When your brand positioning requires a name that expresses two very different ideas in a single word, one proven strategy is to have the look, sound and personality convey idea “A” and the meaning of the name convey idea “Z”.
A real-world execution of this strategy is Trillium, a family of processors we named for Arm. The name needed to convey “high tech” AND “organic”. The name Trillium has a futuristic/sci-fi/high tech look, sound and personality. Trillium could be what powers the ships of Starfleet, the name of a fictional planet or an element on the periodic table.
Trillium covers “organic” with its meaning. It’s a type of flower, a three-petalled white lily. And now it’s a processor. It’s one of a few strategies you should explore in parallel
Landor Founder, Walter Landor, Details The Agency’s Naming Process:
Walter’s wise words are not just arcane, academic theory; Landor’s process produces results:
From Landor’s website, we’re not sure if this is writing or if it’s just typing: “We started from a strategic platform, using a prototypical process involving the client in building the creative idea with an iterative journey approach. Expressing the values of the new banking paradigm, we then gave shape to the clients’ desires by translating them into infinite opportunities.” [Full case study]
From Landor’s website: “The new name, Enactus, was initially inspired by the idea of compounding “Entrepreneurial Action,” but it was created to transcend those roots and encompass the strong emotion that the brand evokes. The name encapsulates the intricate balance between youthful energy and a sophisticated stature that defines the organization.” [Full Case Study Landor understandably removed this naming work from their site]
“Tan” suggests dominance:
From Landor’s website: “Our Hamburg and Asia Pacific offices collaborated on the name Magotan, alluding to the Latin word magnus and the kingly color magenta; tan suggests dominance…” [Full Case Study Landor understandably removed this naming work from their site]
From Landor’s website: “Landor developed the name Centravis, which directly communicates the central positioning of the brand as combining the best of all worlds. The suffix “vis” means force, or power in Latin, and underlines the ambitious and growth-oriented business strategy…” [Full Case Study Landor understandably removed this naming work from their site]
