Naming workshops.

When undertaking a brand naming exercise for a company or organisation, a product or a service a whole range of factors needs to be considered.

We always start any naming project with our own set of questions or challenges.

We confront creative naming conventions that challenge what the name should represent.

These include questions about who the competitors are and what are they called, what are core values you want to reflect and what market are you operating in, and who are you trying to engage.

Unless otherwise agreed, workshops for up to 8 people at a time are carried out at Toast HQ.

They have also been delivered on-site with clients by agreement. Workshops consist of 4 stages:

1. Research – Reviewing initial brief/ brand naming worksheet/ brand naming questionnaire/desk research into sector and competitors.
2. Investigation – Telephone interviews, <4hr brand naming workshop exercises including naming exploration, naming exercises and brand naming strategies.
3. Development – Analysis of research and branding workshop investigation, draft and 2 rounds of amends to working document.
4. Delivery – Creation of a working document that outlines the challenge, the development and the proposed solution or plan.

The process of running a naming workshop may appear daunting. Still, once these questions have been answered, we can start applying our name-brainstorming techniques and creative naming exercises to shortlist the best possible solutions.

Note that if this is a rebranding approach, the structure will be broadly the same, but considerations for existing markets and equity will also need to be considered.

The top 10 key questions in our Brand naming worksheet are:

1. Briefly describe your business concept to someone who does not know your company.
2. Describe the need being addressed by your business.
3. Describe your target market — gender, age, geography, and other demographic characteristics.
4. Identify 10 or more words that you would like to communicate to your consumer about your company.
5. If your company was a person, how would you describe its personality?
6. In 10 to 20 words, describe the features and attributes of your products or services.
7. Provide the names of your primary competitors.
8. How is your business different from your competitors? (Feel free to provide addresses to their websites.)
9. Are there business name ideas that you’ve already considered and dismissed? If so, why?
10. What names have you seen that you like or catch your eye?

These are just a few questions we ask as part of our brainstorming activities for naming products, services or companies.