Zinzin

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing at Rapport Credit Union, a credit union based in Ontario, Canada.

What challenge were you trying to address with Zinzin?

We had just completed an amalgamation of two credit unions and were looking for a new company name.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Zinzin developed naming conventions for us. First, we had a discovery phase about who we were as a company and developed a brand positioning brief. From there, they presented us with 10 different options for a new brand name for us to choose from. 

What is the team composition?

I worked with Jay (CEO & Creative Director) and one other person.

How did you come to work with Zinzin?

We found them through a Google search.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $6,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from April–June 2014.

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

Zinzin was very creative in their approach; the name options they gave us were amazing, and we considered many of them. Ultimately, we ended up with an emotional, evocative name that we're very proud of. Our name has allowed us to build the brand from the ground up and enabled us to develop the business as a credit union whose relationship with members is important – it became the foundation for building our brand.

How did Zinzin perform from a project management standpoint?

We had no challenges with their project management; they delivered what they promised on time, and we communicated via email. The team was on top of everything, and it was a pleasure to work with them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Zinzin demonstrated that they were experts in naming. We had used another provider for the name and didn't like what they came up with. Meanwhile, Zinzin had a unique process and pushed the envelope — we were very pleased. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not at all; they were fantastic.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am CMO of a B2B vertical SaaS company focused on delivering solutions to global professional services organizations.

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

We retained Zinzin to help us create a new company name following the Q421 merger of two suppliers in our space. Both suppliers had well known and respected company names and brands in the industry.

How did you select this vendor?

We developed a list of leading naming / branding agencies using various data sources and referrals. We generally focused on agencies focused on naming and with considerable technology company experience. We then narrowed the list down to three target companies and engaged each to discuss our project and how they might work with us, including general methodologies / approaches, timing, costs, etc. We really liked Zinzin's thought leadership and conviction around great company naming. Also, they proposed a highly structured and timely approach that appealed to us given some of the unique challenges we faced given that we were bringing two companies together in merger that previously were competitors.

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

The work scope was to identify the go-forward name for the company, including evaluating using one of the two existing names. Zinzin followed a structured, iterative process over roughly forty-days that started with a creative brief and marketscape analysis and proceeded through multiple rounds of name ideation and progression. The final deliverables was a short-list of possible company names, from which we would select our go-forward name (ideally).

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

We’ve primarily worked with Jay (CEO & Creative Director) and Martin (Creative Director).

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

The primary outcome is that the project did result in a selection of a new, go-forward name for the company and this new name and corresponding brand / visual identity was successfully launched in May. With Zinzin's help, we went from project initiation to a full-name and brand launch in roughly four months. We didn't think this timing was possible when we started, but we did set this goal and were able to hit it.

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

As mentioned, Zinzin has strong convictions around good company naming and also the best processes for creating a new company name. This fact was a key positive for us since it increased our confidence in our ability to work towards a new name that met our high expectations and tight timelines. Zinzin progressed the project as outlined so they followed what they pitched. Communications where timely and clear throughout.

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

We were drawn to their strong beliefs about what makes a great name (and what makes a bad name) and what to do (and not do) in creating a new name. These beliefs were what drove us to select them and they executed accordingly in delivering against our project.

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

Given that we had a very successful outcome from this work, I would say no.

Introduce your business and what you do there. 

I’m one of the co-founders as well as the head of design at a B2B SaaS company that guarantees that their enterprise customers’ data is secure, both in rest and in motion through our SaaS product.

What challenge were you trying to address with Zinzin?

We were an early-stage company with three founders and were preparing to launch after taking on a round of funding. It became clear that we wanted to reconsider our name around now having more clarity around our market and product.

We did some of it ourselves but quickly realized expert help was needed. Zinzin developed our name after working with us on different strategies and products.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They were very helpful in providing a framework for how to work with them and what the project would look like. We initially gave them a set of value propositions, tones, and qualities that our customers expressed about us and our product. Zinzin helped us create a creative brief that included all these characteristics as information we wanted to instill in our company.

What is the team composition?

We’ve primarily worked with Jay (CEO & Creative Director) and Martin (Creative Director).

How did you come to work with Zinzin?

I believe that they were either referenced in a New York Times article or we found them through our own research. They were a boutique option based in California, meaning they were more local to us. There was also a previous connection with the CEO and another team we’d worked with. Their unique experience with startups got us on the phone.

How much have you invested with them? 

We've spent around $20,000–$40,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from November–December 2021. They were able to start the project fairly quickly, which was good, as we were on a time crunch.

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

We were really pleased with the name, and there were a lot of other great options on the shortlist. I don’t think we would have been able to come up with such a great choice without Zinzin’s expertise and experience. They were able to reframe how we were thinking, which was helpful, as we come from a more technical background.

It’s easier for owners to air on the side of using a more matter-of-fact name, rather than one that has layers of richness to it and can adapt as the company evolves.

How did Zinzin perform from a project management standpoint?

They did a great job of scheduling regular meetings and establishing a structured process to give feedback through. We were able to move through a large number of options with speed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They did a great job of generating great ideas on a short timeframe. Zinzin guided us through the process very well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would definitely recommend them; I’m very glad we worked with them.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of customer success at a workflow and patient management software company. We sell to community oncology practices — nurses and administrators can use the software to engage with cancer patients, whether it’s their symptoms or questions about their treatment. It’s a way to connect the two sides of the patient/provider journey.

What challenge were you trying to address with Zinzin?

Initially, we were looking to change the name of the company. Our primary concern was to rebrand the company into something more representative of who we are that could support what we do today and expand to our intended impact going forward.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started with open-ended conversations about who we were as a company, our mission, and what we were hoping to accomplish in the future. Zinzin understood our ethos, culture, products, and the impact we desired to make. Then, we told them we wanted a name that matched all those components and could carry them out to the market to represent us.

In summary, Zinzin dug into us so they could wrap their head around and understand the tangible and intangible components we wanted to represent through our brand.

What is the team composition?

We worked with three people, including a project manager and the CEO. We had a ton of high-level involvement, which was fantastic.

How did you come to work with Zinzin?

I wasn’t involved in the selection process. I believe that we were referred to them by an investor or a friend of our company who had used them previously and had a good experience.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in early December 2021 and wrapped up our engagement in February 2022.

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

Internally, they brought expertise, which we really appreciated. When they came to the table, they brought on great ideas and experience on the process and approach. Zinzin guided us through how we should think about things because we’d never named a company before.

Also, they guided us on what to consider when picking a name, which opened our minds to things that we weren’t aware of. In the end, they brought incredible ideas and potential names for our company. We were excited about that, and their approach was very thoughtful.

When they went through their name selection, they walked us through why the name, and we felt that they had listened and understood our business. It spoke volumes about the time they invested in getting to know us. Overall, their deliverables were really high quality.

How did Zinzin perform from a project management standpoint?

We had a timeline to see how the project would unfold and have a clear map of our expectations. We met for two-hour Zoom calls on a weekly or biweekly basis. In between those calls, we’d receive follow-ups or preparation materials to look over things and come to the calls prepared. The CEO was very communicative throughout the entire process, ensuring that we had what we needed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It was great to work with them. Their expertise was outstanding — we could just tell that they were season professionals. They’d done this before for incredibly successful companies, so Zinzin would come to the table with great ideas. Moreover, they shaped how we thought about picking the name, which was invaluable. They taught us a lot, so we not only accomplished the mission but also learned a lot along the way.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything off the top of my head. We had an excellent experience working with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Follow their lead. Although it might not seem like a type of practice you’d want to run, their process works. Go through the whole process; they know what they’re doing.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the account manager and one of the co-founders of First Person, a San Francisco-based creative storytelling company that focuses on the intersection of design and technology.

What challenge were you trying to address with Zinzin?

We needed Zinzin for their naming services.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve relied on Zinzin’s naming services for our brand identity, projects, and architecture over the course of our partnership. They spearhead several naming efforts for our business units and events as well. 

Zinzin conducts thorough vertical and industry research before creating and listing down names that fit the brand narrative of a deliverable. This is also backed by our internal team’s brief and background narrative to help them further validate the potential names they’re bringing to the table.

We usually go through three rounds of 25 prescreened names from Zinzin before we shortlist our primary name choices. Once we come up with a  final name for any of our deliverables, we’ll proceed with the visual aspect of the project to bring that name to life and determine if it really fits the project or architecture.

Apart from their naming services, Zinzin also creates competitive project briefs, client reports for us and delivers these through PDF documents.

What is the team composition?

We mainly collaborate with Jay (Founder & Creative Director).

How did you come to work with Zinzin?

Unlike the previous agencies we’ve worked with, we’ve found our collaborative chemistry with Zinzin to be more agreeable and organic, so it’s always been easy for us to rely on their team for naming- and content-related projects.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend an average of $30,000 for each project. We’ve already done 5–6 projects with their team throughout our engagement.

What is the status of this engagement?

We kicked off our partnership with Zinzin in November 2016, and it’s still ongoing.

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

Zinzin has an indisputable reputation as a naming agency, so it’s no surprise that they’re committed to delivering spot-on names and reports that never fail to please our clients. Every naming project that we’ve assigned them with has been successful in that the submitted name actually comes to fruition and is used by the client.

How did Zinzin perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate via phone calls and emails, while we hold regular meetings via Zoom. Zinzin doesn’t overpromise and underdeliver, they always commit to the promises and deadlines they set. Our collaboration feels more like a real partnership rather than a mere client-vendor relationship.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Zinzin is a small but mighty team — their proven field experience and expertise unceasingly result in creative, out-of-the-box solutions. They’re keen on identifying what names would and would not work for a project or business, and that sets them apart from others.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have anything constructive to say about their team and their services.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust their talented team to deliver the results that you need. Additionally, it would help if you come up with a strong business narrative to bring more customers in and help Zinzin analyze the core message you want to put out there.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the VP of corporate marketing at a company focused on security for app services. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Zinzin?

We hired Zinzin to name one of our up-and-coming products. We were new to product naming.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The output of the scope of work that Zinzin was responsible for was a product name that we could take to market. They did a lot of research auditing industry competitors as well as brands we look up to. 

They led us through the discovery and presentation processes. We started with about 50 names, and we went through a process of elimination until we reached our top three names. Along the way, they continued to provide new information to inform our decision-making. They brought me and the GM of my company’s business unit all the way through the process, until we found our top three favorite names.

What is the team composition?

We worked with two people, including the founder of the company.

How did you come to work with Zinzin?

I did a Google search and looked at my network. Once I found their website, they listed referral customers. I reached out to those people to see if they’d be willing to talk to me about their experience, and they all came back with very positive reviews for Zinzin. 

How much have you invested with them?

I believe the project was $20,000–$40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project was from April–June 2018.

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

We acquired a company toward the end of the naming process, and their existing product line influenced what we ultimately ended up naming the product. Although we favored three of the names Zinzin proposed and got them through legal, we didn’t end up using those.

However, Zinzin was very thorough and strategic. They spoke with an air of expertise; I didn’t hesitate to bring our GM or CMO along to meet with them directly. My team also thought they did a really good job guiding us through the process. If there is ever another opportunity to work on naming conventions, I will certainly call them again.

How did Zinzin perform from a project management standpoint?

Zinzin was responsive. If anything, they went above and beyond because we were so busy pivoting.

They were really helpful in taking us through the process phase-by-phase — you can’t just come up with a name. They took a lot of care in explaining to me, my team, and our leadership the various considerations and best practices associated with naming. They were really patient and strategic in their approach.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Zinzin’s experience distinguishes them from other providers. Having looked at their website and called their referrals, I know that they have a lot of experience naming different products and companies. They have deep experience in thinking about how a potential product or company name could impact go-to-market strategy. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I just wish we could’ve brought their suggestion to market. I really enjoyed working with them and would work with them again.

Any advice for potential customers?

Bring your business objectives to the table. They operate very well when they know exactly what your business goals are and what you desire to achieve. If you can’t bring those to the table, it’s going to be hard for anybody to help you.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

At the time I employed Zinzin, I worked for Monte Carlo Resort and Casino, which eventually became part of MGM. I was the CFO of that property.

What challenge were you trying to address with Zinzin?

We were opening up new lounges as part of our rebranding when the company became part of MGM. We engaged Zinzin to help us come up with potential names for both venues. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

Zinzin initially did some high-level market research. They didn’t meet with our colleagues, but they did look at some of the existing names in the market for similar venues. They conducted an introductory interview with me to get more information about the venue and the concept behind it.

Based on that feedback, Zinzin came back with an initial list of names. We would give feedback as well as some other ideas, and we repeated that process until we had our final names.

What is the team composition?

I believe we worked with two people, but it might have been three.

How did you come to work with Zinzin?

I believe they were recommended to us by a colleague. We did our research, and they came across as very reputable, so we did an introductory call with them. 

Zinzin seemed very collaborative and like they had a lot of experience in the space. 

How much have you invested with them?

I believe it was between $10,000–$15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from May–December 2017.

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

We don’t have anything quantitative, because the nature of the work was so subjective. However, for the first venue, we liked what they proposed and ended up selecting the name Zinzin came up with, which remains the name of the venue today. 

We didn’t end up finding a name for the second venue, but we didn’t end up opening it either, which wasn’t on them. 

Generally, the metric was whether we moved forward and selected the name they came up with, which we did. I would consider that a success.

How did Zinzin perform from a project management standpoint?

Zinzin was very good, they were very efficient. They were very structured in both their follow up and in their rationale behind each name. The team would solicit our feedback throughout the meetings and always took it into consideration. 

Overall, I’d say the project was well-managed, and they were careful to be an efficient use of our time at all times, which we appreciated.

What did you find most impressive about them?

This project was the first time I’d used an agency that provided a specific service, so I liked the fact that they were so specialized in naming venues. Their capabilities fit very well into what we were looking for. 

Beyond that, Zinzin was very professional and very intent on delivering what we were looking for. The team asked a lot of questions to try and understand what we had in mind and to ensure they were providing options that accommodated our needs. Not every provider does that. 

They were also efficient in all of our communications and in conference calls. They had a good, organized structure which allowed things to move along pretty quickly. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing that comes to mind. Zinzin was fantastic.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

What worked well for us was giving as much information as possible about what we were looking for, what the venue was about, and how we wanted to position it in the market. I think that helped lay the framework to make sure what they came up with fit along the lines of that. We also made sure we provided a lot of feedback along the way.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Criterion, a software company. We develop software for human capital management.

What challenge were you trying to address with Zinzin?

We needed help with a new naming process.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped us review our naming to see if it would align better with where we’re going as a company. They did a thorough analysis and had discussions with our team about what the messaging was. They came back with an initial round of names that could potentially be used and we had 2-3 revisions. Then we locked in Criterion.

What is the team composition?

There were two people, including a lead who was communicating with us.

How did you come to work with Zinzin?

We did an online search for companies that specialize in naming. Zinzin had a solid portfolio of names that they built, so we had a brief conversation with them and we went with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $5,000–$10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from April until May 2014. It took two months.

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

The fact that we still have the same name after six years says something. We’ve been growing as a company, and people like the name. We’re happy.

How did Zinzin perform from a project management standpoint?

They did a great job. We communicated via email and telephone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They had a good portfolio with well-respected names. They were easy to work with, and took direction well, aligning with what our business wanted.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing I’d have them improve. We were very happy with their service.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I highly recommend them to any company that has doubts about their current brand name. Zinzin is great at evaluating a name and seeing if it aligns with someone’s brand positioning. It’s a good investment because you’re going to be investing thousands of dollars in marketing afterward. Get the name wrong, and you’re devaluing your investment. The right name can do a lot.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a startup called Kilter. We’re a car-shopping marketplace, making every new car in the country searchable by its window sticker or build sheet. Right now, we have a proof of concept with BMW.

What challenge were you trying to address with Zinzin?

I knew we needed a great brand for our startup with a really, really good name but couldn’t think of one that quite fit. I had a list of 100 names and hated all of them. Naming was completely outside of my scope. That’s when I turned to Zinzin for support.

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Zinzin was responsible for naming and branding Kilter. After our initial calls, they showed us 60 proof of concept names to get a feel for what resonated with us and determine a direction to go in. It was almost like fact-finding — they wanted to know how far we were willing to push and get a sense of us as clients. We also filled out a brand positioning template so that they could get a feel for our company’s culture.

From there, they presented two rounds of names to collect feedback. These were separate presentations, so there were no carry-over names between the two. Our choices resulted in a shortlist of the finalists from each round.

I believe the engagement was technically supposed to end there, but they helped narrow down my list to a group of 6. My last email to them was around November 2019, though it wasn’t until December that I landed on “Kilter.”

What is the team composition? 

I worked with Jay (Founder & Creative Director) and Martin (Creative Director). Both were dynamite!

How did you come to work with Zinzin?

Clutch and The Manifest were my primary sources for finding potential partners. I looked at about 30 naming agencies before meeting with eight finalists. With each candidate, we had a kick-off call where they would explain the process, including what we could expect out of the engagement, and I liked Zinzin the most.

How much have you invested with them?

The whole engagement cost $25,000. It was the best money we’d spent in our first year of being a startup.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our kick-off meeting was in September 2019. They worked with us virtually through our first and second round of names all the way until October. Then, we met them in person and worked through our remaining questions until November.

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

Ultimately, you evaluate a name by what happens in the marketplace, and I’d say that it’s too early for us to gauge our success. However, I know that people connect with and remember it because there’s something there.

I told Jay in an email that, had I not worked with Zinzin, I probably wouldn’t still be working on this startup. Our first year was way more challenging than I expected it to be, which really surprised me. I was ready to be done. 

But, “Kilter” hooks people. More importantly, it hooked me in a way I never thought I would need. It’s given me the ability to keep going when it seemed totally pointless to do so, and I’m thankful to Zinzin for that. Defining our name when there was literally nothing else became a motivating force for me.

How did Zinzin perform from a project management standpoint?

They were exceptional at everything that they did. The team was responsive, stayed organized, and had everything locked-down. For example, at the end of the project, I asked Jay for a digital copy of the list of names, and he sent them right over.

I also appreciated that they met with us beyond the contract. They guided us through the whole thing as we evaluated the final six names so that we could make a good choice.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Everything that differentiated them as an agency revolved around the thinking behind their manifesto. When I read it, I knew that I had to talk to them, and their first conversation with us convinced me that they would be the best option for the project. They stayed absolutely true to it.

I kept coming back to the manifesto during our engagement, too. They mentioned that it was almost like a client screener. If people read the manifesto and didn’t like it, then they’d be hesitant to contact them. The manifesto really is good for all involved!

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s really not.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you read their naming and branding manifesto and love it, you should highly consider working with them. Their creed is exactly true to who they are as an agency.

Beyond that, the people who get the most out of Zinzin are the ones who are personally invested in the process. You can’t just tell them to come up with a great name and walk away without doing the hard work. You have to ask the questions and be committed to letting them push your boundaries to take you where you need to go. Be willing to figure your name out together, and you’ll get a much better outcome.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing for a small biotech company that makes tools for the life sciences. We’re creating instrumentation and chemistry to help people look at the spatial aspects of biological tissues.

What challenge were you trying to address with Zinzin?

We’re launching our product early next year and we hadn’t put a lot of thought into branding. Our previous name was pretty literal. We wanted to take time during the pre-launch to create a memorable brand. We were looking for a creative name that reflected our personality and technology.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We wanted to rebrand the company and renamed our primary product. They started out by providing a workbook for the ten people who were going to help decide on the name. The workbook included questions that helped us get a sense of who we are and what we’re doing. Some questions asked us to identify what we brought to the market, while others asked if our company was an animal, what kind of animal it would be.

Right away, they gave us a ton of naming options and we talked through what we liked. Every time we met, we went through the names we liked and they introduced new names. They explained each name, what it meant, and how they came up with it. As we discussed what we liked, they incorporated our feedback.

By the end of the project, we narrowed it down to five names. As a result, we were able to select one for the company name and another for the product that we all loved. Zinzin definitely brought us together around a single idea.

What is the team composition?

Jay (CEO & Creative Director) was my primary point of contact, but Martin (Creative Director) was also on every call.

How did you come to work with Zinzin?

I Googled naming companies for the biotechnology industry and Zinzin came up in a few articles. I also appreciated that they were local to us.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $49,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our first meeting was in early August 2020 and we wrapped up a few weeks later in September.

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

We’ve had a great reaction from the stakeholders we’ve dealt with so far. We’ve received really positive feedback from our CEO and board of directors. Potential new investors thought it was a really cool name too.

The name is evocative enough that people have asked about it. We put out a press release and one of the reporters I spoke with specifically asked what our name meant. I was able to explain how we chose our name because we worked with Zinzin. That question also gave us an opportunity to explain our vision for the company, which was a really great win for us.

How did Zinzin perform from a project management standpoint?

At the beginning of the project, we set a schedule that included when we would meet and when they would deliver new names. They stuck to the schedule perfectly. They always sent us an agenda of what we would talk about the day before a meeting and a list of new names so we would have time to mull them over. Usually, they sent us an email that summarized what we discussed the night after we held our meeting.

If we weren’t working remotely because of COVID-19, we would have met in person but we did it all by Zoom and it worked out pretty well. They definitely  kept us on track

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed because they really got a sense of our company, what we were trying to do, and who our customers are. I sent them articles to give them background information on our company and they clearly studied them. That really shone through in all of our conversations.

They got everybody on my team involved in the process. Even people who thought the name wasn’t a big deal became very invested because Zinzin incorporated their ideas.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There was nothing I thought they needed to improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t be shy about giving them information because the more they understand about your company and the more in tune you are, the better the easier it will be for them to find a name that you’re looking for.