We were thrilled to see one of our new names launch this week. Sezmi is, “the first complete TV 2.0 offering, that combines traditional TV content, movies and internet video in a single easy-to-use product.”

This was a fun project from the get-go. The product demo wowed us. Believe you me, Sezmi is amazing. It has the power to predict what you are likely to want to watch, and acts on that prediction. That way, when you’re ready to watch a new show, it’s already downloaded onto your 1TB Sezmi drive. No lengthy lag time waiting for the show to download.

Our client assigned us the exciting dual challenge of product naming and company naming, all-in-one. Relevant and unique domain names for companies aren’t so easy to come by these days, so we had our work cut out for us. But we used our special naming guru voodoo to come up with Sezmi. This name conveys the power that Sezmi affords the TV watcher. Sezmi’s tagline says it all: “TV that tunes into Mi!”

Sezmi afforded us another great opportunity to work with design agency Turner Duckworth. They created an amazing logo, and are also responsible for the industrial design application of “mi” on the remote. (You’ll see it when you buy your Sezmi.) Those Turner Duckworth folks are very clever.

For more coverage of Sezmi, click here and here. We’re looking forward to the day when there’s a Sezmi in every home. Tivo, your days are numbered!

On Monday Kickfire publicly launched, effectively lighting a fire under the feet of their MySQL query competitors. Kickfire’s product is a database appliance that revolutionizes the way queries are conducted. The small form-factor and proprietary SQL chip make Kickfire’s queries faster and simpler than current industry-standard systems. What’s more, the Kickfire database appliance is more economical than the competition, opening up the MySQL database market to small and medium businesses previously unable to afford expensive database systems.

We had a lot of fun exploring ways to communicate speed and ease-of-use for this high-tech brand. The interesting challenge in this case was to find a name that was appropriate as both a company name and a product name, while also having an available dot-com.

The Kickfire team did a great job taking the name we created and shaping it into a great brand. We think Arami Design created a cool company logo and implemented it quite beautifully throughout the Kickfire web site. Just check out the web site and flash demo, and you’ll see what I mean!

We had a lot of fun developing this new technology name. The client was great to work with and the technology is going to shake things up when it hits the market. We’d love to say more, but Ozmo Devices still hasn’t launched publicly. For now, we’re excited that their new name and the fantastic graphic identity will be helping Ozmo get some well-deserved attention.

I saw an ad on TV the other day for LG’s newest phone Rumor. I immediately understood and appreciated the message contained in the name: A texting phone with a Qwerty keyboard – great for spreading rumors!

Certainly LG doesn’t intend the Rumor to be used only for gossip-mongering. The phone has a 1.3 megapixel camera and camcorder, is an MP3 player, and has advanced Bluetooth connectivity capabilities. None of its features really set it apart from the dozens of other phones that have the same feature set. It’s not even a particularly stylish phone.

LG overcame these obstacles by choosing an edgy name that’s memorable and has some relevance to the product. Rumors usually aren’t good things. They’re often created and spread with the intention to scandalize and hurt others. But, edgy names can be given a positive spin. (Take Flickr or Yelp for example.) With Rumor, LG is using rumor’s negative meaning to distinguish the phone amongst its competitors, a tactic that will help it stick in people’s minds (it worked on me!). Even Rumor’s website cleverly uses the rumor theme with flash animation characters asking you the viewer questions like “Have you heard about Rumor’s Qwerty keyboard?”

I like this name a lot. It’s great that LG took a risk and adopted an edgy name and extended its potential with smart, relevant advertising. Bravo!

In honor of Saint Patrick’s Day, Catchword’s naming leprechauns have been busy compiling statistics on Green names — and implications for marketers.

It seems everyone’s jumping on the green brandwagon.  Trademark filings incorporating “green” jumped 143% between 2006 and 2007, versus under 5% for “red” and “blue.”  Clorox’s recent introduction of Green Works, a line of biodegradable household cleaners, exemplifies the trend.

“Eco” and “earth” names also showed huge gains (almost doubling), while more general terms like “nature,” “natural,” and “pure” grew less than 20%.

What does all this mean for marketers, going forward?  Are “green” names still golden?  Or are there greener pastures?  Here’s our take on green naming:

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Our newest name has just been introduced. Meet Flybridge Capital Partners.

In conjunction with their announcement of a new $280 million fund, IDG Venture Boston has introduced an entirely new identity. Catchword worked with the partners of the firm to develop this new brand name. In the press release, the company had this to say, “As you may know, a flybridge is the open deck above the main bridge on a boat where you go to get a different and better perspective on the water in front of you.  It is a vantage point to better see the water, fish, rocks, land and more.  The name symbolizes who we are and what we do best - collaborate, partner, and provide guidance and perspective.”

We just love the solid reinforcement of their positioning through the brand name. As a naming firm, this is exactly the kind of fresh creative solution we aim to provide: Distinctive, but relevant.

Who’s next?

Ford recently announced that it is relaunching the Fiesta as a worldwide brand (see article). I love this naming strategy, but it doesn’t always work. Ford’s justification is two-fold: the name already has some existing equity (albeit, not all positive) and by using one name in multiple markets, they can trim down their marketing expense.

But from a naming consultant’s perspective, they got lucky. Fiesta is one of those words that has near-global awareness. The Spanish word (meaning festival or celebration, from the Latin festum/festa  meaning “feast”) has transcended borders and is now commonly understood by native English speakers (as well as speakers of dozens of other languages). Because the car is targeted at new car buyers (typically a younger demographic), the idea of a celebration ties in nicely with the broader marketing message for the car (again, across geographic borders).

Creating names with such international consistency is tough. Just ask the folks at VW. Can anyone spell Tuoreg? Taureg? Touareg? Or ask the folks at Buick. Who knew that Lacrosse was a Canadian slang term for masturbation? If they had done the linguistic research we offer our clients, they would have known before they launched.

Some of you may want to include the infamous “Nova” in this mix. However, let us dispel the myth once more. Yes,  when literally translated, “no va” would mean “doesn’t go” in Spanish. Yet the car is still sold (quite successfully) in Spanish-speaking countries. This is possible because people don’t usually parse brand names this way. I love the counter-example offered by Snopes.com: would anyone think twice about buying a dinette set that used the brand “Notable”? (Get it?)

Anyway, back to the subject at hand. Kudos to Ford for coming up with (and now relaunching) a brand name that sends the right message to a global audience. If any of you readers out there are looking for a new brand name that functions equally well in multiple international markets, Catchword can help.

There are times in product naming when delicacy has no place. Or is a lost cause at best. When you’re dealing with pet turds, for instance. At least, so decided the makers of the joyfully graphic DooDoo Voodoo, an earth-friendly pet odor and stain remover. I salute their gumption (while holding my nose); in this case, graphic works. I’m just relieved their classified ad in Utne magazine didn’t include a photo.

A friend of mine told me about a new fortified water for dogs. The name? “Fortifido”. Duh. Leaving behind the fact that someone actually took the time to create, and then brand, this stuff, I have to say I think the name is great. Distinctive, but relevant and fun. And I bet the .com domain name was free too.

Catchword has not (yet) had the opportunity to name any pet products. We did name Petopia, but that company has gone to the great dog-park in the sky.

Do dogs bark when they see brand names they like? Wouldn’t you just love to observe the market research around this name? “So what associations come to mind when you hear the name ‘fortifido’?”

“Woof”

A naming consultant’s new best friend.

From the “What Were They Thinking” file, BBC News brings us word of yet another naming fiasco. Here’s what happens when folks decide to try naming on their own instead of working with a trusted naming consultant.

The product is a bed for young girls. In either a desperate ploy for free (but negative) publicity or a remarkably gauche demonstration of literary ingnorance, Woolworths decided to name the bed “Lolita”. Oops.

Here’s the rest of the BBC story.

Dear Woolworths: We know you need a new name for one of your bed models. We are here for you. Please call us. Leave name development to the pros.