When it comes to helping a business develop their brand, it’s okay to share the love.
I was recently approached by a new client who is building an international business council. Similar to a chamber of commerce, they offer business development, knowledge services, market access, etc., to members across the globe.
While we were working out the scope of the project I knew I had to speak to him about the name of the organization, which was fifteen words long. It was definitely going to affect the success of the brand and I couldn’t let it happen.
As Entrepreneur magazine says, naming a business is a lot like laying the cornerstone of a building. Once it’s in place, the entire foundation and structure is aligned to that original stone.
I understood what he was trying to do, which was to capture in words the exact global reach of the service, so I offered up a simple solution, which was to establish one word to describe that reach — a conceptual word that would help viewers understand that this was a global organization, but didn’t spell out every country to which the services spanned.
With the new word — Terra — I knew viewers would understand the worldwide aspect and if they were interested, they would read on! He and his partners reviewed the new naming idea, quickly approved it, and we moved on to developing their visual identity.
Now here’s the thing: because he didn’t specifically hire me to help him with naming his business, I didn’t charge him for it. It seems counter intuitive since business naming is actually a service that I offer; but for me this was simply lending a helping hand — I had a potential new client who needed support, perhaps didn’t know it, and I couldn’t let them go out into the world with an awkward and unappealing business name. I want to help my clients achieve success — it’s my number one goal.
Besides which, this is a client who walked away from our collaboration with a solid and effective brand, and very excited and happy about it. He will do well in his venture and he will be back. I’d wager money on it.
Give me a call if you’d like to chat about how we can work together to develop your brand identity. I can help make the process simple and effective.
Sumack Loft 