Naming

April 10, 2026

One of the joys of this role is getting a glimpse into a whole slew of industries and wearing a different hat every week. One week we’re learning about the nuances of LLM context windows and the future of AGI, and the next week we’re channeling our inner tweens for potato chip inspiration. This kind

December 18, 2025

For the brave souls who have decided to launch a consumer packaged goods brand in the past few years, brand naming was likely as important as their proprietary blend of herbs and spices. In the increasingly diverse and thoughtfully branded consumer goods world, standouts no longer whisper. They leap off the shelf, label forward, with

December 17, 2025

In 1988 poet Billy Collins wrote Introduction to Poetry which was included in his collection of poems titled The Apple that Astonished Paris. It goes: I ask them to take a poemand hold it up to the lightlike a color slide or press an ear against its hive. I say drop a mouse into a

December 8, 2025

Let’s say you’re founding an AI company or launching an AI product. You’re going to change how people work, think, and create. And you know exactly what you want for your name: “short, memorable, punchy.” Ideally a real word. “Think Apple,” you say. “Think Stripe.” I get it. I really do. I’ve lived versions of

November 26, 2025

We often say the name is the one thing that shouldn’t change. At the same time, we expect most other brand elements to change over time—brands evolve, logos change, typography gets updated, art direction shifts—but generally, we presume that they stay the same for a while. And it’s usually just one logo, or a small

November 12, 2025

It’s an appealing idea, naming your company a letter. While there are over a million words in English, depending on what counts as a word*, there are only 26 letters. So if you can equate your company with one of these elemental building blocks, it stands to reason that you’ve just acquired a pretty big

September 23, 2025

Descriptive names have a reputation for being boring. It’s well earned. Many descriptive names are very boring indeed: Mailboxes Etc., Discount Tire, Lamps Plus, AirTran and The Water Store come to mind. All of these companies use their name to answer the question “What can I buy from you?” In the case of Mailboxes Etc.,

September 17, 2025

Naming in games can be blunt, poetic, or just plain weird, and Drew Scanlon has seen it all. From his time at Giant Bomb to producing shows for Twitch, he’s been at the intersection of gaming communities, the language of play, and digital cultural moments that become part of gaming and popular culture. We talked

September 3, 2025

My job is to come up with good brand names: to find interesting, appropriate words for things. It takes time, effort, and is often seen as “the fun part” of what I do, which it is. I love my job. Another, more time consuming, and arguably more important part of my job is helping clients

August 18, 2025

Passion projects are a hot topic around here. We often daydream about which companies or products we would be enthusiastic to name from minor league sports teams to hammocks. Even though we mostly concern ourselves with working with kind and communicative folk, we all individually hope that our one dream project comes in the door….

August 15, 2025

In this role, few things are quite as satisfying as seeing a newly-launched name in the physical world—whether that’s on product packaging, a billboard, or a business card. Suddenly the intangible has become tangible, part of an environment where it can be observed, manipulated, and, hopefully, remembered. After recently being asked to evaluate names based

July 23, 2025

You could say it went down not with a bang, but with a whimper. First, our studio’s go-to grocery store sold out of our favorite flavor. Then it was all flavors. Then it was all stores. Was this a supply chain issue, or was this, somehow, the end? The meteoric rise of a local legend

June 30, 2025

The About page doesn’t get enough credit. In this creative industry of ours, most agencies, no matter the size, have a portion of their website devoted to communicating just who the hell they are and what they care about. But there’s a difference between what your About page says and what your About page does….

June 24, 2025

That’s the question raised by Pop Up Grocer, a curated retail experience in NYC described as “all the buzziest brands on Instagram under one roof” and “playland for packaging nerds.” It also asks, what if the inside of your pantry was edited by Dieline? Sandwiched between Manhattan’s Greenwich Village and SoHo neighborhoods, Pop Up Grocer

June 4, 2025

When people talk about the best brands, the same names always tend to show up: Nike, Coca-Cola, Apple, Disney, Patagonia, Ikea. So let’s take a moment and give these massive mega brands a round of applause. They mostly do a great job and deserve the credit. At some point, though, people get tunnel vision on

May 7, 2025

Living in the Bay Area, it’s hard to avoid AI ads. Driving on Interstate-80 through San Francisco is a gauntlet of 40+ billboards in less than a mile—nearly every single one is about AI. Ads on YouTube are the digital equivalent. Salesforce, IBM, SAP, Meta, Google, Apple (all links to their AI offerings)—every one is

May 5, 2025

Some people dream of starring on the silver screen, flying to space, or teaching dolphins to read. We grew up loving language and searching for the right words. With more than 75 years of combined experience naming companies and products, we’ve been lucky to name a supersonic jet, a watch company, Earth-friendly activewear, mindfully-crafted tequila,

April 28, 2025

Do you anticipate feeling anxious or hesitant over selecting a name for your company or product? Would you rather put that decision in the hands of seasoned professionals? Do you also like the price of $0? Well, you’re in luck. Submit your proposal here and once a year we’ll select a client to work with,

April 4, 2025

When brand backstories take a front seat There’s an unmistakable art to the Shark Tank pitch. It almost always begins with a founder’s personal anecdote that introduces a very relatable problem, and then goes on to explain how their product is finally solving it. In other cases, it’s fueled by more of a passion than

March 24, 2025

We all perform routine tasks on a daily basis: brushing our teeth, preparing morning beverages, gazing at screens, and, possibly, perfecting personal crafts. Most people are lucky to get good at a hobby or two. Naming things is not typically one of those two things. In the naming biz, we see people take a crack

March 19, 2025

There’s a simple formula to surf films: show people surfing. Rarely do these movies consist of an overt, or even covert, narrative or message communicated to the audience. Plus surfers don’t care much for propaganda. But on Saturday October 12, 2024 I attended the premier screening of Circles: An Ode To Shredding directed by Dana

February 12, 2025

Why a side project might be the best thing for your main project I’m no stranger to a side project. I’ve done plenty of them in my wheelhouse, like everything at No Picnic: Don’t Call It That, Run Studio Run, Go Name Yourself, Assorted Characters, and Extra Strength. I’ve also taken on side projects that are much further

February 6, 2025

“See the city, see the zoo, traffic light won’t let me through.” – Phish Where did you go recently? Maybe you went to the grocery store or maybe you flew to Salt Lake City. In any event, you had a destination in mind and how you got there was simply an exercise in wayfinding. A

February 5, 2025

William Faulkner won the Nobel Peace Prize for literature in 1949. Two years earlier in 1947 he spoke to students of the English Department at the University of Mississippi. During a question and answer session after the talk, he handed down some advice to the students on how to be better writers. Here’s an excerpt

January 7, 2025

Dollar stores live in the world of practical magic. A place where $5 feels like $50, and a name can be the thing that turns “eh, maybe” into “why not?” The best dollar store names don’t just tell you what you’re getting; they evoke an emotional response, spark curiosity, or cleverly allude to their mainstream

December 11, 2024

One of the best parts of this job is the newness of it all. Naming is one of the first milestones of a newborn idea. That means we get unique insight into some groundbreaking developments, from AI systems to krill-derived protein supplements. Most of the time we’re trying to help founders stand out in a

November 14, 2024

Ellsworth Kelly or Kelly Moore? There are a lot of models for how creative professionals interact with their clients. I want to introduce one that we’ve been using at A Hundred Monkeys recently. We have found it useful when trying to understand the relationships we want to have, and the relationships that clients are looking for….

August 5, 2024

We’re lucky to have some talented friends and partners in the branding world—design studios, strategists, consultants, freelance designers—who think of us when their clients have naming needs. Typically, this means working together to figure out how to seamlessly incorporate naming into the rest of their branding work. This is our jam. Working with a longtime

July 25, 2024

I’m an average gamer. I’m generally detached from gaming culture — community jargon, development lingo, the latest industry news, genre names. Nonetheless, I’m interested in making the most of my limited leisure time and the games that I purchase. Happily, there is ever-increasing nuance to gaming, with subgenres cropping up within subgenres seemingly every week….

July 15, 2024

I sold records before I sold names. In my 20s, I worked at record stores dotted around the country: Amoeba in Hollywood, Cheapo in Austin, Everyday Music in Seattle. The job mostly consisted of being brooding and standoffish with an occasional request for actual customer service. A lot of the time that interaction would be

June 11, 2024

Understanding the flow of brand equity within an ecosystem We have a saying at A Hundred Monkeys that “brand equity flows upstream.” It’s something we remind ourselves whenever we work on naming ecosystem projects. Essentially it means that any sub-brand or branded element (feature, service, tool, etc.) that doesn’t get a name sends the brand

January 30, 2024

As the saying goes, there are two types of people in the world: those who think lifestyle is a four-letter word and those who don’t. I find myself squarely in the second camp but have never really asked myself why? Perhaps it’s because when I first heard the term lifestyle in the early 2000s, brands

October 24, 2023

And how to tell if you have the right answers Most branding projects start with questions. Sure, it’s called Discovery or Intake or On-boarding, but it’s just asking questions. Some of these questions are about understanding how a company operates and what their offerings are. Then there are a bunch of questions about the brand — values,

October 17, 2023

The nature of naming work is subjective. Names are liked or disliked for all kinds of reasons, some gut feel, some logical, some not so much. As such, we’ve engineered parts of our process to remove some subjectivity, because when we’re being more objective we can agree on success or failure. One request has come

August 8, 2023

As the hottest summer ever recorded comes to an end, it’s logical to focus our attention more intently on the climate crisis. For many people in wealthier nations that means redressing everything from recreational habits (air travel and gas consumption) to purchasing decisions on appliances, consumer goods, and vehicles. In response to the growing global

July 24, 2023

Dan Harris would like a minute of your time. In fact, he would like any amount of time you would be willing to dedicate to the age-old contemplative practice of mindfulness meditation. If you’re using his 10% Happier app, even better. The ABC news anchor turned meditation evangelist has been on a crusade to convince

June 26, 2023

Tools define eras. The cotton gin, nitrogen fertilizer, the internal combustion engine, the internet—all changed the lives of millions of people. New tools bring great capabilities and promise. They also introduce new risks and problems. Tools aren’t inherently good or bad–that comes down to who’s using them and how. Nuclear energy comes to mind. France

May 23, 2023

My current home base is Houston, which means New Orleans is a straight shot down I-10 and an easy long weekend. For anyone who loves language, etymologies, and wrestling with new words, a drive through Louisiana is a visual feast. It’s something like a history lesson and an international excursion combined, with more Arby’s. I’ve

April 3, 2023

Many people are drawn to foreign language brand names at one point or another. Whether it’s an exotic sports car, a fine wine, or a chic restaurant, the attractive phonetics, excitement of cultural exploration, or simply the mystery of the unknown can capture our imagination. Today, some light fare: we’ll dive into several courses of

March 16, 2023

In November of last year my sister-in-law Erica texted me: “I need to come up with themes to name the conference rooms in our new office campus. Such as “tv shows”, “sports teams”, “types of trees” etc etc. Do you have any ideas?? I need to come up with 20–25 different categories (we have a

March 14, 2023

At A Hundred Monkeys we talk a lot about how brands are like people. The name is the first impression, they have personalities, voices, and we grow to love them (or maybe the opposite) through experience over time. Interacting with a brand can be a lot like dating — or really, like any human interaction. Client relationships

March 9, 2023

Or, business is slow. What are you going to do about it? Here at A Hundred Monkeys, 2023 is off to a slow start. New leads, referrals, and new projects are all below average. The first thing we wanted to check when we realized this was “Is this an us thing or an everyone thing?” So we reached

December 16, 2022

A branding lesson from none other than the strip mall The strip mall, a self-contained retail oasis and 20th-century Main Street, is a staple of towns across America. A one-stop shop where you can get a haircut, pick up a prescription, get your smoothie fix, and have your taxes prepared all in one run. Multi-level?

November 15, 2022

Assorted Characters is a limited edition 3 volume zine of names and other found text collected by the team at A Hundred Monkeys. It is available exclusively through No Picnic Press. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been taking pictures of names and other language I find. This could be on a neighborhood

October 11, 2022

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

September 27, 2022

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

September 14, 2022

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

September 7, 2022

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

August 29, 2022

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

August 2, 2022

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

July 12, 2022

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

June 17, 2022

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

May 13, 2022

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

March 31, 2022

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

March 15, 2022

Brand collaborations have strong potential to enter our visual and mental landscapes as rich, contrasting ephemera. They might be a fleeting moment, a long running partnership, or something in between. Some are intriguing, niche, and maybe even elegant. Others are tepid, unironically brutish, or blatantly self-serving. Finally, some are truly and remarkably bizarre, leaving most consumers bewildered

March 10, 2022

Why star-studded naming projects usually burn out Celebrities, they’re just like us. They drink iced coffee, they pump gas. Sometimes they have an idea for something, and that something needs a name. It may come as a surprise that a celebrity would reach out to a naming studio like ours. Public figures often have their own

January 25, 2022

While most companies would want a brand that’s considered and well designed, there are some situations where having a nice brand feels out of place or even suspect. So what are the situations when it makes sense to have a bad brand that turns its back on design as we know it? When is it

December 20, 2021

At A Hundred Monkeys we believe that employing humor in company and product naming is a good way into people’s hearts and minds. A jocular name can stand out in a crowded competitive landscape and communicate an intriguing story with levity or a wink. With nearly 9,000 craft breweries in the US, it’s an industry

November 4, 2021

How creative decisions force us to rewire our brains It can be daunting to stare at a list of options when you only need one. For most of us, the natural approach is to find the answer. Thanks to years of multiple choice, standardized testing, and everyday problem-solving, we’re programmed to gradually eliminate incorrect answers from a

June 25, 2021

Amidst the quiet solitude, political upheaval, and cultural rancor of the recent past, I realized I needed to shop for new clothes. Most importantly, I required a functional yet comfortable pair of pants to get me through the atypical work days, evening chores, and masked weekends that made up the COVID-19 shelter-in-place experience. I wanted

June 21, 2021

It’s not all fun and games over here at A Hundred Monkeys. We, too, are governed by the laws of the United States. Specifically, trademark law happens to be very much a part of our business. We’ve gotten to know the intersection of trademark law and naming over the years. We’ve designed our process in

June 1, 2021

Naming architecture and systems are top of mind as I’m wrapping up a large, multifaceted naming architecture project and spinning up on another this spring. As I’ve been completing this work, I’ve discovered how little information is readily available on how to evaluate and approach naming architectures and systems. For clarity on how we think

June 1, 2021

There are many reasons for companies to seek help with naming. One issue that confounds a number of growing businesses who have yet to make a splash is how to name their brand, company, and products. Granted, at an early inflection point they may only have one product, which actually plays to their advantage. In

May 26, 2021

The creative field is a crowded one. There are behemoths that handle everything in house and specialists that focus on tiny nooks and crannies. On this spectrum, A Hundred Monkeys occupies one of the smaller nooks. We focus on naming and occasionally write in slightly longer format. Over the years, we’ve won and lost projects

May 5, 2021

It’s been a while since most of us have been to a theme park, a music festival, a zoo, or even a museum. If my memory serves me, these environments come with maps and directories, so you can plan your experience accordingly and tell your friends to meet you at the churro stand at noon….

March 19, 2021

Creative endeavors can sometimes produce an environment where a client is curious to see as many options as possible. In the case of our naming business we call this a third round. For reference, we typically develop company and product names across two rounds—a third is rare, but sometimes helpful. We’ve built our naming process around

March 16, 2021

How to think about branding in an age of skepticism Branding gets used and abused. Companies recognize the value branding can create in a way they didn’t five or ten years ago. This has led to it being misunderstood and misused by people looking for shortcuts and sure bets. In this post I’m going to

February 16, 2021

Creative feedback edition Being positive is a big ask these days. As human beings in 2021, we’ve entered an unspoken agreement to be refreshingly honest about the crappy state of things. It’s united us in our collective groans, sleepless nights, and bouts of laughing-so-we-don’t-cry. As part of this unspoken agreement, it feels like it’s no

December 9, 2020

This year, more than ever, we’ve needed small businesses as much as they’ve needed us. They’ve been there on our long neighborhood walks, or when we needed the perfect, thoughtful gift at a difficult time. I’ve spent more time on Etsy this year than I’d like to admit, but as a professional namer, it has

November 24, 2020

When we talk about naming systems and naming architecture with clients and potential clients there is a decent amount of consensus on what those activities entail, though we’ve heard enough variability to the point where we wanted to share our definition of each exercise. It’s not like there’s an ISO 9000 standard for what makes

November 10, 2020

I first became aware of premixed cocktails a few years back via a client project at A Hundred Monkeys. This modern beverage invention — a can, bottle, or ball containing an alcoholic mixture — takes a novel approach to drink-making by putting alcohol in a vessel along with traditional cocktail ingredients and sealing it shut. Premixed cocktails, for the

October 21, 2020

We’ve seen a lot of change this year as brands, bands, and institutions have revised their language to be more inclusive. First and foremost: their names. Who knew it was so easy to not celebrate confederate generals? As namers here at A Hundred Monkeys, we’ve kept our eyes on these changes — taking note of the perceived solutions

October 8, 2020

Whenever we start a new naming project, we always share a set of universal naming objectives with clients. While we also develop objectives specific to each project, these universal naming objectives are the minimum criteria a name should meet in order to be in the mix for consideration. We have a slide dedicated to the

September 29, 2020

Don’t look into the light! Sometimes it feels like your day controls you instead of the other way around. With most people checking their email before they get dressed, it’s easy to get buried under a list of to-dos before you even have your pants on, let alone coffee in your bloodstream. This early onslaught

September 22, 2020

A few months back I needed to have the oil changed for my car — a nearby auto shop happened to be the best reviewed so I drove over. The mechanics were polite and gingerly set to work on the request. A few minutes later one of them beckoned me back over to the car….

September 1, 2020

Welcome to the last decade of the last millennium. The Web isn’t just for spiders anymore, everyone’s pumping up “Pump Up the Jam,” and something called The Fresh Prince of Bel Air is about to debut. Now fast forward to 2020 (welcome, and sorry). All things ’90 are turning thirty this year, myself included. In the interest

August 28, 2020

I’ve never met an acronym I liked. They are normally a hodge-podge of letters trying to say too much but end up saying too little. So let’s take a quick look at the world of acronyms and see if we can rearrange those letters into something more useful. Most acronyms are the result of good

August 21, 2020

About a year and a half ago I discovered disc golf. For those who don’t know, disc golf is played like golf but instead of hitting a ball, disc golfers throw shallow plastic discs about the diameter of a pie pan at targets called baskets. For most of 2020 I’ve been playing a lot. A lot a

August 11, 2020

Understanding the mirage of doing creative work for big brands When I was just starting out in branding I had a big dream of one day working for big clients on big projects with big budgets. I could point to a billboard and say “Success! We made that.” I wanted our work to have an impact and

August 3, 2020

From bridges and post offices to libraries and military bases, from public parks and streets to landmarks and schools there are many names that populate our world and form the nominative fabric of our communities. It is important to employ names that reflect the cultures, values, and positive stories of our communities. In recent months,

June 30, 2020

I can’t explain why, but whenever I see a tugboat I want to be on it. I want to know what it’s doing that day and be a part of the action. Maybe it’s because all they do is help other boats and I like that selflessness. Maybe it’s because tugboats are the perfect blend

June 23, 2020

And why do I suck at marketing? Hi, my name is Eli Altman. I’m a branding expert with 20 years of experience working with some of the world’s biggest brands like Samsung, Apple, Lego, and Google. I also happen to be shit at marketing — like, really bad at it. Promotion, particularly self promotion, makes

May 26, 2020

It’s been ?? weeks of sheltering in place, and we’ve all spent a little more time with ourselves than we ever wanted. Some of that time has been spent in the bathroom, starting at the mirror, wondering — has that freckle always been there? Is it possible to over-tweeze? Is glittery eyeshadow still a thing?

May 8, 2020

I interview my dad, A Hundred Monkeys founder Danny Altman, on the early days of the company and the evolution of naming. We try not to dwell on the the past too much around here but every once in a while it’s nice to take a look around and ask, “how did we get here?”

May 5, 2020

I interview my dad, A Hundred Monkeys founder Danny Altman, on the early days of the company and the evolution of naming. We try not to dwell on the the past too much around here but every once in a while it’s nice to take a look around and ask, “how did we get here?”

March 31, 2020

A Hundred Monkeys can get you a name in about a month. Sometimes shorter. Sometimes longer. Project length depends on the client’s calendar, not ours. Recently I’ve been on a few projects that have extended beyond our normal timeline and want to reflect—since I have a little extra time at home—on the pros and cons

March 17, 2020

A lot. The third edition of my book Don’t Call It That is scheduled to arrive at the end of April. By the time v3 arrives, the second edition will have been sold out for about a year. What’s so new and special about the third edition? Is there any reason to pick it up if you already have

March 12, 2020

Carl Formaker, Assistant Winemaker at Three Sticks Wines, was raised a stone’s throw from Sonoma County’s Russian River. Many winters heavy rains cause the river to crest over its banks and flood parts of the Russian River Valley, leaving behind silt and fertile topsoil. That cycle helps create perfect conditions for growing wine grapes and

February 18, 2020

Sometimes knowing your brand means knowing when to get creative help. It’s hard to talk about yourself. How much time is spent crafting dating profiles or resumes, or finding the best anecdote to tell on Jeopardy? We all want to make a good impression and usually end up overthinking every word. But how many of us

February 7, 2020

First installment of the A Hundred Monkey’s guide to virtual assistant naming AI is real. It’s happening. It also has a name, a voice, and a personality like Siri, Alexa, and Cortana. As professional namers we’ve named virtual assistants and have thought a lot about the ins and outs of naming a digital being. In

January 28, 2020

Every creative process has its limitations, you just need to find them. In Run Studio Run I talk a lot about process, and for good reason. Process is the best way to get support from your team, grow their responsibilities, and operate an efficient studio. While anyone who works with me will tell you that I’m a

January 22, 2020

I was raised in Sonoma County. In wine-growing terms, my family’s home was on the edge of the Bennett Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA). My father would drive me and my three brothers past Russian River Valley vineyards on the way to school everyday. I remember looking out the window at rows and rows of

December 3, 2019

Satisficing versus maximizing “So what about the .com?” is one of the more common questions we get asked when discussing a project. Often times, what’s baked inside that question is the desire to have theirname.com at the end of the naming process. Floating in the collective aether is this idea that when you’re starting something

November 29, 2019

Blank & Blank names are everywhere these days. I’m not talking about law firms like Latham & Watkins or names that play off of known phrases like Day & Age. I’m talking about names that take two words with no clear relationship, typically nouns, and arrange them on either side of an ampersand: Salt & Straw, Alice & Olivia,

November 19, 2019

Being a professional namer of companies and products affects how people interact with you at social gatherings and holiday parties. New acquaintances might question “how it all works” or ask if I “went to school for that,” and tend to be enthusiastic to know more—especially if they have a new project or side hustle in

October 1, 2019

At A Hundred Monkeys we do our fair share of renaming projects. This year, 42% of our naming projects have been finding new names for products or companies that already have publicized names. Not only is renaming somewhat common, it happens for different reasons. Some companies are legally forced to change their names while others

August 12, 2019

6 July 2020 Update: Go Name Yourself has arrived! You can pick up your deck here. When I wrote Don’t Call It That, the goal was to walk people through a naming process start-to-finish. It was an experiment. I had named hundreds of businesses and products but I had never written a guide for people to do

August 9, 2019

This spring I traveled to Mexico to take in the sights, sounds, and names of La Ciudad de los Palacios and the Oaxaca Coast. I found the names of shops, restaurants, bakeries, products, and even creative agencies were at times nuanced, mirthful, and clever — and other times mucho menos. « Romance de la lengua extranjera » Some of

July 3, 2019

How to look at your studio critically, as a business When I first became Creative Director at A Hundred Monkeys, I had no idea what I was doing. I felt confident in my creative abilities but I had zero experience managing people or a business. Motivated primarily by a fear of failure, I did everything

June 25, 2019

A case for brand names that wallow with us. As consumers, we’re inundated with positive messages for products meant to make our lives better. This tastes good. This makes you more appealing to others. This makes your kids happy. This makes you happy because it’s cheaper than the other thing. Alongside this positivity comes a

June 18, 2019

If I’m being honest, I’ve never really worked that hard. I never pulled an all-nighter at school. I’ve never stayed at work until midnight editing a presentation. I used to feel bad about this — if I really cared about my work why am I not giving everything to it? I kept hearing people talk

June 11, 2019

Thoughts on Client Enthusiasm I lead about 25 naming projects every year and I’ve noticed a common characteristic that is a solid indicator for how fruitful a specific creative relationship will be: passion. To put it simply, do you care about what you’re doing and do you get others excited about it? Further, for naming

June 4, 2019

We live in a noisy world, and it’s not just noisy for our ears, it’s noisy for our eyes and our minds too. Modern communication has allowed us near-unlimited access to all our loved ones and acquaintances. It’s also made for a vast sea of content and managing all of this noise can be taxing

May 15, 2019

What we’ve learned from building naming architectures At A Hundred Monkeys we have a singular focus for most of our naming projects. We’re naming one company or one product. A smaller subset of our work is focused on naming multiple products that make up a brand’s portfolio. We call this work naming architecture. My colleague

March 11, 2019

People at Google are Googlers. People at Twitter are Tweeps. People at Amazon are Amazonians. These names feel like they are coming from a place of camaraderie and pride. There’s an element of shared experience. After all, you’re spending 40 (who are we kidding 50+) hours a week with these people. That’s more time than

February 19, 2019

Our studio is in California where the state motto is Eureka. When it comes to selecting a name, we don’t believe in Eureka. Eureka is a cop out. Not once in my seven years of presenting names to clients has someone exclaimed “Eureka!” or something similar to “Eureka!” like “Yep, that’s the name. For sure….

January 29, 2019

This is my second post cataloging all of the names I’ve taken pictures of in my life as a professional namer. Every time I run into a name that grabs my attention, I take a picture. Excuse the occasional blur or reflection. I was likely making someone (probably Allie) wait while I doubled-back to grab

January 15, 2019

This past autumn, I decided to take a look at the startup landscape for our annual Burning Ears event—an exploration of the best and worst in company and product names with the A Hundred Monkeys team. This year we decided to focus our collective energy on specific industries, and I elected to look at startups. In

December 11, 2018

Good names do not fly out of the aether. Most are found, which requires careful looking. Books are one of the best places to look, so if you’re looking to find great names the more you read the more you’ll be successful at finding hidden gems. I’m always reading one or more works of both

December 4, 2018

The good, the bad, the incomprehensible Recently at A Hundred Monkeys we had the second annual Burning Ears. A celebration of the best and worst in naming. This year we were all tasked with exploring a particular category of names. I chose something close to my heart — the beautiful game. Finding the names of every

November 20, 2018

For the second year in a row, the team at A Hundred Monkeys put our heads together for the Burning Ears—our annual look at the best and worst in company and product names. Last year’s Burning Ears was a product of Creative Director, Eli Altman’s naming workbook “Don’t Call it That” and his call to

November 1, 2018

Companies and products that leapt off the screen. There’s one way to launch a brand that gives people unprecedented abilities to control public perception, make their brand feel real before it actually exists, fine tune their brand story, and have their audience’s undivided attention. It’s called fiction. Many brands have benefitted from having their name,

November 1, 2018

There are more musical festivals today than you can shake a drumstick at. Most of them have names that are a total bore compared to what’s happening on stage, but the names listed here make us want the festival merch even if we don’t have a ticket. . . . When it comes to live events,

October 2, 2018

At A Hundred Monkeys we’re no strangers to helping brands find their voice. One of the key components to this process is something we call “brand attributes.” Others call it “brand personality” or “brand adjectives.” I’ll write another piece soon about how there are hundreds of branding deliverables that accomplish the same three or four

September 4, 2018

A name ≠ a brand. Selecting a name is hard. It’s hard to get two, or four, or seven people to agree on any one thing, especially if that thing is a name. It’s hard because the name needs to work creatively and strategically — but it also needs to work legally. Seeking trademark protection

September 4, 2018

We all have personal associations with names, so which ones really matter? Words take us to weird places What comes to mind when you hear the word “heatwave”? You might think of slow radiating waves of energy rolling across an electric blue sky, those lasers that come out of the Flash’s eyes, a microwave, The

August 14, 2018

This is the first chapter of Run Studio Run, a book I wrote about how to manage and grow a small creative studio. I wrote it because I’m tired of creative people thinking that being creative and being good at business are mutually exclusive. The book is available from No Picnic Press here. Look. I’m going to

June 26, 2018

Philosopher Immanuel Kant has an important lesson to teach us about branding Immanuel Kant was a Prussian philosopher who lived from 1724 to 1804. Among his many assertions he argued that reason is the root of morality and that the human mind creates the human experience. In Idea for a General History with a Cosmopolitan Purpose (1784),

May 25, 2018

“Naming a company or a product isn’t like naming anything else,” writes Eli Altman in his book, Don’t Call it That. What he means is it’s not like naming a child, a pet, an avatar in a video game, a fantasy football league, an Instagram handle, or anything of the like. As a result, most

May 1, 2018

Over the years I’ve taken thousands of pictures of names. It doesn’t matter if I’m on vacation or at the drug store, I always keep an eye out. As someone who develops names professionally I guess I’m just curious to see what’s out there. While I’m interested in work that’s professionally done by people who

March 6, 2018

How many types of names are there? At A Hundred Monkeys we divide our naming taxonomy into 29 species. We tend to find a new species or two every year — depending on how much time we have for exploration. Ask a trademark attorney and they’ll simplify it to two types–evocative and descriptive. Typical. Lawyers. While there’s healthy debate

February 13, 2018

Seriously. Mispronunciation of your name isn’t the worst thing that could happen to your company, it’s not even close. Like most people, you’re probably thinking about your brand or product as some singular, perfect project – and that makes sense, you’ve been working on it for years. No matter the amount of effort you’ve put

January 31, 2018

Brands are just like humans. Because we, as humans, have not evolved mental structures for dealing with brands in any other way. Brands communicate to you constantly, the same way other animals communicate to you, chiefly other humans. So we use that same part of the brain and those same mental tools we use for

January 9, 2018

What you’re giving up by chasing a name that does it all No matter how hard you try, a name for your company or product or service can’t do everything. So if you’re looking for a name that’s short and legally available and descriptive and memorable, you’re using 90% of your energy to get 10%

December 27, 2017

Developing clear roles and responsibilities at creative studios Atits simplest, responsibilities are about knowing who does what. It’s important that everyone at your studio has clearly defined roles and responsibilities. If you asked people who work for you to write down everything they’re responsible for, do you think they could do it? Better yet, do

December 20, 2017

Eli’s latest book Run Studio Run has been featured in Grain Edit, the modern graphic design inspiration blog. https://www.grainedit.com/2017/12/19/run-studio-run/

December 11, 2017

Creative people are not business people, huh? Creative Director, Eli Altman says otherwise in his new book, Run Studio Run. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1246751326/run-studio-run-the-business-of-running-a-creative

November 16, 2017

If you arrived at this page you probably already know that we think about names a lot. We can’t help it. We’re passionate about naming. So it’s no wonder that when we come across “curious” or “odd” names in the wild we can’t help but take note. It was only a matter of time before

August 22, 2017

Creative Director, Eli Altman sheds some light on how to create a stand-out business name with The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/small-business-network/2017/aug/22/longer-is-better-and-dont-invent-words-picking-the-right-name-for-your-business

June 15, 2017

Fruit of the Loom can come up with cool names, they’re just afraid to use them. There’s a Fruit of the Loom ad that’s showing up on ESPN in which they’re promoting their new breathable underwear. Since these new underwear are “perfect,” they “need a name just as perfect.” Then, the witty and creative Fruit

May 2, 2017

“Why did I spend 7+ years, hire 3 brokers, and send over 200 emails to buy the 82nd most expensive domain in history,” asks Noah Kagan at the start of his recent podcast. Titled “What I Learned Spending $1.5 Million on sumo.com,” the podcast goes into the details of Kagan’s huge purchase. The marketing personality

April 19, 2017

Let’s say you picked up your friend’s tab at the bar last night because he was short on cash. Like a lot of Snake Peo Millennials, you both use Venmo, so you decide to send him a text asking him nicely to pay up. Then you hit send, but just before your message travels through the

February 9, 2017

Changing names is tricky. At the very least, a name change is going to leave you changing signage and ordering some new business cards; often it implies an entirely new direction for your company. We’ll be honest: name changes are a big part of our business. It’s relatively rare that someone gets it right the

December 20, 2016

Print matters. We’re excited to have our Naming Survival Guide featured on For Print Only, a celebration of physical media in an internet awash with gifs. Thanks to Kyle Tezak for working with us to make it happen.

October 4, 2016

“…and the name needs to be available as a .com.” We hear this one a lot. Otherwise intelligent people have dropped vowels, smashed words together, and butchered perfectly good words to register a website. After all, name.coms are the gold standard for your business’ web presence, right? Not really. In 2016, name.com URLs are small

September 20, 2016

For most people, the word “Patagonia” conjures up images of adventurers summiting a snowy peak (which may or may not be in southern Argentina.) North Face is a jacket or a sleeping bag, not the harsher side of a mountain. A big part of outdoor outfitters, and a key to their success, is their

August 23, 2016

Branding sports teams is tricky business. The team already has a brand, whether they like it or not. Player styles, rivalries, fanbases and team performance combine to create athletic brands before ads and stadium deals enter the picture. We’ll look at the major league teams from the Bay Area (we’re a Berkeley company, after all)

August 4, 2016

When you’ve been in the naming business for as long as Taylor Swift has been alive, you learn a few things. Over the years, we’ve tirelessly revised our naming process, honing in on what works and what doesn’t. If you can imagine a creative process, we’ve likely tried it. The results are names that

July 19, 2016

Hillary Clinton will be the 45th President of the United States. We’ll almost certainly address her as Madam President: the NIH and the USGS already plan to. (The ITA is a bit behind the times.) “Madam” is also the standard term of address for female Senators and Speakers, as well as many female heads

June 21, 2016

In Episode 1 of Ryan Learns Something, Ryan quits his job and gets $15,000 to start his journey of self-directed learning. He learns how to name things by seeking out a company naming expert: Eli Altman. Ryan learns the history of naming companies and the trends that affect brand names. He reads “Don’t Call It

March 11, 2016

Shortly after midnight on March 1 2016, Yosemite National Park was quiet. Tucked in the park’s backcountry, tent campers snored in their sleeping bags. Nocturnal animals emerged from the conifer forests to hunt. But the silence was broken as workers drove from landmark to landmark, tearing down old signs and riveting new ones in

January 12, 2016

The branding efforts of Mast Brothers Chocolate typify the American craft-culture renaissance. We’re told the chocolate bars, ground from premium beans of tropical origin in a small city loft, are the pride and obsession of siblings Rick and Michael Mast. In promotional photos, the brothers pose in front of burlap sacks in their factory, dressed

October 30, 2015

Deconstruct is a propaganda venture from A Hundred Monkeys in which we perform close readings of new names belonging to companies with large legal teams. “Freeform … free to take whatever shape feels right, free to push beyond the expected. Free to get from point A to point B in a line that’s nowhere near

October 8, 2015

In 1993, nine New York rappers dropped an album that would go on to… I don’t need to finish it, do I? You know who the Wu Tang Clan is, and if you don’t, you can read one of the many pop-cultural accounts of their rise to stardom, power, and a place in the hip

September 4, 2015

In June of 1896, a gold prospector named William Dickey was digging on the banks of Alaska’s Susitna River. Towering over the river valley was a giant peak, rising over 20,000 feet. While Dickey labored at the foot of the mountain, news arrived that William McKinley had won the Republican presidential nomination. Elated, the prospector

August 19, 2015

If you were to take a walk through a California orchard in 1920 or so, you might come across a tree bearing a large, egg-shaped fruit. The fruit is covered in tough, green skin. Plucked from the tree, it ripens, turning a duller green. You would know it as the alligator pear. The avocado, as

June 22, 2015

Deconstruct is a propaganda venture from A Hundred Monkeys in which we perform close readings of new names belonging to companies with large legal teams. Last week, Whole Foods announced the launch of a new chain of grocery stores. Described as “a smaller-store concept where value meets quality,” the new chain is intended as a

May 6, 2015

Introducing Deconstruct, a new propaganda venture from A Hundred Monkeys in which we perform close readings of names belonging to companies with large legal teams. With Edge, Microsoft rolled out a browser that boasts newer, leaner software, replacing the dated Internet Explorer. That’s a good thing, cause the IE name needed to go. Like fellow

April 22, 2015

To name is to swim through the deep order of words. It’s our business, and we keep sharp tools at hand to help us get the job done. Part of making sense of language is in classification. Take a form and examine it, then find all its recorded examples. We might take inspiration from a

April 10, 2015

Earlier this year, H&M quietly launched a metal-styled clothing line. The collection, featuring band shirts as well as a diligently patched bomber jacket and jeans combo, would be unremarkable save one thing–none of the bands on the patches are real. Perhaps Corporate didn’t want to pay to license real bands, or maybe designers just needed

March 3, 2015

Doubters beware: emoji are here to stay. Their Western invasion (or welcomed arrival, depending on your point of view) began in earnest in 2010, when Unicode, the computer industry text standard, released Unicode Standard 6.0. At Google and Apple’s behest, that character set included 722 new symbols that would come to redefine the way we

February 5, 2015

A name shouldn’t tell people what a business or product does. These names—descriptive names—are everywhere: Microsoft, General Electric, Carfax, Jacksonville Sports Store. The business version of occupational names like Smith, Carpenter, and Miller, they’re united by their flare for generic description. They do little to help the businesses and products they describe. “But that’s counterintuitive!”

January 26, 2015

Before you start that naming contest, take a deep breath. Choosing a name is a bit like choosing a spouse: you aren’t locked in forever, but it’s better for all concerned if you are. It’s a hell of a lot better to get it right the first time than it is to change midway. That’s

January 19, 2015

First impressions are pivotal. In one-tenth of a second, we decide how we feel about a person—we form a mental image to build on in the future. That image is unusually tough to change. It takes some doing to override millions of years of biological circuitry. We use that same circuitry when we think about

January 8, 2015

Cigna, Avnet, and Alcoa are all Fortune 500 companies. Each has what we call an “empty vessel” name—a moniker with little meaning for a given audience. Empty vessels are extraordinarily popular with large companies in most industries. Names are an opportunity to tell the world who you are. Why, then, would anyone choose an empty

November 21, 2014

Let’s translate a few common phrases: “You can trust me” means “Don’t trust me.” “This is going to be fun” means “This will definitely suck.” “We care” means “You are a number to us.” Say these, and you’re sending a message that’s the opposite of your intent. Sometimes, saying it outright isn’t enough. You have

September 15, 2014

It goes like this: Have you ever named food? Yes. Have you ever named frozen food? Sure. Have you ever named frozen peas? No… We’re really looking for someone with specific expertise here. A fictional version of a conversation that’s happened countless times: cookie shops, new-age health products, luxury cruise lines, whatever—people are looking for

August 25, 2014

Even without Katrina and Audrey, hurricanes with female names are twice as deadly as their masculine counterparts, according to a recent study. The theory: potential victims aren’t as threatened by feminine-sounding storms, don’t prepare as diligently, and suffer the consequences. If a clearer case for the power of the name exists, we’ve yet to hear

July 22, 2014

Airbnb’s new logo looks like a vagina. Or balls. Or just about any combination of sex organs. When the company announced an identity redesign, most people said, “Hey, genitalia!” A flurry of tweets, clickbait, and listicles ensued. In the first wave, pundits argued whether the logo did, in fact, resemble a vagina. Tweens squinted and

July 9, 2014

9am. Café. Glass case. A croissant, its buttery, flaky texture a siren call to your empty stomach. A twinge of nostalgia tugs at your heartstrings. Or is that indigestion? “I would like a…” How are you going to say croissant? You could go with a crisp, hard C. You could start from the back of

June 10, 2014

Eli Altman will be signing his book at Park Life in the Mission this Thursday. It all starts around 6:30pm. To people who show up early, Eli will be giving away extremely fluorescent poster with a bunch of names on it.

June 9, 2014

Does your name offend a substantial number of human beings? Is it an outdated, horrible slang term from the early 19th century? Is it possibly illegal? Does it, by its very nature, reduce that same group of people to a skin tone? If so, you might be in the market for a name change! Yes,

June 5, 2014

Houses with names may seem like a vacation home tradition. It brings to mind​ images of beach houses and country estates named Raspberry Hill or Waite and Sea. But across Oakland homes of the “alternative crowd,” young transients, hippies, punks, taggers, art and music folks, the heart and soul the Bay is known for, have

May 30, 2014

At A Hundred Monkeys, we’re always hoping for ridiculous naming projects. Need to name a stable of Mongolian racehorses? We do that. Don’t know what to call your urban marijuana farm? We can help. Each week, we’re giving away free names. We’re nice like that. If you’re lucky enough to be in the tactical Bowie

May 23, 2014

Over here at A Hundred Monkeys we’ve been seriously underwhelmed with the number of ridiculous naming projects we’ve been invited to work on. Sure, we get the occasional sex toy startup or menopause-soothing necklace, but these are still weighed down by the anchors of reality. So starting today, we’re going to present a weekly round

May 21, 2014

Join Eli at the 2014 Brand New Conference in Chicago. He’ll be speaking about the creative, practical and interpersonal realities of the naming process. The 2014 Brand New Conference will be held September 25-26. For tickets, speaker bios, and other information please visit: http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnewconference/ Harris Theater at Millennium Park 205 E Randolph Dr. Chicago, IL USA

March 4, 2014

Opening a restaurant is risky: a quarter fail in their first year, and nearly two-thirds are gone by the third. The desire to minimize risk causes many restaurateurs to pick names that appear safe. They aren’t. Consider this list of Bay Area bars and restaurants, ordered by opening date: 2005: Squat & Gobble, Fish &

February 4, 2014

Join Eli and he’ll give you the tools to create and evaluate brand names so you will never have to apologize for having a name that, like a bad tattoo, you will regret for the rest of your life. February 20, 2014 General Assembly San Francisco Sign up here

December 31, 2013

After 18 months of hard work, Don’t Call It That is finally here! Don’t Call It That is a naming workbook written by our Creative Director, Eli Altman, and published by ExtraCurricular Press. This isn’t a book about naming, it’s a step-by-step guide that walks you through the naming process– covering everything from creativity and

November 11, 2013

October 30, 2013

You can now find us in an old clock factory at: 2604 Ninth St. Berkeley, CA 94710

October 14, 2013

So you’ve decided to work with a brand consultant. That’s the first step. Of course, now that you know you are doing it, you have to hire a brand consultant, and there are a lot of people out there offering their services. Since the reason you decided to hire a brand consultant in the first

October 14, 2013

The task of building a successful brand can sound daunting, but if you approach it with a well-defined brand building strategy, it becomes much easier. Brand building is a complicated concept that begins with getting your brand noticed. But it can’t just stop there. Successful brand building means getting the people who notice you to

October 14, 2013

These days, a strong online presence is essential to establishing any kind of successful brand. Whether you’re starting a fresh new business venture or rebranding a company that for whatever reason needs an image makeover, brand building online is hard work and doesn’t happen overnight. There are many elements to brand building online, ranging from

October 14, 2013

There are as many different approaches to branding as there are individuals and businesses. At A Hundred Monkeys, however, we think our brand building process is something special that truly gets results. That’s because the most fundamental aspect of our brand building process is taking a human approach. No matter what your industry is, a

October 14, 2013

In today’s world, you can’t succeed without having an effective brand. With the Internet, everyone is connected to everyone else all the time. With so many other people competing for your audience’s attention, you have to stand out dramatically, because it’s all too easy to click the other way. You can hire a brand building

August 28, 2013

You can learn a lot about branding from the animal kingdom. In the animal world, survival is all about passing on your genetics. The key to being successful is to attract as many mates as possible. When you think about it, this is pretty similar to what you’re trying to accomplish when you’re building a

July 9, 2013

Cool company names don’t exist in a vacuum — they exist at the intersection where the brand name meets the world that it will live in. People have a tendency to want to judge names in isolation, when in reality the combination of the name and the situation is more powerful than either on its own….

June 27, 2013

So you’ve decided to start a business. Now comes the fun part: choosing the best corporate name that will become the next globally recognized label of success. Choosing the best corporate names can definitely be harder than it sounds. There are many ways you can go wrong, such as coming up with something hard

June 26, 2013

The best company names are the ones that stand out, strike a chord, and become immediately etched into people’s minds. The most important thing is to be original. There are enough generic company names out there — the last thing the world needs is another Smith Consulting, Los Angeles Imports or B&V Advertising. Don’t shy away

June 24, 2013

What makes a great company? An innovative idea? A proven track record of results? An unwavering commitment to stellar customer service? Maybe you’re thinking that company names aren’t that important. Granted, the name isn’t everything, but it’s probably a lot more important than you realize. At A Hundred Monkeys, we devote the lion’s share of

June 20, 2013

A name isn’t everything, especially if you have a worthwhile product or service to deliver. But you’d be wrong if you said that names are irrelevant. In the business world, a name can actually have a tremendous impact on the success—or failure—of a brand. If you’re trying to start up a business, maybe you’ve given

June 18, 2013

Creativity is the paint that gives our world its color. If there were no creativity, we would all wear the same clothes, eat the same foods, live in the same square houses and eat the same vanilla ice cream. Yes, creativity gives us a reason to get up in the morning, but you may have

June 14, 2013

Art direction is an integral part of the world — so art directors carry a lot of weight on their shoulders. An artistic concept must be original, compelling and aesthetically pleasing, and it must complement the brand as a whole. If things don’t go well, the responsibility lies in the hands of the art director. No

May 31, 2013

Due to unforeseen complications we have to cancel the General Assembly live cast. We’re really sorry it came to this. To make it up to you guys we’re going to do a (free) live cast of the presentation in the form of a Google+ hangout. We’ll post details shortly. Thanks.

May 29, 2013

For the past 6 months we have been working with an extraordinary group of doctors and software architects on a project to make data from medical devices speak a common language. Named Tidepool, the new non-profit is building an open source software platform initially slated to help the one million people in the U.S. with

May 24, 2013

A company’s name has a lot more to do with its success or failure than you might think. You only get one chance to make a first impression, and in most cases, your business’s first impression will be made when people hear its name. There’s no single method for figuring out the best name for

May 20, 2013

What branding ultimately comes down to is creating a cohesive identity and personality for your company that sets you apart from the competition. Your company name, logo, writing, and visual and vocal identity elements work together to establish your brand. Though the most successful brands make sure that all of these elements work together to

May 14, 2013

When you do brand strategy consulting, seeing bad branding hurts just a little bit more. You have more empathy for how people deal with the visual and verbal assault they are under all day and all night. The first line of defense people have is to put up a wall and hide. People put up

May 12, 2013

If there’s one question we love to answer at A Hundred Monkeys, it’s “what should I name my company?” Company naming is a creative challenge made all the more difficult by the fact that there are millions of other companies out there. The first few things you come up with are probably going to be

May 9, 2013

If you are old enough to remember rock music from the 1980’s, you can probably remember band names that seemed created just to be memorable. While having an unforgettable name is a good thing, shouldn’t your name say something about what you do and who you are? Think about bands like R.E.M., The B-52s, and

May 7, 2013

Successful Online And Social Media Marketing Business Names When you envision business names, you may see them clinging to a handsome marquee, or hovering above the entrance to a building on a well-lit sign. But as a business owner, you should also see them emblazoned across the homepage of a business website and neatly printed

May 2, 2013

Outside the confines of a company naming process, people aren’t used to seeing names all alone. In the real world, names are surrounded by subtle and not-so-subtle cues that channel our perception. Logos, imagery, packaging, environment – they all play a role in defining the context in which we understand names. Looking at a potential

April 17, 2013

Amazon has a knack for naming. The company is named after the longest river in the world – a fitting moniker for the biggest shop in the world. They have creative product names as well. Kindle is easily the best-named e-reader. A9 is a bit of a dud, but we’ll let that one slide. But by

April 15, 2013

There are a lot of company name generators out there. Pick a few prefixes and buzzwords and ta-da: 20 crappy name options. If you’ve ever used any of them you realize pretty quickly that you’ll probably have better luck finding a name by throwing darts at the phone book. Anyway, along comes a team of

April 11, 2013

It’s not a phone. It’s not an app. It’s something much more ambitious: software that integrates with your existing phone and brings your Facebook news streaming right to your home-screen. Instead of seeing your lock-screen as soon as you turn on your phone, or the rest of your apps when you unlock it, Facebook Home

April 9, 2013

Target is looking to expand its clothing footprint with a foray into aquatic mammal fashion. That’s not just the setup to a weird and tasteless fat joke — it’s what Target actually called the color of some of their plus-sized clothes. The company was put on the defensive last week after calling the color of

April 8, 2013

“Apple is famous for not engaging in the focus-grouping that defines most business product and marketing strategy. Which is partly why Apple’s products and advertising are so insanely great. They have the courage of their own convictions, instead of the opinions of everyone else’s whims.” — Dan Pallota, “Real Leaders Don’t Do Focus Groups” In

April 4, 2013

This is the first installment of Tip of the Hat, a new series where we give a tip of the hat to brands who are doing it right. The branding of Bulleit is delicious. Branding alcohol can be tricky. Sure, some people are willing to try whatever the barkeep is mixing, but on the whole

March 25, 2013

In a car, we’re a captive audience. This is probably because driving requires the use of our eyeballs, so we end up looking at a lot of bumper stickers. This is how we become acutely aware that the person in the red Subaru is really passionate about kale. Ultimately, I’m fine with someone trying to

March 21, 2013

Lululemon have themselves in a twist. The athletic apparel maker announced this week they are recalling a line of their yoga pants because the Luon material is too see-through. So to avert potential over-exposure, here are the 5 yoga poses that you should avoid at all costs while wearing Lululemon’s defective pants. (If you’re easily offended,

March 21, 2013

Failure to Communicate: The ten biggest branding mistakes startups make and how to avoid them. Taught by Eli Altman, Director of Strategy, A Hundred Monkeys Tuesday, July 24th from 6:30 – 8pm Class Description: Most startups are guilty of gross negligence when it comes to branding. This class is for anyone who wants their company

March 4, 2013

You want a name that grabs the consumer’s attention but doesn’t try to cram in too much information, says Eli Altman, Director of Strategy at A Hundred Monkeys, a San Francisco-based branding and naming firm. “A good way to think about a name is that it’s the start of a conversation. It’s not a full encapsulation

February 12, 2013

Last night Inkling Founder and CEO Matt MacInnis announced that Inkling Habitat (names by A Hundred Monkeys), a collaborative digital publishing tool, is open for business. Those currently use Inkling Habitat include McGraw-Hill, Pearson, Wolters Kluwer, Elsevier and Wiley. For 2013, HarperCollins, TIME, Inc, DK, Rick Steves, Lonely Planet, and the Wall Street Journal have committed to use Habitat for their publications. Release here

December 20, 2012

Losing weight is about the mental thing. Ask any 300lb ex NFL linebacker. Watch Retrofit (naming & strategy by 100M) CEO Jeff Hyman explain this to a very funny Chicago version of Jim Cramer. video here

November 28, 2012

Now that the first of this season’s feasts is behind us, let’s take a look back at the origins of the frenzy that follows. In 1939, FDR moved the official day of Thanksgiving from the last Thursday of the month to the fourth Thursday to boost holiday retail sales during the final years of the

November 19, 2012

SkyMall magazine is where bad ideas go to die … and then crawl back to feed on the brains of innocent air travelers. A criminal line-up of infomercials, the magazine takes mankind’s worst ideas and puts them in your seat-back compartment. In a pressure-sealed cabin. At 30,000 feet. At home you can change the channel

September 24, 2012

Every time you buy one brand over any of the others you’re making a choice, whether you’re conscious of it or not. Sometimes it’s an easy choice. Other times, it might feel like there’s something for everyone’s tastes but your own. Some go with what’s tried and true while others are always looking for what’s

September 11, 2012

The internet is like the ocean: vast, beautiful, and full of terrifying creatures that want to eat you alive. Mtn Dew learned this the hard way last month when it launched “Dub The Dew,” a campaign letting people vote for the name of its new apple-flavored soda. Expecting something short and sweet, the company was

August 21, 2012

The question of authenticity is a puzzling one when it comes to branding. Case in point, my favorite candy bar, Goldenberg’s Peanut Chews. It all goes back to David Goldenberg, a Romanian immigrant whose unheralded role in World War I is now coming to light. His Goldenberg’s Peanut Chews, developed at his plant in Philadelphia,

July 11, 2012

Oenophiles are people who know a lot about wine. They can recognize flavors like gooseberry, lychee, and dirt. They rely on their discerning palates to judge wines. But that’s not always the whole story. Sometimes they lead themselves to believe that a wine is extra delicious just because it has a foreign or unusual name….

July 3, 2012

Failure to Communicate: The ten biggest branding mistakes startups make and how to avoid them. Taught by Eli Altman, Director of Strategy, A Hundred Monkeys Tuesday, July 24th from 6:30 – 8pm Class Description: Most startups are guilty of gross negligence when it comes to branding. This class is for anyone who wants their company to have a cool,

June 25, 2012

It takes a great deal of effort to design and build a car. The Japanese get it done in about three years and the Americans in seven. So one way manufacturers reduce the amount of labor is by selling the same car twice, albeit slightly altered. This practice is called “badge engineering” and no,

June 11, 2012

If the labels on the goods at your shop of choice are any indication, overnight we have become a country teeming with artisans, handcrafting all kinds of wares just for you. Not because we’re trying to make a quick buck, but because we have a passion for honing our skills. Skeptical? Me too — because

June 8, 2012

Sara Lee is trading in her bag of flour for a bottle of barbecue sauce. The company — once known for its homely breads and microwaveable cheesecakes — announced today that it is changing its name to Hillshire Brands Co., part of a larger move toward its Hillshire Farms brand of hotdogs, sausages and packaged

June 6, 2012

Do you speak Thai? What about Swedish? If you answered yes to both, IKEA could really use your help. The ready-to-assemble furniture and meatball maker, famous as much for its snap-together chairs and bookshelves as it is for its unique naming strategy, has its hands full translating its bizarre product names into foreign languages without

May 30, 2012

The FDA’s mighty gavel has swung, and manufacturers of corn-based sweeteners are left with a bitter taste in their mouths. The health agency has officially denied a petition by the Corn Refiner’s Association that sought to change the name of high fructose corn syrup — that controversial sweet stuff used in everything from soda and

May 22, 2012

Somewhere along the way, Google isn’t sure exactly when, the Persian Gulf became the world’s most important body of water without a name. A Google spokesman says it dropped “Persian Gulf” because, you know, in the world of geography things are always changing. Iran is not taking kindly to this disappearing act, calling it a

May 22, 2012

There’s a scourge coursing through our nation’s beauty parlors. Like an infectious Jehri curl, the trend has spread its tackiness to the windows and neon signs of salons everywhere, trying to sell us cheap nail care with a cheeky attitude: Curl Up & Dye. Hairchitecture. Shear Hostility. Bangs For The Memories. Hand Job. Yes, the

May 19, 2012

As you learn how to start a business, the importance of naming your company well is quickly apparent. A company’s name is its first and most significant point of customer contact, communicating a brand’s personality and philosophy before potential customers know anything else about you. Investigating the way that brand names have developed in a

May 15, 2012

For many designers, the creativity required to start a fashion brand comes easily, but learning how to start a company from a business perspective takes more work. For creative people, branding is one of the most fun parts of learning how to start a company, since it takes full advantage of all those design skills….

May 13, 2012

Branding is an essential part of how to open a business, but it is also a concept that has been rapidly evolving with the growth of the internet. Twenty years ago, the power of branding was something that primarily benefited large corporations. Today, it’s just as important for smaller businesses. It’s essential for everyone who

May 9, 2012

Branding is a key step in the process of figuring out how to start a business. This is true no matter what type of business you’re creating. Law firms are one type of business where branding gets overlooked in the face of convention. Most law firms go with a standard name and image that includes

May 1, 2012

The good news about starting a business is that you’re not the first one to do it. Many companies have come before you and left behind a trail of mistakes to avoid, lessons to learn, and great business ideas that you can glean insight from. The ways that successful companies have approached branding can be

April 28, 2012

Businesses are like poems; the person who creates them often saves the naming process until the end. Like inspiring language, great business ideas come when they will, and most people decide to go with the creative flow before addressing the matter of what a company should be called. Even so, from a marketing perspective, the

March 29, 2012

As far as state names go, California is the black sheep of America. Rather than some stale, obligatory honor to a founding father, a lazy attempt to replicate somewhere in England or a halfhearted remembrance of a decimated Indian nation, “California” is a dream. It represents not what was found or what died here, but

March 21, 2012

Stuck in a naming rut? Perfect timing. We spend the majority of our waking hours naming things, so we thought it would be nice to reach out and help those of you in naming need. We can’t work with everyone who comes our way, but we wanted to open up a little time to help

March 20, 2012

Love at first sight can be a pretty thrilling experience. One moment you’re locking eyes while feeling for ripe fruit at the supermarket, and the next you’re cuddling together in the checkout line planning your honeymoon. Yet for all its romance and adventure, love at first sight is also a dangerous affair. After all, who is this person? What if they never actually liked fruit and

March 15, 2012

Jill and Burt Kohler were facing a scary legal battle at the end of 2011 for using the name Kohler Academy. They decided the best move forward would be to get some professional help in order to start 2012 on solid ground. We guided them through our naming process until we had a name that

February 8, 2012

Bad names are everywhere. From the corner store to the corner office, people find themselves giving terrible names to the things they love, and no one seems to be able to stop them from doing it. Well, um, stop it. We’re tired of seeing neat things with lame names. That’s why we’ve set up an

February 1, 2012

Steve Marcus is a Boston venture capitalist who went to the other side. He sits on the admissions committee for the Sloan School at MIT–and saw how crazy the admissions process was from the inside. You know how you fill out all the applications on a computer? Well, it all winds up in paper files

January 3, 2012

Any person who discovers a new species has the right to choose its scientific name, and to party as best as scientists can. After the celebrations, it’s time to find a name for that new fern you found. I’m sorry to say that My Little Ferny isn’t going to pass the test. Rules stipulate that you

December 19, 2011

Matchbox is being put to the test at MIT. The iPad-based admissions software is managing the 5000 applications received every year by MIT’s Sloan School of Management. Founder Stephen Marcus spent several years on the Sloan admissions committee. Rod Garcia, the Director of Admissions at MIT Sloan, asked Steve to build an application that would

December 9, 2011

WHEREWITHAL is changing the way people invest with a strategy based on meeting real goals, not hitting some magic number. Because as much fun as gambling is, when it comes to the future some of us want a little more than luck. Wherewithal is all about offering a real alternative to the myths of mainstream

November 15, 2011

Losing weight is not a game. 100M names a company that cuts off the escape routes and promises to help you return your stats to the manufacturer’s spec. The name: RETROFIT. Check it out here. Press release here.

November 7, 2011

Everyone wants the perfect name. They want it to be edgy, imaginative, and inimitable, but only so long as it’s also easy to spell, easy to say, and impossible to forget. The only trouble being, easy and evocative are natural enemies. And nothing is so sure to slip between the ears undetected as the word that requires no effort

November 2, 2011

Attorneys representing a woman who lives in a local man’s iPhone 4S have filed a lawsuit against him, claiming he keeps her trapped in his smart phone, expects her to instantly know how to get to places she’s never heard of and frequently asks her bizarre questions. Worst of all, she says she doesn’t get

September 13, 2011

The San Francisco Giants need help. Falling fast in the National League West and trailing in the Wild Card race, the 2010 World Series Champions could use a serious boost if they want to make the playoffs this year. That’s why it’s time to call upon Mother Nature. For too long now fans have been

August 18, 2011

A visitor to Lower Manhattan today has to admit: New York City looks a whole lot different than it did on September 12, 2001. Emerging from what used to be the rubble of America’s most disastrous terrorist attack are the blossoms of a new World Trade Center, a complex comprised of six gleaming new towers,

July 29, 2011

Of all the myriad concerns piled upon the brain of an expecting parent — Does the hospital accept pennies? Which end does the diaper go on? Can you get rabies from a used stroller? — perhaps none are as frustrating and potentially disastrous as giving the kid a name. Fortunately, babies aren’t allowed to name

July 14, 2011

For Bob Hope, golf was always a funny game. The comedian himself once said that he could easily give it up … if only he didn’t have so many sweaters. Now, eight years after his death, Hope’s eponymous tournament is at last changing its wardrobe — the Bob Hope Golf Classic will now be known

July 11, 2011

In some Native American communities, a name is something that is developed, not given. Children come into life with their own innate set of skills and talents, and live without a name until the community has had a chance to see those proficiencies unfold. The individual’s name is chosen to reflect who that person is

June 13, 2011

When I was a kid, we used to eat at this great Italian place where our favorite dish was the Four-cheese Pizza. The menu didn’t say which cheeses, and no one asked, we just trusted the good folks of Casa de Pasta to pick the four good ones. Times have changed, and to be sure,

June 6, 2011

I like me some metal. The trouble is, metal isn’t just metal anymore. And the more I look for new bands through which to nostalgically revisit my adolescent angst, the more I am reminded that liking music is just way harder than it used to be. There are too many names jockeying for my attention….

May 31, 2011

The Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks may be the ones battling it out for the Stanley Cup this week, but Winnipeg is stealing the spotlight. The city’s legions of hoser hockey fans are celebrating after the Atlanta Thrashers announced they will be headed for the Great White North. So what will they be called? From

May 25, 2011

Anthropologie is a great store. Nothing makes me want to spend 300 bucks on a tank top like seeing them nestled in the mouth of some giant papier-mâché narwhal suspended from the ceiling by human hair crochet. And usually I end up buying some getup that could really only be worn well while canoeing in

May 23, 2011

With only a hand grenade, a prayer, and a single round left in the chamber, lone Navy Seal Lt. Mickey Mouse is outnumbered and outgunned. Yet he is still Osama Bin Laden’s worst nightmare. Hey, it could happen. The Walt Disney Co. has applied for a trademark on Seal Team 6, the name of the

May 13, 2011

A few weeks ago we talked about all the “accidental” naming pitfalls of a military mission named Odyssey Dawn, mainly how it sounded like a commitment to a war the length of which makes most Americans cringe. But the Pentagon assured us, via spokesman for U.S. Africa Command Eric Elliot, that nicknames for military exercises or

May 11, 2011

Allergieth thuck. Itchy eyeth, runny nothe, non-thtop thneething — they’re your bodieth way of gibbing you the finger while cocooning itthelf from the world. Unfortunately, there is no cure for allergies. But if you want to at least keep those springtime sniffles at bay, you have two realistic options: move to Antarctica, or drug it

May 9, 2011

Manhattan Bagels has more than 65 locations nation wide- the one place they’re not welcome? Manhattan. And that’s because New Yorkers can smell their own. Manhattan Bagels is from Jersey, which, despite its proximity is about as far from Empire living as you can get. And you know what that means, their co-companies Noah’s and

April 19, 2011

If freedom isn’t free, then independence is downright unaffordable. A recently killed bill in Oregon tried to ban the use of “independent” in the names of political parties, arguing that the word confuses voters. Sounds like a sensible enough idea … unless your name is the Independent Party of Oregon. The IPO, Oregon’s third-largest party

April 15, 2011

In 2002, The World Wrestling Federation lost its biggest fight of all – to a baby panda. When the World Wildlife Fund successfully won suit for the rights to their long-held acronym, WWF, the wrestling dynasty was left with what could have been a great opportunity – change. But they flinched. And instead of using the opportunity

March 8, 2011

Elvis Presley is the new king of Hungary, and I’m not talking about his royal appetite for peanut butter-banana-bacon sandwiches. Elvis is set to be honored in the Central European country, which will make the rocker with the blue suede shoes an honorary citizen and rename one of 12 super-special locations after him. Residents of

March 1, 2011

People love to congratulate each other. Whether it’s for eating lots of hot dogs, writing a catchy song or being able to play make-believe for millions of dollars, awards are our way of saying you’ve done something better than anyone else. Like height, eye color or the preference of boxers over briefs, the desire to

February 16, 2011

From Eagles and The Monkees, to Fleet Foxes and Papa Roach, the world of music has always been teeming with bands who use animals as their aliases. Yet while your favorite band of beasts may kick ass on the pop charts, there’s a good chance it wouldn’t last a minute in the wild. With that

February 7, 2011

Captain America? More like Captain Planet. The comic book golden boy, the tireless defender of freedom and patriotism and cool fighting skills, can bring down the Third Reich with a twitch of his shield. Yet somehow he’s no match for an international marketing blitz. Apparently some of the Cap’s international audiences have forced him to

January 25, 2011

Bugs need names. Whether they’re in your bed, your bloodstream or your hard drive, giving a catchy tag to the creepy creatures that invade our lives can actually make them easier to fight. But one recently discovered creature, nicknamed NDM-1, is no ordinary bug. A hearty enzyme capable of bestowing upon bacteria marvelous drug-resistant powers,

January 10, 2011

After lots of long hours and late nights, our new web site is finally live! But you already knew that because you’re currently on it. We always knew you were a smart one. A special thanks to our friends at Use All 5 who helped us make this site a reality.

January 8, 2011

For any startup, a great idea is the message. A great brand is the bullhorn. For people to hear about a startup–and even more than that, to remember it when they need to–a startup’s message has to be loud and clear. That’s what we mean when we talk about identity: a loud, clear message that

January 2, 2011

For your business to be truly differentiated from the competition, you have to be doing something that no one else is doing. Even if you’re offering a product or service that is similar to what other people are doing, you need to make sure that your company is offering that product or service in a

January 2, 2011

Any business startup guide should include advice on naming. Your company’s name is the first thing that most people will see or hear about it, and it’s important to choose wisely and find a name that gets across the most important aspects of your brand. As any business startup guide will tell you, branding is

December 23, 2010

Hate: if you don’t mind the bad press, it’s a great way to get noticed. And for the Westboro Baptist Church, it’s a godsend. Notorious for sniffing out public tragedy and exploiting it in the name of a God so vindictive he makes the Old Testament look like a Disney movie, Westboro members feed on

November 15, 2010

November 15, 2010

November 10, 2010

From Enterprise Networking Planet: “As the move toward cloud-based IT infrastructure continues, so too does the need for network acceleration. To that end, WAN acceleration vendor Riverbed (NASDAQ:RVBD) is announcing new cloud-focused application and storage acceleration technologies to help expedite the adoption and usage of cloud technologies. Their newest product is called Whitewater.” http://www.enterprisenetworkingplanet.com/news/article.php/3912541/Riverbed+Whitewater+Expands+Cloud+Acceleration+and+Storage.htm

November 9, 2010

November 8, 2010

The British town of Staines has a problem with its name. But it’s not quite what you would expect. About 15 miles southwest of London, on the banks of the river Thames, lies a place that sounds like it manufactures soiled britches. But the funny thing about the people of Staines is that they’re actually

November 2, 2010

When you’ve got a great business idea and you’re trying to get it off the ground, there are a million things on your mind. You have to raise capital, find an office, build prototypes, start a website, and do a seemingly infinite number of other things. So it’s not a surprise that some things slip

October 27, 2010

by Jeffery Racheff London’s Vice Squad is starting to sound more like the Nice Squad. The special Scotland Yard division tasked with battling prostitution and various underworld activities in the Greater London area will now officially be called Serious Crime Directorate 9: Human Exploitation and Organized Crime Command, or SCD9 for short. And

October 18, 2010

Maui Wowie. Albino Rhino. Cat Piss. Alaskan Thunderf**k. No, these are not rock bands or energy drinks. They’re the colorfully bizarre names of marijuana strains. And with Proposition 19 on the ballot in the upcoming midterm election, Californians will have the chance to make their state the first place where it is legal to smoke

October 6, 2010

by Jeffery Racheff Imagine this scenario: It’s family dinner night, and you and the hubby and the kids decide to go out for a nice wholesome meal at the Hard Rock Cafe. But as you step through the shiny big doors, instead of classic guitar solos and famous leather jackets, you’re greeted by half-naked women, drug-dealers

September 27, 2010

by Jeffery Racheff Mexico is not who you think it is. For the last 185 years, our neighbor to the south has been posing under a pseudonym. Despite what Americans (and many Mexicans) have long taken for granted, the country’s formal name is not Mexico — it’s The United States of Mexico. Strange, right? Well,

September 19, 2010

From CBS: “The Corn Refiners Association petitioned the FDA this week for permission to re-label “high fructose corn syrup” as “corn sugar,” which got Mitch Butler and Josh Landis of “The Fast Draw” to thinking, what’s in a name?” You can see the whole video at CBS here.

September 14, 2010

by Jeffery Racheff Cheese-makers, prepare to curd your enthusiasm. The European Union is cracking down on producers who name their products after places of geographical significance — Camembert, Champagne, etcetera, in an effort to pasteurize fakers and keep the famous brands solely within the continent. Basically, if your Burgundy isn’t flying a French flag, the EU

August 31, 2010

by Jeff Racheff There are innumerable reasons why a movie might bomb in Hollywood today. Maybe the studio forgot to promote it. Maybe what started out as a family film scared away audiences after it received an NC-17 rating. Or maybe it just had a forgettable name. Take The Switch for example. Jennifer Aniston’s latest

August 17, 2010

Deep in the Siberian tundra, where sub-zero temperatures are the norm and Yaks outnumber computers, the new frontier of internet file-sharing is born. Torrent Reactor, one of the most popular file-sharing sites on the web, announced recently it has purchased the small Russian town of Gar in exchange for its name. The company reportedly paid

August 4, 2010

by Jeff Racheff It’s a good thing MAC designs make-up, because the cosmetics giant is sporting a nasty black eye. The cover-up creator was blasted for a new joint collection with Rodarte apparently inspired by Juarez, Mexico, the hellish murder capitol of the world — infamous for its drug-related slayings, sex trafficking and unsolved cases

July 21, 2010

by Jeffery Racheff Rock ‘n’ roll takes no prisoners. Especially with those who have terrible names. This is typically a lesson learned the hard way. The perfect band name you came up with over the course of a week-long drug and booze binge might not fare so well in the long-run. So what does an artist

July 2, 2010

Rock ‘n’ roll takes no prisoners. Especially with those who have terrible names. Etiam semper vestibulum erat, in elementum eros facilisis sit amet. Fusce ac accumsan urna? Curabitur elementum ante vel nibh mattis vel blandit enim dignissim. Aliquam in ligula libero. Curabitur mattis commodo risus; ac sagittis enim vehicula sed. Aenean sed ante tortor? Aliquam

June 28, 2010

by Jeffery Racheff Get ready for a whole new shade of lipstick on your honey baked ham. The National Pork Board (yes, it really exists) announced this week that it will be dropping the iconic slogan “Pork. The Other White Meat” as part of a new effort to revamp the meat’s image. Known officially as

May 27, 2010

by Jeffery Racheff Cougar Town is on the prowl for a new name. After a dramatic 180-degree turn midway through its first season, producers of the hit ABC sitcom starring Courteney Cox are looking to change the show’s title because the old one doesn’t quite represent it anymore. The show follows a recent divorcee named

April 1, 2010

by Jeffery Racheff As far as most of the world is concerned, there is only one Vancouver. It’s in British Columbia, it hosted this year’s Winter Olympics, and it’s Canada’s third largest city. But hold on to your maps — another Vancouver exists. Just 300 miles to the south, making up the second half of

March 31, 2010

You don’t have to be a high tech guru to understand the importance of building something right the first time. The same thing applies to finding a name for your company. If you’re running a startup, chances are you have a lot on your mind. You need to hire smart people. You need investors to

March 9, 2010

The only thing worse than a storm that wants to destroy humanity, is a storm that wants to destroy humanity that’s named after you. Call up any random Katrina in the phone book and you’ll know what I’m talking about. Before you can say “FEMA,” they’ll regale you with stories of how they run into

March 4, 2010

I love David and Goliath stories, and they’re even better when the little guy comes out on top. Trek Bicycles filed a trademark infringement suit against a tiny California winery in the U.S. District Court in Madison, Wisconsin. The suit alleged that Trek Wines willfully infringed Trek Bicycle’s trademark. They of course demanded that (little)

March 3, 2010

Where were you at the end of 2008, when Mexican food giant Grupo Bimbo sealed a $2.4 billion deal with Weston Foods, acquiring Weston’s entire lineup of American brands and making Grupo Bimbo the largest bakery in the U.S.? Operating in the U.S. as Bimbo U.S.A., these stealthy Mexican blondes now sell almost every carbohydrate

March 2, 2010

By Jeffery Racheff If there’s one place you don’t want to confuse names, it’s probably in the world of medicine and drugs. Take Maalox Total Relief for instance. Folks looking for deliverance from diarrhea flocked to the over-the-counter medicine, assuming it would alleviate their belly pains. Instead they found themselves much worse off. What they

February 23, 2010

I was elated to hear that tobacco now comes in candy form because I was a big fan of candy cigarettes when I was a kid. Wintergreen-flavored Ariva is already available in some drug and convenience stores, but you may not want to try it just yet. It turns out that along with the nicotine,

February 16, 2010

by Jeffery Racheff Video killed the radio star, and now MTV has killed the video. After an increasing amount of programming dedicated to all things reality, the cable giant has officially struck the tag “music television” from its logo. It will now make its mark with an expanded, transparent “M” (presumably one in which the

February 10, 2010

by Barry Silverstein The Super Bowl got us thinking about sports team names. Some professional sports team names really work – like the New Orleans Saints. After all, with the city’s connection to jazz and the immortal tune, “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the name is a great fit. The New England Patriots –

February 9, 2010

by Danny Altman I will give you a four hour window to consider Comcast’s new name for its triple play service. In the first hour, after you wash the dishes and clean out the cat litter, you can ponder why big companies waste their money doing superficial rebrands while their real problems lie untouched. In

February 9, 2010

by Jeffery Racheff Desperate times call for desperate measures. At least that may be the case in Buffalo, New York, where the city’s Department of Transportation is looking for a way to come up with the necessary funds required to fix a bridge. A state audit has concluded the Peace Bridge, which connects Buffalo with

February 6, 2010

It’s always exciting to get in on the ground floor of an exciting new business venture. The best startup businesses to work for are often distinguished by their exciting company cultures. Successful startups know that to achieve a passionate work force, they have to engender a positive and enriching environment around their company. These startup

February 2, 2010

by Danny Altman Like the U.S., Europe is dominated by a few brands of toilet paper–Lotus, Scottex, Cottonelle. And if Swedish giant SCA gets its way, Cushelle (you know it as Charmin) will soon be one of them. SCA is pouring 11 million euros into a rebranding campaign to make Cushelle the roll to beat….

February 2, 2010

by Jeffery Racheff There has never been another film like Avatar. Both technologically and cinematically, James Cameron’s epic about blue warrior cat-people from outer space has set a new standard for film-making — recently it surpassed Titanic (another Cameron flick) to become the highest-grossing film of all time, with a world-wide total of over $2

February 1, 2010

Local sports writer Bill Meagher stops by to talk about 100M. “Nobody would ever accuse A Hundred Monkeys of aping big companies or the way they do business.”

January 12, 2010

It’s a little ridiculous that prescription drugs can be advertised to the public. Why should your TV tell you what medications you need? Isn’t that your doctor’s job? It’s all part of something called DTC (Direct To Consumer) advertising which, at the current time, is permitted in just two countries: New Zealand and the United

January 7, 2010

by Barry Silverstein Another college football bowl game season comes to a close tonight. Each year, it seems, the controversy surrounding the BCS (Bowl Championship Series) heats up because of the selection process for the national championship. But there’s another controversy that’s becoming equally heated: Is commercialism polluting college football? Of this year’s 34 bowl

January 5, 2010

It’s easy when you’re working on actualizing your business ideas to start making infinitely long to-do lists of all the things that you need to get done—and fail to prioritize them right. Unfortunately, these to-do lists are pretty high stakes, so if you don’t attack the right things first, you might find yourself and your

January 4, 2010

by Barry Silverstein As a brand category leader, you should be inspirational, innovative, and ahead of the pack. That’s why it’s disappointing to see a leader like Gatorade being a follower. At one time, Gatorade was unique. In the 1960s, a football coach at the University of Florida asked some university physicians if they could

December 17, 2009

by Jeffery Racheff Neon headdresses. Gleaming tomahawk axes. Half-naked men covered in war paint – these are not the sights of a Native American war dance. No, they’re staples of American sporting events. Indian images, mascots and logos are ubiquitous at football and baseball games, and there are countless teams throughout the country that use

December 14, 2009

In many ways, a cruise is the ultimate vacation. You get to travel, relax in the sun, watch live shows, dance and drink, all within a few steps of your own room. It’s like Vegas on the high seas. And if cruise ships are like hotel-casinos with rudders, then the MS Oasis of the Seas

December 11, 2009

I’ve taken a year-long sabbatical from naming to pursue scholarly interests in Quito, Ecuador. Even though I’m here on non-naming related business, I can’t help myself from noticing the peculiar way in which things are named. I’d be remiss if I didn’t report on some initial findings. And so, I welcome you to the world

December 9, 2009

by Eli Altman I’ve been meaning to write about this for a while, but I’ve been tied up. Let’s get down to it. Why is the new Microsoft OS called Windows 7? If you look at the number of operating systems they’ve released, it should be Windows 12 or so. Maybe it’s named for the

December 3, 2009

They scurry in your walls and lurk between your sheets. They bite, sting, hiss and squeak, carving holes and grossing out guests. They’re pests. But more importantly, they’re intruders — and for that they deserve to be annihilated. So how do you go about ridding yourself of these vermin? Do you attack with your own

November 30, 2009

by Jeffery Racheff We all know how rock ‘n’ roll sounds, but have you ever wondered what it tastes like? If so, raise your glasses to Wines That Rock, a new company that wants to officially merge the two staples of reckless abandon – music and liquor – into one spectacular bottle. Your tongue will never

November 12, 2009

The first worry of most business start ups is getting the capital they need to turn a great idea into a marketable product or service. The problem, of course, is that money often comes with strings attached. Once you’ve found investors, you want to keep them, and a lot of investors have strong opinions about

November 11, 2009

Any time you’re entering into new territory as an entrepreneur, it’s important to find out what the people who have come before you have learned from their experiences. No matter how innovative your start up idea is, more seasoned entrepreneurs and investors know a lot of things that you don’t about running a business and

October 6, 2009

by Eli Altman Over the weekend I was interviewed by Jacki Lyden on NPR’s Weekend Edition about the Wisconsin Tourism Federation. Recently they got tired of WTF jokes and changed their name to the Tourist Federation of Wisconsin (TFW). I don’t see what the big deal is, but apparently the kind folks at the TFW

October 6, 2009

by Mars Riley Starbucks celebrated National Coffee Day (how did you celebrate it?) by having a taste test between its new instant coffee, Starbucks VIA Ready Brew, and one of their regular coffees. The goal was to prove that it was impossible to tell the difference between the two. Always eager to see a major

September 29, 2009

by Mars Riley Can a really bad name for a product actually be a great name for publicity? Ask the Aussies. Last July, Kraft Foods Australia launched an online contest to have Australians and New Zealanders name a new version of the popular Aussie bread-spread called Vegemite. The product, a mix of traditional Vegemite (a

September 21, 2009

by Jeffery Racheff International pop star Beyonce has found herself in a smelly situation. The “Halo” singer, who plans to introduce a “Fierce” themed fragrance line next year, is currently being sued by Abercrombie & Fitch for copyright infringement. The clothing retailer already owns a cologne by that name, and they’re claiming her new perfume

September 15, 2009

100M reacts to Inc. Magazine’s list of The Best and Worst Company names of all time. On AirTran: “OK, so they do transportation in the air — I get it. To just say exactly what you do, and say it in the most boring way possible, doesn’t really help anyone involved.”

September 10, 2009

Who Let the Dogs Out? was originally created for Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival season in 1998. A visiting hairdresser from London apparently recorded it from a float in a parade and brought it back to the U.K. with him where he played it for his producer friend. Soon it was covered by the Baha Men

September 8, 2009

by Jeffery Racheff Energy drinks have come a long way since the first drowsy adventurer mixed coffee beans and water. Nowadays the concoctions are brewed in endless varieties, and most are jam-packed with sugar, caffeine and exotic magical herbs like taurine and gingko biloba that make them sound like something you’d get from a witch

September 3, 2009

There are a number of services on the web that promise to name your company without any human involvement–you know how messy dealing with people can be. They are typically called automatic name generators and may spew out choices one-by-one or by the hundreds. So I decided to put a few of them through their

August 28, 2009

Lesson #1: Choose a name for your company that is memorable, especially if your competitors offer the exact same services you do. Using perfunctory names and Google AdWords to position your product will work for a while, but eventually a competitor will make an emotional connection with the public and you’ll be fighting an uphill

August 26, 2009

In 2001, Apple let the world know that they were cat people by releasing version 10.0 of their operating system and naming it Cheetah. In the eight years since Cheetah, we’ve seen Puma, Jaguar, Panther, Tiger and Leopard. Now, slated for release this Friday the 28th, is the newest member of the feline operating system

August 24, 2009

by Jeffery Racheff Lavonne Drummond of Smackover, Arkansas, is self-admittedly broke, unemployed and looking for a way to provide for her six-going-on-seven kids. She’s also not really trying to get a job. After all, she says, not many employers are looking to hire women who are eight months pregnant. So as she was thinking recently

August 19, 2009

by Eli Altman and Alex Zavlaris Our office is right down the street from a Whole Foods. Whenever we’re short on time for lunch, we always seem to find ourselves there. Having spent tons of time meandering through their aisles, we’ve seen all sorts of products. So we figured we would take a shot at

August 18, 2009

by Mars Riley I’ll admit it. When I saw the headline “Stella McCartney in nude fight with Ms. Bono,” I, after looking over my shoulder to make sure the coast was clear, clicked the link. Sadly, the article wasn’t quite what I was hoping for, but I read it anyway. It seems designer Stella McCartney,

August 17, 2009

by Jeffery Racheff Yankee Stadium. Madison Square Garden. Camden Yards. These names conjure more than just sports; they’re icons of popular American culture. Yet nowadays, the names of our favorite sporting arenas are rarely without corporate sponsorship. Since Anheuser Busch convinced the St. Louis Cardinals, and the commissioner of baseball, to change the name of their

August 13, 2009

Nicholson Baker, an ace observer of digital culture, has a wonderful “product review” of the Kindle in the August 3rd issue of The New Yorker. Jeff Bezos, whose company, Amazon, as you will remember, used to be all about the printed book, is leading the charge to replace it. Says Bezos, “We think reading is

August 10, 2009

by Jeffery Racheff If you were alive during the ’90s, there’s a pretty good chance you rode in a Ford Taurus. Haters called it a “Flying Jelly Bean” when it debuted in 1986 because of its bulbous, bug-eyed appearance, yet car buyers embraced it wholeheartedly. From 1992 to 1996, it was the best selling car

August 6, 2009

by Alex Zavlaris When it comes to naming a product, it’s probably smart not to pick a name that would be embarrassing for your customers to purchase. One would think that this is pretty obvious advice, but as it turns out, it apparently is not. While I was watching TV the other night I came

July 31, 2009

by Eli Altman Well, it’s Friday, so I figured I’d lighten things up a bit and talk about Hooters. You know, the restaurant where guys eat on vacation after attempting to sell their wives with a “…what? They have great chicken wings.” As far as I can tell, these are the guys who subscribe to

July 28, 2009

A friend of mine forwarded me a great article in New York Magazine about Lululemon. The article discusses the evolution of the Lulu brand, as well as a bunch of interesting company quirks and practices. To my surprise, there is also a cool bit on how the founder, Chip Wilson, came up with the name

July 8, 2009

So I was watching bad television last night and I saw a commercial for the Nissan Altima. It was a pretty standard car ad complete with professional drivers on closed circuits, screeching tires and paid actors pretending to be engineers. The commercial reaches a head when the narrator uses all of his gravitas to tell

June 22, 2009

We just came across some pictures of the Porsche Panamera interior. Can someone tell us when you would need to go from “sport” to “sport plus”? High speed getaway? Avalanche on a mountain road? Late to a PTA meeting?

June 9, 2009

Do it yourself You know your business better than anyone else and chances are you’re more prone to like a name that you came up with. But, sometimes it can be difficult to name something that you’re too close to. We all seem to be great at giving relationship advice to our friends, but somehow

June 1, 2009

By Alex Altman, Senior Health Correspondent Bubble gum ain’t what it used to be. When I was younger Bubblicious, Chiclets, and Bazooka Joe used to be top-shelf stuff. Sure, the flavor in a piece of Bazooka Joe only lasted ten minutes, but it was a good ten minutes brought to you by real sugar. Today

May 28, 2009

Some things should never be express. For example, haircuts, NASA launches and adoptions all seem to be things where rushing might be a bad idea. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Planned Parenthood belongs in this category too. The group started opening ‘express’ locations in 2003. They describe them as

May 26, 2009

f you’re looking for help naming a company or product, here are 10 simple things to look for in a naming company: 1. A pulse. Why do naming companies strap themselves into a straitjacket with terminally boring names like Namestormers and Nametrade and Namix? If they can’t name themselves, how can you expect them to

May 20, 2009

by Eli Altman Recently I went into 7-11 to try their new Slurpee flavor: Apocalyptic Ice. It was created as a promotion for Terminator Salvation which will hit theaters across the U.S. tomorrow. We were more interested to find out what the apocalypse tastes like–surprisingly, not half bad. Take a look: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixyTrJM9qIg]

May 9, 2009

by Susan Gertman and Eli Altman Today, our Tip of the Hat goes to Benefit Cosmetics–They broke the mold in the beauty business. Way before MAC and Sephora arrived on the scene, Jean and Jane Ford created a fresh alternative to the intimidating experience of buying beauty products in big department stores. Here are some

May 7, 2009

The NBA Playoffs are in full swing and I wanted to take a moment to discuss the player with the best name in the league. Jesus Shuttlesworth is fictional, so he’s out. It’s not Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Zaza Pachulia or Hedo Turkoglu—it’s the Atlanta Hawk’s own Speedy Claxton. How cool of a name is that? It

April 30, 2009

We said yesterday that the name of the pandemic was becoming a political football. Well today, the ball is still in motion. President Obama opened yesterday’s press conference by calling it the H1N1 flu virus. I know he promised us a science-based administration, and maybe H1N1 could slide by as a name for a star

April 24, 2009

by Eli Altman I’m not going to talk about how popular Twitter is. I’m not going to debate its merits or talk about how it’s ruining America’s youth. There are tons of places to talk about that (including on Twitter) and I think it has been discussed ad nauseam. Instead I want to talk about

April 21, 2009

by Eli Altman Yesterday, recession be damned, Porsche debuted the newest addition to its lineup at Auto Shanghai—the Panamera. It’s a four-door luxury sedan that starts at $89,000 and tops out around $132,000 with all-wheel drive and some turbo. U.S. sales are set to begin in October. While we like talking about cars, we love

April 8, 2009

Leonard Cohen is a powerful, dark, romantic figure in my life. Along with Bob Dylan and Tom Waits, he is a guide in the night. Funny that he spent five years in a monastery. While Cohen was being cook, driver and late-night sake drinking buddy to the roshi, his business manager was apparently being a

April 3, 2009

Peter Arnell, self-proclaimed “street rat from Brooklyn,” is having a hard time handling the damage control after his redesign of the Tropicana brand backfired bigtime. This in depth report from Newsweek looks at what might keep Arnell from getting past this little disaster.

April 1, 2009

What happens when a product name has zero connection to the brand? A camping trip leads to a curious discovery in the sleeping bag department.