Naming and names for companies.
A good name starts with a name.
A company keeps its name longer than many a logo, so it pays to get it right. We look for names that are easy to remember, pronounce and spell, spark the right associations and leave room to grow. Before you fall in love with one, we check domains, social media handles and trademarks. A name is usually the start of the whole brand, so for the chosen one we design a logo and the rest of the identity.
01Approach
How we come up with a great name
This is how we work on every name: for a company, a brand, a product or a whole family of sub-brands. After each round of selection, your team knows which names are still in and why.
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Brand first
Before we start looking for words, we establish what the brand does, who it talks to and what should set it apart, often in a brand workshop. The name has to carry all that.
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Many directions
We search in several directions at once: descriptive names, invented names and wordplay. Over several rounds of selection, a long list is narrowed down to a few of the strongest.
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Checked before you choose
We check every name on the shortlist: whether the domains and social media handles are free, and whether anyone has registered it as a trademark.
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In other languages
We check how the name sounds and what it means in the languages of your markets, and whether it's easy to pronounce and to spell from hearing.
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Name and mark together
We also check how the name will work in a logo. Once it's chosen, we design its logo, so the name and the mark are created as one.
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Room to grow
The name should still fit when the company widens its offer or enters new markets. We also set rules for naming future products and sub-brands.
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Reasoning for every proposal
Each name comes with a description: where it came from, what it brings to mind and how it can work in communication. That makes it easier for your team to choose.
02What we name
What kind of name do you need?
We come up with names for new companies, brands and products, and we also tidy up existing ones: whole families of sub-brands, or the spelling of a name people keep misreading.
A name for a new brand For a company, shop or product that's just getting started
What we do
We look for a name in several directions, check it and design the logo for the chosen one straight away. The name and the mark are created together, so they fit from the start.
What you get
- A shortlist of checked names with reasoning
- Check of domains, social media handles and trademarks
- Spelling and pronunciation of the name
- Tips on how to talk about the name
Similar projects
Sub-brand names Companies, institutes, services or product lines in one family
What we do
We decide how the names of new companies, services or product lines connect to the main brand, and name them by one rule. Each new name fits the family straight away.
What you get
- Naming architecture for the whole family
- Sub-brand names
- Rule for naming new ones
- Sub-brand marks in one system
Similar projects
How the name is written When the name is good, but people read it wrong
What we do
A name doesn't always need to change. Sometimes a different way of writing it is enough: letter case, splitting it into parts, or a spelling that suggests the pronunciation at once.
What you get
- Rules for writing the name in text and in the logo
- New logotype
- Short guide for the team
03Our names
Names we created
Names we came up with for new brands, from supplements for dogs and cats to wallpaper, each in a different tone. We dressed every one of them in a logo straight away.
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Zippy Tail
Supplements for dogs and cats
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Fit My Mind
Healthy eating
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WellB
Relaxation cushions
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Valare
Interior wallpaper
04Where they came from
Names with a back story
Each of these names has its own story. We came up with two from scratch, and for two companies we built an umbrella of brands under the name they already had.
- Zippy Tail The tagline came first. The name came running right behind it. Zippy Tail is a lively, wagging tail. The name is in English because the brand was also aimed at markets abroad. The dot over the “i” is a dog's nose.
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WellB
Two words, three taglines and one heart. “Well” and “be” say it's about wellbeing. The name gave rise to the taglines be relaxed, be happy and be still, and the B in the logo is a heart.
- Intima Clinic Five first names, one surname. The clinic already had the name Intima. The institutes carry it like a surname, with first names added: Fem, Men, Aesthetic, Diagnostic and Edu.
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Itrons
Names after a trial period. The working names Care, Install, Plan and Invest did a stint in the moodboards. Service, HVAC Solutions, Design and Invest were taken on permanently.
05What you get
A short list, a name for the long run
You get a few of the strongest names, each one checked and explained, plus rules for naming future products. The last word is yours. Literally.
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A shortlist of checked names
3–5 of the strongest proposals. Each comes with checked domains, social media handles and trademarks, plus the reasoning behind it.
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Associations and potential
For each name, we show what it brings to mind and how it will sound in an ad, on packaging or on the phone. We also check whether it can carry future products.
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Rules for naming sub-brands
A rule for naming future products, lines or companies, so the family of names grows without chaos.
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How to talk about the name
Tips on telling the story of the name: where it came from, what it means and how it can work in taglines and descriptions.
