Your name: the unassuming hero of your brand

A business name is arguably its most memorable brand asset. I’ve been involved in naming for a few companies, and the most difficult (by far) was my own company.

For six years I’d traded under my own name but brand lag set in. The business outgrew its brand. I’d taken on my first member of staff and developed a more strategic edge to my approach to design. The name was holding me back.

Not in any kind of dramatic way. My own name didn’t have negative connotations. It didn’t have a new meaning that might have made people think of something awkward. I wasn’t trying to make people forget about past associations. It was a low risk brand decision. But it was important.

The transition

The process took months, in between client work and other business busyness. Upshot wasn’t the first idea. And even when I’d thought of it, I wasn’t convinced yet. It took a long time for me to feel it really fit – like a new pair of shoes (when I was used to wearing only flip flops).

Upshot: Noun.  ‘…something that happens as a result of other actions, events, or decisions’. (Thanks, Cambridge Dictionary).

A result. A purpose. A resolution.

I’d talked a lot about design that makes a difference for people that make a difference and this sat right in the sweet spot, theme-wise.

I have a vivid memory of the first time I spoke it aloud to someone. Awkward and nervous, I let the word hang. I waited while she let it percolate. Maybe 2 seconds, it felt like hours. “Yes, it’s right. Don’t overthink it, go for it.”

And since that day in Autumn 2017, it’s become more like a comfy slipper. It matches well with my outlook. It’s short, punchy, positive and memorable. It’s not complicated, overly conceptual or so literal (or lateral) that it sticks in my throat. Some people randomly capitalise other letters in it or split the Up from the Shot, and I have to be very careful typing it, not to hit the ‘i’ key instead of the ‘o’ next to it, but otherwise, it’s perfect for our brand.

But to get to it, just like anyone considering their brand name, there were some important steps and foundations I had to learn or take.

• Understand the brand. What does it stand for? What’s its identity based on? What is it trying to achieve. Businesses have become famous with made up words, initials, surnames, abstract concepts and beautiful poetic names – how much does it matter? I believe these are either incredibly lucky moments where the name just sticks, or brave, deeply strategic and well-backed decisions. Don’t leave yours to luck because that backfires more times than it works.
• Think ahead. Is there a potential faux pas waiting to happen? An unintentional offence? Could something have a meaning in another language you’re not familiar with? But also, does the name have the flexibility to grow as you do without pigeonholing you into specific services or limiting markets.
• Get help. I couldn’t have named Upshot in isolation. I worked with peers, family and consultants to test my ideas all the way through. I got external insights and tested my internal assumptions. And importantly I was stopped from spiraling and wasting time on not being decisive.

For me, the upshot of all this (see what I did there?) is a name that supports the brand and the organisation. That people can learn and trust. And that we can lean into creatively. We have to be clear and decisive about what we do and don’t refer to as ‘the upshot’ – for me it’s the result of the work a client chooses to do with us and where it gets them – but we talk about ‘the Upshot way’ a lot, a really helpful identifier within our process and methods.

What’s the best brand name you’ve ever heard? And have you ever had to think deeply about your own brand name for any of the reasons above? Let us know.