Zinzin

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a creative director at a media company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Zinzin?

We needed to rebrand our main product and have it act as a clean slate for us. We wanted a catchy name with assets we could trademark, including social media handles and an open domain. These assets would allow us to protect the name in the marketplace.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We discussed our in-house research with Zinzin, who then brainstormed several names for us. These options were an empty vessel for us to brand the new show with.

What is the team composition?

The founder was our primary contact, but we worked with several people. 

How did you come to work with Zinzin?

They were recommended to us, and we were impressed after meeting them. Their flexible, custom approach really stood out to us. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from September 2016 to January 2017. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

All of our B2B partners have responded well to the new name. We haven’t had any major legal obstacles arise - the trademark went through well.  We’ve had a few bumps with people poking fun at the name in the marketplace, but that’s expected across such a wide audience. Anything that is less definitive, compared to the old name, will get a little resistance. But overall, it’s been very positive.

How did Zinzin perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very well organized and very professional. They delivered exactly what they committed to, on time, and allowed us to achieve the results we needed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We appreciated the custom approach they took; it wasn’t templated at all. Some of the organizations we were interviewing seemed to provide us with a templated approach. Zinzin treated us like an individual and was flexible in their approach.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Some firms spend too much time doing detailed research at the beginning. Zinzin waited until we honed in on a small selection of names, so I don’t have a real suggestion for improvement. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the owner and operator of Rubicon Float Studio. It is a floatation studio in the Juanita Bay area of the Seattle Metro area. Floatation is a form of reduced environmental stimulus therapy that involves laying in an Epsom salt saturated tank of water, roughly 200 gallons and 10 inches deep. The Epsom salts are very good for chronic pain and sports recovery.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Zinzin?

When I first started the company, I had a different business name. It was called Lazy River Float Studio and I was running into problems with people who thought our business was putting a lazy river from a water theme park into a building. I realized I was having a branding issue with the name. I reached out to Zinzin because I was looking for a company that could help me rebrand and rename before I actually opened a physical location for our company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They went through about five different phone calls, the initial meeting, and then a pre-planning meeting. This was all done telephonically. In the first meeting, they got an idea of what my company is and the services that we offer. They then went and did research on all the float studios in America, compiled all of their names, and ranked them in terms of how effective they are. Their goal was to become up with a name for me that fit into a more experiential and high-level naming category.

After they did that initial research, they provided me with several rounds of names. The first round was around 20 or 30 names. I reviewed those and then we had another phone call. We discussed which names worked and which ones didn't. We went through that round an additional two times until we had a more narrowed-down focus. The very last round was when I came to a conclusion of the name I liked - Rubicon.

Once I had made my decision, they provided me with some insight into marketing and social media aspects. Since then, they've followed up with me several times and offered me some helpful hints and tips.

My primary point of contact was Jay Jurisich. I also worked with Martin McMurray.

How did you come to work with Zinzin?

They came highly recommended through Internet searches. I looked at their brand portfolio of companies they had worked with. I was very impressed with their overall brand positioning. Since I wanted to represent a higher-end float studio, I thought it would be a good idea to go with a company that's also represented higher-end brands.

I reached out to them and they liked my unique concept for a business. They were willing to work with me to come up with a new name.

What is the status of this engagement?

It was a five-week project. We began working with Zinzin in February 2016 and we were done by the beginning of April.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I don't have any numbers or anything, but in terms of the reception of my new name from the previous name, my brand is much stronger. It's a stronger brand than any others in the float world. We've raised the bar in terms of our brand experience and it's helped a lot with our brand positioning. When I'm dealing with other industries, the name recognition has been very good for me.

How did Zinzin perform from a project management standpoint?

They did a very good job. They laid all the steps out in front of us. Before a phone call, they were very good at making sure everything was in line. All the data was sent to me. After a phone call, they were very good at sending me notes of how the meeting went and any sort of follow-up. They would also call me a couple of days later to see if I had any questions.

What did you find most impressive about Zinzin?

Their professionalism was really good. Their willingness to take on a new type of business venture and look at it as an interesting challenge was very impressive to me because not many people want to risk their reputation on something so new. I really appreciated that they stepped out on a limb and took it seriously. They gave me five or six names that were fantastic. I've been very impressed with the response that I got from the name. Overall I'm very pleased with the experience that I had with them.

Are there areas Zinzin could improve?

My suggestion would be for people to really consider the value that they're going to get from working with an agency like Zinzin versus the price.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Éclair Naturals is a cosmetics company that produces all-natural soaps, lotions, shampoos, conditioners, massage oils, and bath salts.

What is your position?

I'm the cofounder and CEO of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Zinzin?

We wanted to launch this new brand, and we needed to find a name that would signify the fact that we're made with food-grade ingredients, that we have very pure formulas, and that we're a luxury product.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

Naming was the primary service. There was a little bit of copywriting with the tagline, but they did not do any type of logo design or other branding activity.

How did you come to work with Zinzin?

We had done some research online and looked at other companies who were in the naming business. We were very impressed with Zinzin because they had named one of my favorite hotels, the ARIA in Las Vegas, as well as Gogo, the in-flight Internet business.

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

It was in excess of $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Unfortunately, we had already scheduled many retailer meetings with stores who were interested in our products, but we didn't even have a name. We only gave them three weeks to come up with something and, in that time, they were able to go through multiple rounds of their naming process and come up with something we were very happy with

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The company went from zero distribution and zero brand recognition to launching in 5,000 retail stores, including some major retailers, such as Rite Aid and Target.

What distinguishes Zinzin from other providers?

I felt it was very collaborative. I felt like they listened to our feedback. There were a couple other firms that we had interviewed, and it was very clear they were going to take the stance that, "We're the experts. You're going to pick whatever name we think is best for you," as opposed to having some rounds and some feedback and being able to hone in on something that we were comfortable with, and was also available from a copywriting perspective. Overall, Zinzin was very easy to work with and collaborative, which I've found is not common in this space.

Is there anything Zinzin could have improved or done differently?

I'd be racking my brain. I can't think of a single thing. We were very pleased with the process and the result. We're very happy with the name. I feel like I developed a friendship with Jay [Jurisch, CEO and creative director at Zinzin] and the rest of his team. We definitely stay in touch, and we're inviting them to our launch party.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Anthology is a career matchmaking service for passive candidates. We specialize in people who aren't actively looking for jobs, but are open to considering curated opportunities.

What is your position?

I'm the CEO of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Zinzin?

We launched under a different brand called Poachable, which was a great name, but it failed the trademark test. We needed a new name, and we wanted to be sure that we could trademark it. We wanted to get some professional help and outside opinions.

SOLUTION

What type of name were you seeking?

We wanted a name that captured our aspirational visions, that had the potential to become a strong brand long-term, a name that was defendable and unique, and that someday you could see being a billion-dollar company.

How did you come to work with Zinzin?

A colleague at a former company gave me a list of agencies they thought were decent, and Zinzin was on that list. I did some research on the web and looked at their website, and that's how I first engaged with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

I think we started sometime in May [2015] and had everything wrapped up by late June or early July. It was about an eight-week process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Our new name – Anthology – has been helpful in terms of landing some enterprise customers who thought our original name was a little too controversial or too edgy. I think the best anecdote I can give is that a very prominent venture capitalist said, "I didn't think your original name sounded like a company that I could see going public, but the new one seems like a real company that matches the big vision you have." The transition to Anthology has been very smooth, and Zinzin's role was much more than just coming up with a name. They've played a huge role in constructing the strategy and the brand identity for Anthology. 

What distinguishes Zinzin from other providers?

I would say it's their people. Jay [Jurisich, founder and co-creative director at Zinzin] and Martin [McMurry, creative director at Zinzin] in particular – those two have great chemistry. I remember really looking forward to my calls with them because it was just a fun, creative exercise. I felt like they enjoyed what they did and, because of that, we were able to come up with some great ideas, and we ended up with a wonderful choice. Zinzin's biggest asset is those two. They know what they're talking about, and have a lot of creative juices flowing through them. It was a privilege to work with them.

Is there anything Zinzin could have improved or done differently?

No. They're very structured and transparent. They came up with many great options. We did have to go and do domain acquisition and logo development on our own. Maybe someday they can offer a full service, but for the naming itself, it was great. Everyone here is fired up about our new name. Things couldn't have gone better.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Our company is Gravy. We are a mobile location, data and analytics company.

What is your position?

I am the CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Zinzin?

It was twofold. On one hand, we were looking for a new company name that was more engaging than our original and a better fit for our role in the marketplace. On the second hand, we were trying to avoid potential trademark issues stemming from our previous company's name.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

There were a number of different aspects to our naming project including, strategy sessions, focus groups, market testing, brand impact, and trademarking, Zinzin handled everything for us. At the end of the project, we were left with four names and, frankly, we would have been happy with any of them, but I'm glad we chose Gravy. It's been the perfect fit.

How did you come to work with Zinzin?

Our chief marketing officer did an extensive research with our PR firm on the marketplace of naming agencies, and they recommended a number of firms. We went through a vetting process, with probably five or six short-listed firms, and Zinzin came to the top after that process, largely because of their previous work and the examples of prior names they had created.

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

It was probably in the $10,000 to $15,000 range.

What was the timeline of the project?

In total, the project probably lasted four or five months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What have been the results of this engagement?

In terms of market impact, it changed everything for our company. It's the most tangible aspect of our brand, we've trademarked it, and it has become everything that we represent to the marketplace. Among other things, people ask us all the time what the name means, so it gets the response we want, which is, increased engagement with our customers.

What distinguishes Zinzin from other providers?

In one word, I would say pragmatic. Zinzin's employees are experts at naming, and that comes across most obviously in their process. The thoroughness with which they approached the whole project, and their willingness to explain everything to a novice like me was very comforting. With that being said, I feel like we didn't fully exploit everything that they were capable of, not because they were holding back, but just because we didn't need to. However, I would be just as confident recommending their services to a Fortune 500 company as I would a small startup like myself.

Is there any advice you would have for some interested in working with Zinzin?

As with anyone working with a specialty vendor like Zinzin, it's about learning to trust their expertise. At times, people like me who think they have the world all figured out, can be very confident, to put it politely. Zinzin was very patient with me, and if anything, I would just say let them guide you through the process, and trust their experience.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization. What is your role and responsibilities?

I am the founder of the B2B [business-to-business] research and review site, Clutch [the site you are on now]. As with most founders of relatively young firms, I fill a range of roles, all the way from setting strategy to website testing and everything in between. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Zinzin?

The simple answer is we needed a new name. You can read more about our branding journey here, but the basic story is that we followed a common path for a bootstrapped startup. When we got started a couple of years ago, we did not have a perfect vision of where the idea would lead us and did not have much experience with branding or a budget to get qualified help. We picked up an available .com domain and pressed forward with the concept. The concept evolved and once we got some traction, it became clear we needed to upgrade our brand.

SOLUTION

What was your process for selecting Zinzin with which to work?

We initially found Zinzin via a Google search. After speaking with Jay [Jurisich], their founder, we were suitably impressed, but got a very inexpensive quote from another firm and went in that direction. Six weeks later, after a failed effort with the cheaper firm and becoming more educated consumers of branding services, we went back to Zinzin. Jay put together a customized package that gave us access to world-class talent on a startup budget.  

What was the scope of work?

We followed an accelerated schedule compared to most of their corporate clients, but the project included all the standard elements of a naming project including a competitive assessment, creative brief, and several rounds of name development.

Can you give a sense of the size of the initiative in dollar terms or a personnel work-hour figure?

The project was in the $10,000-$50,000 price range.

When was the work completed?

We completed the branding work with Zinzin in the spring of 2014 and relaunched the website with the new name at the end of the summer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Is there anything unique or special about Zinzin that really makes them stand out compared to other business partners?

They are world class at the naming game. Jay has worked at and helped build some of the largest naming agencies in the world. With Zinzin, you get access to world-class talent typically only found at larger firms, but have the intimacy and flexibility of working with a smaller firm. In many ways, it was the best of both worlds. 

Looking back on the work, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

I would not change any of the process with Zinzin. I only wish we were more sophisticated buyers of branding services and got Zinzin's help earlier.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

The company is eCornell, an online education company owned by Cornell University.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I’m the former CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Zinzin?

eCornell had been around for 11 or 12 years. We were in the process of launching a new product, a different way of packaging the learning that was both delivered differently and priced differently than how it was offered traditionally. We wanted to differentiate from our core brand. We hired Zinzin to help us with that product naming challenge.

Did you have any specific goals you were looking for in that name?

One of the goals that I had was to broaden the net of popular names that we could use. Using our own talent pool, we had found nothing either evocative or provocative enough, and I wanted something that was going to be enduring and could generate some interest and excitement in the marketplace, but something that was appropriate and resonated with our overhauled core brand. Having a name that would capture people's imaginations was important with that product.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of the work.

They took us through a four-step process that took a couple of months. We went through a series of activities to help us arrive at the name. It started in a very high-level way in which they didn't share names with us, but words that have certain concepts or meanings to gauge our visceral and emotional reaction. We went through a couple of specific naming exercises, reviewing some names that they worked on and why they chose that name. Later in that process, they did all of the appropriate screenings to make sure the name was legal along with the trademark of the product, keeping in mind the country and region in which we provide the product to make sure it didn't have any unintended negative meaning.

Were there multiple opinions and stakeholders involved, and if so, how did Zinzin manage differing viewpoints?

Yes. They were all internal stakeholders, people from product development, marketing, and sales teams. There were definitely divergent opinions. There were those who were looking for something more pragmatic and utilitarian. Then, there were others who perhaps resonated more with evocative names. I think Zinzin did a great job with providing the names through the feedback that came from the various stakeholders, but also trying to represent clearly why they thought some names had more value than others based on their experience with names. The whole process was educational for our team. In addition to coming up with a great name in the end, everyone benefited from the process of working with them.

I would say that their approach was very client focused. They were very responsive to how I wanted to map out the process. They weren't so client responsive that they [only responded] to what was recommended by some of the stakeholders, but they really tried to hold true to what they believe are good principles in brand naming.

When did the work take place?

It was in the fall of 2012.

Why did you select Zinzin with which to work?

I researched only two or three organizations. We were under a short timeline. The team at Zinzin responded right away to my inquiry. They had great skills in getting to the problem in comparison with others who were a bit more formulaic. Jay [Jurisch, creative director at Zinzin] and his team really tried to understand where we were in terms of product evolution. The professionalism of their response was great. Pricing wise, they were in the range of their competitors, but the level of attention to service and their energy and enthusiasm were much stronger.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How would you describe the results?

One of the successes was internally. It immediately worked. The name built excitement for the people working on how it would be represented internally. In the marketplace, the product never ended up being quite as successful as we had hoped. That wasn't anything to do with the name. There were elements to our sales strategy and so on. But, that said, it was a clearly differentiated mark and it works well with any and all brand identity. Where we use it in practice has a strong appeal to us. I ended up being satisfied with the outcome of that project. 

Can you talk about their performance and the relationship working with them?

It's excellent. They were responsive. They met all the deadlines. They were great at discussion. They were creative and had a lot of great ideas.

Is there anything unique about Zinzin that really makes them stand out compared to other companies?

Their performance and client service mentality is strong, combined with their ability to be creative. You don't always get those two things together.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

Nothing comes to mind.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

It's Elements Behavioral Health. We have treatment centers throughout the country that treat people with substance abuse or mental health issues.

What is your role at the company?

I'm the chief Internet and media officer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Zinzin?

We had people picking names for various divisions and programs that were not very good. They were always descriptive versus evocative. They were clearly not able to be protected. The attorneys were not happy with the names they were coming up with. So, we decided to look at hiring a professional naming company. It went very well. Since then, we've used Zinzin on a number of other projects to name both primary programs and programs within programs. Basically, we wanted to fix the problem of coming up with terrible names on our own.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

They did a full analysis of the competitive landscape and rated the names according to how good they were on a scale of five to one, a five being the best and a very evocative name that can capture the spirit of a brand versus a one being completely descriptive. The crudest example of a descriptive name would be "The Treatment Center." They taught us why these names are bad and why they're difficult to protect and to brand because they're so generic, and then gave us examples of names both in our field and in other fields. What we discovered was that there weren't very many names in the treatment space that were actually good. The vast majority are very descriptive and generic.

Were they helping you with the domain name and managing all of that?

I started looking very early on at name options and how those would work. Because of the nature of our business, you can often add a modifier to "Treatment Center," so you don't have to worry as much about getting a one-word domain name. But, at the beginning, we talked about that and how the more unique it is, the easier to find a domain name and stand apart. I follow that process now.

How long have you been working with them?

About a year and a half.

Why did you hire Zinzin with which to work?

The first thing that drew me to them was the fact that when I went to look at naming companies, I couldn't believe how many were called "The Naming Company" or "We Build Brands" and I thought, if you put your money where your mouth is, why don't you have an interesting name? That was the first thing that attracted me to Zinzin, and it turned out to be an instinctive choice because they've been very good for us.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Are you happy with the results of the work?

It has been great in two ways. The first way is that it makes us look at it differently when we're developing a brand new product or a program that hasn't existed before. It really makes us focus our attention on what it is and how we want to convey it to our audience. Second, I think the names have been great. They have really captured the spirit of what each program plans to do in a very evocative and interesting way. It has allowed us to focus our marketing materials better to create stronger branding, both visually and with the language we use. People really like the names because they are unique. It draws positive attention to us.

Can you talk about their performance and the relationship working with them?

It's a great process for not only coming up with a name, but making you focus on your brand and think about what your brand promises because that's so critical in developing the right name. It's a terrific relationship. We're on our eighth project with them. It's a very good process. It's very effective. It's fun and very collaborative. They're super smart. On each round, they get a better understanding of what we do in our business.

Is there anything unique about Zinzin that really makes them stand out, compared to other companies?

What stands out to me is the consistency in their work, their professionalism and how they deliver their work. They're really nice to work with. They're fun. We're always laughing. I think it's a nice collaboration.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

Honestly, no. I haven't had any problems with working with them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization and your role and responsibilities.

We have a couple of companies, but the company that we worked on with Zinzin is called Alloy. We license business systems to fitness clubs worldwide. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Could you describe the scope of the work they did for you?

Zinzin’s unique function is naming companies, so the scope of the work was to learn about our company and help us choose a name that was trademarkable and would increase our attractiveness to our market.

How long did that process take?

It was two and one-half to three months from start to finish. We did an initial search to make sure that there wasn’t a trademark existing in our space. Then we took those ideas to a marketing company who was able to build a brand around the name. Zinzin helped us to envision what that would look like.

SOLUTION

What was your process for selecting Zinzin with which to work?

We interviewed several companies. Some were marketing companies that offered more services, but Zinzin seemed to be the most complete solution for the one function that we were looking for, which was the naming process.

When was that work completed?

It was probably 14 or 15 months ago [in 2013].

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share feedback you’ve gotten about the name or anything that would indicate success of the outcome?

It’s been fantastic. The name has been very well received. It’s really brought a lot of value to us as a company, and even more so to our customers who were able to present that brand to their customers.

Can you talk about their performance and the relationship working with them?

They were really good. They are really subject matter experts in naming. I would say they certainly over-delivered based on what I thought we would get. We really enjoyed the process overall. It was a great customer experience. They went above and beyond to make sure they fully vetted who we were and really got us to a position where we were comfortable with the name and understood the reasons why behind it.

Looking back at the work they’ve done, is there any significant area of improvement they could do on their end or anything they could’ve done differently?

I really wouldn’t. I was as satisfied as I could be.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder of Smackdab Inc.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We create business operations applications

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Assist us with naming a new software company

SOLUTION

How did you find Zinzin?

Online Search

Why did you select Zinzin over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Zinzin were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Through questionnaires and multiple meetings, Zinzin worked to understand our company's personality, functionality, and mission. They conducted market research on our competitors and compiled a list of names that met our criteria. As we narrowed the focus on name candidates, Zinzin conducted deeper research to determine its viability for trademark and domain availability. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

At the end of the naming process, we identified a single name that fit all our criteria.

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

Zinzin established a project timeline at the outset of the project. They consistently delivered on schedule. 

What was your primary form of communication with Zinzin?

Virtual Meeting

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

The blend of their team’s personalities and their ability to listen and provide quality results based on our feedback was impressive. In addition, they challenged our traditional thinking, and in the end, we selected a name that embodies our values, vision, and market position.

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

no