Logo Savvy

RP: logo Sauuy

p: 201 Page: 10

Job: 10-91288 Title: RP: logo Sauuy

AC38962(120) #175 Dtp: 201 Page: 11

001-019_C38962.indd 11001-019_C38962.indd 11 11/20/06 10:48:54 AM11/20/06 10:48:54 AM

There’s no question that a great name is the keystone for a

great brand identity. A name is a handle from which all the

attributes of the brand will ultimately hang. More importantly,

the name gives the brand an opportunity to be memorable,

distinctive, ownable, and identi able. To test this theory,

simply imagine if people had no names—we’d all be reduced

to long-winded descriptions and exhausting  nger pointing to

identify and understand each other.

We are often asked, “What makes a great name?” The truth

is, that’s the wrong question. The right question is, “What

do we do to make the name great?” Think of it as building a

reputation with which the name will be associated. Can you

remember when you  rst heard of Yahoo!, Google, Kinko’s,

or Apple? Many people  rst deemed these company names

immature, foolish, and inappropriate. Yet these company

names prevailed because of what their companies put behind

them: how they built their brand identity and what they came

to represent.

The best names capture the essence of the organization—and,

yes, there is a process for  nding that essence. We approach

naming in three distinct stages: Strategic, Creative, and Legal.

START WIT H S TRATEG Y

Developing and understanding strategy is essential. It’s like

coming up with a title for a book—it’s a hell of a lot easier if

you know the story. Creating a company story is one of the

 rst things we do in the naming process. For us, this means

spending time with the visionaries—usually the CEO—to get

a deep understanding of the core purpose of the organization.

Oftentimes, this also means de ning the true core purpose

itself. To further understand the client’s business, we then do a

Names Are Made Great

Great ideas can be plucked from the oddest of places, and

that’s why the naming process at WOW is always a collaborative

process. Like ingredients in a recipe, we gather our best

creative thinkers and use our Naming Worksheet™ to help stir

the batter. The concept of this exercise is: the more ideas, the

better. Plus, by developing names in all nine categories, we’ll

make sure all the bases are covered. Go to www.wowbranding.

com/namingworksheet to download a PDF of this worksheet.

11

RP: logo Sauuy

p: 201 Page: 10

Job: 10-91288 Title: RP: logo Sauuy

AC38962(120) #175 Dtp: 201 Page: 11

TEXT

001-019_C38962.indd 11001-019_C38962.indd 11 11/20/06 10:48:54 AM11/20/06 10:48:54 AM

Job: 10-91288 Title: RP: logo Sauuy

#175 Dtp: 201 Page: 12

001-019 91288.indd 012001-019 91288.indd 012 10/31/06 7:43:21 PM10/31/06 7:43:21 PM

In every single case, the name that ends up winning is the

name with the best story—the name that can inspire a

constant stream of solid ideas.

Job: 10-91288 Title: RP: logo Sauuy

#175 Dtp: 201 Page: 12

TEXT

001-019 91288.indd 012001-019 91288.indd 012 10/31/06 7:43:21 PM10/31/06 7:43:21 PM