Naming something—a company, a product, or even your pet hamster—isn’t exactly a scientific equation. It’s more like creative alchemy: tossing around wild ideas, fusing random words together, stripping out vowels, and repeating them out loud until something clicks. You might even crowdsource ideas from your mom or that friend who insists he’s “great at naming stuff” (spoiler: he probably isn’t). But then, there’s the magical “aha” moment.
So, how did I come up with the name Proof? I wish I could say it was born from a long night of meticulous, research-backed strategy. In reality, it involved a few too many drinks and a brainstorming session at a local bar, culminating in my own little “aha” moment.
On the verge of giving up, I started scribbling down everything around me: “Chair, bar, tap handle, old guy smoking a cigar.” Not exactly inspired. Then, whiskey in hand, I took a step back. What’s my vision? How do we help our clients? And then it hit me—whiskey! Specifically, the distillation process. That’s what we do for brands: break down raw elements and transform them into something refined and cohesive. ‘Proof’ was born out of that realization.
Distill. Develop. Deploy.
Distillation, as the all-knowing Wikipedia will happily tell you, is “a process of separating the components of substances from a liquid mixture by selective evaporation and condensation.” (Basically, turning something raw into something polished.) That’s exactly what we do with brands at Proof. We distill their core essence, develop their unique voice and strategy, and deploy a brand that resonates.
And guess what? This approach works. According to a study by Crowdspring, 77% of consumers make purchasing decisions based purely on the name of a brand. That means getting the name right isn’t just important—it’s essential. It’s the difference between your brand standing out or fading into the background.
Naming Isn’t Science, It’s Jazz
Here’s the deal: naming is messy. It’s not about perfection right out of the gate. Most of the stuff you’ll come up with will be junk. And that’s okay! When you’re naming a brand, product, or even a new office plant, don’t self-edit. Brainstorm like no one’s watching. In fact, a study by CXL Institute shows that 91% of high-performing creative teams rely heavily on free-form brainstorming before landing on their final ideas.
Just like jazz or improv, the magic comes from trying, tweaking, and pivoting. The process matters more than the first results. It’s an art, not a science—and sometimes your greatest idea is hiding at the bottom of a whiskey glass.
Naming Pro Tips
- Be okay with bad ideas: You’ll have a lot of them before the good ones emerge.
- Don’t self-edit too soon: Write everything down, even the weird stuff. The more ridiculous, the better.
- Draw inspiration from unexpected places: Look around, drink it in (literally or figuratively), and let your mind wander.
- Trust the process: Naming, much like brand-building, is about distillation. It’s about breaking things down to their core and building them back up into something that sticks.
So whether you’re sitting at a bar, pacing around your office, or staring at your cat, remember this: the perfect name for your next big idea is out there. You just need to distill it. And maybe pour yourself a whiskey while you’re at it.
branding,creative process,design,process
