Category: product names

New Yorker’s Naming and Our Review »

It’s always exciting to see a thoughtful article about brand naming in a mainstream, American staple like the New Yorker. The article, “Famous Names: does it matter what a product is called?” written by John Colapinto in the October 3rd, 2011 edition was certainly a fascinating read from beginning to end. Tools like Mind Maps [...]

Naming philosophies from the Naru, continued. »

The Naru (Naming Guru) has emerged from the naming reflecting pool to finish sharing his/her branding perspectives from earlier this month. 5b.) Literal / descriptive names are better than emotional names when developing specific product names underneath a family brand. While emotional, short & snappy brand names should establish strong connections with consumers (e.g., Northface, [...]

Naming philosophies from the Naru (Naming Guru): »

One of the special educational services NameStormers offers is access to the sage naming philosophies of the revered Naru (Naming Guru). (The identity of the Naru is protected so he/she can go about day-to-day life without being chased down the street by marketers and branding strategists demanding one-on-one audiences.) 1) Think like a customer, not [...]

The Rise of Private Labels & The Role of Strong Brand Names »

“Consumers are buying private label food and drink products in greater numbers, typically because these products represent better value” (Mintel, The Private Label Food and Drink Consumer, Dec. 2010). But, is this causation or correlation? Are consumers knowingly buying private labels in larger quantities because of their perceived value, or is something else driving the [...]

Managing Expectations »

  The Harvard Business Review published an article this month discussing two possible approaches when naming next generation products: 1. Brand-Name Continuation (or) 2. Brand Name Change. Callaway Company launched its first Big Bertha driver in 1995 and then chose the brand-name continuation strategy: following with Great Big Bertha and then Biggest Big Bertha. This [...]

The Naming Hot Pot »

One of the biggest naming challenges can be in transnational markets, where a myriad of languages are spoken and customs are practiced. Besides being sure that you don’t recommend something in English that will offend somebody speaking Cantonese, there are fascinating linguistic nuances that both reveal a lot about what goes into a name and [...]

When will New Dogs Learn the Old Tricks? »

Another car brand makes a linguistic faux pas? It seems too extraordinary to be true, and yet Audi has just released its newest electric car called “e-tron.” Inconveniently, étron means “excrement” in French. Whether or not Chevy’s car name “No Va” was really what led to its abysmal sales in both Mexico and Spain, it’s [...]

When to Be Inspired by the Name »

Ibuprofen or Advil? CVS-brand toilet paper or Cottonelle? How do you know when you’re just paying for the name versus a better product? According to an article on CBS News, Generic and Store Brands vs. Brand Names, generic products do sometimes offer the same bang for the buck as their branded counterparts. That being said, [...]

Why Most New Brand Names Are Doomed From The Start »

(A NameStormers’ Viewpoint – August, 2010) Popular commercial brands generate a “positive emotional reaction from the human brain,” according to a study by the Radiological Society of North America. Does that mean consumers are inclined to just purchase those brands that we have all heard of before, for better or for worse? This study links [...]

Anchor’s Away: Why we’re onboard with Talon »

Talon is  the new name for Minn Kota’s fresh-to-market, shallow water anchor. We think Talon works well for a variety of reasons. First, if you’ve ever been to a pet store, had a bird as a pet, or been freakishly attacked by one, you know that most have sharp talons that are so strong they [...]

  • HealthYes!

    Video Testimonial - Part 1 | 2

  • Snapio

    Video Testimonial - Part 1 | 2

  • Raving Fans

  • Empowered Imaging Partners, LLC struggled with its own internal marketing group for 10+ weeks to coin the brand name that would launch our national Preventive Health Screening brand. When we eventually gave up and turned to Mike Carr and NameStormers, we were impressed with their professionalism and process orientation. HealthYES.com was the final brand chosen out of at least 3 viable alternatives provided by NameStormers. Without reservation, we recommend NameStormers as 'the company to turn to' for naming.
    Craig Lindley and Dale Wood - Co-Founders of Empowered Imaging Partners, LLC - now HealthYES.com
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  • We have rarely encountered the level of service and professionalism we received with you. You made us feel that we were important, and you did everything you said you would do when you said you would do it. And frankly, after such a positive experience with you, I can't help but notice how the service we receive from others pales in comparison. We felt like you put your heart into this project, and we will forever appreciate the attention you gave us. Whenever we encounter anyone in the future who needs your services, you will be the first and only name we recommend. Thank you. We have sincerely enjoyed working with you.
    Tim Dietrich - CEO, formerly Amicus Mutual Insurance Company, now Stonetrust Commercial Insurance Company
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  • I can't say enough about how well you handled what would have been a very difficult if not impossible branding exercise for us to do in-house. The NameStormers brought an excellent level of creativity, objectivity and a fresh look at what we live with everyday, and that is just what we needed. At the beginning of this project, I had my doubts about our ability to come up with a brand name in just 3 weeks and clearly without your help, we wouldn't have been able to do it. You really made my job easy.
    Kate Strong - Manager, Marketing Communications - Lightbridge
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  • I want to thank you very much for your team's effort on this project. You all worked very quickly and gave us excellent direction. I am sure many hours were spent in developing the many name lists you presented us. Your added value enabled us to move forward with a name consumers preferred over the prior internal name. I look forward to working with your company in the future!
    Brand Category Manager - A Major Global Tire Company
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  • I have hired Mike to do naming projects for several of our clients. Naming can be a difficult area for many companies and Mike does a great job walking people through the process and making them feel comfortable. One of his strengths is his ability to ask the right questions to really understand the problem and the objectives at hand. This allows NameStormers to always come up with a wide variety of options that expands the thinking of the client. I have yet to have a client be disappointed with the process or the results. If you are considering going through a naming exercise, I would highly recommend Mike and The NameStormers.
    Tom Dorow, Design North.
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  • We have filed six trademarks to date which were created by The NameStormers. As is, six global trademarks in one year is unprecedented for any agency we have contacted. On several projects, you triumphed where other agencies had failed us. The process is simple, fast and yields wonderful results.
    Tracey K. Higgins - Director, Trademark Development - Worldwide Human Health Marketing, MERCK & Co., Inc.
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  • The naming industry landscape is littered with agencies that make the process seem onerous and intimidating. They tout their unique proprietary processes, advanced research and ideation tools, etc. And then they tell you it's going to take months and months. Ugh. With Mike and NameStormers, you get a team focused on results. Their approach is practical, thorough and creative. And they can be flexible and lightning fast. If you want results without the headaches, then I highly recommend NameStormers.
    David Cameron, Business Public Affairs, Dow Chemical