Catchword

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Global Marketing Director for a large digital customer experience and IT services provider.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Catchword?

We're a global company with offices in 20 different countries and over 50,000 team members around the world.

As we continue to grow both organically and via acquisitions, we decided to engage a naming firm to provide an outside perspective on our name, including the descriptor we use in combination with it, and make a recommendation for whether to retain our current name and descriptor or change one or both.

What were your goals for this project?

Our objective was to gain insight into the equity of our current name and the appropriateness of it given our expanding and shifting business. In addition, we were looking for a perspective on the potential for confusion with our parent company that goes by the same name but services a different market than we do.

Ultimately, we were looking for a recommendation on whether to keep our current name (and descriptor), change one or both to something else, and if so, creative help in developing name and/or descriptor options.

SOLUTION

How did you select Catchword?

Alternative agencies / partners were considered (shortlisted / found via internal recommendations and Google search). Catchword had an impressive list of other tech brands as clients and were extremely responsive and flexible in their approach. They were the perfect fit and best selection for our needs.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Catchword’s work involved a considerable amount of discovery, pouring over all relevant business, branding, and marketing documents we provided to them and speaking with approximately 25 senior executives, including the heads of our European, Central American, and Asian markets and folks in sales, operations, marketing, and other roles.

Based on their understanding of our objectives, they developed an extremely thoughtful and comprehensive questionnaire template which they customized for each stakeholder interview based on the executives’ role within the company.

It was clear they had done this sort of work before and had a plan for how to obtain the data they needed to make their recommendation. As their primary point of contact in the organization, I felt extremely comfortable with them and confident they were getting what they needed from our internal teams and that the process would advance smoothly. And it did.

After they completed their materials review and stakeholder interviews, they came back with a recommendation. The recommendation was extremely well supported and we engaged them to develop a range of new descriptors for our consideration.

That process included the creation of a set of parameters for descriptor exploration and the development of over 500 descriptor options, including real words, initialisms, and other constructs.

Frankly, it’s incredible how many different ways they came up with to speak to our business and help differentiate our company from our parent company. It was a really impressive combination of creativity and thoroughness.

What was the team composition?

Our day-to-day contacts were Mark Skoultchi, one of the agency’s partners, and Laurel Sutton, a senior strategist on their team. However, we know there were others who contributed to the project behind the scenes, including other strategic personnel and creative associates who developed the descriptor options.

It’s worth mentioning that we felt extremely comfortable working with Mark and Laurel. Both were extremely responsive, highly organized, insightful, and enjoyable to work with.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

While we haven’t made a final decision on a way forward yet, we feel Catchword added exactly the value we were looking for, and we’re extremely impressed with their process, the way they articulated and rationalized their recommendations, and the creative descriptor ideas they developed.

In the coming weeks we’ll be returning our attention to those descriptor options and most likely adopting one of Catchword's recommended solutions.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

As I mentioned, Mark and Laurel were great. From the outset, we felt extremely comfortable with both of them and confident they would lead the project effectively and smoothly.

They were quick to respond to email, always available for video calls (even on a moment’s notice), and excellent at keeping us up to date on their progress and next steps.

They also did a great job of providing drafts of their thinking and deliverables for review by me and our core team before sharing anything with the wider group, so we were always in the loop and had an opportunity to suggest changes if necessary.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Catchword really delivered on all fronts! They were a great strategic and creative partner, meticulous in their research and discovery, thoughtful and smart in developing their recommendations, and remarkably creative in imaging alternative descriptors for use with our company name.

Even though we realize Catchword has considerable experience thinking through naming strategy issues (it’s one of the key reasons we hired them), we suspect our situation (and our “ask”) was somewhat unique, even for them, and they did a wonderful job of addressing our challenge and presenting us with a well supported and extremely thoughtful set of recommendations.

In short, we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to other companies (especially large, global companies with complex internal teams) looking for an agency to help with naming strategy issues.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Really nothing. They were great and exactly what we were looking for in a naming partner!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the global CMO for SecureAge Technology, a cyber-security company based in Singapore.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Catchword?

We have a long history of satisfied customers in Asia but have struggled with communicating the value of our products in other regions. We wanted to create an opportunity to talk about our approach to cyber-security in a way that is natural and simple.

What were your goals for this project?

Review our philosophy and products to decide how to best talk about what really matters. Identify new names and phrases to best convey those concepts to a global audience.

SOLUTION

How did you select Catchword?

We did some research on Clutch and other places and scheduled a very few conversations. I selected Catchword along with our COO based on two primary factors.

First, we wanted a partner who could deliver the goods - someone with a long history of working with companies in our industry and making them better. Second, we wanted a partner who was flexible enough to match our pace and experience level; we wanted to learn and grow along the way.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Catchword reviewed our entire product portfolio and recommended where we should focus our efforts. Catchword developed themes and names for these select areas and guided us in the trademark filing process in the many countries that we identified.

What was the team composition?

We worked directly with two specialists from the beginning to the end. They were always attentive and available and consistent and went well beyond the scope of the work on numerous occasions because they saw that we needed it.

I managed the discussion along with our COO, involving our marketing team and passing over greater responsibility to them as we went.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We aligned on how to present our products to a global audience in a way that gave confidence to our internal stakeholders. Our leadership bought into the process and recognizes that this was time and effort well spent. We can't wait to reveal our work to the world in 2021.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We met with Catchword for multiple rounds over 7 months as described in their initial proposal - there were no surprises. We were slow to meet our commitments along the way and Catchword was patient and helpful every time we got stuck.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Although they were patient and helpful along the way, they were also firm when we needed it - there was no pandering to the client. Catchword joined and elevated our team to deliver what we need to improve our business.

I always looked forward to the briefings and presentations as the tone was just right and I learned something every time.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing comes to mind.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Senior Director at a manufacturing company located outside of New York City

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Catchword?

We are launching a new innovation and are looking at a name for the technology.

What were your goals for this project?

To develop a name that can be relevant across multiple categories and drive instant recognition at shelf of quality of the product inside the package.

SOLUTION

How did you select Catchword?

We RFP'd multiple agencies and were most impressed with their process.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

They developed naming options for us around multiple platforms so we could see what would resonate best in the marketplace. They went very deep and ultimately we had over 1,200 names to vet to get to a strong short list to test.

What was the team composition?

We worked directly with a partner of the agency. He was very attentive and made sure he addresses any questions or concerns we had and were happy with the ongoing work.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

While the innovation hasn't launched yet, we tested a short list of 20 or so names and we were thrilled that we had many strong options and even more surprisingly, no losers at all.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was great! They were always very responsive and would adapt to our internal pace as needed at any given time.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Everything. Their process was thorough and got to the core of what we were looking for. They were willing to explore additional avenues when that was requested by key executives. And they are just a great team that I would be excited to work with again.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No - They were fantastic just as they are.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

My company is a medium-sized credit union. I am the Creative Services Manager in the marketing department.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Catchword?

We hired Catchword to help us identify what a new name for our company might be. Some of our recent data show that there is a lot of brand confusion in our area... we don't stand out from the crowd. Because of this, our team decided it was worth an exercise in Renaming.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to leave no stone unturned when it came to the possibilities of a rebranding project, which starts with a new name.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We identified several vendors through both word-of-mouth recommendations and online search/reviews. Some of our criteria included quality of business reviews, quantity of names, price range, and timeline. After having virtual meetings with the top 5 vendors, Catchword quickly rose to the top. Their personality, work/proposal, and confidence was a great match for the company I work for.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We used Catchwored primarily for name generation. Catchword provided a springboard document for our kick-off meeting. They used our research and data (cause we had it) to provide us with some parameters. We added a few more based on our company's preferences.

After that, they went to work, generating 100's of names (based on our proposal agreement). There were a couple of rounds of review, where Catchword went through their name options and we said yay or ney, until we came up with a shortlist. They then provided a paragraph rational on how the name options could come to life if we were to choose them.

Their team also did a preliminary trademark and google search, we found this to be extremely helpful, and also matched what our attorneys found. Catchword was a pleasure to work with.

What was the team composition?

I worked directly with their partner, Mark. He handled everything from coordinating meetings, presenting options, and providing us with guidance and suggestions.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are currently (still) in the internal deliberation of our final two name options. Catchword did such a great job, we are now having difficulty deciding which name would be the better option to proceed with, as they both fit our needs while resonating with our members.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Catchword was very easy to work with. They were on schedule, and flexible to our changing needs, especially with "COVID happening" in the middle of our project.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Company personality + quality/quantity of results = Impressive I can't stress enough the quality of work that Catchword has provided us so far. We will be hiring them for other future projects.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Honestly... Catchword has this process in the bag. It was a pleasure to work with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior director of global product marketing of a job platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Catchword?

We engaged Catchword to help with specific naming projects. We wanted to develop names for new products the company was launching and to set up a naming methodology for the organization.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The first way we engage Catchword is in a typical consulting fashion. We had a few high-profile product launches coming up. We brought them up as an expert to run a few workshops with the relevant teams and advise us on how to strategically think through the naming project for a particular product area. After that, they delivered a few naming options for us.

Second, Catchword has helped us think through the general principles of creating a set of standardized guidelines within the company for naming any product in any area or department. This didn’t have any hard deliverables. It required them to help us think about the composition of our company and the practicalities, like how much operational lift a particular process could entail. They also helped us do competitive research, learning what other companies do to solve the same problems we’re facing.

What is the team composition?

We have one point of contact: Laurel (Strategist).

How did you come to work with Catchword?

Catchword was identified before I joined the project. I believe they went through a lightweight RFP process with the team that was overseeing the project previously. I met with them before we engaged, and they seemed smart, approachable, and easy to work with.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $50,000–$­100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in late 2019. They’re staying on with us for any naming engagements we may need.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their work serves the purpose that we need. I’ve worked with several different naming groups, Catchword is a great partner because they work quickly, can clarify an abstract type of work, and are cost-effective. In fact, they’re better at keeping tabs on our spending than we are.

How did Catchword perform from a project management standpoint?

They always meet deadlines without coming in early. We communicate over the phone, email, and video conferencing. They also can work with different groups across our organization. Because we have just a single point of contact, Catchword’s communication is streamlined. That contact can talk to several departments within our company at once. It’s nice to have continuity on their side.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I admire their practical way of working. Catchword is geared towards problem-solving for their clients. They also were able to quickly adapt to the way we work, so there was very little time spent onboarding.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only thing that would make Catchword even more perfect is if they were more proactive about suggesting strategic ideas. We haven’t asked them for that; I’d like them to offer it prompting. However, that’s really not an issue.

Any advice for potential customers?

Be very open and honest from the start about what you’re looking for. Laurel is extremely professional and unemotional, which lets us be very transparent with her. We have a really positive working relationship as a result.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner and sole proprietor of a medical device company that is in the process of developing and manufacturing our first product. I am also a busy doctor with her own practice. After 15+ years, we have established a reputation for world class service and expert credentials throughout our industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Catchword?

We needed help with naming our consumer medical device. This was no ordinary naming project though, since this device will treat a condition that is often hidden by those who suffer from it. So it had to be memorable, yet subtle - friendly, yet clinical. The name had to convey efficacy without seeming intimidating. It had to flow seamlessly into branding, and inspire confidence. It had to be...a super-name. Doctors get used to being good at whatever they try. They are high achievers - which is how they got into medical school in the first place. But those smarts fail when it comes to specialized tasks like this. It would have been a classic physician fallacy for me to imagine I knew what I was doing when it came to marketing, branding, or NAMING my device. Catchword gently, but firmly, established their credibility in this project, and expertly brought us in for a soft landing on firm, solid, "naming" ground.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goals were to find a name that fulfilled our multiple and sometimes conflicting needs. This name would set the tone for our branding, for future product development, and for the marketing strategy. No small feat!

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We had the inside track to the owner of this business having met the owner before on several occasions - well before we ever considered that we might need such services. The reputation was impeccable. Previous customers were enthusiastic. There are few dedicated, experienced professional naming practitioners who are independent and discreet enough to handle almost any naming project - and CatchWord is the at the top of the pack.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The process began with a review of the product. All aspects of current design and competitors products were reviewed. We talked about the hopes for the product, the design challenges, and the emotions we wanted to evoke with the name. There was an overview of how the process worked, a review of how we could contribute best, and a run-down of the expected deliverables including Round 1 and Round 2 name lists.

What was the team composition?

I worked directly with Maria, the owner. She and I then conferred independently with our own teams, and reconvened meetings as needed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The final name list was short enough to be manageable and long enough to provide options. In the end this worked well since we ended up having IP issues with a few of our favorites, but she had provided additional versions of the same option which we then pivoted to incorporate. It was one of these options we eventually settled on.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Catchword was timely and responsive. Phone calls and emails were promptly returned. Meetings were easy to schedule and efficient. We typically used Zoom to meet.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

This way the names were categorized into specific emotive categories was impressive. They seemed to understand what we were going for in our product and be able to articulate it based on our clumsy efforts to explain. They are like distillers - taking the whole mix down to its most potent, key components.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I cannot identify any.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Precision medicine company focused on genomic testing for cancer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Catchword?

We needed help in selecting a new corporate name for the company.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to select a name that reflected our team and values, while also differentiated us in a crowded market of competitors.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We interviewed several agencies and Catchword understood the issues we were facing the best. They didn't try to make the project bigger than we wanted i.e. many companies really wanted to do the messaging and not the naming work and focused their proposals on that. Their methodology fit well with our culture and timelines were very reasonable.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Discovery sessions with our team to define our brand elements, a round of name creation on their side resulting in several name possibilities, and several rounds of refinement on our side to get to final possible names.

What was the team composition?

I worked with a company Partner.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

While we are still working name possibilities through legal, we are very happy with the names Catchword provided to us. They reflect well on the company and the process was a very pleasant one.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our partner frequently checked in with us and we met weekly during the course of the project. He still checks in with us to see how we are doing moving through the legal process.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their level of dedication to the success of their clients was impressive.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work for a large professional services organization on a brand strategy team. My role touches all things brand including naming strategy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Catchword?

We needed an agency that would become a true extension of team and welcome all size naming projects.

What were your goals for this project?

Create and sell in names that align with our organization's overall approach to naming, while meeting business needs.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Catchword came recommended. We had an initial get-to-know you conversation and piloted a few projects...the rest is history...

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

It all starts with writing the brief. Sometimes Catchword takes it direct from the business stakeholders, other times direct from my team and I to gain a true understanding of the criteria. We co-develop the recommendations and together present the work. Cathword takes the lead on building the presentations and prescreening names for legal conflict.

What was the team composition?

Mark (principal, Catchword) and Laurel (senior strategist, Catchword).

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Always a fluid process working together, never afraid to ask questions or push our thinking, recommendations consistently creative and on brief, attention to detail is unmatched. We continue to receive very very very positive reactions from our internal stakeholders and names are in use!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Extremely!

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their ability to stretch across industry and discipline set them apart.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the senior VP of sales and marketing at Purigen Biosystems. We're an emerging company in the life science industry based in Pleasanton, California. Our team is developing a new platform for nucleic acid purification that we will launch before the end of 2019.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Catchword?

We needed to generate and identify a brand name for our new platform. In previous companies I've worked for, naming and branding has been handled internally; however, in this case, we decided to work with a consultant. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I talked with Mark (Principal & Project Lead, Catchword) over the phone a couple of times to provide him with background on our company, technology, and project. He interviewed key members of our leadership team for about an hour or so to get a broader perspective of our company and its culture. I then provided Mark with more detailed information about the market, upcoming products, the field we'll be selling to, as well as the competitive landscape.

Mark digested all of that and developed a creative brief along with an outline of the process we'd be following. The Catchword creative team then developed a little over 100 names, 30 of which were recommended. We voted on them and, after several followup discussions, we decided on a shortlist of seven names. Following a full trademark search using an external lawyer, we selected a name and applied for trademark registration.

What is the team composition?

We worked directly with Mark. Obviously, the creative team at Catchword was involved, but we did not work with them directly. 

How did you come to work with Catchword?

I identified five consulting companies that we could potentially work with based on previous experience, recommendations from peers, and a web search. After interviewing five companies, I reviewed their proposals with the executive team. We selected Catchword based primarily on their process. Their process seemed to strike a good balance between providing enough names to make it likely that we could identify multiple solid candidates, while not burying us in hundreds of names that would take too long to work through. 

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent $10,000–$49,999.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our naming project with Catchword ran from July–October 2019. We're now working on a tagline.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re launching our project next month, so we don’t have external feedback yet, but everybody involved within the company was impressed with the process and result. Mark involved us in every step of the process, which informed us of the progress that had been made and also built confidence that Catchword understood explicitly what we wanted. Mark always made sure we could course-correct along the way.

How did Catchword perform from a project management standpoint?

Mark helped keep us on track, which was very helpful as we're a pretty small team working in a fast-paced environment. Catchword delivered on the agreed-upon timeline and managed the product well. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

When Catchword came back with a list of names, I think the Purigen team was a little anxious as to what we might get; product naming is not easy, and getting consensus is hard. Everyone was pleasantly surprised, as Catchword had clearly thought through each and every name, and they were able to briefly talk through why they liked each one and thought it spoke to our company and product. It was refreshing to work with Catchword; they clearly put a lot of thought into all of their deliverables. We had a positive experience. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I was somewhat nervous that Mark seemed to be the only person I talked to, but clearly there’s a lot of horsepower working behind the scenes. It ended up being fine for us because everything we communicated to Mark made its way back to the creative team, because the feedback was incorporated into their next round of work. Working with just Mark ended up not really being an issue; in fact, it likely helped to streamline the process.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We provided Catchword with a lot of information at the start of the process, and although that took time and generated a lot of questions and followup, I think it helped the process move more smoothly. I believe it enabled them to really focus on ideas that spoke to our technology and the areas in which it's differentiated from the competition. Catchword likely doesn't do too many projects in the life science field, but they clearly understood what was different and distinct about our product and technology.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Chief Marketing & Corporate Communications Officer at EVERSANA, the leading independent provider of global services to the life science industry

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Catchword?

We hired Catchword to help us come up with the perfect name for our brand new company!

What were your goals for this project?

We needed to find that perfect name that captured the essence of our company, including our cultural beliefs, differentiated value prop and increasing global footprint - and we needed it FAST!

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Catchword has a reputation for excellence in brand and naming efforts. We knew they were the firm to work with!

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Our scope was broad and it needed to be executed quickly. At that time, we were integrating more than five companies into one new brand. Our services were expansive and our business was unlike any other in our sector. We needed a name that captured attention, was true to our vision and would thrive in every corner of the world. Catchword led us through the whole process... starting with thousands of names and landing on the perfect one.

What was the team composition?

I worked directly with Catchword's top leadership and at every step of the project, Mark was engaged and ensured the best results.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We launched "EVERSANA" and the reaction from all of our key stakeholders, including employees, clients and prospects, was overwhelmingly positive. Plus the project was on time and on budget!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was perfect. Great communication at every step of the project and Catchword is the master at managing multiple stakeholders int eh project.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Quick, flawless execution!

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, keep up the great work.