GAME-CHANGING GLOBAL BRAND NAMES
Hi. We’re Tanj. A global brand naming & language studio.
We help brands change the world, one word at a time.
Language is fundamental to how we understand and interact with the world around us. Our mission is to leverage our skills as seasoned namers, strategists, writers and researchers to help you go to market with little bits of language that your audience loves.
Brands we've named include:
- "Wii" (Nintendo)
- "Bravia" (Sony)
- "Ally Bank"
- ";AdvancingCities" (JPMorgan Chase)
- "Juke" (Nissan)
- "Natural Bliss" (Coffee Mate)
- And many, many more...
To learn more about our naming process and methodologies, download our FREE Naming Guides at http://tanj.co/guides/
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
Ally — renaming a national financial services company
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.
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 & rebranding of a venture capital firm
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 new 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 community for cancer patients
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 for innovators and change-makers
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 new 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 & Co
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 player in digital marketing
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 NBC Sports' new regional 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 high-end 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 — awesome new earbuds 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 game live streaming platform for Tencent
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.
Reviews
the project
Naming & Trademark Research for Data Analytics Firm
"They had a mastery of the creative, analytical, and project management aspects of the 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 and founder of a data analytics firm that specializes in text mining and machine learning for complex problem-solving.
What challenge were you trying to address with Tanj?
This is my third business starting, and I've learned from previous experiences that you only have that one shot to make a first impression. In thinking about the name, our space is super competitive so it's hard to differentiate services sometimes.
We thought that spending a little bit of money might make a big difference in helping customers to see us differently and better understand our value proposition. So, we hired them for naming services.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Tanj developed a naming strategy. They would come up with different batches of names and then we would discuss them.
We went through three different rounds, and in each one, we would narrow the options down to ones that resonated with our team. They also looked at trademarks and did URL screening.
What is the team composition?
I mostly worked with Scott (Founder & Managing Director) and Jill (Director of Naming & Strategy).
How did you come to work with Tanj?
I reached out to my network, and we came up with a shortlist of companies to reach out to. We did an RFP and Tanj came out on top, without a doubt. What differentiated them was that they had a very rigorous, clearly outlined process.
They were also the only company that proposed analytical techniques to come up with viable names. Being an analytics firm, we know the power of data, so that made them stand out.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent between $25,000–$50,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We worked with them from January–February 2019. We’ve maintained some contact.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
A lot of our customers asked where we got our name because it’s very different from others in our space. Many people have commented that the name is memorable, sharp, and approachable, which is exactly what we wanted.
How did Tanj perform from a project management standpoint?
Tanj’s project management was outstanding. We’re a consulting firm, too, so when we bring other partners on, it’s important that they know how to help us get good results. This team did exactly that. I can’t think of anything that could’ve been done better.
It felt like we were working with masters of the craft both from the linguistics standpoint as well as from a project management standpoint. It was probably the smoothest piece of work we’ve contracted out. They were great at reaching out and getting our feedback.
We use Trello internally, and they were willing to work with it. We also communicated via video calls. They had a very personable nature and care for their clients and their work, which was exceptional.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Their creativity was over the top. They helped us to expand our thinking about what the name could be, which was really great because we're analytics people. Secondly, their approach to the process, both the rigor of using some data analytics in the process as well as the clarity of scheduling and expectations, was great.
We had a couple of interruptions from our end and the team was very flexible with a couple of changes in direction. They had a mastery of the creative, analytical, and project management aspects of the process.
We've done projects with other firms where they start out with a huge head of steam and then it sort of peters off. The attendance on the consultant side becomes smaller, and then the senior partners pop in at the very end to make sure everything is good. With Tanj, it was a totally different experience.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, it was pretty much flawless.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
One of the most important things would be to be as generous as you can with your information and your time. That will help them to really understand your organization, your goals, your customers, and your market. They’re there to help you, so doing so is only going to improve the end result.
the project
Naming & Branding for Consumer Credit Service Company
"The quality of Tanj’s work is phenomenal."
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 a consumer credit service company.
What challenge were you trying to address with Tanj?
We contracted them for both company naming and branding guidelines.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We were looking specifically for an exploratory process around how to name our company. Once we arrived at a name, we also wanted to arrive at a brand tone and language as well.
It was very clear to us when we started working with Tanj that they have a very well thought out process for naming, which included looking at the industry and other exploratory work. The process was pretty collaborative, starting with immersion and discovery, then industry research, and then the iterative naming process.
What is the team composition?
We worked with two people, most directly with Scott (Founder & Managing Director).
How did you come to work with Tanj?
I found Tanj on Clutch. They had a tremendous number of good reviews.
How much have you invested with them?
The naming was between $25,000–$30,000, and the branding was around the same.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working with them in March 2020, and the naming and branding assignments were finished by May. We’re still working with them — they’re currently doing writing assignments and other services.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
It’s difficult to measure their success in any type of statistical way. It’s just very clear when we work with them that their product offering is good. All the management and executive team loves the work, as does everyone down the line. It’s on point, and the whole team is happy with Tanj’s contributions.
How did Tanj perform from a project management standpoint?
They’re great. Tanj defines their own process, and they stick to it. I give them a 10 out of 10 for their process. We don’t use project management tools together, we mainly communicate with emails and phone calls.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They do a great job of listening to us. Also, they have a great structured process that arrives at a great outcome. The quality of Tanj’s work is phenomenal.
Are there any areas they could improve?
There’s nothing that comes to mind.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Be available and be very forthright with all of the information you can give them, because they do absorb all of it.
the project
Naming Process for Tech Startup
“They were very flexible if we wanted to expand the scope of work in certain areas.”
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.
Our organization is a technology startup company, and my role is head of product and marketing.
What challenge were you trying to address with Tanj?
We were building a new consumer brand and wanted support from experts around naming and naming strategy.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We consulted them on the naming part of our branding strategy. They delivered a detailed presentation with a very deep and wide analysis of different options.
It was a very collaborative process. They spent time interviewing our stakeholders, then they met with us in one-on-one sessions and group sessions. Once they had a good understanding of who we are and what our technology does, they conducted market research.
They identified who the other players in the market were and what they were focusing on. After that, they came back with the first round of names and collected our feedback and comments. We did a few more rounds and narrowed it down to a shortlist that we could select from.
What is the team composition?
We worked with about three people.
How did you come to work with Tanj?
We went through a rigorous process. We interviewed 8–9 different agencies; some we found online, while other were recommendations. We did find a few companies on Clutch as well.
Then we made selections based on a few criteria:
- Experience
- Chemistry
- Process
- Team composition
We ended up selecting Tanj and were happy with the process.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working together around May 2020 and we wrapped up in July 2020.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We selected a name from the shortlist that they provided. They did a good job meeting our requirements while staying on schedule and on budget. We haven’t launched the brand name yet, but we’ve done consumer surveys, and according to the feedback we received, it’s clear that we created the right brand.
How did Tanj perform from a project management standpoint?
The project manager provided timelines that gave us a lot of visibility into what they were working on. They performed well. On a scale of 1–10, I’d rate them at a nine.
We generally communicated over email, but occasionally we had phone calls or video conference calls.
What did you find most impressive about them?
I’ve worked with other providers, but Tanj was an exceptional fit for our company specifically. They were responsive, agile, and weren’t too corporate. They weren’t like other firms who think they know everything and don’t listen to what the client wants. Tanj is really focused on the client. They were very flexible if we wanted to expand the scope of work in certain areas.
They never inflated the project to increase the cost, either. They didn’t nickel and dime us.
Are there any areas they could improve?
They managed the process very well and clearly ran a tight ship, but they could improve their documentation. Their communication platforms could be easier so we don’t have to call, email, or text. I’d love to have access to a portal so we could know exactly what was going on at different stages of the project.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Do your own homework and identify what your company’s values are. You need to know how you benefit the market and what you’re trying to accomplish, You can’t expect third-party consultants to tell you more about your brand than you already know.
the project
Branding for Venture Capital Firm
"Sometimes agencies just want to please their clients, but Tanj actually wanted to do the best work 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 general partner at a venture capital firm.
What challenge were you trying to address with Tanj?
We had them come in for renaming and brand identity services.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Tanj came in and did an audit for us on our previous name, helping us understand how the market perceived our brand and name. Then they worked us through a brand audit and a series of internal discussions, ultimately leading us to decide on a name change, which they spearheaded.
In parallel with that, Tanj started to build the brand stories out. Once we’d chosen a name, we worked on really solidifying the brand message and pillars in terms of voice and values.
What is the team composition?
I worked with three most closely, including a project manager day to day. We also worked with someone in charge of the surveys and audit work, as well as with a copywriter to do the fine tuning.
How did you come to work with Tanj?
We were introduced to them through another agency we’d used in the past. I thought they were the right fit because I found Scott (Founder & Managing Director) to be very thoughtful and smart. He also had specific experience around naming and copywriting, which is what we needed the most.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent about $80,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working together in January 2020. We wrapped up our engagement in July, and launched a few months later.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We launched less than a month ago, so it’s early to track metrics. However, reception has been great in terms of the new brand overall. Our website traffic is up 70%, and our social engagement is up over 200%.
How did Tanj perform from a project management standpoint?
Tanj was great. They were super responsive, and they went above and beyond for us when we had little asks that went out of scope. They had a great attitude throughout the entire engagement. I really enjoyed working with Tanj.
We kept in touch through a combination of Zoom calls and emails.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They’re very knowledgeable. They offer a very tailored approach; it’s not like going to an agency and getting a cookie-cutter service. I also liked that they very appropriately pushed back on the team when they really had a conviction. Sometimes agencies just want to please their clients, but Tanj actually wanted to do the best work for us.
Are there any areas they could improve?
They took us on while they were wrapping up some other stuff, so in the beginning, it was hard to schedule with them. Once we got into a cadence, everything was fine. We had a really positive experience with them.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
The more context and ideas you can throw at the wall in the beginning, the better. We gave them a lot of information, which helped them ramp up very quickly.
the project
Podcast Naming Services for Classic Movie Company
"We had a really enjoyable start to finish experience with Tanj."
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 am the vice president of marketing and digital for a classic movie company. We show films from the 30s, 40s, and 50s, as well as more contemporary films.
We have programming collections, franchises within the company, and events such as a classic film festival in Hollywood every year with the exception of the last two years due to the environment. We have a new podcast as well which just launched this past April.
What challenge were you trying to address with Tanj?
Tanj has consistently been our go-to agency for naming conventions, particularly titles of either elements of our brands like sub-brands.
Most recently, they named our podcast, coming up with not just one name but several, of different styles and formats.
What was the scope of their involvement?
The engagement started with ideation between our teams, so we spent a lot of time sharing with Tanj what we were looking to do. They had a lot of great questions, and pushed back and wanted us to tell them more about the format, the season lengths, the subsequent seasons, and whether we were looking to keep the same theme throughout several seasons. They really dug deep into asking us and understanding what we were trying to do.
From that ideation, we then provided them with the story art, as well as the background interviews with all of our information and research. They took all of that information and came back to us with several rounds of names and loglines for the podcast. From the work that they did, we actually then expanded the work with them into two different titles of our podcast.
While we are responsible at the end of the day for the trademark searches and loglines and tags and so forth, they actually do a little bit of preliminary work. Tanj keeps the legal side in mind so we aren’t getting ideas that we are excited about, only to find out it’s been used by other companies.
What is the team composition?
I work with three people consistently. I know they have a bigger team behind that, but our presentations from them consisted of three or four people.
There definitely was a manager of the project and I would say the other people are industry creatives. It was a nice sized team to work with.
How did you come to work with Tanj?
My boss had worked with Tanj in the past on a project about a year before I started, and she suggested them when we had a project come up.
While we did have another couple of folks in mind we were going to speak with, Tanj came so highly recommended to me. As soon as I started working with them, I just knew that was who I wanted to work with. There wasn’t any kind of RFP; they just fit so quickly.
How much have you invested in them?
It was between $25,000 and $50,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working with them on the podcast project in September 2019, and it wrapped up by December 2019. After they completed everything we had to do some legal trademarking on our side, but they stayed in touch with us to make sure that everything was moving smoothly. It was about a four-month project.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
For our first podcast, it was wildly successful. We saw in excess of 1,000,000 downloads. It was number one in Apple’s New and Noteworthy section on the Apple Store. It was consistently in the top 10 for over a month in Apple’s Film and Television category for podcasts. The podcast did really well and it is still being downloaded. It has done extraordinarily well.
I’ve done multiple projects with Tanj now and I really like their process. They generate a ton of ideas, which are broken into different categories and patterns.I f we want to generate certain emotions, there would be titles for that, or if we wanted to generate another set of calls to action and emotions and convey other things, they had suggestions for that.
It isn’t just a set of names; it is really a well thought out plan to go through. From that list, we work with them and then narrow it down to a much tighter list. They then come back again with more ideas around that tighter list. We then narrow it down to the final one. In every project I have done with them, we have used the work that they have done.
They genuinely enjoy working with our brand and I think that is because they love classic movies and they like our brand and what we stand for. That shows in the work that they do.
How did Tanj perform from a project management standpoint?
Tanj was great. They are as professional as any great agency I have worked with is. Their follow up at doing what they say they’re going to do, meeting deadlines, and their presentations are crisp, rehearsed, and efficient.
There were several times where we were a little bit stuck on our side where I owed them feedback, and they were always very patient. That’s the type of partner in an agency and brand relationship that really is helpful, because they understood all of the things we were doing.
We understood we were not their only client, and they had a ton of things happening on their end too. It was just a really good and professional relationship in terms of working with each other on deliverables and timelines and making sure that everything kept moving.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Tanj really understood our brand. They really listened to what we were looking for, and they came back with unique and different solutions. They generated ideas that really resonated with what we briefed them on for the project and what we were looking for.
We could have gone with multiple titles that Tanj suggested, but we never felt overwhelmed by the choices. The way they were presented gave us an opportunity to immediately say which ones were risky or too safe. There was a whole portfolio within the area we wanted to stay. It’s nice to work with an agency that listens and really authentically wants to do this work for our brand.
Are there any areas they could improve?
We had a really enjoyable start to finish experience with Tanj. I can’t think of anything. Tanj was really a pleasure to work with and they are my first call for this type of project when it falls into their expertise; that is who I want to work with. I really don’t have any negative feedback whatsoever.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Be very clear about what you are looking for because that is where you are not only going to have the most success with the ideation and the output from them, but it is also going to create a lot of efficiencies and with time and resources.
I would also add that we gave them a ton of background, so don’t be afraid to share every piece of research and internal notes with them, because they’re your partners in this.
the project
Branding, Web Dev & Design for Professional Coaching Company
"One impressive aspect of working with Tanj was the quality 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.
People Focus Consulting is a global organizational development company. In terms of services, we provide leadership and professional skills development training as well as executive coaching and business transformation services.
What challenge were you trying to address with Tanj?
We didn’t have a strong brand and that created the problem of clients having a negative impression of the company. We weren’t taking advantage of the ability to develop business through the brand online and offline.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Tanj rebuilt our brand, so that included content as well as the look and feel. They lead the discovery phase during which their team interviewed us and looked at all of our assets. They created recommendations from that phase. Their team built a brand messaging platform and messaging. During the last phase, they put together the deliverables: an English and Japanese website, and core marketing collateral such as our company overview and services catalogs. They redesigned the website and its graphic elements show up in our printed materials and building signage.
What is the team composition?
Scott (Founder & Managing Director) was our main contact. There were a couple of people on the copywriting team. We also directly worked with a web person.
How did you come to work with Tanj?
I knew Scott through a mutual contact. When we needed to update the brand, we reached out to a couple of companies. As I saw Scott’s work before, I insisted that we ask him for a proposal. Everyone on my team was impressed by his proposal and him.
How much have you invested with them?
Altogether, the project cost about $70,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
The project began in July 2014 and roughly ended in May 2015. Scott pitched a 3–4 months-long project. For reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with Tanj, the project took a lot longer than it was scheduled.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Our web traffic increased, particularly on the Japanese side, where we focused our SEO measures. Client inquiries through the website increased too. We also started to see new inquiries from clients in new locations.
We heard from a number of our clients that they loved the new brand. It actually speaks to them, which is exactly what we wanted. Our team's happier with the new brand than the old one.
I’m most happy about the link between the messaging platform and our ability to win new business. We use the documents that Tanj built for us to tailor our pitches to different clients. When clients give feedback, we hear how much they liked certain aspects of the pitch.
How did Tanj perform from a project management standpoint?
In a word, it was easy. Scott made the process smooth and efficient by bringing people on board when needed and allowing us to work directly through him. Their team was responsive, professional, and flexible. We also liked that Tanj was willing to iterate with us.
It’s not easy for any company to work across cultures. Tanj had to not only work within different cultures but also create deliverables in two languages. Even though they had the same intent, it’s challenging to package deliverables for two different audiences.
What did you find most impressive about them?
One impressive aspect of working with Tanj was the quality of their work. When we worked with Tanj, we knew what we did, how we did it, and what differentiated us. However, we couldn’t articulate those ideas. The discovery phase gave us clarity. Their team helped us articulate what we wanted to tell the market. When we tell that to clients, they now nod their heads saying it’s what they want.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, I can’t think of anything. They were a great partner for us.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
My advice is fairly generic, but spend time up front talking with the Tanj team to ensure it’s a good fit. Make sure their team has the capabilities that you need, especially working across cultural and language boundaries.
the project
Naming Process for Enterprise Software Company
“They’re super responsive and well-organized. Even how they run meetings and feedback sessions is very thoughtful.”
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.
We're an enterprise software company that provides technology to banks, brokerages, hedge funds and financial technology companies all around the world, specifically in capital markets. I'm the co-founder and CEO of the firm, started the business about eight and a half years ago.
What challenge were you trying to address with Tanj?
When my partner and I started the business eight and a half years ago, the name of the company was the same as the name of our sole product. And over the past three years, we've become a multi-product company.
So we really wanted to rebrand the company and kind of reintroduce our company to the world as a portfolio company and not just a single product company. We struggled with our identity as a company.
What was the scope of their involvement?
They guided us through the naming process. They interviewed key stakeholders to learn more about the business. They focused on learning about the intangibles, like how our customers think of us and what we think about ourselves.
After those interviews, they educated leadership and our marketing team on how naming works and how to construct names. Then they provided us with different options so we could give them feedback and narrow down what we wanted from the name itself. We went through several rounds like that, and they helped with trademark research and the legalities surrounding the name.
What is the team composition?
Scott led the engagement, but we worked with two of his colleagues as well. They were really helpful throughout the process and they each played a different role.
How did you come to work with Tanj?
I’ve worked with Tanj twice before at a previous company, so I’m a returning customer. There was no question in my mind that they were the right folks.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent about $25,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
The project lasted from December 2019–February 2020.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Once the name was established, we took some time to build out the new logo, create a design aesthetic, and redesign the website. So we just launched the new brand last month. Since we announced it, the reception has been fantastic. It did exactly what we were hoping for, which was to retell our story. So it’s been a successful project from our standpoint.
How did Tanj perform from a project management standpoint?
Generally, we had meetings over video conference, and all three of them would be online.
They’re super responsive and well-organized. Even how they run meetings and feedback sessions is very thoughtful. We certainly haven’t had any issues here, and it mirrors the experience I’ve had in the past.
They offered to come down in-person but we chose to do it over video and it worked fine.
What did you find most impressive about them?
The process of coming up with a new name and brand identity is really two parts. First, it’s coming up with different options. Then, it’s acting as an organizational therapist, bringing in a group of stakeholders, and coming to a group agreement on what the new name will be. They do a really good job making sure the whole team feels like they’re part of the process.
Are there any areas they could improve?
Nothing comes to mind.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Be brutally honest and open with them. Involve them in the internal discussions and allow them to speak with a wide variety of stakeholders, including employees, customers, and partners. Be open and committed to the process.
the project
Naming for Consultancy Platform
"Tanj … really listened to our needs and translated our ideas into what they built."
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 principal for a global consulting firm.
What challenge were you trying to address with Tanj?
My department was developing a new platform. We needed a name for the platform that would play to our marketing and convey the message of our practice.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Tanj led a naming process to name our client-facing platform. Their team started by collecting information about the tool, its functionalities, our marketing and target audiences, and other important factors. They also investigated how we differentiate ourselves from our competitors and what similar tools are named.
Tanj then walked us through a structured process that put parameters around how we would select a name. They asked us our preferences on an abstract name as opposed to a name with an existing meaning. After we had a brainstorming session with our senior leadership, Tanj came back to us with a list of 15 names with branding and meaning attached to each. Our leadership team whittled it down to 3–5 we liked best, collected input from other stakeholders, and then landed on a name.
What is the team composition?
We worked with Scott (Founder & Managing Director, Tanj) and two more people.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent about $35,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
The project ran from March until May 2019.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
It’s been a completely seamless transition in rolling out the platform and renaming it. The name we settled on has been key to our branding and messaging. When we do demos, people connect with the story behind the name. We haven’t seen any negative reactions so far.
How did Tanj perform from a project management standpoint?
Tanj always delivered on time and within budget. Their communication was direct and succinct, and they were always easy to talk to. They also were willing to turn around last-minute requests quickly. For example, after Tanj presented us with the list of names, we asked them to write copy with each name to get stakeholder input. They supplied us with the copy fast, which we appreciated.
We communicated primarily over email, where we’d share slide decks and information to form the foundation of their research. Their team used PowerPoints to present name options to us.
What did you find most impressive about them?
I've never worked with a naming consultancy so it's hard for me to compare. However, I enjoyed the structured approach that Tanj imposed on the naming process, which otherwise can be such a broad thing. Their team framed the steps in a way that our less marketing-savvy stakeholders could contribute to.
Tanj also really listened to our needs and translated our ideas into what they built. We’re thrilled with their communication style and the ultimate delivery of the names.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, nothing really comes to mind.
Any advice for potential customers?
If you want Tanj to be effective you need to prepare your side with information. We didn’t know that we needed to provide things like marketing messages, copy, and other materials in advance. Once we did, it was easy to collect the materials, but I’d advise any team to do that in advance. In fact, I gave this advice to another team at my company that just started working with Tanj.
the project
Naming for Productivity Platform
"Their presentation was professional and well thought out."
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 lead designer for Notability, one of our two products at Ginger Labs. We have another product called Twobird.
What challenge were you trying to address with Tanj?
We needed them to help us create a name for Twobird.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We held an initial meeting to discuss the branding talks we’d already held in-house and to align our ideas on the brand. That gave them insight into what we wanted, and they then proposed a four-week delivery schedule.
They sent us name ideas every week and we emailed them feedback from our team members. If they needed more feedback, we’d discuss it on a call. Each week, they’d send us fewer names as we got closer to making a decision. In the end, some of our team members still weren’t sure about the name, so they extended their engagement window to ensure we had something we liked. They mocked up some names with graphic designs such as an app interface and advertisements.
What is the team composition?
We worked with Scott (Founder and Managing Director, Tanj) along with two other team members. Scott was the project manager, ensuring everybody’s ideas were aligned with our goals. He was our main point of contact.
How did you come to work with Tanj?
I’d worked with a creative director at a different agency and I reached out to him for branding recommendations. He introduced us to another creative director, who in turn referred us to Scott.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent around $25,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We worked together from July – August 2018.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We had no idea what people would think of our new name, but we make our stakeholders happy.
Tanj asked good questions to help determine what we wanted. There are no other names like ours in the app store, so it was easy to distinguish ourselves.
How did Tanj perform from a project management standpoint?
We didn't expect such a large main pool of names—there were between 50 and 100 in the first round. They delivered more than we asked for and we were surprised that they could come up with so many in such a short time. The way they presented their work was very thorough and they always provided us with reasons why they made the decisions they did, such as linguistic aspects.
They were good at handling our opinions. We communicated through email in addition to our weekly feedback calls. We’re very satisfied with their workflow.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They set a good tone of what to expect given that it was our first time working with a creative agency. They certainly set the bar high. Their presentation was professional and well thought out.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, I can’t think of anything.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
We gave them a single feedback document that included input from each of our engineers. We should have worked that into a single voice. Our feedback was not concise enough, which made it hard for them to understand.
the project
Strategy & Naming for Portfolio Architecture of SaaS Company
"Tanj is small enough to dig into a client’s project and intimately understand their business challenge."
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 am a former marketing strategy consultant at a software development firm.
What challenge were you trying to address with Tanj?
The client was a product-driven company with a SaaS platform as its main product. However, from a market-facing perspective, they had no product architecture or messaging strategy. Their messaging was often inwardly-focused and overly technical, which didn’t translate to the market.
I reached out to Tanj about creating a product brand portfolio with some messaging framework to build a sales narrative.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Tanj first sent a proposal as to how they would go about our product segments. The plan spanned about 60–90 days maximum. Once the client approved, we kicked off the project.
Tanj organized the client’s go-to-market audience portfolio by audience typology. Their team rationalized the product organization and service experience based on the buyer types. My client lacked an organized hierarchy of to whom they were selling their product and the value proposition for each segment.
Scott (Founder & Managing Director, Tanj) and his team helped us create an organizing principle behind the product offering based on the market need. They identified five audiences and named those categories. We then mapped levers for each product and service and created narratives for each audience.
What is the team composition?
We worked with primarily Scott and 1–2 other people. Scott worked with me and the client’s CEO.
How did you come to work with Tanj?
I had worked with Tanj in past positions and seen their effectiveness firsthand. They had substantial experience working with tech companies—both startups and large enterprises—and had an appealing portfolio. When I identified the need for a rationalization of my client’s product portfolio, I reached out to Scott because he’s one of the best people in the industry for this kind of project.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent about $25,000–$30,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
The project ran from March until June 2019.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The rationalization project was only one part of rearchitecting the client’s market presence, so it hasn’t launched visibly just yet. However, my client was quite happy with the work that Tanj provided.
How did Tanj perform from a project management standpoint?
The work plan that Tanj created in the beginning was comprehensive and precise. We followed its elements from start to finish, and the workflow went very smoothly. Tanj’s processes and methods were tight and well-managed. They consistently led thoughtful meetings and conference calls. Tanj was also always on top of deadlines and often delivered in advance, leaving time to make corrections and edits as we requested them.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Tanj is small enough to dig into a client’s project and intimately understand their business challenge. They can tailor their service to each client and never take on more projects than they can handle. That way, Scott can be intimately involved in each project. Their team is also incredibly thoughtful, providing a lot of insight backed up with facts and information in each meeting. Their service levels are outstanding and add a lot of value to every project.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, nothing comes to the top of my head. Everybody has areas in which they can do better, but I can’t think of anything specific that Tanj can improve.
Any advice for potential customers?
Tanj specializes in language and words and their power in crafting a market-facing product. If you’re looking to repackage a product or company with verbal branding, go to Scott, not a general branding agency.
Tanj’s efforts were met with a very positive response, and they delivered a unique and unforgettable name. The team excelled in its project management, creating a clear and seamless process. Additionally, their data-driven approach and creative capabilities set them apart from other vendors.