Brand Name Generation is a Key Service at Trapeze

Name Generation is a key service at Trapeze

We spend a lot of time at Trapeze fine tuning brands. And the pictures that may come to mind are exactly that — pictures — typically, a shiny new logo or website, or an ad campaign with a memorable headline. But what comes before all of that? A name! A product name, a company name, a service name or a program name. Name generation is an integral part of many projects here at Trapeze — and it’s always an exciting and slightly scary creative assignment. The ultimate blank page. And in the digital age, you can’t think ‘name’ without also thinking ‘URL’ so that just adds to the fun.

We have often come across name generation projects through the back door. A client will come to us knowing their logo and website is dated – but rarely do they question the brand name itself – and sometimes, it can be the issue that’s holding them back from being who they truly are or wish to be.

One of our favourite cases in point is a company that was formerly known as “Global Village Consulting”. We won a competition to redesign their logo – but the more we learned about their business – a progressive health informatics technology consulting firm – the more we realized their name just didn’t fit.

To us, they sounded like a ‘fair trade’ organization or international development agency. Our client listened and commissioned us to do some exploration. We held informal focus groups with their staff and conducted one-on-one research with their clients, who are located worldwide. This research confirmed that the name was a complete disconnect for both employees and clients and that there really wasn’t a strong attachment to it. Further, to our way of thinking, their name added little meaning to what they actually did – which is all about health care information technology.

After an extensive exercise, we presented the name “Gevity” to our client – which is an abridged version of “longevity” and speaks to the ultimate goal of healthcare technology, which is to help people be well and live longer. With “Gevity” we imbued both meaning, relative to the purpose of their business (healthcare related), and emotional appeal (living a long happy life), into a single, modern word with a progressive and tech-friendly vibe. Global Village Consulting went quietly away, a brand launch video was created for Gevity to share with staff, clients and on the web, and the rest is history! It’s worth noting that Gevity has experienced monumental growth since re-branding.

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A brand name is a cornerstone of a business – it may even be around longer than you are. And so, it’s important that name generation provides meaning and can stand the test of time. It needs to pack some punch, even if that punch is just to make people curious. There are other tenets to creating a good brand name of course… simplicity, meaning, distinctiveness, or evoking a feeling, being prime considerations. And a final test for us is often, “How does it sound?” A name has to sound good and look good when spoken or rendered.

If you’re thinking about your brand or you have a new product or service to launch, talk to us. We’ll give you a name people remember.