GAME-CHANGING GLOBAL BRAND NAMES
Tanj is a global brand naming and language studio.
The name you chose is the most consequential brand decision you will ever make.
We empower you and your team every step of the naming journey.
Together, we will prime your brand to change the world, one word at a time.
Brands we've named include:
- Wii (Nintendo)
- Bravia (Sony)
- Ally (Ally Financial)
- Concourse (JPMorgan)
- Juke (Nissan)
- Natural Bliss (Coffee Mate)
- OnePass (NFL)
- And many, many more...
3 Languages
- English
- Spanish
- Japanese
1 Timezone
- EST
Naming & Brand Strategy for Logistics Solutions Company
the project
“Tanj’s biggest strength is that they focus on the work that they excel in.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I was the head of design at a logistics solutions company.
What challenge were you trying to address with Tanj?
We needed help with our naming, branding, and brand strategy. As an early-stage startup, we found it difficult to name our company because we weren’t sure which way we would go with our business. Once we started forming our company and were getting prepared for our product launch, we decided that it was time to think about the future and define a name that helped people perceive our brand accurately.
We had come up with a very challenging brief because it touched on very abstract concepts. We were still figuring out what would work best for us at that moment while also thinking about something that could be scaled into the future as our business evolved and transformed.
Moreover, our company is in a very conservative field; people have seen technology related to our industry fail in the past, so they’re very cautious around new companies. Therefore, we also needed help navigating names that could make us feel trusted in this industry without it being so conservative that it could scare away the young tech talent we were hiring.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We hired Tanj to help us with our naming and brand strategy. Initially, they did thorough research on our industry because they didn’t have a background in it. In addition to this research, they also conducted multiple interviews with stakeholders and clients, getting them excited about participating in helping us formulate our identity.
Then, Tanj audited our former brand to help our stakeholders understand what was working with it and what wasn’t. After that, they audited several of our competitors to assess what they did well and what they didn’t. This exercise allowed them to highlight potential opportunities, helping us form our communication strategy.
As previously mentioned, our naming was quite challenging, but Tanj also helped us create objective success criteria that resonated with our leadership members, who were hesitant to spend money on naming.
With these criteria, Tanj addressed all the things we were worried about, including how to make the name fit with our strategy and how to make it global. One of their suggestions was to choose a name that was pronounceable anywhere in the world. Thus, they recommended avoiding using numbers in our name because people could read them in their native language, which could potentially cause they couldn’t find us online.
As part of the brand strategy process, they provided us with brand guidelines on how to better sell our products and represent our company. For example, they helped us establish our voice so that our tone was consistent across our different channels and represented us well.
What is the team composition?
We worked with Scott (Founder & Managing Director), Jill (Director of Naming & Strategy), Liz (Senior Namer), Perry (Trademark Attorney, Litwin Kach), a senior namer and copywriter, and a strategy and research director.
How did you come to work with Tanj?
We knew that this project would be a business challenge for our company because we also had leadership and stakeholders with different comfort levels regarding naming and branding. Thus, we wanted to find a firm that could do a good job on the project while taking our team through the process and getting everyone on board.
With this in mind, I created an RFP and sent it out to a dozen naming, branding, and storytelling firms. I got proposals from all of them, and Tanj’s one was by far the most impressive one I received. Their founders took the time to read through the very long brief we had created and responded with a proposal that really hit the nail about what we were looking for.
We had a lot of different needs because we weren’t entirely sure about what we really needed. However, Tanj structured their proposal around our needs while adding the option to add more services depending on our future needs. That was why we hired them.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent around $75,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We worked from May–October 2020.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Thanks to Tanj’s involvement in the process, our launch was very successful. Our new name was very well received by our clients and internal team. Additionally, it allowed us to keep hiring talent by getting them excited about the company, which is what we were going for. Moreover, our clients continued to trust us after our name change, so we were able to meet all of our initial goals overall.
How did Tanj perform from a project management standpoint?
The most important thing for us as a startup was the timeline; we were on a deadline, and we wanted to launch quickly. From the start, Tanj did a great job of communicating the project’s key milestones and ensuring we hit them.
Overall, they did an excellent job at managing the project and managing us as clients to keep us on track, meet the deadlines, and achieve what we needed. As for communication, they set up a Slack channel for us to be in constant communication with all of their team members.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Tanj’s biggest strength is that they focus on the work that they excel in. They don’t try to diversify and upsell clients on different things; instead, they do what they do best. That’s why they are extraordinary at naming and writing. Additionally, they’re great at communicating in a very clear way that avoids industry jargon, helping connect people with their writing.
Thanks to their great communication skills and emotional intelligence, we trusted them to be professional and felt comfortable putting them in front of partners and potential clients. They were able to communicate abstract concepts and be really pragmatic with stakeholders who were a little skeptical of the process.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No. Tanj’s team was able to solve issues quickly when even unforeseen things happened. For example, when they came up with the first batch of names we liked, we found out that they weren’t available in our trademark areas. However, Scott and his team quickly went back to the drawing board to come up with more iterations of names that could be legally approved.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Help them help you. They’re genuinely interested in their client’s businesses, so they’ll take the time to explore all the different areas you point them towards. Send them as many materials as you can and leverage their genuine curiosity to help you get a great name for your company.
Focus
Portfolio
Agilent, Alibaba, Ally, Capital One, CVS, Electronic Arts Inc, GameStop, HBO, JP Morgan Chase & Co, Konica Minolta, Lamborghini, Microsoft, NBC Sports, Nike, Nissan, Tata Motors, Ubisoft, Verizon, WarnerMedia, Turner Classic Movies, Ubisoft, Verisign, Verizon, WarnerMedia & more
Wii — Naming a global hit in gaming
Wii. You know that crazy little game console brand that shook up the gaming market? We like to think it’s because of the name. Members of our team created it, after all.
But the truth is, the name was only one part of the brand’s success. Nintendo’s vision for changing the face of gaming, the creation of a completely unique product, and a need to develop a brand that was as innovative as the product itself all led to the creation of the name “Wii.”
And what does “Wii” mean? The name was plucked from the English pronoun “we,” as in ‘we will play together,’ and lightly spun to give it a highly unique look and feel.
Alpaca — Renaming an up-and-coming VC
When the general partners at early-stage seed firm Corigin Ventures (CV) approached us, they had a hunch that the startup and venture capital communities didn’t fully understand what CV stood for, or where it invested.
The major problem was that Corigin Ventures was spun out of a much larger real estate company named Corigin, so much of the market viewed CV as a Property Technology VC due to the Corigin name’s significant ties to real estate. The CV brand also didn’t have a defining story or message to help it stand on its own.
So we embarked on changing all that.
We began by developing a brand strategy rooted in the partners’ collective ambition of becoming a more dynamic, modern and stand-out brand that balanced their hard-hitting investment approach and background as successful founders, with their softer side as genuinely thoughtful VCs who offered incredible support to founders. The strategy leveraged the idea of being one team with real grit who avoided the BS that some VCs are known for.
We then renamed the firm. After an exhaustive exploration of hundreds of ideas, we landed on a more evocative, sticky and downright fun name — Alpaca. Yes, Alpaca!
The new name more accurately represents the team’s core values and strengths as investors. It speaks to the partners’ understanding of the ups and downs of the startup journey, and also to their focus on creating a tight-knit team that takes care of its own.
We rounded out our engagement by crafting a variety of names to brand certain aspects of their offering, including their OneHerd platform to support founders, a newsletter called The Rundown, their Unpacked long-form content and more. We also imbued the brand with a unique voice to capture the edge the team sought, and developed an in-depth messaging platform to help communicate across a diverse range of audiences.
The launch was a tremendous success — it lit up the VC community on social media. Founder and investor engagement continues to climb.
OnePass — Naming the NFL's new events app
NFL tentpole events like the Draft, Superbowl and Pro Bowl are big, exciting and highly immersive affairs. To deepen the fan experience, the NFL developed a new app that gives attendees everything they need to take full advantage of NFL events. Think interactive maps, schedules, location-based alerts, even 'Vince' — the NFL’s virtual assistant named after Vince Lombardi — right in the palm of your hand.
The new app needed a new name. And that’s where we came in.
Within our exploration, we developed a strategy to create names that position the app in unique and engaging ways. As a guide, about the experience, or all about the feeling of taking part in these incredible events.
In the end, the final name OnePass kinda covers it all. In a light play on words, OnePass clearly communicates that everything you need for these events is right there in the app.
Bravia — Naming Sony's global TV brand
Who doesn’t love a big flatscreen? The vivid colors, impressive picture and sheer size make you want to jump to your feet and belt ‘Bravo!’ for its amazing performance!
Well, maybe we’re exaggerating a teensy bit. But TVs can be cool, and when members of our team developed the name “Bravia” to help Sony climb back to the top of a highly competitive flatscreen market, the goal was to create a name that spoke to high performance.
Hence “Bravia,” lightly coined from the word “bravo,” denoting a really good viewing experience.
Twobird — Naming a new email app
Email. We all use it. And we all have a love-hate relationship with it.
Despite its convenience, email is not the most efficient way to communicate. More of a necessary evil by some people’s standards?
The kind folks at Ginger Labs — makers of the well-known note-taking app, Notability — set out to change all that with a nifty, new email client that sheds the unnecessary conventions of traditional email.
Say goodbye to silly signature repetition and long, cumbersome chain quotes. Not gonna do it. Say hello to in-collaboration email, handy note-taking functionality and auto-archiving. Oh yeah!
In short, this new platform lets you do more, in less time, with less effort and less writing.
After an extremely deep and wide exploratory, we landed on the name Twobird — a nod to the phrase, “Kill two birds with one stone,” a paragon for efficiency.
Twobird is just taking flight, but judging by its reviews on the App store, it’s a smash hit already.
The Plot Thickens — Naming TCM's new podcast
The Plot Thickens, recently named by Tanj, is an incredible new podcast produced by the self-proclaimed "film nerds" at Turner Classic Movies.
The first season goes deep into the rapid rise and ultimate fall of acclaimed director Peter Bogdanovich.
Future seasons will immerse listeners into stories of classic Hollywood, chronicling legendary movies and the icons who made them.
Stay tuned for more.
Natural Bliss — Naming a creamer for CoffeeMate
Coffee-Mate is probably at 90% of coffee stations in offices and waiting rooms around the country.
To continue its quest for global creamery domination, Nestle’s Coffee-Mate wanted to extend the brand into the wonderful world of all-natural real milk creamers.
We helped them get there by naming the new brand “Natural Bliss.” We think the name speaks for itself.
While it’s true that most of the folks at Tanj prefer a light splash of organic milk and no sugar in their daily joe, we have to say, Natural Bliss is quite dreamy. You should try it.
Veem — Renaming a global payments powerhouse
When you’re a tech company that’s about to hit the big-time, you’ve got to be ready for the show. Great talent, solid software, plenty of funding – all a must. And payments company Align Commerce had all that.
They were prepped to change the clunky, outdated world of international payments, and with a recent round of funding, there was nothing standing in their way. What they didn’t have was a name they liked… “Align Commerce” wasn’t bad, but it didn’t say, “We’re about to change a global industry.” It was more generic and difficult to pronounce globally. Plus, they didn’t even do commerce anymore.
So we partnered with them to create a more powerful, telegraphic and highly unique global name. The goal was to craft a name that was fast, sleek and short. Something people anywhere could adopt as a verb (“Google”, anyone?), and that didn’t require any inherit meaning because it’ll one day be in the dictionary under “to send or receive payments internationally.” Something exciting. Something that signaled change.
And voilà… we came up with Veem.
Humanly — Naming a new online wellness community
When Immunomedics came to us for help naming an online platform for the cancer community, we knew we had to give it our all. Their goal was to create a space where people living with cancer could truly be themselves. There are other communities that focus on fighting, or hope, or relentless positivity, but this one is designed to welcome and celebrate all aspects of humanity — not just the fighter mentality.
We were challenged to create a name that felt real and inclusive. A name that captured the idea of having space to simply be yourself — your whole self. A name that would speak to all types of people, living with any type of cancer, at any stage of the disease.
Following a wide and deep exploration, one name rose to the top: Humanly. This name boldly states what shouldn’t need to be stated: People living with cancer aren’t just patients. They are humans with rich, complex lives. Humanly celebrates humanity and humanizes cancer. And that’s something we’re proud to have played a part in.
Upswell — Naming a new conference series
Every year, Independent Sector (IS) — a national membership organization that brings together non-profits, foundations and corporations to promote the common good — holds conferences for change-makers of all kinds, providing support to enable them to advance their unique causes.
In an effort to redefine what a conference could be, IS sought our help to name its bold, new multi-day event — one that serves as an immersive experience that creates deep, meaningful engagement with change-makers of every kind.
Throughout our exploration, it became clear that the new name needed to leap beyond the conventions of traditional conference names (no “…con,” no acronyms) and serve as the signifier of a living, breathing movement.
Our team focused on short, powerful ideas that spoke to a groundswell of energy, insight and activity that this radically new event would create.
In the end, we arrived at “Upswell.” A dynamic real word, one that also evokes an uprising or groundswell.
With one evocative, memorable word, we were able to position the event as an experience and movement that unites and excites a diverse community, enabling it to continue doing what it does best — good.
SmokeFire — Naming Weber's line of pellet grills
Pellet grills are not new. But a pellet grill from Weber — which means something entirely different to grilling enthusiasts and anyone who knows the Weber brand — is now.
Weber, legendary maker of charcoal, gas and other grills known for their incredible performance and longevity, realized the potential of the burgeoning pellet grill market due to the technology's ability to deliver super smoky, pro-BBQ-quality results. And they knew they needed to make a splash, all around the world.
So they asked us to name the new product line.
The bar was high. Pellet grills are a lesser known category of grills, so it was important to signal their benefits directly in the name. Weber's technology delivers the smoke of a regular smoker plus the searing temperatures of other fuels. We also wanted consumers to understand that via the name. It would also be a global name used in markets all over the world, so it needed to be simple and easy for all.
After an exhaustive search, we landed on SmokeFire — a clear, universal way to telegraph all the awesomeness this grill offers.
Oh yeah, and SmokeFire comes with Weber Connect, which is an amazing step-by-step grilling assistant that turns the grill into a truly smart grill. We named Weber Connect, too!
Array — Naming a fintech innovator
Have you ever checked your credit score from an app or a website? If so, you know how helpful this information can be in assessing where you stand financially.
All that data is controlled by the big-three credit bureaus, and regular people don’t always have easy access. For financial institutions, fintechs and other businesses, the ability to give their customers access to this personalized credit information is extremely valuable, but also incredibly challenging. The time, money and tech required is substantial.
Our client, an off-shoot of an already successful software development firm in the financial space, has cracked the code.
They offer businesses a huge variety of digital products — everything from a credit manager tool, score simulators, identity protection and more — in the form of prebuilt tools that fintechs, financial institutions and other types of businesses can leverage. All they have to do is drop them into their own experience to give their customers personalized credit and financial information.
Done.
So what do you call a company that has a focused but broad set of tools upon launch, and will undoubtedly develop more within and outside the credit space? We named them Array — an expansive real-word name that speaks to a massive collection of products, and also a subtle nod to the team’s coding and developer roots.
We’ve since worked with Array to create the new brand’s underlying brand strategy, story, messaging, voice and various copy. Although Array’s inception is recent, the company is rapidly growing, and they’re showing no sign of slowing.
AdvancingCities — CSR Initiative by JPMorgan Chase
As part of the firm’s innovative CSR work, JPMorgan Chase launched a five-year, $500 million initiative to invest in urban communities that have not traditionally benefited from economic growth.
The mission was set. The strategy was baked. Programs were already launching. The team just needed an overarching name for the initiative to begin telling a bigger story about the positive impact the investment was having in cities like Detroit, Paris, Chicago & D.C.
Throughout the naming process, it became obvious that the new initiative name had to overcome numerous challenges. First, it needed to be clear and intuitive to resonate with a variety of audiences, including policymakers, CEOs, academics, media, plus all of the practitioners on the ground. And second, the name had to be conceptually expansive to cover the breadth of programs that are part of the initiative — everything from job training and financial education to small business expansion and neighborhood revitalization.
AdvancingCities was ultimately selected as the moniker. It succinctly describes the broader goal of the initiative. It says exactly what JPMorgan & Chase has set out to do, and what under-tapped communities everywhere need today.
OLO — Naming a new cannabis brand
At Tanj, we often work on brands that are at the forefront of their industries. Cool new product launches, amazing new services, awesome new organizations — they all need names.
What’s less common is being able to work at the forefront of entirely new industries.
Lucky for us, we had the chance to name an innovative, new cannabis brand, in a new edible format called a sublingual strip (i.e. it dissolves under your tongue).
We landed on OLO — a highly coined, incredibly short brand name clipped from “-ology,” which is the suffix denoting the study of something.
It’s a fun, casual reference to the science and innovation that the OLO team has put into its products. Given that it's is only three letters, OLO is very easy to remember (essential in the cannabis category for obvious reasons ;-), and it pairs well with product names, like Focus, Chill, Social and Active.
New Haircut — Renaming a digital agency
DXB, a full-service creative and digital agency with offices in NYC and Romania, had a growing business, but one big challenge: the name ‘DXB’ lacked imagination or a clear message. Plus it didn’t stand out when pitted against agencies with similar names (think DDB, BBDO, JWT, SS+K, Y&R).
So the founders decided to bite the bullet and change the name before making significant investments in growing the business and the brand.
After several in-depth discussions with our team, it became clear that DXB needed to break out of its shell with a fresh, bold name, that felt, quite frankly, a little crazy.
That’s where the name “New Haircut” came in. We created it to push the envelope, extend the boundaries of how current and future clients perceive them, and send a fun message about who they are and what they offer their clients.
MyTeams — Naming a new sports app
For many years, NBC Sports had a fractured app development strategy for regional sports coverage. Each market, like the Bay Area, Boston, Philly and beyond, had its own app for streaming games. And the look, feel and experience of each app was inconsistent and often out of date.
To step up its game, NBC Sports rolled up all regional apps and content into one bad-ass main app. The objective was to have a single destination and experience for fans to keep up with their favorite local teams and catch the latest team news, videos, and of course, live games.
We partnered with NBC Sports to create the name for this new app. It's called MyTeams. We love the name MyTeams because it is dead-simple. It deftly signals the app’s focus on regional sports content. Plus, it is super easy to remember for a wide-ranging audience (think everyone from casual viewers to die-hard super-fans).
Based on app download stats, it’s been a winner.
Juke — naming Nissan's sporty new crossover
Have you ever driven in New York City?
You’ve got to dodge, weave, step on it and STOP… all before the light turns green.
Nissan had this in mind when they built the Juke crossover. It’s a sweet ride for navigating tricky streets safely and stylishly. Members of our team helped develop the name “Juke.” And we think it is a really good fit since “juke” means “outmaneuver.”
Designed to look like a proud boxer from the outside, and feel like a jet-fighter cockpit inside, Juke lets you quickly carve up the toughest city streets.
Brick&Wonder — Naming a new real estate platform
Introducing Brick & Wonder — a new, member-only community for real estate and design professionals recently launched by our friends at Lang Architecture (they also created Hudson Woods!).
Brick & Wonder is changing the way real estate and design pros practice their craft, interact with each other, and ultimately grow their businesses.
As a network, it’s built on the idea that collaboration creates more long-term value for everyone than you can simply working on your own. As a community and resource, it works.
In partnership with Studio Sanderson, we developed the general story behind the brand, as well as the name ‘Brick & Wonder,’ which is a tip of the hat to the musing put forth by famed architecture powerhouse Louis Kahn in his book Silence & Light.
Between — Naming an iconic earbud brand
Status is a force when it comes to headphones. The brand stands for simplicity and quality — sleekly designed and meticulously engineered audio gear for sound enthusiasts, all at an accessible price.
The company hired Tanj to help name its revolutionary line of wireless ear budges to go head-to-head against some of the industries biggest players (umm... Airpods?).
We dove deep into the process with Status’s CEO and design team. We set up a naming and brand strategy based on the idea of immersion — complete, unfettered immersion into audio from earbuds that boast industry-leading sound, ergonomics and battery life.
Status’s intentionally limited branding meant that the new name had to work on the same level. It had to feel natural, unfiltered, pure.
Together we landed on Between. A highly conceptual real word that perfectly describes what matters most when it comes to headphones. The real experience is everything you feel in between the sound, and these earbuds reveal it all.
Trovo - Naming a live streaming platform
Gaming juggernaut Tencent came to us for help developing a new game live streaming platform designed to go head-to-head with Amazon's 800 pound gorrilla Twitch.
After an in-depth strategy exploration and naming deep dive, we unearth the perfect name design to speak to the platforms ambitions of having the most (and best) live channels on the planet.
Trovo - as in a treasure trove of streams.
It's still early on in Trovo's growth, but it appears to be gaining traction already.
Ally — Naming an iconic neobank
Let’s face it: banks don’t have the best reputations these days. For your average consumer, there is a general feeling of “us” against “them.”
Several years ago, GMAC Financial understood this and aimed to develop a different kind of brand for a different kind of bank.
Enter Ally Bank – a unique refreshing take on how banks operate and what they offer, with a uniquely refreshing name developed by members of the Tanj team. The name “Ally” comes from the English noun “ally,” meaning a person or group that supports you for a common cause.
By always doing the right thing, the company serves as a relentless ally for customers, empowering them to make smarter decisions about their financial lives.
Since renaming the company, Tanj has worked extensively with Ally to develop dozens of brand names for new products, services, features and more.
Reviews
the project
Naming Services for Fantasy Basketball Game Platform
“They were great at collecting our thoughts and understanding the themes behind our business to craft the name.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the CEO and co-founder of Swoops. We’re building a fantasy sports product where our users own the players.
What challenge were you trying to address with Tanj?
When we started, we needed someone to help us come up with the name.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We initially had a kickoff meeting where we discussed the goals and what we wanted to do. Tanj gave us a survey to understand who we were. From there, we had three more meetings. The first one was a deeper dive into our business to collect more information. In the next meeting, they gave us a list of name suggestions, and the fourth meeting was to hone in on the final name.
Additionally, they interviewed my co-founder and me as the primary stakeholders. They had to understand the emotions and feelings we were trying to convey. Tanj structured the whole process around that. For example, some of our themes were strategy names and futurism, so they suggested names for those topics.
What is the team composition?
We worked with 5–6 teammates from their side. Scott (Founder & Managing Director) was on every call.
How did you come to work with Tanj?
We reached out to them because my co-founder worked on a previous project with their team. They were happy with Tanj’s work, so we decided to engage them.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent around $30,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working with them in February 2022, and our engagement lasted six weeks.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Many of our users loved the name; it’s easy to understand and pronounce.
How did Tanj perform from a project management standpoint?
Project management was excellent. They were on top of things, and the team was organized and good at explaining the process. They were also responsive and good at listening. We communicated over phone calls, Zoom, and emails.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They were great at collecting our thoughts and understanding the themes behind our business to craft the name.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, they were great.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Think deeply about your business from a brand perspective and come in with those notes.
the project
Brand Renaming for Accounting Firm
"We were impressed with the simplicity and clarity of their process."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the CEO of Treewalk, an accounting firm.
What challenge were you trying to address with Tanj?
We wanted to rename our firm.
What was the scope of their involvement?
To start off the project, Tanj interviewed us in order to understand our company and competition better. After that, they presented a bunch of names and explained each of them thematically. We chose the ones we liked the most, and they used those as a basis to come up with new names that were more associated with the themes we wanted.
What is the team composition?
We worked with 2–3 people from their team, including Scott (Founder & Managing Director) and Jill (Director).
How did you come to work with Tanj?
We found them through Clutch.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent around $25,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We worked together on this project from October–November 2021.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We loved the name that Tanj came up with, and we’ve been using it since then. We also noticed improvements in brand awareness and engagement and received positive feedback about our new name.
How did Tanj perform from a project management standpoint?
They met all deadlines, stayed on budget, and communicated effectively. We contacted them through phone and video calls.
What did you find most impressive about them?
We were impressed with the simplicity and clarity of their process. Also, Scott was very helpful throughout.
Are there any areas they could improve on?
No, they executed the project exactly the way we expected, and we did not encounter any problems. Overall, they were great to work with.
the project
Brand Name for Brand Strategy Firm's Client
"Their team took into account different perspectives in coming up with the right brand name."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the principal and founder of a brand strategy firm called Highland Insights.
What challenge were you trying to address with Tanj?
We hired them to come up with a new name for one of our clients.
What was the scope of their involvement?
In the beginning, we gave Tanj a bunch of materials about the background of our company and held meetings to discuss what we were trying to achieve. From there, they started with the naming process and eventually came up with a number of new names for us to choose from. They also helped us with trademarking.
What is the team composition?
We worked with two people from their side, including Scott (Founder & Managing Director).
How did you come to work with Tanj?
It was through a recommendation.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent $15,000–$30,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We worked together on this project from November 2021–February 2022.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Tanj successfully helped us come up with a solid new brand name for our client. Overall, we were very satisfied with their work.
How did Tanj perform from a project management standpoint?
They delivered everything on time and within budget. For communication, we used email and Zoom.
What did you find most impressive about them?
We were impressed with their naming process — their team took into account different perspectives in coming up with the right brand name.
Are there any areas they could improve on?
I can’t think of anything.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
I recommend working with Tanj. They were great to work with.
the project
Branding For Technology Company
"Tanj's team led us masterfully throughout the project."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the founder and CEO of Together, a full-service digital agency.
What challenge were you trying to address with Tanj?
We wanted to invent the brand of a fintech project we were collaborating on, including its visual identity, strategy, and naming.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Tanj provided branding services for us. Their team helped us create our project's image, voice, and UX from scratch. They were also responsible for naming the brand and working with my team to develop the strategy and other collateral, including web and product experience.
Tanj's' team led a comprehensive process and had interesting ways to define a name through a rigorous and psychological take to ensure how potential clients would perceive our brand. In addition, their team went through all the legal processes to ensure that our brand name could be used and protected.
What is the team composition?
For this project, we worked with Scott (CEO) and two other members of their team.
How did you come to work with Tanj?
We conducted interviews with several naming agencies, but Tanj was the most impressive and appropriate for our fintech-oriented project. Additionally, we've' been working with Tanj on other tasks and were happy with their involvement.
How much money have you invested in this partnership?
We spent $10,000–$50,000 with them on this task.
What is the status of this engagement?
We worked together from February–May 2021.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Tanj’s branding work was essential for having more than one successful fundraising round for our project.
How did Tanj perform from a project management standpoint?
Project management was perfect; they were diligent and always had clear milestones. In terms of communication, they always kept us informed and updated through Slack and Google Suite.
What did you find most impressive about them?
All their work was great, but their ability to walk us through the whole process was outstanding. This task was complicated to understand, but Tanj’s team led us masterfully throughout the project.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on — we were delighted with how they conducted everything.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Stay engaged with the process and be clear and thoughtful with the feedback you give them.
the project
Product Rebranding for Carbon Fiber Manufacturer
''Their rebranding work was very well received by our brand partners.''
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the VP of global marketing at Carbitex; we’re a B2B company focused on advanced material technologies.
What challenge were you trying to address with Tanj?
The names of our carbon fiber and other composites products had confusing names, so we wanted an easier way for our customers to identify and remember them.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Tanj helped us rename three of our core products with something that would be easy to remember and speak specifically to the function of our technology, which is flexibility.
What is the team composition?
We worked with three members of their team, including Scott (Founder).
How did you come to work with Tanj?
Someone referred them to us.
How much money have you invested in this partnership?
We spent $27,000 with them on this project.
What is the status of this engagement?
We worked together from January–March 2022.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
I was impressed with their ability to connect our technologies to names that were very clear and described what the product did — they were memorable and spoke to flexibility as we wanted. Moreover, their rebranding work was very well received by our brand partners, some of whom are footwear companies, which is the market we’re focusing on.
How did Tanj perform from a project management standpoint?
They were able to meet deadlines and stay on budget. Regarding tools, we used emails, Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They’re very strong and strategic thinkers with a creative approach. We also liked the system they applied, which is a naming convention that will allow us to name the new products and technologies ourselves.
Are there any areas they could improve?
They could provide project updates more frequently. Communication was good, but they could touch base more often.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Be open to their processes and the suggestions they provide. They offer solutions you haven't necessarily thought about, and their contribution is valuable.
the project
Brand Naming Services for Branding & Communications Agency
“They were very easy to work with, and our client really liked them.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the CEO of Suits & Sandals, a branding and communications consulting agency.
What challenge were you trying to address with Tanj?
A client hired us to rebrand their company, and one of the challenges was to come up with a new name for the company, which isn’t one of the services we offer. We partnered with Tanj to provide naming services for the client.
What was the scope of their involvement?
First, we worked collaboratively with Tanj in a discovery process whereby we interviewed the client to learn about their business and competitors. We also performed a variety of other research tasks. From there, they presented their naming recommendations and went through a few rounds of iterations to come up with 3–5 different options.
The team vetted the names for availability in terms of the website address and copyright challenges. They also did preliminary trademarking searches to weed out any issues. After the client chose the name, we moved forward with the rest of the brand identity project.
What is the team composition?
We worked with Scott (Founder & Managing Director) and another two teammates from Tanj.
How did you come to work with Tanj?
Our company is in a number of directories of similar businesses. I found Scott through a networking group, and we connected and found that we had some complementary services, so it was a good match.
How much have you invested with them?
Their service cost around $30,000, which was part of the total budget our client hired us for, so they paid Tanj directly.
What is the status of this engagement?
The project lasted from January–March 2021. We’ve kept in close communication since the project ended and have worked on other projects together.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The client was satisfied with Tanj’s work. They were great at explaining why they chose a specific name and what it meant. Now, if a client needs brand naming services, we always recommend working with Tanj, and they do the same for us with visual design services. Working with them has allowed us to take jobs that we otherwise couldn’t, so it’s great to have them as a resource.
How did Tanj perform from a project management standpoint?
They had a very well-defined process that worked well for the client since it wasn’t tied to a certain amount of revisions. This process was quick and detailed, and they were very good at walking the client through it. Since the client ultimately had to decide on a name, things could take a bit longer due to this decision-making process. However, Tanj delivered at a good pace.
We communicated via email and Slack. For presentations with the client, we used video conferencing on either Zoom or Google Meet.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Tanj’s process was very similar to hours in terms of the stages: research, initial directions, feedback, and further iteration and revision. Therefore, it was really easy to start our research processes at the same time.
I also appreciated the personalities in the team; they were very easy to work with, and our client really liked them. Moreover, the quality of their work was great. It was great to recommend another business, have them deliver impressive work, and have the client thank us for our recommendation.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I don’t believe there’s anything they could have done differently; everything went really smoothly.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Some companies don’t understand the level of work and the importance of the work that goes into brand naming. It's not as easy as just coming up with a name; most would be surprised how much time and energy goes into the naming process to weed out options that aren’t a good fit for availability, or for legal and cultural reasons.
As a result, some companies may not have properly budgeted their branding project to include naming and end up surprised by the cost. In truth, Tanj is pretty on-par from a cost perspective, in comparison to other naming studios. Overall, companies would do well to educate themselves on the brand naming process and why the cost is justified.
the project
Branding & Naming for Video Games Development Company
“They completely understood what we were looking for and met our expectations.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m a producer at a video games development company.
What challenges were you trying to address with Tanj?
We were looking for a world-class agency to name our game. We wanted to hire a company we could involve in the process and get feedback from.
What was the scope of their involvement?
The project's main goal was naming. Tanj came up with different ideas and recommendations. Then, we provided feedback and made adjustments. We went through that loop three times.
How did you come to work with Tanj?
I was in charge of researching and finding the best companies for this product. After this process, I recommended Tanj as the best choice. Our main criterion was finding an agency with general gaming industry knowledge. Also, we wanted someone who had worked before naming a game and had external experience with gaming. Tanj had worked with other important gaming platforms, which was crucial for us.
How much have you invested in them?
We spent about $100,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working with them in September 2019, and the game was released in April 2020.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We measured the success in terms of how effectively they responded to our feedback and recommendations. Ultimately, the goal was to land the game's name, and we did.
How did Tanj perform from a project management standpoint?
They were very responsive and showed great availability all the way through. It felt like a personal relationship in terms of communication. We mainly communicated through emails and video calls.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They completely understood what we were looking for and met our expectations. Also, they understood our timeline and were very responsive. All in all, they felt like an extension of our team.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I couldn't think of anything. More people should use them; they’re a great team.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Just be honest, open, and straightforward about what you’re trying to get out of the project. Include them as much as possible in the challenges and conversations.
the project
Naming & Brand Strategy for Logistics Solutions Company
“Tanj’s biggest strength is that they focus on the work that they excel in.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I was the head of design at a logistics solutions company.
What challenge were you trying to address with Tanj?
We needed help with our naming, branding, and brand strategy. As an early-stage startup, we found it difficult to name our company because we weren’t sure which way we would go with our business. Once we started forming our company and were getting prepared for our product launch, we decided that it was time to think about the future and define a name that helped people perceive our brand accurately.
We had come up with a very challenging brief because it touched on very abstract concepts. We were still figuring out what would work best for us at that moment while also thinking about something that could be scaled into the future as our business evolved and transformed.
Moreover, our company is in a very conservative field; people have seen technology related to our industry fail in the past, so they’re very cautious around new companies. Therefore, we also needed help navigating names that could make us feel trusted in this industry without it being so conservative that it could scare away the young tech talent we were hiring.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We hired Tanj to help us with our naming and brand strategy. Initially, they did thorough research on our industry because they didn’t have a background in it. In addition to this research, they also conducted multiple interviews with stakeholders and clients, getting them excited about participating in helping us formulate our identity.
Then, Tanj audited our former brand to help our stakeholders understand what was working with it and what wasn’t. After that, they audited several of our competitors to assess what they did well and what they didn’t. This exercise allowed them to highlight potential opportunities, helping us form our communication strategy.
As previously mentioned, our naming was quite challenging, but Tanj also helped us create objective success criteria that resonated with our leadership members, who were hesitant to spend money on naming.
With these criteria, Tanj addressed all the things we were worried about, including how to make the name fit with our strategy and how to make it global. One of their suggestions was to choose a name that was pronounceable anywhere in the world. Thus, they recommended avoiding using numbers in our name because people could read them in their native language, which could potentially cause they couldn’t find us online.
As part of the brand strategy process, they provided us with brand guidelines on how to better sell our products and represent our company. For example, they helped us establish our voice so that our tone was consistent across our different channels and represented us well.
What is the team composition?
We worked with Scott (Founder & Managing Director), Jill (Director of Naming & Strategy), Liz (Senior Namer), Perry (Trademark Attorney, Litwin Kach), a senior namer and copywriter, and a strategy and research director.
How did you come to work with Tanj?
We knew that this project would be a business challenge for our company because we also had leadership and stakeholders with different comfort levels regarding naming and branding. Thus, we wanted to find a firm that could do a good job on the project while taking our team through the process and getting everyone on board.
With this in mind, I created an RFP and sent it out to a dozen naming, branding, and storytelling firms. I got proposals from all of them, and Tanj’s one was by far the most impressive one I received. Their founders took the time to read through the very long brief we had created and responded with a proposal that really hit the nail about what we were looking for.
We had a lot of different needs because we weren’t entirely sure about what we really needed. However, Tanj structured their proposal around our needs while adding the option to add more services depending on our future needs. That was why we hired them.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent around $75,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We worked from May–October 2020.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Thanks to Tanj’s involvement in the process, our launch was very successful. Our new name was very well received by our clients and internal team. Additionally, it allowed us to keep hiring talent by getting them excited about the company, which is what we were going for. Moreover, our clients continued to trust us after our name change, so we were able to meet all of our initial goals overall.
How did Tanj perform from a project management standpoint?
The most important thing for us as a startup was the timeline; we were on a deadline, and we wanted to launch quickly. From the start, Tanj did a great job of communicating the project’s key milestones and ensuring we hit them.
Overall, they did an excellent job at managing the project and managing us as clients to keep us on track, meet the deadlines, and achieve what we needed. As for communication, they set up a Slack channel for us to be in constant communication with all of their team members.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Tanj’s biggest strength is that they focus on the work that they excel in. They don’t try to diversify and upsell clients on different things; instead, they do what they do best. That’s why they are extraordinary at naming and writing. Additionally, they’re great at communicating in a very clear way that avoids industry jargon, helping connect people with their writing.
Thanks to their great communication skills and emotional intelligence, we trusted them to be professional and felt comfortable putting them in front of partners and potential clients. They were able to communicate abstract concepts and be really pragmatic with stakeholders who were a little skeptical of the process.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No. Tanj’s team was able to solve issues quickly when even unforeseen things happened. For example, when they came up with the first batch of names we liked, we found out that they weren’t available in our trademark areas. However, Scott and his team quickly went back to the drawing board to come up with more iterations of names that could be legally approved.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Help them help you. They’re genuinely interested in their client’s businesses, so they’ll take the time to explore all the different areas you point them towards. Send them as many materials as you can and leverage their genuine curiosity to help you get a great name for your company.
the project
Brand Name for Audio Products Manufacturer
“They did more than they were contractually obliged to: they wanted to find something that worked for us.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the CEO of DPAC Ventures, an audio products manufacturer that sells phones, headphones, speakers, and soundbars for home theaters.
What challenge were you trying to address with Tanj?
We were trying to come up with a new name for our brand.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Tanj conceived our brand’s name. They looked into market factors, like our competitors's names and trademark availability in India. We needed a name that was short and easy to remember; we needed something that the layperson could say.
What is the team composition?
We worked with Scott (Founder & Managing Director).
How did you come to work with Tanj?
We worked with a few other agencies but couldn’t pick a name that all our stakeholders liked. So, when Tanj came up as naming experts during a Google search, we hired them.
How much have you invested with them?
We invested $25,000–$30,000 with them.
What is the status of this engagement?
Our partnership with Tanj was from December 2020–February 2021.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We determined success by whether or not we liked the name Tanj provided and our ability to trademark it. We liked one of the names Tanj suggested and then adopted it, which defines this project as a success.
How did Tanj perform from a project management standpoint?
Their team was responsive — Scott was accommodating and put in a lot of effort. We communicated through emails, phone calls, and scheduled video meetings.
What did you find most impressive about them?
He went out of his way to help us. For example, at first we didn’t like their suggestions, so Scott went beyond the scope of work outlined in our contract to provide more names and characteristics that could define our brand. They did more than they were contractually obliged to: they wanted to find something that worked for us as the client.
Are there any areas they could improve?
It was difficult to find Tanj on Google; their team should make their services more noticeable online so potential customers can find them.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Customers need to have some idea about what they want from a partnership with Tanj. Once the brief is outlined, Tanj can deliver whatever they need, but the project will take longer if there is no clarity.
the project
Branding for Software Company
''They were real pros, and I was excited about the outcome of their work.''
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m an executive at a software company. We focus on providing expense management solutions.
What challenge were you trying to address with Tanj?
We needed help to develop a brand name for our business that could help us sell and market our product.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Tanj provided branding services for us, including our name, logo, fonts, colors, design, website development, and other materials.
Tanj worked collaboratively with another agency we hired to identify the name we wanted to get across and how we wanted our customers to recognize us. They also helped us assess if we wished for a symbolic, literal, or abstract name. After sorting that out, we went through constant rounds to refine everything based on the testing and feedback sessions until we came up with something that accurately represented our company.
In addition to that, they did preliminary trademark reviews for each one of the names they came up with to check availability. Their team also gave us references to domain name brokers to figure out which domains would be available that we were choosing to market.
What is the team composition?
We worked with two members of their team, including their managing director and a freelance copywriter that Tanj was working with.
How did you come to work with Tanj?
Our COO found them while researching for a new partner, and we chose them after a series of interviews with potential providers. We were impressed with their work and felt that their proposal was reasonable.
How much money have you invested in this partnership?
We spent around $17,000 with them on this project.
What is the status of this engagement?
We worked together from March–April 2021.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
They did a great job. Their team set expectations upfront regarding the project’s stages and results.
How did Tanj perform from a project management standpoint?
Project management was good; they deployed a calendar with every process step and delivered it accordingly. Also, when we needed to adapt the project or do some additional work, they managed it well.
In terms of communication, we used Zoom, Slack, and email.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They came across as experienced and thoughtful. They had a real framework of what they were doing instead of throwing out ideas from nowhere — their team used a model to think through our challenges and needs. Also, they were very disciplined in their execution and were aware of trademark concerns, which was key to our process and saved us from going into time-consuming wrong paths.
Overall, they were real pros, and I was excited about the outcome of their work.
Are there any areas they could improve?
They could charge less, but other than that, I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on.
Tanj was instrumental in achieving a successful brand launch for the client. The new name was well received by stakeholders and clients, as it came across as trustworthy and exciting. The team was timely, communicative, professional, and proactive, and their naming skills were outstanding.