Catchword

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the Director of Marketing Communications for a leading veterinary diagnostics company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Catchword, and what were your goals?

Our company is at the forefront of innovation when it comes to onsite diagnostics for veterinarians, and in order to maintain and grow our position, we’ve been developing some revolutionary new diagnostic tools and applications, and we hired Catchword to help us strategically create names for several of these new products.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found several potential partners, mainly via online research. After speaking for a few, we narrowed it down to Catchword based on their extensive naming experience and track record of success across virtually every industry. Plus, we got a very good feeling from their team, and enjoyed meeting them, and have truly enjoyed working with them, too. Our name review meetings are something that I would look forward to as a fun break in my day.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

Catchword carried out multiple full brand naming projects for us. For each project, this included an initial discovery phase to understand the product, market, audiences and competitors, which was then followed by the creation of a Naming Brief, which helped guide their creative work, and also served as a means of evaluating names, to ensure they checked the right boxes. Once we had agreement on that brief, they went through two rounds of name development, each culminating with a presentation of pre-screened name options. The range of name ideas they shared—from playful to serious, metaphoric to abstract—was extremely impressive, and the folks who presented the names to us clearly had heart and passion for the ideas they shared.

And, in addition to developing a broad array of interesting and compelling brand names, their team was extremely helpful in thinking about how to position our products in the market, in a way that resonated with each offering’s unique audiences. After the creative phases and presentations were concluded, Catchword conducted more in-depth legal pre-screens on our favorite names in order to ensure that we weren’t sending anything to our legal counsel that was clearly problematic. So they did everything to ensure as smooth a process as possible.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We had two people, Mark (Partner) and Bruno (Director), who worked with us throughout the entire project. From pitch to completion, they were in every meeting, every call, every email. In addition to them, there were a handful of more behind-the-scenes folks leading and working on the creative work, as well. I cannot recommend this team enough!

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have final names selected for two projects, and are still in the process of developing and selecting a name for a third and fourth project, however, these have not yet been publicly announced yet, so while I can’t share them yet, I can say that we’re super excited about them and very much looking forward to making a big splash with an announcement soon.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

They were absolutely great. Everything was always delivered on time, and the team was extremely responsive and always on top of everything. We also appreciated how regularly they would check in with us. Especially now in the days of non-stop, back-to-back meetings, it was refreshing that they never let us forget what we needed to do or slip through the cracks. They made us feel as though we were their only clients.

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

We love how they brought in the perfect balance of serious and fun. As I mentioned earlier, our meetings were always lighthearted and included some great laughs. But at the same time, they never lost sight of the fact that this was business, and we had to get this right in order get to market in a way that would help us succeed. And I don’t think that’s easy to do. In fact, we were so impressed with their team and process that shortly after we started our first project together, we engaged them to work on three additional projects. And I’m sure that we’ll almost certainly be engaging them for additional work going forward, as well.

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

Nothing. I’m already looking forward to the next project with them!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work in Marketing Communications for Boston Scientific, a large Medical Device company. My focus area is in Interventional Heart Failure & Coronary Therapies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Catchword, and what were your goals?

We're developing a new technology in the Interventional Heart Failure space. We challenged Catchword branding to help us develop a commercial name that could be trademarked in US and various OUS markets. (this is a very high profile project internally)

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I was was referred to Catchword through another colleague who decided to engage them in a separate project. After meeting with the team and reviewing the agency pitch materials, our team decided to also move forward with a new partnership with Catchword.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

The project included the following stages:

1. Discovery & Immersion - thorough review of background materials including product design goals, value proposition, competitive and marketplace notes.
2. Stakeholder Briefing - Catchword developed a detailed springboard document and led stakeholder interviews with 8 key individuals (including divisional President, cross-functional leads and OUS partners).
3. Round 1 Name Ideation + Google Pre-Screen - The Catchword team developed 750+ names during this stage. Creative development tools included: vocabulary and metaphor development, creative relaying, group name shares, out-of-category explorations, hard-copy and digital dictionaries, thesauri, and other reference books. Additionally, Google pre-screening was conducted on the naming selects to eliminate options with obvious legal, marketing, or domain-name issues.
4. Round 1 Name Presentation - Catchword presented 58 names at this stage. Our was very pleased with the quality and range of work. We immediately shortlisted 18 names to circulate among stakeholders for feedback before moving forward in the process.
5. Round 2 Name Ideation + Google Pre-Screen - Using the insights from Round 1, Catchword developed another extensive list of names, this time exploring in greater depth a more honed set of directions based on the feedback we received in round 1.
6. Round 2 Name Presentation (56 names presented) - Catchword presented 56 names at this stage. Our team was very pleased with the work and "short" listed 28 names to move forward in the process. Side note: we pushed the Catchword team to move quickly on this round of work, which shortened our original timeline and overlapped with the winter holidays. The team didn't bat an eye and delivered exceptional work despite these challenges.
7. Trademark Prescreening for 34 names - Catchword conducted a very thorough preliminary Trademark review in a very short amount of time. This helped us expedite the process significantly and saved a lot of work of our internal corporate trademark team.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

I worked directly with: Mark, Partner & Drew, Project Director and Sr. Strategist

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We're currently in the final stages of OUS Trademark review and we're looking forward to selecting the final commercial name for this new device very soon...! High-profile naming projects can be a emotional rollercoaster, but with Catchword leading the charge on this one, we've been able to sail on smooth waters. I've been very impressed with the speed and quality of the work that this team has produced.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

I really enjoyed the project management style. There was lots of open communication at every step of the process. Additionally, the detailed SOW and project timeline helped keep us grounded and on-track throughout the project.

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

I really enjoy that they truly listen to the feedback that's provided. This really helped us build a strong partnership early in the project and helped guide the work along the way. Also, they're just easy to work with (even when we were being a bit difficult!)

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

I have no complaints! I'd love to work with Catchword on a future project and I've already been singing their praises internally to other colleagues who are starting a naming initiative.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the founder and CEO of a global cloud infrastructure company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Catchword, and what were your goals?

Even after 20 years as a market leading infrastructure company, our business continues to evolve, both in terms of the solutions we provide and the markets we serve. While our company name has served us well for over two decades, it has its limitations and drawbacks, of which we’ve always been aware. In particular, it speaks to a technology space we’ve outgrown, and is comprised of a word that carry potentially negative meaning in certain languages. For these reasons, we made the difficult decision to change our name, and we engaged Catchword to help us with the initiative.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

After doing a lot of online research and identifying a select number of highly ranked and regarded branding agencies we conducted interviews, got to know the various agencies and their approaches to brand development, and ultimately made the decision to work with Catchword. In addition to feeling very confident in their process, experience, and ability to do a great job, we felt a really strong personal connection to their team.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

Catchword carried out a full brand renaming project for us. This included an initial “discovery” phase to understand our business, the markets we serve, our various customers, and our corporate culture. One of the things that impressed us the most was how deeply and genuinely they cared to get to know us and the aspects of our business that distinguish us as a solutions provider, as much as an employer. The conversations were designed to unearth deeper learnings and insights about our organization and what makes us “tick,” in order to better position and truly differentiate our company going forward and vis-a-vis our competitors.

After the discovery phase was complete, their team conducted several rounds of name generation during which we, together, reviewed scores of names that were supported by their team’s rationale. Another thing that really impressed us was the breadth of their creative work, which spanned a range of messaging territories and metaphoric categories, including a dedicated exploration of historic people, places, events specific to our country and where we’re headquartered. Without giving away too much about their process, they were really intent to discover and recommend names that not only speak to our business, but that resonate with us, personally, and on deeper emotional level.

Finally, they conducted trademark prescreening on all of our preferred names and made recommendations for which names to pursue and which to eliminate. And this was yet another aspect of their process that we understand to be different from other agencies in their space (having actually been down the road of working with another firm on renaming in the past). Again, I prefer not to reveal too much about their unique way of working, but they have an approach to trademark prescreening, the vetting of names for conflicts, that’s different, smarter, and more reliable than other agencies we’ve worked with.

Ultimately, we felt much more confident that their assessment of risk would align more precisely with our own attorney’s assessment of risk.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Catchword is pretty sizable for a branding agency with a focus on name development—I think around 15 people, including account directors, strategists, creative namers, linguists, screeners, and others. However, we worked directly with one of the agency’s partners and a senior strategist. They were our primary points of contact throughout the engagement, but there was a creative lead and several creative personnel as well project managers and screening folk carrying out a range of work behind the scenes.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Currently, we have several new company names in full legal review that we’re absolutely thrilled with! So, while we’re not over the finish just yet, we’re very close, and extremely grateful to Catchword for their stewardship and helping us get to this point. As their team knows, we’ve truly enjoyed this partnership and working with them on this initiative. It’s a hard, often emotional process getting to a new company name, and having the right partner in place is extremely important. Not only did Catchword do a stellar job developing great names and escorting us through this challenging process, they really cared about us and proved to be a partner in the truest sense of the word.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

The best way to describe their project management style is extremely smooth. Communication was regular and timely but not unnecessary—reaching out, soliciting input, and providing updates when appropriate. They make use of Float, a project tracking software that provides visibility into the process and where they are at every step so we always knew where they/we were in the context of the whole project and what was coming up ahead. We always felt in the loop without feeling burdened by the process.

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

Well, I suppose I’ve answered this question elsewhere in my responses but, honestly, everything. It was great engagement. From the level of thought and dedication they demonstrated, to the depth and cleverness of their name ideas and the closeness we felt with their team, it’s hard to imagine another collaboration going as well. They have a reputation in the industry as the best at what they do and they certainly backed it up. We’d recommend them without reservation.

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

Nothing. Really well done, guys!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Director of Marketing at Shapeways, a leader in advanced 3D printing solutions. Over time, the company has evolved its focus, from a B2C 3D printing resource for individuals and small businesses to a full-fledged, enterprise-level B2B 3D manufacturing provider.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Catchword, and what were your goals?

We engaged Catchword to develop a name for our digital manufacturing platform, a SaaS solution for our enterprise customers. In addition to a name for the SaaS brand, we engaged Catchword to help develop a strategy for how to name each of the different components (what we call “pillars”) of the brand, including a product to help our clients manage orders and pricing, one for fulfillment, and a third to assist with supply chain management.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We identified 6 companies for our naming project. After initial discussions, we narrowed it down to 3 that presented their process and experiences. We selected Catchword from the final three.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

Catchword ran a full program, including a deep dive into our organization, our history, and our evolution into a B2B manufacturing provider. They examined our portfolio of products and services, assessed the competitive landscape, and provided guidance on name positioning and strategy with an eye toward distinguishing our SaaS from both a naming and branding perspective.

It was a considerable amount of up-front discovery work followed by stakeholder interviews and briefing meetings to level set and align on directions for the naming work. In terms of the creative work, they created what I believe was over a thousand names for the SaaS brand and conducted trademark prescreening on the names.

I especially appreciated the way they presented their work, in a graphical, marketing context that really helped us envision how exciting the names would be as brands

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

My understanding is that the team included a range of both account and creative personnel, but our day to day contact was with Mark Skoultchi, one of the agency’s partners. Mark and I connected well during the RFP phase of the engagement and I found him to be a great partner, collaborator, and steward throughout the process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We launched Otto in October 2021 and it has gone great! The process and outcome really exceeded our expectations. Things played out even better than I could’ve hoped. Amazingly, we have several names for the SaaS that have garnered enthusiastic support from our executive team and passed legal muster.

I’ve been part of brand naming projects in the past, I know how challenging they can be (especially in the technology space, which of course is a very crowded business space), and to have so many well-liked, available name options at the end of this process is truly exciting and a real testament to Catchword, their team, and the work they do.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Workflow was smooth and seamless. Catchword is a highly responsive, dedicated, very personable team. They’re a wonderful group of people, excellent communicators, and extremely easy to work with. We got along great, both professionally and personally. They were very responsive to any questions we had along the way and helped us in every step of the process.

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

At every step, Catchword impressed me. From their initial deep dive into our organization to the killer creative they delivered, their team exceeded expectations and validated our decision to hire them. Top-notch naming agency.

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

Not at all. 100% happy.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a Senior Vice President at a leading, integrated healthcare and senior living strategy, architecture, engineering and construction firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Catchword, and what were your goals?

We approached Catchword with a range of challenges. Firstly, we were in need of a holistic, company-wide naming strategy, including a recommendation for what inward– and outward– facing components of our organization should receive proprietary names, and what those names should be. In addition, we needed a brand name for an important new healthcare analytics platform.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We did a fairly exhaustive search online, interviewed numerous agencies, and were ultimately most impressed by Catchword, their extensive experience in naming strategy and name development, and their portfolio of clients. In addition, and importantly, we felt the strongest personal connection to their team of people. Culturally, they felt like a very good fit—personable, authentic, relatable, etc. We trusted they’d do a really good job for us, and that they’d care about the engagement, devote the time and energy to it that we knew it required.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

We’ve been working with Catchword since December of 2020 (so, about a year). They’ve led us through a two-pronged process of company naming strategy and platform name development including extensive stakeholder interviews, name and naming strategy development, strategy refinements, and final recommendations. They’ve served as an extension of our team as we’ve together explored and made decisions around what to name within our firm and how to name those things.

An overarching objective of the project was to understand how to use names and naming to reinforce our positioning and unique way of working, and to develop names that serve that purpose. They’ve been close and trusted partners throughout the process, which, as I mentioned, has been the better part of a year.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked directly with Mark Skoultchi (Partner) and Erin Milnes (Director), though most of our dealings were with Mark. There was also a range of brand and naming strategists and creative namers that helped define and build out the naming strategy and develop the platform names.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

While the project isn’t entirely over yet (and our new names are not public), already our team (and in particular our key stakeholders), are thrilled to have gained so much clarity and alignment around what to name in our organization! In addition, landing on such a great, legally-cleared, platform brand name, and seeing it come to life through design, has been extremely exciting, and we can’t wait to begin marketing the product and talking about the name.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

I can’t imagine a project going more smoothly. Catchword was incredibly responsive, on-time with their deliverables, highly communicative, and extremely easy to work with. A++ for project management.

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

It’s hard to say what was most impressive about Catchword. I suppose if I had to pick just one thing, I’d say their strategic business and branding acumen. They’re extremely smart, not just in the business of naming (though, of course, they excel in that space), but in their understanding of brand and business strategy more generally. They’re very sophisticated thinkers and problem-solvers, not just creative wordsmiths and language folk (though the names they imagined for our offerings and our analytics platform were extremely clever and along the lines of what you’d expect from a creative house!).

They attacked a fairly unusual and somewhat undefined naming and branding challenge (the “strategy” piece of our two-pronged engagement) with real strategic and creative energy and thought. And they were very articulate in explaining their reasoning along the way and getting us on board with their recommendations.

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

I really can’t think of any!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Senior Branding Manager at a tech-enabled auto refinancing company that helps drivers find better rates and reduce their monthly car payments. We’ve developed a secure, online platform that allows customers to easily pay off old lenders and even retitle their vehicles.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Catchword, and what were your goals?

For a few reasons, our company has decided to change its name. The primary reason, however, is that our current name suggests a more limited scope of services than we now (and into the future) plan to offer. The name is limiting—we need one that better reflects who we are, the offerings we provide, and is flexible enough to accommodate our growth and evolving service areas.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We conducted a thorough search of naming and branding agencies, held interviews, spoke with numerous firms, and ultimately felt most comfortable and personally aligned with Catchword.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

Catchword conducted a full naming process including a deep dive discovery phase, multiple rounds of name creation and name reviews with our team, trademark and domain prescreening, and follow on counsel to help narrow the list to a shorter number for full trademark evaluation and domain negotiation/acquisition. All told, the project lasted about two months and was extremely smooth from start to finish.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked directly with Mark Skoultchi, one of the agency’s partners, though there were a number of other people including several creatives, screeners, and support personnel contributing to the project. I would guess five or six people worked on and contributed to the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I can say without hesitation that Catchword did an outstanding job on this project! Their guidance throughout the project, the creative name ideas they came up, their personable management style, all of it contributed to an extremely positive outcome—namely, multiple finalist names that cleared our lawyer’s review and that everyone on our team agrees reflects who we are as a company and will be extremely fun to market.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

I don’t want to divulge specific processes or tools Catchword uses that their team might consider proprietary, but I am comfortable saying that we really just totally enjoyed working with Catchword! They were extremely client-focused, highly responsive, often very strategic, and always super personable.

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

Catchword is impressive on many levels, but if I had to choose just one I’d say their creativity and, in particular, the actual names they come up with! So many of the names made us smile, both because they were so personable and relatable (a quality we were going for in our new name) and also because of how surprising they were—i.e., they were ideas that we wouldn’t (and didn’t!) think of ourselves! And, at the end of the day, I think that’s what we were most hoping to get out of this sort of engagement—strong creative thinking and unexpected, smile-inducing names.

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

Nothing that I can think of. It was a great collaboration.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the Associate Director of Product Marketing & Strategy at a Fortune 500 diagnostics and therapeutics company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Catchword, and what were your goals?

Historically, our company has been focused on the B2B market. Recently, we identified an opportunity to develop a B2C platform and product offering and we hired Catchword to assist with name development. The project also involved positioning work to define messaging for the brand, as well as logo, identity, and packaging design.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Found three companies online. Spoke with each and Catchword's overall value proposition was best for us.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

Catchword spearheaded name development and participated in the positioning and logo development phases of the process.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Our main point of contact was with Mark Skoultchi, one of the firm’s partners, but there were numerous people who contributed to the project behind the scenes, including various strategists and creative associates.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our attorneys have cleared multiple names, all of which we like. Having been a part of naming projects in the past, I know how challenging they are, and what a great outcome it is to have so many name options to choose from following legal review. In addition, our final selected name has received overwhelming support internally, among not just our core brand team but our executive team as well. Already a huge hit, which bodes very well for the brand as we look to finalize the identity and roll out the product.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Mark and his team were wonderful. They were extremely responsive, highly knowledgeable, great partners and counselors throughout the project. Timelines were kept, nothing slipped, couldn’t have gone more smoothly.

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

Catchword impressed across the board. From their strategic counsel, to the outstanding, creative names they recommended, we are satisfied. They combine unparalleled branding and naming expertise with high-level creative thinking and super smooth project management, and we wouldn’t hesitate to hire their team again.

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

None

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CEO of a FinTech company empowering wage-earners with sub-prime credit to access fair credit and manage their money more effectively.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Catchword, and what were your goals?

For legal reasons, we’re in the position of having to change our company name. As such, we engaged Catchword to develop a new brand name for our company.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We did a thorough evaluation of all the top naming agencies, interviewed each, and ultimately felt the strongest fit with Catchword. In particular, we appreciated their portfolio, how rich it is in company naming and renaming experience (especially among B2B businesses), and their process, which does a great job of balancing creativity and rigor. In addition, we connected well on a personal level with Mark, one of the agency’s partners, and Beth G., one of their creative directors.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

Catchword ran a full naming program, including a thorough audit of our business, stakeholder interviews, multiple rounds of name generation and review, and trademark prescreening. We were extremely impressed with how efficient the process was, how the team managed to accomplish so much in just six weeks.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked with directly with Mark and Beth though other team members contributed to the project, including other creatives and screeners.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The process was an enormous success and we couldn’t be happier with the outcome! Ultimately, we submitted five names to our attorneys for comprehensive trademark evaluation and were thrilled when our most favored name cleared their review!

Having been through naming exercises before, knowing the challenges they present, my team and I could really appreciate how spectacular an outcome this was and is. Everyone’s smitten with the new name, excited to begin marketing it, talking about it, and building our brand around it.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Mark and Beth were wonderful partners and stewards and the process moved forward very smoothly.

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

We enjoyed every aspect of working with Catchword but I suppose what impressed me the most was the way their name ideas mapped so well to our intended messaging, and how clever the creative work was. There was this sense that the names could only have been created for us and our business.

It really felt extremely tailored to our platform, the benefits it provides to our customers, and our intended communication for the brand. On top of that, I guess we were all equally impressed by their level of expertise, how strategic and smart they were throughout the process. They’re truly experts in this field and it’s apparent when you’re working with them.

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

None

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a brnd consultnat serving in a global branding director role with a well established semiconductor company in Silicon Valley.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Catchword, and what were your goals?

We needed to develop a unique and trademarkable name for an upcoming product launch, one that is core to the business. Our goal was to develop a name that worked with the other names already in the product portfolio and with the company masterbrand, and also signal a different line and type of product. It needed to be unique and defensible, and work globally.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I've worked with Catchword on a number of prior projects and know how good and reliable they are. We did look at other companies in the purchasing process as is the practice at this large enterprise company, so while they were the preferred vendor by me, they had the meet the criteria of the purchasing department as well. They submitted a proposal as well as examples of past work, and it was clear that they were a great value as well as a great solution.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

The project started with interviews with individuals and groups of individuals to understand the overall goals of the naming proecss and what success would look like. From there, Catchword developed a brief that captured the main themes, concepts and the constraints that needed to be considered when developing and choosing the final name. The team reviewed the brief, confirmed and approved it and from there, Catchword started to develop the first round of names generating hundreds to consider.

They presented a first round of names from the list of those that had been screened lightly for viability, and reviewed and received feedback as to what worked, what were not quite right and to understand what direction they should focus on in the second round of name generation. They took the feedback, confirmed the focused direction and generated a second round of names focusing even further into the main themes. These names were vetted in a Google search and assessed to match the overll objectives before presenting for final review.

The team then reviewed and identified our top picks to take to our legal team and put through a final search, realizing that until they have gone through our legal search, we would not be able to identify final candidates that could be trademarked. Catchword provided an excellent range of name candidates focused on our objectives which allowed us to find one that met all criteria and through legal search.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Two people directly. One of the co-founders and a project lead. There were many people behind the scenes that also were instrumental in developing the list of names.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In addition to wanting a needing a global name that would be unique and defensible from a trademarking standpoint, we wanted something short and simple that could hold meaning and be an empty vessel to place marketing onto for narrative. Since there is no way to assure that a name will pass legal searches and the registration process, you need a number of names. Catchword generated a number of candidates that gave us a range as well as the security of having options if during the registration process a name received too much opposition for it to be used.

Catchword was also incredibly patient with the team in helping to understand the naming process and how to open their minds to options. Engineers are often very literal and have a hard time seeing the potential in the names. Catchword steered the team to stay open and consider what we chose and what served as an excellent brand name.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We scheduled inperson and onsite meetings based on the avaialbility of the team to come together for the R1 and R2 reviews as well as the download session. Catchword provided review decks for the creative brief as well as the follow on for the name review rounds for the team to review and comment on. I served as the clearinghouse, gathering the feedback, and sent the instructions and decks that I passed along having received them in emails. Meetings were established based on our schedules and needs and Catchword was extrenely responsive and flexible in meeting our timing. They hit each deadline that they provided based on the projected timing from the start.

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

The combination of decades of experience in naming that they bring to each project, to both guide the group in how to establish the parameters and themes that would generate the best results, as well as the coaching and mentoring that also was needed to help those that are not familair with the naming process to be able to get the most out of the experience. I also appreciate the background of key individuals, with linguistic and marketing backgrounds that add to the capabilities and insights.

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

They were thoroughly professional and delivered on everything that we asked and expected and even more.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the Vice President of Marketing at a fintech company that provides a platform for financial professionals.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Catchword, and what were your goals?

Our current name served us well for the better part of a decade, but given our product pivot and growth plans, our current name is restrictive. Additionally, we’ve learned that the name has certain pronunciation issues. For these reasons, we engaged Catchword for a renaming. Our goal was to identify a new company name that better aligns with our changing business model and evolved positioning. Also, to identify a name with more intuitive and predictable pronunciation.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Catchword was recommended to us, but we still conducted a thorough review of top naming agencies and spoke with several firms. In the end, we felt the strongest fit with Catchword and their approach to the process.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

Catchword did a ton of work for us, including a deep dive into our business to understand the nature of our technology and the customers we serve, multiple rounds of name generation including the development of literally thousands of names (from which we together reviewed probably a couple hundred), prescreening work to vet names for trademark and/or marketing conflicts, and domain name counseling.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked with directly with Mark Skoultchi, one of the agency’s partners

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re currently in the final stages of the process, about to select a name, but I’m comfortable saying the process was an enormous success, and we’re thrilled we engaged Catchword to help us with this initiative. At the end of the creative phase, we had literally 50+ names on our shortlist for domain investigation and potential negotiation. We never imagined we’d warm to so many names, which is in large part due to the approach Catchword took the creative work, digging in deep and exploring highly unique, unexpected words and metaphors for concepts rich in meaning to our team and our company’s history.

The names were often seemingly abstract but actually remarkably meaningful given what we do, how we distinguish ourselves, and how we plan to talk about ourselves going forward. We were truly impressed with the level and depth of thought that clearly went into the creative work.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

The workflow was great. Mark was an excellent partner throughout the process, highly responsive, a great strategic counselor, and ultimately a friend. We felt a strong personal connection with him, and he did a great job of keeping us informed throughout.

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

Even before we hired Catchword, we were aware of their reputation in the space, including their leadership position here on Clutch. We had high expectations and they fully delivered. While it’s hard to pinpoint just one thing that impressed us most, if we had to choose, we’d probably say the depth and richness of the creative work. One after another, the names were just so interesting, meaningful, and compelling. Exactly what you hope for (but may not always get!) when you work with a dedicated naming agency.

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

No. We'd hire them again!