a hundred monkeys
corporate branding and naming
What We Do: Company Naming
Naming is a competitive sport. It’s your first shot at being different. Don’t pick a name that makes you one of the trees in the forest and then spend the rest of your marketing budget trying to stand out. Companies find that naming is a hard thing to do well because there are often too many people around the table. Because the discussion seems so subjective, it tends to revolve around comments like “I like it” or “I don't like it.” Typically, everyone on the committee has veto power. This tends to sweep the most interesting names off the table. If there are a dozen people in the room and you all have to agree on a flavor of ice cream, it's going to be vanilla, not Cherry Garcia. Our job: prevent this from happening. See all our names.
product name:
1 to 1
sales software for Herman Miller
product name:
"26"
typography magazine for Agfa
product name:
98point6
personal medical database for MedicaLogic
company name:
A Hundred Monkeys
naming and branding firm
product name:
Abacus
floating point processor for Weitek
company name:
Alfalfa
tax and financial planning
product name:
All Thumbs
home repair videos
product name:
Alphonse
spokesdog for the NetJets
Europe 25 hour card
non-profit name:
Aluka
indigenous online research collections
for the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
non-profit name:
Andeo
student travel and learning company
product name:
Apples+Oranges
Macintosh database
company name:
Arena
point of purchase software
product name:
Atomica
Windows reference software
product name:
Bandwagon
insert program for local newspapers
product name:
Black by Bainbridge
a matboard with a black core
product name:
Breadbox
Odyssey's electronic commerce study
company name:
BrightBlack
IT consulting services
company name:
Broad Daylight
expert Q+A on the web
company name:
Calabash
division of Houghton Mifflin
professional service name:
Canal Street
executive talent management
product name:
Chips & Bits
Research report on PCs and
online services for Odyssey
company name:
Chuckwalla
digital asset management
professional service name:
Class Act
employee training company
company name:
Clutch
web architecture, design
and application development
retail business name:
Cookin'
chain of stereo stores
professional service name:
Cruel World
career placement service
corporate naming:
Diderot
online wine reservations
company name:
Doodad
insert programs for newspapers and
shared mailers
company name:
Earth Turns
vitamin company
product name:
Farm-in-a-Box
mail order windowsill farms
product name:
Felix
PC pointing device
professional services name:
Forward Observer
public sector market research
product name:
Freelance
graphics software for Lotus
non-profit name:
Front Porch
nonprofit services for seniors
company name:
Gambit
technology consulting company
product name:
Homefront
Odyssey report on home use
of media products & services
product name:
Home Eq.
home equity loan program
for Cambridgeport Bank
product name:
Hot Potato
Research reports on hot
developments in new media
corporate branding:
Hubbub
public relations agency
company name:
Human+Nature
documentary films
professional services name:
Inkling
Hollywood animation studio
retail business name:
Iroko
day spa in Alabama
company name:
Ironweed
independent film club
non-profit name:
Ithaka
worldwide archiving initiatives
for the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
product name:
Jacks
athletic shoes by Jaclar
company name:
Jamcracker
unified platform for IT management
retail business name:
Jamoka
online banking services
product name:
Jazz
integrated software for Lotus
company name:
Jigsaw Records Management
records management solutions
product name:
Jungle Jumpstart
breakfast drink for Jamba Juice
company name:
Jupiter Wells
home furnishings
non-profit name:
Kiddo!
campaign to raise money for public schools
product name:
Knockmedown
fabric for Deepa Textiles
company name:
L. Ferrari
office systems dealer
company name:
Left Field
advertising agency
professional services name:
Left on Elm
training consultants
program name:
Legwork
fitness program for
Physicians Health Services
company name:
Little Engine
mortgage brokers
product name:
Little Fund
savings product for Third National
Bank of Hampden County
professional services name:
Loopy Lime
website design and
internet services
product name:
Lucent Titania
family of voltage converters for Lucent
company name:
Maggie's Farm
holding company for a family of
printing operations
product name:
Makoro
IBM retail data management system
company name:
Midnight Kitchen
cookie company
product name:
Mockingboard
sound and speech
card for Apple II computers
product name:
Morning Glory
breakfast drink for Jamba Juice
retail business name:
"O" Gelato
gelateria in Carlsbad, California
company name:
Odyssey
market research firm
product name:
Open Book
bond auction system for
WR Hambrecht + Co.
product name:
Open Go
automated audio conferencing for
Raindance
product name:
Open IPO
publicly-priced offerings for
WR Hambrecht + Co.
product name:
Panama Red
color for Simpson papers
product name:
Pipes & Wires
Odyssey report on
television and cable services
product name:
Pooch Punch
the first drink for dogs
product name:
Portico
electronic archiving service for
for the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
professional services name:
Qilin
back office services for real estate agents
company name:
Radio Verité
radio production company
company name:
Raindance
web and phone conferencing
company name:
Rebar
global software reseller
retail business name:
Red Rocket
online playground for Nickelodeon
company name:
Red Tractor
corporate landscaping service
product name:
Rhyme+Reason
color system for Deepa Textiles
company name:
Riverbed
wide area network
acceleration appliances
company name:
Rocket Farms
grower and shipper, Salinas, CA
company name:
Roundhouse
tech gurus for home and business
company name:
Ruckus Wireless
home networking technology products
company name:
Seven
wireless network integration
product name:
Sledgehammer
hedge fund product for Odyssey
product name:
Sparks Will Fly
fabric collection for Deepa Textiles
service name:
Special Delivery
vanpool program sponsored
by the RI Dept of Transportation
product name:
Start Here
Microsoft Windows tutorial
product name:
Steelhead
wide area network
acceleration appliance
company name:
Stoke
new telco carrier platform for mobile customers
company name:
Strong Suit
sales force recruiting firm
retail product name:
Sun, Moon & Stars
ATM for Cambridgeport Bank
program name:
Survival School
self care program for
Physicians Health Services
product name:
Sweet Dreams
Fanny Farmer Candies
product name:
Sweet Sunshine
breakfast drink for Jamba Juice
product name:
Swirlinghetti
fabric for Deepa Textiles
product name:
Switchtower
technology platform for Raindance conferencing services
product name:
Talisman
tennis racquet for Kneissl
product name:
The Country Almanac
syndicated bank newsletter
retail business name:
The Lot
RI state lottery
non-profit name:
The Shinola Awards
naming and branding website
product name:
Ton of Bricks
branding blog
product name:
Type City
type cartridge for Bitstream
company name:
Volumetrics
medical imaging devices
product name:
Warrior Within
new version of the video game
Prince of Persia for Ubisoft Entertainment
company name:
Whatchamacallit
naming company
product name:
Wiggle Wiggle
fabric for Deepa Textiles
company name:
Willy Nilly
naming company
professional services name:
Winkler
advertising agency
product name:
World Wide Web
fabric for Deepa Textiles
company name:
WR Hambrecht + Co
investment bank
product name:
Zatso
online news service
product name:
Zepto
game for Winkler Advertising
conference name:
Zumbido
NetJets Europe Biannual Conference
Every name tells a story:
- Product names
- Retail business names
- Non-profit names
- Professional service names
- Top ten things to look for in a naming company.