AW Employee Spotlight: Where Do You Find Your Inspiration?
At Addison Whitney, our people are our most valuable resource. We are lucky to have such a talented group working throughout our offices, and in our AW Spotlight series we wanted to spotlight our employees, finding out more about who they are, and their thoughts on working at Addison Whitney.
In this edition of the AW Spotlight, we wanted to get the insights of four of our amazing team members from our visual branding and verbal branding teams, finding out what gets their creative juices flowing, and asked them their thoughts on the question: Where do you find inspiration when starting your creative process?
Check out their answers below!
Cathleen Foley, Director of Visual Branding
"Whenever beginning the creative process, I start with research. I like to learn as much as I can about the subject matter and let the research spark inspiration.
The findings can manifest in different ways – a shape, a color, or even a font choice. It also helps to associate meaning to every decision in the creative process."
Brittany Scott – Manager, Verbal Branding
"My inspiration begins with brainstorming – I love to browse online and then write down everything I can think of related to a particular topic.
I explore specialized resources and research unique words/phrases related to my ideas. (For example, if I’m thinking about a company or product working strategically towards a goal, I may think about chess, which is a very strategic game. I’ll then research chess moves and other chess-specific phrases that might symbolize strategy and success.)"
Dave Dixon – Senior Graphic Designer
"For me, there’s no one go-to source for creative inspiration. Sometimes it’s the obvious answers, like a well-constructed logo or particularly inventive package design; other times it’s something a bit different, like the latest soccer gear or the navigation design in a video game.
Whatever the project at hand, I’ll look for something in the creative brief that catches my attention, a phrase or concept that might be unique to the project. From there, I try to extrapolate on that idea and follow the various pathways that inevitably branch off from that starting point."
Rachel Loucks – Junior Verbal Branding Associate
"Broadly speaking, I get inspiration from all kinds of places. When naming, I regularly borrow concepts from astronomy, mythology, architecture, chemistry & biology, music, famous figures, and the plant and animal kingdoms, as well as words from other languages.
More narrowly, I use a couple of resources regularly during my creative process. One of my preferred tools is OneLook - acts as a thesaurus, dictionary, and subject index, and is especially helpful in finding new ways to speak to classic concepts."
Addison Whitney is a global branding firm with a passion for building strong brands.
To learn more about Addison Whitney, visit our website at AddisonWhitney.com, or contact us here.
5 Verbal Branding and Naming Tips to Consider - Brannon Cashion's Clutch Interview Highlights
The research firm Clutch recently interviewed our own Brannon Cashion on the trends and best practices around naming a company. Brannon discussed several topics regarding what businesses should think about when working through the naming process and some trends he’s seen recently in naming.
With Addison Whitney’s long history of naming and branding experience, and his own extensive history in the industry, Brannon was able to offer a unique and informed perspective on the topic.
Building off of Brannon’s thoughts in the interview, we put together a list of five key points to consider when working through the verbal branding and naming process, complete with his thoughts from the interview:
1. Don’t just create a name, create a brand.
“The strength of a name is really the time it takes to go from a name to a brand... How quickly can it move from being a group of letters to really representing something, whether it’s a company or a product?”
This is the ultimate goal of a brand name – to become something beyond a descriptor for the company or product, and take on the full embodiment of what the brand represents. This is a crucial
indicator of name strength – not only determining how quickly it can move from “name” to “brand” but also how it holds up as a piece of the overall brand once it achieves that status. This happens over time, when the market audience gets to know the name alongside the product or company, and as they increasingly associate the name with the brand.
2. Take stock of where you are and where you want to go when naming.
“What should a business consider before beginning the naming process? It really depends on where they are and what the role of the name is. Are they going through a name change? Are they building a new company, product, or offering where there’s no name today? Those types of questions will fuel a lot of the direction and the things that they should consider.”
Many times, a name change is needed because the current name no longer fits who the company is or what their offerings include. If and when this occurs, the naming process the next time around should begin with a look at who the brand really is – what they currently embody and their aspirations for the future. Naming is not a one-size-fits-all exercise, and each process should be
tailored to fit the unique situation to which it is involved.
3. Consider your future brand even at the beginning of the naming process.
“A name that is more descriptive or aspirational around what you develop, one of your core attributes, or one of your competitive differentiators, those are names
that oftentimes can stand the test of time and be more long-term solutions, as opposed to a name that describes your first product, your first offering, or the competitive space that you’re in.”
Once you’ve taken a look at the connection between where your brand is today and where it wants to go, the verbal branding decision that comes next is deciding how much of a connection these two will have to the name. This impact is often overlooked, as it takes much more patience to watch the name grow along with the brand, instead of finding a name that fits right away, but has the potential to become outdated.
4. Think outside the box when determining your brand’s website address.
“A lot of times the URL is kind of their tagline of sorts. It’s not just about the product. We’ll register theirproducttagline.com, and that’s how they find this new product. I think the URL has become less of a requirement.”
People don’t just type exact URLs anymore when looking for a brand. With the rise of searches and the importance on SEO, the possibilities for brands when developing their online address have expanded greatly – there is more of an emphasis on including and matching key phrases in regards to your brand throughout your website, including the URL, opening the door to a number of new possibilities.
5. Take our word for it – hiring a naming company can help you throughout the process.
“In our view, hiring a naming company gives you an objective third-party who understands the pitfalls and the hurdles that you’re going to go through with this process. Hiring a naming organization can help with some of that process, with our strategies and tactics that have been proven over and over again.”
Naming is something that doesn’t often come naturally for companies. There exists the possibility that this lack of information or experience can trigger negatively-impacting steps or ideas, such as the involvement of emotion more heavily than is beneficial in the process. Naming companies such as Addison Whitney have the combination of years of experience on thousands or projects and tried-and-true processes which have been proven to produce successful results.
Addison Whitney is a global branding firm with a passion for building strong brands.
To learn more about Addison Whitney, visit our website at AddisonWhitney.com, or contact us here.
AW Capabilities Month Verbal Branding Week in Review
Welcome to Addison Whitney Capabilities Month!
Throughout the month of March, we will be designating one week where we will be highlighting one of Addison Whitney’s capabilities – visual branding, verbal branding, market research and brand strategy – via brand salsa and our social media channels.
This week, we focused on Verbal Branding, which encompasses the verbal aspects of your branding portfolio, such as name brand and tagline development. In this special edition of the AW Rewind, we will take a look back at the verbal branding-focused brand salsa posts from this week!
What is Verbal Branding?
At Addison Whitney, our philosophy when it comes to verbal branding is “Play on words? Don’t mind if we do!”
Branding is the construction of an identity, and a continual process, but at the foundation of every brand is its name. A strong brand name can convey a number of things like quality, reliability or clarity. But good names don’t happen overnight or by chance. It takes the perfect balance of creativity, purpose and strategic thinking to create strong brand names, which is something our verbal branding team has perfected over the years. Read more...
AW Capabilities Month Case Study Wednesday: Goodyear
As one of the leading global branding firms, Addison Whitney is behind some of the world’s strongest and most iconic brands. We’re proud of the work we do for all of our clients and love sharing our stories, especially our visual branding experience. That’s why this week’s “Case Study Wednesday”, where we highlight one of our amazing clients and the work we have done with them, will focus on our verbal branding work!
Our case study this week highlights Addison Whitney’s work with Goodyear. Addison Whitney has worked with Goodyear on a number of projects, including the brand development of three tire lines. Read More...
4 Traits of a Great Brand Name
What makes a “great” brand name? The impact it can have on an overall brand is inarguable. As is mentioned in the above quote from the Addison Whitney website, it can serve as the foundation of a brand, the cornerstone on which the rest of the brand is built.
At the same time, this power and importance in a name to a brand can have the opposite effect if the name doesn’t meet the high standards that every brand should set for themselves. This is why it is crucial for a brand’s success that they find the right brand name, which will probably possess one of these four traits... Read More...
Don’t forget, you can stay up-to-date with everything from Addison Whitney by joining the conversation with us on our social media channels – Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+.
Want to get exposed to real projects and attain real-life knowledge and skills vital for success in verbal branding? Click here for information about interning with the Addison Whitney verbal branding team!
4 Traits of a Great Brand Name
Welcome to Addison Whitney Capabilities Month! Throughout the month of March, we will be designating one week where we will be highlighting one of Addison Whitney’s capabilities – visual branding, verbal branding, market research and brand strategy - via brand salsa and our social media channels.
This week, we are focusing on Verbal Branding, which encompasses the verbal aspects of your branding portfolio, such as brand name development.
“Branding is the construction of an identity, and a continual process, but at the foundation of every brand is its name. A strong brand name can convey a number of things like quality, reliability or clarity.”
But what makes a “great” brand name? The impact it can have on an overall brand is inarguable. As is mentioned in the above quote from the Addison Whitney website, it can serve as the foundation of a brand, the cornerstone on which the rest of the brand is built.
At the same time, this power and importance in a name to a brand can have the opposite effect if the name doesn't meet the high standards that every brand should set for themselves. This is why it is crucial for a brand’s success that they find the right brand name, which will probably possess one of these four traits:
- Distinctively Distinguishing:
Typically, if a name is more unique in its industry it can be easier to protect from a legal standpoint. Additionally, uniqueness is also an attention grabber. It encourages the target audience to learn more presents a mystery to the consumer that leads to interest in learning about the product. For example, the name Oreo does not overtly call out “chocolate, crème filled cookie” but does have a unique and loveable appeal that makes you want to learn more.
- Personality Packed:
Names should reflect the correct tone and personality of the brand and brand message. As one of the foremost ways to communicate your brand’s personality and characteristics, a name should give your audience a look into who your brand is, and what it represents. The best brands are extensions of a brand’s personality.
- Memorability Memorable:
Names with high recall and memorization help the brand thrive. Brand recognition and awareness can help drive success, and with a memorable name, your brand can easily be brought back to a consumer’s memory when needed. This can be achieved through alliteration (much like this list!), rhyming schemes, and even invoking unique and disruptive names can aid in memorization.
- Striking Simplicity:
The less complicated the better. Don’t try to pack every single brand message into one name. Many names that are unsuccessful forget that there are a number of additional branding aspects that go into an entire brand portfolio, and while the name should be able to stand alone, it shouldn't try and carry the entire weight of the brand. Pick the relevant and key aspects that start the story telling process - the name will always be supported by other marketing collateral when presented in the future.
Addison Whitney is a global branding firm with a passion for building strong brands.
To learn more about Addison Whitney, visit our website at AddisonWhitney.com, or contact us here.
Want to get exposed to real projects and attain real-life knowledge and skills vital for success in verbal branding? Click here for information about interning with the Addison Whitney verbal branding team!
AW Capabilities Month Case Study Wednesday: Goodyear
Welcome to Addison Whitney Capabilities Month! Throughout the month of March, we will be designating one week where we will be highlighting one of Addison Whitney’s capabilities – visual branding, verbal branding, market research and brand strategy - via brand salsa and our social media channels.
This week, we are focusing on Verbal Branding, which encompasses the verbal aspects of your branding portfolio, such as brand name development, tagline creation, and much more!
As one of the leading global branding firms, Addison Whitney is behind some of the world’s strongest and most iconic brands. We’re proud of the work we do for all of our clients and love sharing our stories, especially our visual branding experience. That’s why this week's “Case Study Wednesday”, where we highlight one of our amazing clients and the work we have done with them, will focus on our verbal branding work!
Our case study this week highlights Addison Whitney's work with Goodyear:
Addison Whitney has worked with Goodyear on a number of projects, including the brand development of three tire lines.
Fierce
We were hired to develop and validate a brand name for Goodyear’s new performance tire line that would stand alone and not be directly associated with Goodyear in the eyes of the consumer.
We created the name Fierce, suggesting competitiveness, intensity and power. Name validation was a key component in the brand development process, ensuring that Fierce would be an appropriate name in a variety of language markets.
SilentArmor
Next, we developed a brand name for Goodyear’s new premium on-/off-road tire for its Wrangler truck and Fortera SUV lines.
The objective was to create a name that spoke to the product’s ability to deliver great traction and ruggedness while providing a smooth, quiet ride. To communicate the desired positioning we developed the name SilentArmor.
Assurance
For the third project, Goodyear wanted a brand name for its new family of passenger tires for mid-priced and luxury vehicles. The new name needed to fit with Goodyear’s leadership and innovation legacy while representing the company’s very best tire offering.
We created the name Assurance to communicate safety, reliability and protection. Research found that Assurance scored high marks for conveying the functional and emotional benefits that drivers look for in tires, and consumers equated the word assurance with dependability, confidence and trust.
Addison Whitney is a global branding firm with a passion for building strong brands.
To learn more about Addison Whitney, visit our website at AddisonWhitney.com, or contact us here.
Want to get exposed to real projects and attain real-life knowledge and skills vital for success in verbal branding? Click here for information about interning with the Addison Whitney verbal branding team!
AW Capabilities Month: What is Verbal Branding?
Welcome to Addison Whitney Capabilities Month! Throughout the month of March, we will be designating one week where we will be highlighting one of Addison Whitney’s capabilities – visual branding, verbal branding, market 
research and brand strategy - via brand salsa and our social media channels.
This week, we are focusing on Verbal Branding, which encompasses the verbal aspects of your branding portfolio.
But what is Verbal Branding? What does it mean to you? Make sure to join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #AWCapabilitiesMonth.
At Addison Whitney, our philosophy when it comes to verbal branding is "Play on words? Don’t mind if we do!"
Branding is the construction of an identity, and a continual process, but at the foundation of every brand is its name.
A strong brand name can convey a number of things like quality, reliability or clarity. But good names don’t happen overnight or by chance. It takes the perfect balance of creativity, purpose and strategic thinking to create strong brand names, which is something our verbal branding team has perfected over the years.
We partner with your team to merge innovative ideas with smart, strategic thinking to build enduring corporate identities, company taglines and product names. Our unique naming process guarantees that our creative solutions will enable you to achieve your business goals, differentiate you from your competitors and create connections with your target audiences.
Here’s what our verbal branding team can do for you:
- Global Brand Name Development
- Global Trademark Prescreening
- Tagline Creation
- Global Linguistic Evaluation
- Corporate Identity Development
Click here for a sampling of our verbal branding case study stories, and here for our comprehensive verbal client list.
Addison Whitney is a global branding firm with a passion for building strong brands.
To learn more about Addison Whitney, visit our website at AddisonWhitney.com, or contact us here.
Want to get exposed to real projects and attain real-life knowledge and skills vital for success in verbal branding? Click here for information about interning with the Addison Whitney verbal branding team!
Taking Your Brand Online
Taking Your Brand Online
By: Ashley Wiederhold
The Internet is really quite a fascinating space. You can find virtually any piece of information that you may need online—and this includes information about companies that you may be considering working with. Anyone, at any time, can do a quick Google search of a business name and gain access to the company’s website, social media feeds, blog, etc. Basically, any online asset that a company has can be uncovered by the right Google search.
If your business has great branding in place, this is fantastic! Each and every webpage that features your company supports its message (if these pages are branded correctly). But for those businesses that have overlooked branding? Or have 
overlooked how to best take their brands online? This can be challenging.
The key to creating a brand that will successfully translate to the World Wide Web lies in preparation. Below are some of the ways in which you can ensure that you build a brand message that can be easily applied online.
- Think about the name. On brand name development projects, any good branding firm will do a preliminary Google screening of your potential name candidates, thereby weeding out the names that may already be taken or associated with ideas, events, people, companies, etc. When considering names, do your own Google searches to make sure that nothing in the search results will hinder the effective communication of the brand you’re building.
- Remember that consistency is key. Online marketing is essential in today’s world, but it’s only effective if you use your brand to create a high degree of recognition. This means that members of your target audience will recognize your company based on the logo, the tagline, etc. To achieve this, it’s important to keep in mind the fact that your brand message will be spread across many platforms. From a blog to social media to the business’ website, your branding materials need to be consistent.
- During the creation of your brand you should identify your target audience, as well as its values, priorities, etc. Use this information to shape your company’s Internet-based marketing efforts. Keep the brand you are building, as well as your online marketing goals, in mind in order to create a message that resonates with the target demographic.
Source:
Netflix vs. Hulu vs. Amazon- A Streaming Showdown
Remember when you were limited to watching what was live on television? And the most you could record was on your VCR? Forget on-demand; you had to be home at a certain time if you wanted to catch a favorite show. Renting movies meant driving to your local Blockbuster or Hollywood Video, and even then, they didn’t always have what you were looking for.
Enter, Netflix: the first on the block to revolutionize the movie rental industry, followed years later by the likes of Hulu and Amazon Instant Video. These services have changed the game in both the movie and television industries, and watching their brands as they grow and evolve continues to be an interesting study in brand strategy.
Let’s take a closer look at each service, from its brand to the nitty-gritty details.
Netflix
Netflix was established in 1997 and started its subscription-based digital distribution service in 1999. By February 2007, Netflix announced its billionth DVD delivery and, as of April 2013, has 36.3 million subscribers worldwide, including 29.2 million U.S. subscribers. Subscriptions start at $7.99/month.
Netflix has built a strong brand history, with one infamous exception of Qwikster. In 2011, Netflix announced it was basically splitting in two: the new brand, Qwikster, would be the DVD-by-mail service, and the Netflix brand would be dedicated to streaming services only. Two brands, two bills, two websites = big headache. And the reaction from Netflix subscribers was acute. A few months later, they abandoned the Qwikster plan.
But, Netflix learned from its mistake and has spent the past two years growing its business for customers around the world, including the introduction of original programming.
Amazon Instant Video
This service started in 2006 as Amazon Unbox, became Amazon Video on Demand in 2008, and has since evolved into Amazon Instant Video with an estimated 10 million subscribers. What’s unique about this service is, it’s a perk of an Amazon Prime membership. For $79/year, customers get free two-day shipping on Amazon.com orders, access to Amazon Instant Video and a free Kindle book to borrow each month from a lending library.
There is an obvious amount of equity in the Amazon name, and it seems like Amazon’s strategy is to continue to build on its master brand.
Hulu Plus
Hulu was founded in 2007 as a subscription service offering TV shows, movies, webisodes and other new media from NBC, Fox, ABC, TBS and other networks and studios. As of April 2013, Hulu has an estimated 4 million users and subscriptions are $7.99/month.
The name and brand are very intentional, as Jason Kilar, Hulu’s CEO explains:
“In Mandarin, Hulu has two interesting meanings, each highly relevant to our mission. The primary meaning interested us because it is used in an ancient Chinese proverb that describes the Hulu as the holder of precious things. It literally translates to “gourd,” and in ancient times, the Hulu was hollowed out and used to hold precious things. The secondary meaning is “interactive recording.” We saw both definitions as appropriate bookends and highly relevant to the mission of Hulu.”
So, Who Wins?
There’s no short answer to this as each offers something a little different from the other.
Netflix wins for its massive library of movies and TV. But, it also wins for original content. House of Cards, featuring Kevin Spacey, and the return of Arrested Development have pushed Netflix ahead in this space.
Hulu wins from a TV perspective offering the most recent episodes of shows the fastest.
And Amazon wins for price and perks. It’s the least expensive of the three and who doesn’t love two-day shipping?
But who wins from a branding perspective? Netflix. Hands down. While we commend Hulu’s efforts, it’s got a long way to go, and Amazon Instant Video feels more like a perk of Prime than a stand-alone service.
That said, consumers ultimately win because all three offer a wide variety of viewing options and each service’s extensive device support satisfies our need for on-the-go options. Happy viewing!
Sources
“5 of the Best Streaming Media Services Compared,” Mashable.com, Christina Warren, http://goo.gl/FU4pp
“By The Numbers: Netflix subscribers,” Yahoo! News, AP, http://goo.gl/UV2EY
“Hulu Says Number of Paid Subscribers Has Doubled,” NewYorkTimes.com, Brian Stelter, http://goo.gl/YJJJF
“Amazon Has An Estimated 10 Million Members For Its Surprisingly Profitable Prime Club,” BusinessInsider.com, Owen Thomas, http://goo.gl/dXRNM
“What’s in a name?,” Hulu.com, Jason Kilar, http://goo.gl/g0phQ
Branding Pharmaceutical Drugs in China
Did you know according to the Chinese Association for Pharmaceutical Equipment group that the Chinese pharmaceutical industry has been growing at an average annual rate of 16.72% over the last few decades?
And that growth isn’t going to slow down anytime soon.
China stands at the cusp of a modern society with an increasingly affluent and growing population. And it’s this growing population that is demanding better services and quality of life – but how will this impact the pharmaceutical industry in China – particularly in regards to branded pharmaceutical drugs?
Not just in the pharmaceutical industry, but for all industries across the board, China has become the must win market. An aging population, increasingly affluent younger population, and the rise of diseases in China all create an emerging need for drugs, which is why The IMS Institute has predicted that by 2016 China will overtake Japan as the second largest pharmaceutical market in the world. So it’s no wonder why billions of dollars a year are being invested in the country.
Many foreign players such as AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Bayer and GSKhave already established themselves firmly in the market and are expanding their services regularly within the country. But with the entry of foreign players in the industry, the competition amongst these players will continue to increase. China has more than 5,000 pharma companies, and in 2010 was the leading country filing pharmaceutical trademarks – even beating out the United States, one of the most mature pharmaceutical markets by nearly 10,000 trademarks filed. Even though China is the global leader filing pharmaceutical trademarks, the majority of the drugs manufactured in China are generic. But as China’s consumer mindset continues to mature and grow, so will the branded pharmaceutical sector.
Why the continued growth?
Specifically for pharmaceuticals, powerful product brand names are important tools to offset competitive pressure from generics and to build customer loyalty. Though heavily regulated by state legislations, in China’s case the SFDA, brand naming for pharmaceutical products is unique, and can greatly affect marketing decisions.
In highly competitive environments, a strong brand will rise above the clutter and demand attention. With a strong brand, you secure a unique position of credibility in the consumer mind, have more influence on your market and motivate customers to purchase from you.
From a marketing perspective, brand naming for a pharmaceutical product may take into consideration aspects such as the chemical/biological nature of its active ingredient, composition/formulation, therapeutic indication, associated medical condition, benefit and adherence to the corporate identity.
From a communication point of view, pharmaceutical branding specialists must decide whether to focus on the functionality or the end-user benefits. It is also from the same angle that pharmaceutical naming is usually considered of great complexity, as most of the time, both audiences should be targeted.
Chinese regulations on pharmaceutical drug naming frown upon utilization of characters that are either indicative of curative effect, intended use, target audience or may imply efficacy.
Regardless of the market you’re in, developing a strong pharmaceutical name is tough, but in China it can be particularly challenging. You must keep in mind translations, the use of characters and regulatory conditions. Biological and pharmaceutical products rely heavily on the protection of intellectual property rights, so it’s essential for foreign companies to gain thorough understanding of China’s IPR protection system before entering the market.
Multinational companies have greatly expanded their businesses in China over the years and have aligned with local pharmaceutical companies, which has proven to be a winning strategy for both parties. And as these companies and other foreign players continue to expand their footprint in China, competition will become fierce as each seeks to penetrate the market. Pricing, intricate knowledge of regional markets and developing strong brands will determine who gets ahead and who doesn’t.
The Past & Present of Female Creative Directors
This week The 3% Conference, a first-ever event for female creative directors, kicks off Thursday in San Francisco to celebrate females in creative roles, and the future we hold in this industry. But as some of us are getting ready to celebrate the future of female creative directors in the industry, Adage coincidently published their first edition of The Most Influential Women in Advertising , which largely takes a look at those who came before us.
In the feature of influential women, Adage included an infographic outlining landmark moments for women in advertising. The infographic includes milestone achievements for women in the industry such as the appointment of the first female creative director to groundbreaking female focused advertisements.
In spirit of the saying “you can’t know where you’re going unless you know where you’ve been,” I’ve placed the infographic below for everyone to get a little bit of history and perspective on females in the creative industry before the start of Thursday’s conference where the future of females in the creative industry will largely be discussed.
But before I end this post, a shameless Addison Whitney plug - Tiffany Jonas, verbal branding manager at Addison Whitney, will be moderating a panel at The 3% Conference and will be live tweeting from the event. So make sure to follow @addisonwhitney on Twitter to stay up-to-date with all of the latest news from the conference!
