Helpful words

New word, who dis?

What happens when we see words that are unfamiliar to us — in naming and beyond Ingredients, technologies, viral strains, street names, animal breeds. We see new words constantly—so much so that we don’t always notice when it’s happening. Our brains become accustomed to new words quickly after a bit of language processing, which of…

Brand architecture is a delusional fantasy

As I, a branding professional, understand it, Brand Architecture is the relationship between all of the branded elements within an organization. This could be subsidiaries, sub-brands, products, features, services—really anything branded within an organization. So if we take Nike as an example, they have owned subsidiaries like Hurley and Converse. They have sub-brands like Nike…

Look Before You Leap: 2¢ on Scoping Projects

  • About: Naming

This might sound really obvious, and it is: don’t say yes to something without understanding what you’re saying yes to. Obvious, right? Kindergarten level awareness. Don’t take candy from strangers, don’t run off in a crowded subway station, basic little kid rules. That being said, now that we’re no longer five years of age and…

running brand naming

Ingredients to run with

Taking a closer look at running shoe ingredient branding There is a vast world of running shoe ingredient brands. What started with Nike Air and Asics Gel has exploded into a supernova of running technologies™️. While these running companies are busy churning out new innovations, what are they actually communicating to their customers? Do runners…

One of These Things…is Not Like the Others

When building something new, most companies are likely familiar with their most relevant competition — their names and brand identities. Some companies have to face off with densely populated sectors where competitor names (and their inspirations) are nearly identical, and can create a significant level of brand confusion. These crowded spaces can be seen as…

Being creative on demand

For money. With a deadline. Time is ticking. Creativity is not an on-demand resource, even though working in the creative field makes it feel that way. People hire you for your creativity based on your track record or your client list or because they think you’re a “creative person.” Sometimes creativity flows effortlessly and other…

We’ve Got Your Number: Brand Names that Use Numbers

At A Hundred Monkeys we know that names are made up of interesting stuff. Sometimes there are rich stories, curious histories, or interesting etymologies baked in. Other times brands include unexpected “characters” like letters from ancient alphabets, mathematical symbols, or numbers. I was curious to explore the latter of these three types of names and…

A day in the life of “the everyday customer”

T̶h̶e̶ ̶m̶a̶n̶, the myth… As creative professionals working with clients big and small, we sometimes hear this phrase: “the name needs to appeal to the everyday customer”, or “…the everywoman”, etc. Usually this comes from market research and a need (particularly for large brands) to secure their spot on shelves around the country with a name that…

Don’t kill these names

Recently, when sharing names with clients, I’ve had a few folks say something along the lines of “That’s a nice name but it sounds like a soap company” or “If I were starting an [insert industry here] brand, this would be perfect.” To which my response is something along the lines of “Yes, that name…

Is your name carrying its weight?

Here’s how to tell if your name is doing all it can for you. Also, if you decide to change your name, we’ll discuss the best time to do it. One: Start with the business side of things. Are you clear on your core business offerings, how you’re different, and how you’re positioned against the…

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