NameStormers

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the marketing director at a home fragrance company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NameStormers?

We were relaunching our brand and needed someone to help us identify a new name.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had a phone call with them, where they asked us a lot questions and explained the process. During our second phone call, we briefed them on our brand, our consumer market, and our objectives. After that, they provided us with their recommendations that included a list of names for our brand and a preliminary trademark search. They used this first round as a calibration round, providing us with conservative names to see how we reacted. They did a great job walking us through the strategic rationale for every name.

Once they had our feedback, they developed the second round of recommendations and did another preliminary trademark search. We reviewed their recommendations and told them what direction we wanted to go. After the third round of names, they did a consumer survey that included the top 10 names we thought would be a good fit for us. Then, they gave us a very detailed report of the survey.

What is the team composition?

We worked with two members of their team.

How did you come to work with them?

Our VP of Marketing had worked with them previously.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from May-August 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

They were able to find the name we liked and tested it. We felt very comfortable moving forward with their recommendations.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

They did a fantastic job. They were extremely responsive and turned everything around quickly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very professional, knowledgeable, and transparent. It was clear that they had a lot of experience in the industry. They always had a very firm rationale when they walked us through their recommendations and answered all of our questions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an innovation manager for a personal care company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NameStormers?

We’re launching a new face care regimen and needed a name that would communicate what benefits the product delivers to the consumer.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started the project by getting Mike (CEO, NameStormers) on the phone and communicating our business challenge. We particularly highlighted our need for the name to be easily understood by consumers. Mike invited his team on an upfront onboarding call where I briefed them on the product’s benefits and the criteria we were looking for in a regimen name. They asked questions to ensure a concrete understanding of what needed to be delivered.

NameStormers presented the first round of names one week after the initial team briefing. I provided feedback on the names by eliminated those that weren’t easily understandable or didn’t fit with our brand equity. I approved names that aligned with the success criteria that we previously discussed. This process went through three rounds of iteration before we felt that their team delivered several viable options. The selected names are currently in consumer testing. In addition to the creative brainstorming process, they also offered trademarking services.

What is the team composition?

We primarily communicated with Mike, but also worked with a consultant of theirs.

How did you come to work with NameStormers?

They were initially referred to us by a trusted colleague. They’ve done work for us on previous projects and we’ve always had a positive experience with them. We wanted to launch the product quickly and not be held up by a lengthy interview process, so hiring them was an easy decision.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $15,000 over the course of two installments.

What is the status of this engagement?

This project took place from April–June 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

While the product is not yet in the market, consumers testing indicates positive reactions to 80%–90% of NameStormers’ deliverables. None of the possible names have performed exceptionally poor at this point. Once we get enough data, we’ll select the best possible name from the options they’ve provided.

How did NameStormers perform from a project management standpoint?

Mike is always transparent and forthcoming with communication. He was readily available to take our calls when needed. They mapped out and discussed their timeline with us upfront to ensure they could deliver what we needed before our deadline. Overall, NameStormers performed excellently in this area.

What did you find most impressive about them?

NameStormers worked to understand how the category dynamics of specific product benefits work together to align with our upfront success criteria. They asked clarifying questions and always addressed our feedback. This determination enabled them to deliver names per our requirements.

We also appreciate their unique pricing model. They didn’t put a limit on the number of iteration rounds available to us for the agreed-upon cost. This demonstrated their intention to provide the best service possible and not leave us with a mediocre group of product names. Despite being in the consumer testing stage, Mike communicated they’d be willing to work on the project further at no additional cost, should we need to pivot for some reason.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a creative director at Lawrence & Schiller. We're a full-service advertising agency in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NameStormers?

We had a client who was launching a new product. We had engaged all of our creative team to come up with a list of names, but none of the names they provided could serve as a trademark. We started looking for a company that specialized in naming to help us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their team came up with a few names and did the trademark research that went much deeper than our internal Google searches. During the first round, they presented us with some names and their research. They also conducted customer validation testing for us after our third round of names. The research helped assure the client that they had made a solid choice and the name would resonate well with consumers. After we chose one name, our client's lawyer and a trademark lawyer took it deeper to trademark it.

What is the team composition?

We mostly worked with Mike (Founder, NameStormers).

How did you come to work with them?

We talked to 7–8 naming organizations, some of which were much closer to us in South Dakota. We liked the fact that NameStormers has been in business for a long time and was willing to do extensive research for us. Also, they were willing to give us as many names as we needed to present to our client for approval, so we chose them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from May–July 2018.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

They worked hard until the client was satisfied. Their professionalism and responsiveness made them easy to work with. Also, they were very direct and honest, explaining to us why they came up with specific names. Everything they presented to us was well thought-out. We have recommended them to all of our client teams at our agency and look forward to future partnerships with them.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

They did an excellent job. One of the easiest to work with from kick-off to conclusion.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were really invested in the project and became a true partner to us. Mike had our interests at heart and wanted our client to succeed as much as we did. They did research on our client and knew what he was doing rather than just following our directions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO of CerpassRx, an American pharmaceutical company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NameStormers?

We had some channel conflict with a sister company that competed with some of our clients in three states. We decided that in order to avoid this conflict, we needed to create a new name for the company that fits within our mission and values.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We went through a thorough process in which NameStormers sat down with us to understand our business challenge and what we're trying to accomplish. In our case, it was a channel conflict. They focused on our mission, vision and values and in a matter of less than two weeks, they came up with a list of 30-40 names. Once we narrowed those down to 20 names, we engaged a few people in my organization and ultimately decided on the name CerpassRx. NameStormers already owned the name domain which made it easier to find an attorney to trademark and register the name. They also helped us with a logo.

What is the team composition?

I mainly worked with Mike (Carr, CEO, NameStormers) and another member of their team. They occasionally brought in other employees as needed.

How did you come to work with NameStormers?

My coworker at a previous company worked with them before. Back then, we interviewed two or three other groups. In the phone interview process, it was clear that name development is NameStormers’ specialty. In that previous project, we needed to come up with a new name and logo in a strict 90-day time frame. They performed well under pressure. I was under similar time constraints for this project, so I called Mike and it became clear that they were the right people to use.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost was less than $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I reached out to Mike in October 2017 and told him we needed the new name and logo by January 1st. By March, the named was trademarked and attorneys had prepared all related legal work. The entire process was completed by April.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

I do not have any metrics to provide. However, when we tell people what we do and why we chose the name, it makes perfect sense to them. The name worked out well for us.

How did NameStormers perform from a project management standpoint?

They have a good, logical process. They were quick to turn around projects in a matter of days and I found their project management to be excellent.

What did you find most impressive about them?

When it comes to creating a name in a logical way, NameStormers is the best. They work at a pace that is comfortable for a fast-moving entrepreneur and they put a lot of thought into every name. There is logic, intent, and meaning to every step of their creative process.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of any. NameStormers’ graphic work was exceptional, even though it’s not a part of their core business. There is nothing I would say they need to change.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing menu innovation manager for a large fast food restaurant chain.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NameStormers?

We were going into a test market with a new product, and we needed resources to assist us with the naming.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, we had a call with them to brief their team on the product and assignment. After the call, they came back with questions and sent out a recap of the discussion. This included a potential proposal for the engagement, which outlined the fees, deliverables, and next steps. From there, they scheduled the next couple of meetings and began working on the assignment.

They conducted several rounds of back and forth, providing notes and documentation along the way. They also did some preliminary legal trademark searches for us to identify any potential names that likely wouldn’t pass our internal legal vetting. In the end, we decided to stop the engagement due to internal time constraints.

What is the team composition?

We worked directly with one of their principal founders who served as the project lead with the rest of his team.

How did you come to work with NameStormers?

For this project, we used several agencies to help with the naming process, including NameStormers. Our insights team conducted extensive research on different agencies and recommended them to us.

Because it was our first time working with them, our leaders wanted to see what their team could bring to the table. We wanted to use this project as a test to see if we could use them for future products and naming exercises.

What is the status of this engagement?

Their work lasted from March­–May 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Ultimately, we went with a name that NameStormers didn’t generate through their research rounds. However, they were easy to work with, and the feedback and communication were great. They were willing to do as many name generation rounds as we felt necessary.

In terms of the quality of their work, they tried their best to adapt to our feedback, but some of the names they provided missed the mark. They wanted to push the product in a more creative, off-brand path than we were willing to go. As a result, our greater team ultimately decided to go with a different name.

How did NameStormers perform from a project management standpoint?

As I’ve mentioned, they conducted multiple rounds of research and held review calls with us. They were never late to a call, and, after every meeting, they would set up the next regroup point. If we needed to talk to them, they were always available. They provided an excellent summary of the work conducted at the end of the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were friendly, accessible, and worked quickly on our tight timeline.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Reiterating on my previous comments, they tried their best to take our feedback into account when conducting the next round of product names. To their credit, this was the first time that they had worked with our company, so they were still trying to learn our expectations and understand what names fit our brand.

I expect that they would only get stronger and more efficient if we were to use them again. If a client had enough time in their project to continue working with and providing feedback to them, then they would likely produce desirable results. But it does take time to inform them about which territories they should explore and define what’s considered on- or off-brand if you are using them for the first time, which is as to be expected.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a portfolio of enterprise software companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NameStormers.

I inherited a legacy portfolio containing about a dozen companies, which I am planning to grow significantly in the coming years with new acquisitions. I needed a new brand name for the portfolio going forward.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They gathered information about the background of our company including our organizational structure, our mission statement, and what brand attributes we were looking for. It was essentially general feedback on what was important to us from a brand perspective. They also asked if there were any brands in particular we liked, or other examples to gauge for our style and what we might be interested in. We went through multiple rounds, at least 2 or 3, before we came up with our final name.

They also did a comprehensive review of not only the domain name availability, but a preliminary trademark check to assess the risk level in terms of our likelihood to get trademark clearance.

What is the team dynamic?

Our primary contact was Mike [Carr], one of the principals and founders, and we also worked with one additional team member.

How did you come to work with NameStormers?

A former colleague had worked with them in the past and highly recommended them. I knew they had a strong background in naming and due to the previous connection, I thought they would be great to check out as I redefine my enterprise software portfolio going forward, especially as I had a lot more experience with larger corporations.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested approximately $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2017 and the engagement was completed in the middle of September.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

While we don’t have any statistics yet, we do have anecdotal feedback that everyone loves the name. The response has been very positive.

How did NameStormers perform from a project management standpoint?

They were excellent and have a highly defined process. They were clear on the whole timeline from the very beginning about what was expected out of us, and what they were going to do. It was managed very professionally and efficiently. We communicated primarily through email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was most impressed with their overall creativity and the breadth of names they were able to come up with. With each round of feedback we provided them, they were able to take to another level of creativity and create a band new set of options for us to evaluate. They really listened to our feedback and incorporated it into each round.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of any.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would recommend remaining open to considering names you might have not necessarily thought of otherwise, because sometimes what might not be your first choice at the beginning is the best choice after going through the rounds of feedback.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the general manager of Datafaction, an accounting software for specialized accounting.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NameStormers?

We were launching a new product that offered a new generation of the same functionality but on a different platform. We wanted a new name for that product which could also leverage the heritage of our company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

NameStormers engaged with us and spent time learning about our business and our goals, and understanding our messaging, branding, and our audience. They gauged our appetite for certain types of names and the goals that we had for the business.

They went away and came back with a set of names for us to evaluate. We gave them feedback, which helped them get more specific, and dive deeper on a second round after incorporating our feedback. They then provided us with another round of names, of which we selected five, and they gave us guidance on the client customer review process. After that, we made our selection.

In both of their reviews, they had not done full copyright searches, but had done some of the initial research to find out if it was a name that was free and clear, had some risk of owning, or a name that we should steer away from.

What is the team dynamic?

We mainly worked with the founder, Mike [Carr, Founder, NameStormers]. Another person joined the calls to review some of the names.  

How did you come to work with NameStormers?

We are a subsidiary of City National Bank and our marketing group there had engaged with them for a parallel naming effort. I looked them up and saw that they had worked with a few of my colleagues at a previous company. I asked them for reviews, which was positive, so we decided to move forward from there.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in July of this year and the work was completed in early September.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The name itself aligns with some other products that the bank has. Even though we are a separate company, we are highly affiliated with the bank and there is an affinity with our solutions. It is a nice family brand that they were able to leverage, and overall, the process was positive. They were very creative and at the same time very methodical. This enabled us to get the credibility to change the name.

How did NameStormers perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed very well. They laid out their process and timeline, and set expectations for our end, as well as commensurate deliverables. They were always prepared with the content and when the project was over, they sent us an eBook with all of the details.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They really listened to us and gave us options that were both in our sweet spot, and also enabled to think outside of the box. This gave us a good set of options to review with our clients. They were highly consultative, bringing in their own expertise, but I feel like they listened to us and had our goals in mind when they were providing their research and guidance.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, the process was pretty seamless.

Advice for potential clients?

Come in with a good sense of who you are, and what it is you are trying to accomplish. This enabled us to move quickly into the real naming process, as they didn’t have to spend a lot of time getting guidance and direction around where we wanted to go. I am not sure how they work with people who aren’t ready, but we were ready and that allowed us to get some really good options in about six weeks.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a manufacturer of desktop milling machines, similar to 3-D printers. We have eight people at our company. I’m the CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NameStormers?

I founded the company four years ago and we hastily chose a name that just wasn’t right. My business was acquired in May of this year, and one of the first things we decided to do was to come up with a new name for the business. We wanted to create an entirely new brand, starting with the name.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, we had an introductory phone call with NameStormers where we talked about what their process would be like and outlined the stakeholders who would be deciding on the name, which was myself and the new owner. They sent over a set of introductory questions about the way we saw our brand and what kind of things resonated with us in terms of imagery and meaning. The new owner and I filled out two separate sets of answers and then NameStormers took our responses and consolidated them into one set that they then shared with their team. They let us edit our responses before sharing it with their team to make sure everything was correct and that we were being represented in the way we wanted to be represented.

One week later, NameStomers came back with their first round of names and we met to provide our feedback. We had a call with the NameStormers team in which the new owner and I outlined which names we liked and which names we didn’t. We then did that process three more times, and at the end of the third round we chose one of their names.

They did not produce any other branding materials for us other than the name, but they did give analyses of each name that they proposed. The analyses were meant to give us a greater understanding on if the names existed in a crowded name space or if there were trademarks that already existed. They did preliminary research to make sure that we wouldn’t go down the path of selecting a name that we couldn’t trademark.

What is the team dynamic?

Mike Carr is the primary person we worked with at NameStormers.

How did you come to work with NameStormers?

I found them through network connections. The new owner of my company has a dad who is a branding expert and has been doing it for a long time. Mike Carr from NameStormers was a friend of his and they had worked together in the past. We did not compare them to any other naming agencies.

The previous name for our company was a name we had come up with in-house. We had never worked with an agency similar to NameStomers before.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with NameStormers in June 2017 and the project was completed a month later in July 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

People love the new name. It's a dramatic improvement over the old name. It's not public yet but it's quite obvious to everyone within the company and to everyone that we've talked to about it.

How did NameStormers perform from a project management standpoint?

In the first two weeks, their team threw out a lot of names that already had domain names. I started to get a little nervous. But by the third week, they got more of their company leadership involved, including their more experienced people, which I think is why we got better names as a result. In every project, but especially in creative projects, you go through the process of realizing the process will be a bit more complicated than expected.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I don’t have a lot of experience with other providers so I can’t really compare them to others, but I will say that it’s kind of a miracle that we came up with a name that was so good. The NameStormers team has a broad set of backgrounds, allowing them to draw from a lot of experience. We have a super technical product and I was impressed that they were able to fully understand our company and deliver a name that suits us. They were able to really listen to us and get us to a point with a name that we all felt really happy with in a span of only a month. To me, that’s a great level of service.

Are there any areas they could improve?

In their process, they do one thing that particularly bothered me. The night before a meeting, they will send out a PDF document with all of the names they came up with, but the document is password protected. They didn’t want us to look at the names before they were presented to us, which I thought was weird. It was an intense process which ended successfully and in the end, I felt like my gripes were moot compared to the fact that we got a name that we really love.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Fitzgerald & Company is a full-service advertising agency which does primarily B2C advertising. I’m the SVP and group account director.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NameStormers?

One of our clients, Pergo, came to us for a new product introduction, which would be proprietary to Lowe’s only. We needed a name for that laminate floor product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We found NameStormers' process to be very engaging and wonderful. There’s a briefing process you go through, then they come back with the first round of names that’s very broad. The process is very collaborative because you can even add your own names. In our case, there was one area in the brief that we felt wasn’t quite addressed with the names presented. They worked on that and came back with more options. We went through those together, then went to a second and third round.

They’ll do as many rounds as you need to get people on board. Naming is not easy. There are tons of names out there, and in a lot of ways, it’s like asking someone to name your child. We talked directly to two of their account folks, but I don’t know how many people were involved in the name generation.

How did you come to work with NameStormers?

We had successfully worked with NameStormers three years ago on a similar project, so we just went back to them.

How much have you invested with NameStormers?

The naming project for Pergo was $15,000, and the current project is about the same. That doesn’t include the research we did with NameStormers after the naming. We spent another $15,000 with them to do some quantitative and qualitative research on the names. If you add all three, it would be close to $45,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project was about three years ago. That project is complete, but we’re now working with NameStormers on a category naming effort.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

The product will launch in stores this fall, so we don’t have any metrics yet. On the qualitative side, NameStormers was very professional and on time. They always came to the table with a good selection and range of names.

How did NameStormers perform from a project management standpoint?

NameStormers was on time and on budget. The scope was what we expected. They did a good job of calling us when they had questions or concerns. Their project management was fabulous.

What did you find most impressive about NameStormers?

We’ve used another naming resource before, who is much more of a single individual who’s known for his naming expertise. He did a great job, but with NameStormers, you get a bigger breadth of names, and their process is more collaborative.

Are there any areas NameStormers could improve?

NameStormers did a good job with meeting the brief, as well as executing on what they promised. There were no surprises on the billing side. All of those things worked well.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a partner in a consumer insights consultant company. There are two of us and we’re both principals. We do client side consumer insights on a consulting or contract basis.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NameStormers?

I typically engage them when we are working on new products and we need a name that’s engaging and will attract attention, but will also communicate clearly what the product mission is.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We brief them on the product and NameStormers has a brief document they provide for us to fill out that gives them all the context about the project they need to be effective. They lay out a timeline of when we’ll be seeing the first round of names. NameStormers will then walk through the first round of names with the client and me and they get our feedback. Then they do a second round and follow the same process until we’re satisfied. They have one flat rate no matter how many rounds a client requests. Usually, it’s two rounds but I’ve had clients that go into the fourth and fifth round. They offer another phase which is quantitative assessment of the names but most clients have their own process so I haven’t used them as much for that. For that process, they will quant test a list of six to eight of the top names and provide a recommendation from a quantitative perspective on which name to go with.

How did you come to work with NameStormers?

I was given their name by one of my clients who had worked with them before and we did a project with them. Then I was asked by that same client to research naming companies and I looked at three or four naming companies to see how they approached the process and how much it cost. In that evaluation, NameStormers came up as the clear recommendation because they had a really good balance of cost, timing, and output. What you got for the money and the amount of time was a really good value compared to the other organizations.

How much have you invested with NameStormers?

We have spent between $15,000 to $20,000 per project with NameStormers.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them somewhere between 2008 and 2010. Most recently we worked with them in September 2016. I’ve worked with them eight to ten times over the years.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

I haven’t been involved with the client afterwards to know any metrics. I think the clients are generally pleased with the names that are generated but there are times they don’t go with the name or don’t even launch the product.

How did NameStormers perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is their strength which is why I like working with them. They have a smooth process for me and my clients. We use email to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about NameStormers?

What they do best is the process and the value equation. They’re priced reasonably and the timing is good. They can fit into really tight timelines. They manage the process so it’s pretty seamless for the client.

Are there any areas NameStormers could improve?

They need to continue to get fresh ideas. Sometimes when I’ve gone back to them, you can see elements repeating themselves. I have clients all over the spectrum and sometimes I’ll see the same theme that’s applied to another category.