Maybe I should change my role at the company to be the baby-name-blogger. Just too much good stuff in the news these days. Check out this article on the wackiest baby names ever. Naming babies seems much more fun than naming companies or naming products.

I have to give the parents credit. Even a naming specialist like myself would never have come up with Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii (those wacky Kiwis). Best part for me: her friends call her "K". Nice.

Parents, once again, I beseech you. Have some respect for your children. If you can't come up with something clever AND appropriate, hire a naming consultant to help you.

Central coastal California is a heaven of fruits and vegetables in the summer. The Berkeley farmers’ markets showcase a kaleidoscope of luscious produce and a walk down the line will reveal some equally beautiful names. Many of the farm names have stories that are as organic as the vegetables, but they follow principles that are familiar to those of us at a professional naming firm.

Unique and memorable names for farms in California include: Full Belly Farm, Blossom Bluff Orchards, Gospel Flat Farm and Ella Bella Farm which all telegraph quality produce that is grown with great care. The recent local and organic movement has people thinking a lot more about where their food is grown and where it’s coming from. Distinct, creative farm names separate smaller farms from large-scale industrial agribusiness that probably doesn’t have a name in the supermarket. “People know us as the dirty girls – even Joe (the farmer) gets tagged as one although he bristles a little at that sometimes. They remember us,” says Sierra Schlessinger smiling easily while selling two pounds of shelling beans. The farm gets its name from the original owners; two women who tried to call it Fan Tan Farm in 1995. Local farmers nicknamed them the “dirty girls” and the name stuck.

Agriculture relies on brand naming just like any other business. Names make it easier to make a personal connection with the people who grow our food. Frog Hollow Farm's yellow peaches are indescribably good in both texture and flavor. Flying Disc Ranch’s Aram will let you sample a few different varieties of fresh, soft dates that are more delectable than fine caramel. People remember company names and when the product is consistently good they develop fervent brand loyalty. Dirty Girl Produce’s Early Girl dry-farmed tomatoes have become legendary in the Bay Area and beyond. “Sometimes people don’t even bother to look at the signs,” says Dirty Girl worker Steve Wright, “but they know what they’re looking for and ask you: ‘Are these the Dirty Girl tomatoes?’”

Personally, I’m a sucker for a great name and a cute farm stand at the farmers’ market. The summertime farmers’ market seems a world away from strategic naming and marketing but the acute business sense of many farms is still apparent. The signs, staff and food itself are all dynamic advertisements for the farm. Everything is arranged with the intention of selling as much local food as possible working together to make an inviting and pleasant place to buy food.

Many of these farms with such appealing names are passionate about growing amazing food in an environmentally responsible way. For them, “organic” is much more than a brand name sticker to label their products. In the pared down marketing of agriculture a great farm name can speak volumes at the farmers’ market or in the produce aisle. Gospel Flat Farm (which is named after the four churches that once stood on the property) looks more like an enormous garden than an actual commercial farm. Food crops thrive next to rows of flowers and the Murch family regularly invites students from the nearby middle school to see sustainable agriculture in action. Part of what’s excellent these farm names are how they make you want to know more about the farms – and these small farms are enthusiastic about sharing.

We here at Catchword Global Headquarters are big fans of caffeine - we never got that diet Coke dispenser installed, but we do have an espresso machine onsite. Via Craigslist, we bought a high-end Nespresso machine for the low low price of $20! Since we have to buy their proprietary coffee capsules, we get hit with ads for all their other wonderful products, including the one shown here - the Aeroccino.

I think this is a great product name - when I saw it on a Nespresso brochure, I knew what it was immediately. It made me think of light, airy clouds of foamy milk that would be the perfect complement to an espresso drink. You could combine them to make something like, oh, I don't know, a ... cappuccino! Nespresso, of course, benefits from previous product names like Starbucks' Frappuccino, and the ubiquitous non-trademarked mochaccino. I suppose it's possible that an Aeroccino would be a coffee you'd drink on an aeroplane, or perhaps something the Breatharians invented. But in the context of coffee, it's perfectly clear where the "aero" and "-cino" intersect. And now that I know what it looks like, I want one.

In the fifties America was launching satellites into space and racing the Russians to the moon. High technology had come to the dinner table as well, and food branding took a cue from NASA. New food preservation technology inspired processed food products that were all about convenience and Swanson’s TV dinners were born. The sixties brought us the questionable appeal of Tang and other space-age foods (astronaut ice cream anyone?). Soon after we landed on the moon and it was common for food products to be marketed to kids as “fun”. But with an exponential increase in health problems due to poor diets, American food product branding has gone looking for its roots in the kitchen and at the farm.

In 2008 we’re still eating food with product branding from the future, but a shift in consciousness has brought about a remarkable difference in food naming and marketing. Farmers’ markets’ and fresh vegetables have come in to vogue in the San Francisco Bay Area. Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods markets have multiplied. The idea that food is more appealing when its roots are in the earth rather than a laboratory has become much more popular. Food branding and marketing has consequently veered towards product names that evoke homemade goodness rather than high-tech chemical combinations.

Even frozen dinners have been re-invented. Swanson’s frozen TV dinners are now crowded by “all natural” and organic options like Amy’s Kitchen’s Garden Vegetable Lasagna. The idea is the same: instant, convenient meals. But the company names and product branding has dramatically changed. Rather than an emphasis on convenience frozen dinners are marketed as nutritious meals that just so happen to be easily prepared at the push of a button.

With lists of ingredients that often defy pronunciation, is it so weird that people these days want food product names to sound like something that’s good for you? Breakfast cereals are a prime example of this apparent shift in brand naming. Would feel good about feeding your kids the now discontinued “Wackies”, “Freakies”, and “Chocolate Donutz”? Post Cereals’ Sugar Crisp has been re-launched as the subtler Golden Crisp. Kelloggs’ “Sugar Smacks” was reincarnated as “Smacks” now settling on the wholesome (but still sweet with 15 grams of sugar) “Honey Smacks”. “Sugar Frosted Flakes” evolved into “Frosted Flakes” to take the empasis off the sugar part much like Kentucky Fried Chicken’s famous conversion to KFC to avoid the stigma of fried food.

Getting back to the earth with the things we eat is an idea that’s gaining momentum across the board. Naming trends in food branding have taken note and are evolving to match. Personally, I’m not sad to leave astronaut ice cream and Tang behind.

Saw a report in this morning's news about a guy who plans to name his kid after a radio talk show host in return for a $100 gas card (see "Sex, Blood, and Baby Names"). So wrong, in so many ways. First, any of you who are regular readers know how I feel about baby naming. It is not to be taken so lightly. Your kids have to live with this for the rest of their lives. But this case is particularly bothersome (perhaps even more so than some famous actor coming up with yet-another-ridiculous name). A hundred dollars? Are you serious? C'mon. At least hold out for a month's worth of gas. Heck, a hundred dollars won't even fill the tank of the father's (assumed) monster truck. A hundred dollars won't even cover the fees associated with the kid's name change in a few years.

I guess I should say this kid got off easy. At least his parents didn't name him after a semi-retired football player (see previous post). Dixon Willoughby is certainly better than some. But seriously folks, have a little more respect for your kids.

You’ll always have multiple audiences for your product or company name. At the very least you have your customers and your internal staff (from CEO to Admin Assistant). And at the very most, you may have a diverse and multi-tiered customer base to consider, a board of directors, industry analysts, etc.

But it’s crucial that you identify the single most important audience for your new name. This is likely to include some element of your customer base – the people you do business with. For this reason, try to put yourself in your customer’s shoes; live a day in their life. What’s the most important aspect of your business to them? What naming message is going to appeal most to them? What naming styles are going to fall flat for them?

Don’t be blinded by your personal preferences. Remember that it’s not always about what you like, but what is going to get your customers to notice and engage with the new name.

This is part five in a ten-part CatchThis series. Check back every Monday morning for subsequent naming tips. Check out previous Naming Tips here.

Clients often ask us, “Now that I have a new company name, what’s next?” There’s still much to do, from announcing your name internally and externally to handling legal and administrative details. Catchword has developed a document called "Launching Your New Company Name" to help guide you through key elements of the process.

Here are a few excerpts from the section on Legal and Administrative. You can download the whole thing in PDF form here.

Once you've changed your company name, don't forget to:

If you find you need professional help, give us a call. We have strong relationships with firms that specialize in highly effective name launches.

Next Friday: Marketing and Identity

As the Beijing Olympics draw closer China is back in the forefront of the world’s consciousness. Western companies have been drawn to the promise of China’s enormous market potential for decades but there are complicated issues to consider when launching your brand in this incredible country. Checking in with some naming experts will definitely wade through language and cultural obstacles. Here’s a piece published recently about the nuances of brand naming in China by our very own Burt Alper. Click here to read Burt's article.

Yesterday I met a kitten named Billy who is on a strict raw food diet at the advice of his animal communicator/chiropractor. Animal communicator?!

A growing demographic of people include their pets as full-fledged members of the family and have the means to treat their pets like human children. (As Americans we name them like children too – top dog names in 2007 included Bella, Sophie and Jake.) The $43 billion dollar pet industry has taken note, and is making sure that its product names and company names justify a human–sized investment.

Brand name creation is catching up with the idea that your pet’s well-being is as important as your own. Take “Karma”, a company that makes organic dog food. Perhaps the implication that you might be reincarnated as a dog is enough for some pet owners to treat their animals like royalty. EcoPure Naturals could be any brand name in the natural food store but actually manufactures herbal remedies for dogs. Is “Eye Envy” a new kind of high-end women’s mascara? Nope. It’s a natural eye stain remover to let your cat look his best.

The spectacular growth in the pet product industry has crowded the field with different options for taking care of your cats and dogs. When pets have names like human babies and product naming is equally ambivalent, “Simply Fido” (a brand of organic pet toys), it’s not.

The recently launched Safeway store brand CSD is marked by a distinctly generic name for its Sprite look-a-like: Ditto. Apparently the design firm responsible for this new brand name (we think we know who created this name, but will keep that info to ourselves to protect the innocent) didn’t think that this was too much of a cop-out. Here at Catchword, we have to wonder: Why not just go ahead and name it ‘Knockoff’ or ‘Copycat’?

Let’s give credit where it’s due. At least they settled on a name with a good sound, and it’s even a real word. But it would seem that no one bothered to think about what the word actually means! The name doesn’t allude to any of the particular aspects of the product, instead opting to simply categorize itself as a copy of some other brand name. I can’t think of a better example of why folks should hire a dedicated naming specialist when a new brand name is warranted. Let the designers stick to design. (Although I have to give them props for the other store brand CSD: “Go Cola” is great. The energy and tone of the name position it well for a youthful demographic seeking a better value than the traditional Coke or Pepsi products.)

We’ve done our fair share of these store brands ourselves, so we know there are some challenges in getting the right word for the product. There’s a bit of art to creating the perfect store brand: you want to emulate the national brand but still sound different and desirable. Catchword’s balance of creativity and strategy has resulted in a litany of strong CSD store brands that include “Quist” and “Ramp.” These names have the charisma required to compete with the national brands without sounding like knock-offs.

Just because the visual identity mirrors the Sprite can doesn’t mean the name has to.

“Ditto!” You can say that again.

You should involve all key stakeholders from the very start of your naming project. Ask yourself, “Who has veto power?” Then include them on the naming project team. Even if it’s the CEO, do your best to include her/him in as many stages of the naming process as possible.

We’ve heard it time and again: “Oh, don’t worry. The CEO (or CMO, or Board of Directors) doesn’t need to be involved at this stage. They’ll be comfortable with the names we recommend to them after the process is over.” If we had a dime for every time someone regretted uttering those words…

In some ways, it’s a plain and simple psychology game. You want to make sure that people who have a final say know that their opinions and preferences were addressed during the entire naming process. There’s nothing worse than getting to the very end of the naming process only to have a top-level manager tell you that’s not the way they want it.

One easy way to head this off is to include these higher-ups from the start. If they don’t have time to be involved in every meeting, consider scheduling a 15-30 minute phone call between them and your naming specialist at the beginning of the process. Then when the exec sees name candidates several weeks later, they’ll know their opinion was considered during the naming exploration. Psychologically, it will help the exec be more receptive to the names and logistically it will help prevent a last minute back-to-the-drawing-board situation.

This is part four in a ten-part CatchThis series. Check back every Monday morning for subsequent naming tips. Check out previous Naming Tips here.

Some people assume that all naming firms are basically the same. And, that evaluating any two naming firms is as simple as comparing one fresh apple to another. While similarities may exist, naming firms are not all created equal. And while budgets vary among firms, money shouldn't be the only factor you consider when choosing a naming firm. Selecting a firm without the proper experience or a smart creative perspective can cause more problems (and cost more money) in the long run.

A good naming firm should be able to articulate its creative process clearly, and should also have a solid system in place for vetting names. The firm you select also needs to have an innate sense of what makes a name perfect for you and your target audience. Some firms will push a particular naming style on all of their clients. Naming firms with an intelligent creative process will listen carefully, learn about your unique project, and present a range of relevant names and styles for you to choose from.

Some questions you might consider asking potential naming firms include:

This is part three in a ten-part CatchThis series. Check back every Monday morning for subsequent naming tips. Check out previous Naming Tips here.

The lovely and talented Burt Alper was asked to provide some comments on baby naming for a fun show on the BBC Radio 4 program Word of Mouth. You can listen to the whole show here, or you can just click below to hear Burt's remarks.

Word of Mouth

This is old product naming news, but I forgot to blog about it until just now. At the end of last year, Chrysler (formerly DaimlerChrysler, formerly Chrysler Corporation) showed off a new concept car, the Dodge Avenger Tuner - Stormtrooper (shown at left, all white and shiny and spiffy).

Scott Anderson, designer of the car, posted this at the official Chrysler blog:

When I began to design the Dodge Avenger Tuner – Stormtrooper, I wanted to do more than create a cool-looking custom ride. Granted, the Star Wars™-influenced aesthetics has gotten great feedback (and mentions on non-automotive blogs like c-net). However, I was mostly concerned with creating something that was as futuristic inside the cabin as it was in its styling.

The visual influences are apparent. I was a big Star Wars fan as a kid, so the styling was heavily influenced by the George Lucas aesthetic. When we started working on the fascia design and applied the bright pearl white paint coat, the project totally took on a life of its own — we had a Stormtrooper, menacing grin and all.

So while I respect his Star Wars-geekism, I have to say that the level of aggressiveness in this car's name really bugs me. You already have a fairly testosterone-y name in Avenger - and hey, I'm a comics geek, I respect the Avengers and especially Iron Man as played by Robert Downey Jr., and that Hulk movie was pretty good too. I think an Avengers movie will be awesome! But we'll have to wait till 2011 for that, or so the Intarwebs have it. Who do you think should play Captain America? All I can say is that they better cast someone who can ACT.

Well, I seem to have wandered a bit. So, yes, Avenger. But Stormtrooper? I suppose that the resonance of the Nazis and World War II just hasn't entered the consciousness of the Younger Generation. Although the Stormtroopers of the Star Wars universe have become iconic, I doubt that George Lucas meant to strip the word "stormtrooper" of its evil, terrifying connotations.

But who knows? Maybe this whole thing is a set-up to tie in to the Captain America movie! In 2011 they'll have a red, white, and blue car called the Rogers that kicks the Stormtrooper's ass!

The Catchword folks are getting ready for our July 4th long holiday. (I'll personally be camping on the Feather River for 3 sunny days.) Nothing says "mid-year" like July 4th. Or is it Independence Day? How peculiar that the holiday is often referred to by its date instead of its given name. Upon doing a little bit of research, I found that the French also refer to Bastille Day as Le 14 Juillet in France. I wonder why both countries refer to their revolutionary holiday by the date.

Speaking of mid-year, can I take a moment to recognize just how crazy it is that we are now in the second half of 2008?! How time flies when you're naming!

One of Catchword's big projects this year was a dramatic upgrade of our office environment. Most notably we remodeled our entry-way area, turning it into a swanky lounge. Additionally, we put some fun new signage up in our elevator lobby. Come visit us sometime and see our non-naming creativity first-hand!

It's no wonder that with soaring gas prices, car companies are rolling out their gas alternative car models. The two that I've seen get a lot of press coverage recenlty are the Honda FCX Clarity and the Chevy Volt. The Clarity is Honda's new hydrogen fuel cell car that begins beta tests this week in Southern California (but, only if you're a famous Hollywood type). And the Volt is Chevy's plug-in electric concept vehicle that is expected to be available to the masses in 2010. While neither car will be ready for the consumer market for a few years, they are both already causing quite a buzz.

What hit me almost immediately was that both car names are real English words. I wonder if concocted words or a Latinate name style was ruled out because Toyota seems to owns that style with Prius. (For those of you who don't know, Prius is a Latin comparative adjective or adverb, with meanings "ahead, in front, leading; previous, earlier, preceding, prior; former; basic;" fitting for such a car in the green vanguard.)

I like what each of the new car names conveys about its car model. "Clarity" focuses on the environmental benefit, and perhaps even suggests how simple a decision it should be to purchase one. The name also fits nicely with Honda's other real-word names: Accord, Element, Civic, Pilot, Fit, Odyssey, etc. All of these words (maybe with the exception of "Fit"), are real words with elegant connotations. Either that, or Honda has done a great job of imbuing each of the brands with elegance and reliability. Either way, I think Clarity is as equally elegant and evocative as each of the names in the Honda brand roster.

"Volt" appeals to Chevy's tough and exciting brand image. The name is electrically charged, powerful, and punchy. Instead of conveying the benefit, Volt implies the radical new technology. (Similar to the way Zap car does.) Much like the Chevy Cobalt, the Volt has a strong, exciting, and charged tonality. The Volt electric car marks a huge energetic shift for General Motors. The Volt (hopefully) effectively launches Chevy into the green car revolution. If Chevy hasn't already gone under or severely missed the green boat by waiting until 2010, then the Volt may signal a new era for the American auto maker. The name aims to capitalize on this monumental change in the automotive tides.

Of course, let's not forget about the Smart Car that's already selling its super efficient models in the U.S. In fact, by next year they plan on having a fully electric model available for sale. At $12,000 for the current gasoline-burning model, it's no wonder that I'm seeing them pop up all over San Francisco. In parking-starved SF, it also doesn't hurt that you can park two of these adorable little guys in the one SUV's street parking space.

More green cars! And please, more exciting green car naming!

You didn’t create your product or company overnight; so don’t expect to name it overnight either. Naming is a process that works best when ample time is spent exploring the vast creative possibilities. Plan ahead and allocate up to six weeks for a full naming process. The more time you allow, the more time your naming firm has to turn over every stone in the search for your perfect name. A good client will give their naming firm sufficient time to do their job, and in return a good naming firm will provide a fantastic range of naming options.

Unfortunately, extenuating circumstances come up, and sometimes you just don’t have a lot of time. Naming specialists can still help – we know how to turn things around quickly if there’s no other option – within reason, of course!

Still, if you have a choice in the matter, don’t put naming off until the last minute. Call your friendly naming specialists as early as you can.

This is part two in a ten-part CatchThis series. Check back every Monday morning for subsequent naming tips. Check out previous Naming Tips here.

I thought this article on renaming airports was interesting. Wouldn't it be great fun to help name an airport? (Somehow, I don't think Catchword will get the nod for that work.)

We recently made some interior design upgrades in our office. (See next week's post for some visual examples.) Part of our redesign included swapping out our old Catchword sign for a new and improved one. Some of the old letters stuck around and we like to play word jumble with them, concocting all sorts of fun phrases. Here's one I created when my iMac suffered a power supply failure last Friday. These G5 iMacs sure aren't the sturdiest machines Apple ever built. (Notice the clever rearrangement of "d" to make a "p.")

The lobby of our building seemed to catch on to the infectious fun we were having with signage. The Tribune Tower itself has been undergoing some recent renovations, including new elevator interiors and a lobby facelift. We've become accustomed to various signs indicating an elevator is out of service, or to be careful of wet paint. But despite the onslaught of recent signage, we were still a bit surprised (and confused) but the temporary addition of the blue sign below.

At first, my confusion led me to simply use the third exit through the adjacent coffee shop doorway. Upon returning, I saw people clearly heeding the advice of the new blue sign instead of the old permanent one. I wonder what that says about people's responses to signs and words. Does new = more important? More relevant? More commanding? Or is it the bright, flashy color that gave the sign its power of influence? And can we apply any of this to the world of naming? Well, rest assured that we'll put on our very finest Friday thinking caps and figure this one out!

Clients often ask us, “Now that I have a new company name, what’s next?” There’s still much to do, from announcing your name internally and externally to handling legal and administrative details. We've put together a handy-dandy guide to help you launch your new company name.

We’ve divided your name launch into five categories: Legal and Administrative, Marketing and Identity, Internal Communications, External Communications, and Technology.

Check out our guide by clicking the image above, or by clicking here.

If you find you need professional help, give us a call. We have strong relationships with firms that specialize in highly effective name launches.