Naming

If you follow us on Instagram, then you know that within the last year we changed the name of our brand to better align with the purposes driving our work. At times, name changes or rebranding processes are done to try and spark new interest from consumers in brands that have plateaued in sales or are struggling to bring new customer interest into the funnel. Our situation was different than that and I’d love to tell you the story.

So I was hired in May of last year to help develop the name for a new drive-thru coffee brand that launched its first drive-thru location in Yakima, Washington earlier this year. My process for this is thoughtful, very involved, and is fully intended to generate multiple name options for the client. In addition, these options I present not only embody what’s true of the brand and why they exist, but they must pass a strict series of qualifying criteria - in order to help prove that the name options I present have proven value. I learned of these criteria from Marty Neumeier - a legend in the branding industry, and author of a brilliant book titled The Brand Gap. His criteria are as follows:

Distinctiveness | Does it stand out from the crowd, especially from other brand names within direct or indirect competitive arenas?

Brevity | Is it short enough to be easily recalled or remembered after someone heard it?

Appropriateness | Does the name fit for the industry you operate in? Is it relevant to the purposes of your work?

Easy Spelling and Pronunciation | Will people be able to spell the name after hearing it spoken? Will they be able to pronounce it after they see it?

Likability | How does the name roll off the tongue? Will people find it enjoyable or intellectually stimulating to say?

Extendability | Does this name play well in a creative space? Great names provide endless opportunities for brandplay.

Protectability | Can it be trademarked? Are the best URLs available? Are the best social handles available?

Once I found myself on the other side of this project - which went very well for the ownership group that hired me - I started to think deeply and critically about the process I went through for naming my own brand. Can I be honest? When I chose a name for myself, I didn’t think through it this much. I landed on a philosophical idea, a name that kind of captured what I was doing - but not a name that could communicate with brevity the reason why I am doing this. Citizen + Co. communicates my company’s purpose with much greater clarity and intent. The word “Citizen” comes straight out of the nomenclature of the brand archetype that my company best embodies. To its core, the Citizen Archetype wants to contribute positively towards the greater good of society and the people within it. This archetype is also the inspiration for our slogan: “Building brands for the good of society.” We see enough creative work happening that exists to drive profit. We believe that if a brand were to refocus its effort on valuing people, progress, and purpose above all else - not only could they better change the lives of the people they interact with; they would also see increased profitability as the byproduct of a more compelling purpose.