, so we’ve continued to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

I’d say about $100,000–$120,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work together began in the spring or summer of 2016, and it’s ongoing. We probably average one project a year. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They were successful in aligning complex client organizations on a single name, which is sometimes very challenging. From our end, they were successful in the tasks that we gave them, which weren’t particularly easy. 

We hired WANT as an extension of our team. We measured their success by the fact that the client was satisfied with the work, as well as their ability to answer the client’s questions and revise as needed, come up with thoughtful and strategic names, and then deliver one that was available. If none of the names the client liked ended up being available or able to be trademarked, I would’ve considered it less successful, but we’ve always had a positive outcome.

How did WANT Branding perform from a project management standpoint?

They were comfortable using whatever tools we had, whether that was Slack or Teams at the time. They were also very reachable by email or phone, which was probably more standard 4–5 years ago. A lot of our sessions were remote because of client locations, but we’ve also done things in-person. I’ve found the coordination easy; they’re prompt, reliable, and available.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re really subject matter experts in the naming field. We’ve used Jonathan in pitches, and he’s very charismatic and provides a lot of confidence. On the naming front, they’re probably one of the best that I’ve worked with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not from my end. They always over-delivered, so I wouldn’t say there’s anything they could improve on.

Any advice for potential customers?

Ask all of the questions that you want. They’re very well-versed and willing to immerse themselves in industries they may not know about. They also have a lot of industry expertise across different categories. They’re smart and thoughtful, and I’d definitely use them in terms of presenting; they have a lot of presence and charisma. If you’re looking for a naming consultant to bolster a team or a client engagement, they’re definitely up to the task.