WANT

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a multi-billion dollars medical device company with products in the minimally invasive surgical space. I’m the director of product branding.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WANT Branding?

We had a major initiative with a new product that we needed to name.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started with defining our business goals and brand architecture before creating a stable framework and strategy to establish the original project scope.

We subsequently engaged with them to help with strategic naming and development of our naming hierarchy for the company. They ended up doing an inventory of all of our product names and creating a framework to understand them. They collaborated with us to develop a new hierarchy and also used the emerging framework to help me name several products simultaneously. We used their international language capabilities to check if our proposed names had issues in different countries.

The first contract was a very specific statement of work around helping us name a product. The second one was a retainer where the scope of work was much more strategic, leading to development of an overall naming hierarchy that informed various individual naming projects. The individual product naming projects were part of the retainer, where the strategic work also included naming a set quota of projects per month.

What is the team composition?

We worked with their founder and CEO as well as a senior director who did a lot of the name and heavy lifting. Celeste (Brand Consultant, WANT Branding) handled the project management.

How did you come to work with WANT Branding?

A consultant we’d been working with on brand strategies recommended them to us.  He said he knew several other naming consultancies, but felt that WANT was more strategic.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $180,000–$240,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from November 2016 until December 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They performed an inventory of our existing product names (700-800 names) and organized them into four categories. They were able to make sense of the names we had used the past and propose a naming decision tree to help us make decisions of when and how to create future product names. We ended up using that filter tree to develop a naming hierarchy in conjunction with them that's been pretty successful.

How did WANT Branding perform from a project management standpoint?

Celeste did a good job. I have a pretty strong project management background and found them fairly flexible in adapting their style to ours. It worked well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were very willing to work in a deeply collaborative way with us. They weren’t afraid to educate us so that we could make better decisions and evaluate their work more effectively. They were very open to feedback around other strategic considerations they needed to think about. It was a very natural and open type of working model, which I really enjoyed. Consultants can sometimes want a much clearer statement of work to control the scope. Because we worked on a retainer basis, it was much easier for us to act strategically and flex the work to what was important and necessary.

Are there any areas they could improve?

While they were very strategic, I think they could have gone even further in that area. Perhaps we were an unusual client in that regard.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of two companies. OnQ is a retail display company for the tech industry. The second company, June 20, is the company that WANT Branding assisted. June 20 brings rich, interactive content into stores and creates a suite of software/hardware hybrid solutions for the shelf level.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WANT Branding?

We needed a name for our product. We wanted something descriptive and catchy that could be trademarked.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’re a creative company, so we asked them to change their strategy to include our people. They came to us and walked us through the process of coming up with great names. They included us much more than other agencies might. It was a fun project. They’re incredibly good at their job and we learned a little about their process.

In the world of naming, there’s a lot of back and forth. They brought us a list of possible names to choose from. Once we had a shortlist, we needed to make sure our options were available to trademark. Even with a great list, there were little details we hadn’t considered. We ultimately reached our final decision with their help.

What is the team composition?

There were a few members of the team who contributed to logos and follow-ups, but we primarily worked with Jonathan [Managing Director, WANT Branding].

How did you come to work with WANT Branding?

I met Jonathan at a TED conference years ago. When we considered who could help us with our naming initiative, I remembered our interaction and called him up. He came to us with a pitch we could agree on and started workshopping.

How much have you invested with them?

Start to finish, we spent around $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working on the project in January 2017. Our engagement lasted three or four months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The impact has been marvelous. We’re nearing the end of our funding round and have a lot of the devices in the field. We’ve done a number of tradeshows. Since the name is so catchy, we’ve had interviews, placements, and mentions in a lot of trade articles. The name mattered a lot more than we thought it would.

How did WANT Branding perform from a project management standpoint?

They were terrific across the board. I didn’t realize how complicated the process would be going in and was initially bewildered by the price. I had no idea how much went into a really good name, especially considering international and language nuance.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re really gifted. They listen to recommendations and can parse out what will work and why. They’re very collaborative and good at working with our creative team. I was pleased by how well they reacted and responded to us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There isn’t anything they need to improve. They walked us through the process with a great deal of skill and pizzazz and found us a wonderfully descriptive name we could protect. I don’t have any negatives.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They have experience in a variety of industries and a level of subtlety that other agencies lack. They pick names that match the class of trade. Any potential customer should take advantage of that ability.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the director of marketing for a food and beverage company that is entering the cold brew coffee category with a line of shelf-stable, authentic coffee blends.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We needed a name for our new cold brew coffee brand, so we hired WANT Branding to guide our internal marketing and design team through a naming exercise.

What were your goals for this project?

We were building a purpose-driven brand towards discerning young consumers, so we needed a catchy, recognizable brand name that would resonate with that audience.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I had a great experience working with Jonathan in the past on a similar project at another company. After discussing the challenge and objectives of the project, Jonathan prepared a proposal that he shared with my team and our senior leadership.

The proposal outlined his team's significant experience, a phased collaborative approach to the project, the duration, and the costs.

After reviewing the proposal, it was clear that WANT Branding was the right partner for us. Our decision was based on their experience and their ability to deliver on budget within a short amount of time.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

To begin, the WANT Branding team consulted with us to understand the consumer we wanted to attract and the category in which we were competing. They aligned with us on our objectives and determined which types of brand names would be the best fit.

There were two or three rounds of names presented for our consideration and feedback. We started with dozens of options in the first round and ended up with just a handful.

What was the team composition?

Three members of the WANT Branding team were involved, led by Jonathan.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Working with the WANT Branding team to develop a new brand name was an incredibly valuable exercise. All internal team members and senior leaders gave positive feedback on the approach and results. The name inspired several campaign themes and will help the brand come to life when it launches.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

WANT Branding took a consultative approach and solicited our actionable feedback about the options presented to us during each phase. Because the process was clearly defined in the beginning, the flow was very smooth from beginning to end.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

WANT Branding clearly has expertise in brand naming across many categories. They have the ideal balance of creativity and practical trademark knowledge.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was formerly the senior design manager for Kimberly-Clark Professional, a CPG international company. I was responsible for a lot of the creative work both internally and with external vendors and agencies to help us on a number of strategic initiatives.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WANT Branding?

We were developing a new suite of product in an area that was new to us. We were looking for someone to help us come up with naming conventions, understanding a good fit with regard to brand positioning.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

It was a very collaborative process. We were working with another agency on a larger piece of the project, and they brought WANT Branding in as their partner. WANT Branding conducted a fact-finding discussion with the other agency, put together a proposal, and then did the work. They held a workshop where we worked through the background of the project. They also brought a point of view to the table around naming and best practices as well as thought leadership on where they believed that we should go and what we should do. Then, they worked on it for a couple of weeks and checked back with us at various gates in the project.

When we had narrowed it down to a couple of directions, they brought in the services of a visual designer who brought these names to life and showed them in various real-life situations, whether it was at a tradeshow booth or literature on a website, to give us a flavor of how that name might live and exist in the real world.

They also advised us about names which may be problematic in different languages in terms of translation and also different cultural meanings globally.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Jonathan (Managing Director, WANT Branding).

How did you come to work with WANT Branding?

We were initially connected by another agency who had brought them in as a partner.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent around $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from the spring of 2014 until 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The product came onto the market last year and has been well-received. Feedback was very positive.

It was a very collaborative and iterative process to come up with the final selection. It was a very thoughtful project. It wasn’t a case of them going away and coming back at the end with a name they thought we should move on with. Most, if not everybody, was on board with the name when it came out. There was a lot of agreement and consistency.

How did WANT Branding perform from a project management standpoint?

They did great. They were a great vendor, and Jonathan is a great relationship builder. He is also a great workshop leader, presenter, and facilitator. We were very happy to work with him directly. I’ve looked for other opportunities to collaborate with him because I enjoyed that experience.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The personal touch and the deep knowledge that Jonathan has in this space was impressive. I felt very comfortable working with him and the rest of the team did as well. He brought a lot of great qualities to the table and was able to be the salesperson, the subject matter expert, and the delivery person on the project as well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I would be interested in knowing if they have more skills to provide. If they were to try and grow their business by having a broader set of skills to offer, it might be advantageous.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am Monique de Maio, founder & CEO of onDemandCMO, which is a full-service marketing, communications, and consulting firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We needed help ideating and presenting new names and brandings for a bank that had just acquired another bank and was renaming itself.

What were your goals for this project?

To ideate and create a new name for the bank.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I have worked with Jonathan Bell, the founder of WANT Branding, several times when our clients needed name generation and branding. I have always trusted him and enjoyed working with him.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

They ideated and presented three rounds of naming possibilities for the bank.

What was the team composition?

My team was my partner and myself. WANT Branding's team was composed of Jonathan and his associate Bruno Benedini, supported by Celeste Guerra.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their work produced a total of over 65 naming possibilities, six different naming approaches, and a genuinely unique approach to the banking environment.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was excellent. The WANT team was available through video and audio calls as needed. We managed the bulk of the client meetings, interface, and presentations.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They are truly customer-focused. They play within the rules that are dictated by the circumstance. They also work well with both their agency partners and their clients, if there is one, which was the case in all my experiences.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There is nothing I can think of. I loved working with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a creative director with Snowball. We’re an email-based payment platform that assists with fundraising efforts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WANT Branding?

Our existing company name, @Pay, was chosen as a broad solution as we determined what direction our company would take. Having solidified our focus on donations and fundraising, we wanted a new name to better reflect our brand. We had a strict deadline, and also needed to consider the possibility that our company could split into separate entities, each requiring a different, unique name.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They began by conducting in-depth interviews with all of our stakeholders. In this way, they learned our priorities but also used the opportunity to educate our stakeholders on the naming process, as they would be the ones to make the final decision.

They then conducted extensive research on our competitors. Finally, they created a roadmap to walk us through the creative process, ensuring we saw the rationale behind each naming suggestion.

While their primary focus was on renaming, they also worked on logo development.

What is the team composition?

We worked directly with the founder, Jonathan Bell, as well as Bruno Benedini (Senior Director, WANT Branding) and Celeste Guerra (Brand Consultant, WANT Branding). They were all present for every phone call.

How did you come to work with WANT Branding?

Our CEO did research online and contacted Jonathan to have an open conversation about our goals. They seemed willing to adapt to our unique needs. While the naming process can normally take months, we had a relatively short timeline. We also needed an agency willing to provide names for multiple businesses based on a single renaming process. WANT was open to these challenges.

How much have you invested with them?

Around $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together between October 2017–January 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We conducted our company’s original naming process ourselves and found it to be a daunting, drawn-out experience. While we haven’t yet launched our new brand, WANT Branding provided an effective methodology that gave us clarity in the end result.

How did WANT Branding perform from a project management standpoint?

They did an excellent job of taking the lead and making sure the project stayed on schedule. Because our stakeholders aren’t gathered in a central location, WANT’s team also organized a number of phone calls to coordinate the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Creative projects can be challenging, especially when dealing with a topic as important as a company name. An agency has to put in the work, but they also have to manage an organization’s expectations. If you’ve only worked with vendors like WANT Branding, you may not realize how difficult this can be. They get things done in a timely manner while also instilling confidence in the end result.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we were very pleased with the process.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a leading financial technology company specializing in lending, payments, and financial solutions technologies for banks across North America and in various countries around the world. I am a marketing lead for the new lending products that we develop internally.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WANT Branding?

We had a product naming challenge that had evolved over roughly a ten-year period. We had acquired a variety of businesses and products during that period of time, and we didn’t have a cohesive product naming convention. We wanted to streamline and consolidate the product naming conventions of all our products. We were looking for a partner who could help us in that effort and also help with the actual naming of the solutions to make them stand out in the market.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

WANT Branding had a very thorough process and a clear methodology for how they approach product naming. They had worked with another division within our company on product naming and they applied the same approach to our project. They took the time to understand our challenges and the context in which they were operating. They interviewed 15–20 of our executives to learn more about the company, the products, and how the products were perceived in the market, to ensure that no brand equity was lost in the renaming.

After the due diligence phase, they came back with a variety of product naming options and presented them in a clear and rational way, providing insight as to the meaning behind the different names. They gave background to help us understand the significance of each of the ideas. They were very helpful and accommodating when we would push back on some of the product names put forward. They would bring us new ideas depending on the direction we gave.

Their original mandate expanded over time. We expanded the scope from just an initial naming audit and strategy recommendation to helping with some of the branding and brand guideline elements related to the new brand.

How did you come to work with WANT Branding?

WANT had been working with another division within our company. There has been a concerted effort to consolidate and streamline our product naming conventions across the company, so it made sense for us to work with the same agency. We interviewed WANT along with a few different agencies. In the end, we went with WANT.

They came to us with a three-phase approach, with timelines for each phase. The first was a discovery audit, analysis, and brand strategy phase, which took about a month. They conducted phone interviews, did research on the industry, and analyzed the ways our competitors were structuring their products and solutions. Then, they came back to us with a comprehensive report that served as the foundation for the subsequent work of naming our new solution.

Another three weeks was spent coming up with various names and naming convention ideas. Then, they also worked on one specific solution that was brand new to our company. They worked on coming up with a name that fit into the overall solution architecture that was simultaneously being developed.

Around the September-October timeframe is when they presented their final recommendation on the product naming strategy for the company. WANT is known for their naming blueprint, which is a proprietary approach for outlining and guiding name development for products or solutions. They presented that early on in our discussions, and it was one thing that differentiated them from other brand agencies.

How much have you invested with WANT Branding?

Our investment was in the high five-figure range, with a few smaller engagements in the months to follow.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July of 2016, and the project was completed in January of 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Prior to the brand launch in early 2017, we did quantitative and qualitative research with our existing customers to test if the new brand architecture resonated with them, if it was clear, and if they cared. Overall, the response to the new brand architecture was positive. We found that many of our clients didn’t know the parent company who actually created the product they were using. Now, many are seeing the true breadth and depth of our solutions for the first time across the entire company, not just the one product they use. Feedback has been very positive, and we are very happy with the work that WANT Branding has done.

How did WANT Branding perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very responsive, courteous, and accommodating of our schedules and time. They were enthusiastic, often proactively suggesting new ideas or forwarding articles they had seen on what competitors are doing.

What did you find most impressive about WANT Branding?

WANT is truly passionate about what they do. They live and breathe this stuff, and they enjoy it, which makes working with them much more enjoyable. We’ve grown the relationship to be more than just a traditional supplier relationship. We worked very closely for nine months, and many times I felt that they were part of our team internally. When the project came to an end, it was almost like we were losing a few of our own.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CMO of Xanterra Parks & Resorts, a diverse global hospitality and travel company. We own five tour operators, Windstar Cruises, the Grand Canyon Railway, and multiple resorts. We’re also the largest concessionaire of national parks.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WANT Branding?

We hired WANT Branding to help us come up with a new brand that would represent luxury travel in a customized way. Our idea was to put specialized, one of a kind trips across our portfolio that only we could deliver because of the diversity of our portfolio and holdings. We had designed these special itineraries, and we wanted to come up with a new brand name to capture that collection.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started with a project brief, and WANT Branding expanded upon that and did an in-depth interview to make sure they understood what everybody was looking for. In this case, we were looking for them to name a new product, and they wanted to make sure that all of the key constituents who would be in the decision-making process were in agreement on what the name needed to represent.

How did you come to work with WANT Branding?

The person who was in charge of research on my team at Royal Caribbean found WANT Branding when I was working there. They were one of the several folks that we looked at. We enjoyed their approach and their leadership team, so we hired them. They did a tremendous job for us at Royal Caribbean in naming ships, ship classes, and several new and unusual spaces. When I came to Xanterra, and I had this opportunity, WANT Branding were the first people who came to mind

What is the status of this engagement?

My Xanterra project with WANT Branding ended about a year ago around March 2016. I probably started working with them in 2011 at Royal Caribbean. Everything I've ever done with them is done on a project basis. They’re not on a retainer because we don't necessarily have that need.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I think WANT Branding does great work. They don't give you just one answer, which is one of the things I love about them. They come in, give you a lot of different ideas — every one of which has legs — and then you narrow them down and ask yourself, “OK, is this what I need? Is this what I want?” Their process is fantastic, in my view, but it’s a hard thing to measure. We ultimately decide which one of their suggestions to use, and there’s no way of knowing whether we would have had a better result if we had chosen something different. But we’ve been incredibly pleased with their work, which is why I keep going back whenever I can and whenever I have a project that’s appropriate.

How did WANT Branding perform from a project management standpoint?

WANT Branding does an excellent job from a project management standpoint. They’re good at keeping to their timelines, delivering when they say they will, and keeping you informed. There are discussion notes after every meeting, and they’re thorough, timely, and totally reliable.

What did you find most impressive about WANT Branding?

WANT Branding's team is professional and so easy and lovely to work with.

Are there any areas WANT Branding could improve?

I don't think there are any areas WANT Branding could improve. I think they’re terrific, and I’m a big fan.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Chief Marketing Officer of n/a

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Healthcare company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Rebrand

SOLUTION

How did you find WANT?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site

Why did you select WANT over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit

How many teammates from WANT were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We had a fantastic experience working with Want brand agency. From the start, their approach was thoughtful, strategic, and grounded in real insight. They conducted comprehensive surveys that gave us meaningful data about our audience and market position, and they translated those findings into a clear, actionable plan.

What impressed us most was how well-structured and intentional their process was. Every recommendation was backed by research, and each creative direction felt purposeful. When they presented brand concepts, all of the options were strong, not just one standout idea, but multiple directions that were well-developed, distinctive, and aligned with our goals.

Their team was professional, collaborative, and easy to work with throughout the engagement. Communication was clear, timelines were met, and they were receptive to feedback while still providing strong strategic guidance.

If you’re looking for a brand partner that combines research, strategy, and creative execution at a high level, we highly recommend them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Seamless legal clearance and domain acquisition with no conflicts
• Positive stakeholder feedback
• Improved clarity in our value proposition and brand story
  
  

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

Their project management was exceptional. They laid out a clear timeline from the beginning, defined milestones for each phase of the renaming process, and kept everything moving forward without us having to chase updates. 

They were highly responsive to our needs throughout the engagement. When we had questions, requested additional exploration, or needed clarification, they responded quickly and constructively. They balanced being flexible and collaborative with maintaining strategic discipline, which helped keep the project focused and efficient.

Overall, the process felt structured, transparent, and professionally managed from start to finish.

What was your primary form of communication with WANT?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What impressed us most was their ability to combine deep strategic rigor with strong creative thinking. The renaming process didn’t feel subjective or driven by personal preference; it was clearly rooted in research, competitive analysis, and stakeholder input. Every recommendation had a clear rationale behind it.

They also stood out in the way they presented options. Instead of just sharing a list of names, they brought each one to life with positioning, messaging context, and real-world application examples. It allowed us to truly envision how the name would perform in market, not just how it sounded. 
 
 

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

N/A

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief commercial officer of a company that produces sterile injectables.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WANT?

We needed help establishing an evolved brand architecture and all associated positioning, naming, and narrative creation. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

WANT helped us establish new corporate branding and building a new brand architecture we could scale with. The team also helped us reposition our top corporate brand and individual business solutions branding. WANT built our brand narratives, logos, taglines, and brand guides. The team also delivered a new branding launch video.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 2–5 teammates from WANT.

How did you come to work with WANT?

WANT was referred to me. I chose them over other options because they had high ratings, their pricing fit our budget, and the quality of the referral.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from November 2024–February 2025.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Increased web traffic, content engagement, and rapid internal adoption of new branding

How did WANT perform from a project management standpoint?

WANT moved fast and with confidence. We primarily communicated through virtual meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

WANT was a strong partner and had a clear point of view. I was impressed by how fast they learned our industry, company culture, customers, and competitors to establish a unique position. The team didn’t overengineer the solution; it was practical.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing I can come up with.