Brand Naming Showcase
B2C and B2B Brand Naming at MarketPlace
Everyone understands what a name is. We all understand the basic components of language that combine to form a brand name. Yet naming is perhaps the most misunderstood of all brand disciplines.
With hundreds of naming projects under our belt, we know what work a brand name should do, and we know why brand naming fails (read why). We know how to bring key stakeholders to the table with brand managers and salespeople to move forward with a name that everyone—including regulatory—can get behind.
We’re able to do this as a result of decades of experience leading companies through the brand development process, and we’re able to do this well because of our focus in the food, pet, and wellness industries. And it doesn’t hurt to have highly trained language experts as part of our core team!
CPG + B2B Companies + Products
Birdsong
D2C pet beds
Brilliant Bites
CPG pet supplement technology secondary nomenclature
Dogs Heart
CPG (club) dog jerky line
Firefly
Sleep aid product
Invoke
Pre-workout product
Mend + Defend
CPG supplement line
ProPath
Trace minerals for animal health, wellbeing, and performance
Tiny Loves
CPG small-format jerky treat line for dogs big and tiny
Vetio
Animal health CDMO
[Launching Soon!]
Microbiome ingredient portfolio
Bourn Relentless
D2C supplement line
Celesta
Sleep and wellness startup, supplements and wearables
Elemend Health
CPG supplement manufacturer
Gutwell
CPG digestive health supplement
Mightyfat
D2C keto nut butter
Pure Drive
Grass-fed whey protein product
Reunion Foods
Sustainable animal proteins for Whole Foods and beyond
TruCare
CPG trace mineral supplements for companion animal and farm
[Launching Soon!]
National fundraising brand
Brightmouth
Mass market pet care
ColdChurn
Clean-label butter alternative for foodservice
Fieldmade
Dog food startup
Hůga
D2C protein bar company
Nadanut
Nut-free snack and product line
RE+
BCAA product
Suchgood
CPG dental care for suchgood dogs and cats
Upgrade
D2C keto coffee pods and MCT oil creamers
Lelemeca
CPG masa harina line
Branded Ingredients
Acumin
Advanced turmeric complex for supplements and functional foods
Digesse
Global digestive and gut health product portfolio
NuliGo
Structured medium- and long-chain triglyceride ingredient
Carolina Clear
One of a larger line of clean-label sweet potato ingredients
HIgGH Gold
Highly soluble bovine colostrum whey isolate
Pecmate
Functional ingredient for pectin enhancement in formulation
Specialty
Accent
Calcium fortification technology for bakery and confectionery
Harmony
Clean-label technology to optimize cost-in-use
Optify
Taste modification technology for food and beverage
TrueTaste
Patented liquid-to-powder conversion technology
CLIPP
Closed loop continuous manufacturing technology
Juniper
Custom color name for luxury residential refrigeration
Pathwhey
Whey fraction processing technology for colostrum
Uphold
Acidulant-based bread preservation technology
Encore
A comprehensive line of clean-label dough solutions
Natural Glycolipids
Common name for natural beverage protection technology
Project Sage
Malic and fumaric acid facility expansion initiative
Upscale
Acidulant-based artisan bread technology
Naming covers a lot of ground. Building on brand discovery and ideation, which produces foundational brand components (value prop, brand promise, archetype, etc), we begin the formal brand naming process with concept generation, where we typically develop between 250 and 1000 words, ideas, morphemes, and what our naming experts lovingly refer to as “brandcrumbs.” Following concept generation, our strategy, writing, and design leads collaborate with the naming team to develop a list of 25-50 high-potential candidates, which are then vetted for competitive, cultural, and defensibility concerns.
In a typical naming project, we then narrow name options to single digits, where we do a more thorough assessment, including legal screening in relevant classes through USPTO and/or WIPO. In some cases, we also perform custom research, testing for speech stream visibility on Amazon/e-commerce and/or for unanticipated associations/bias through targeted consumer survey panels.
Finally, we present, for most projects, between three and seven highly vetted, strategic brand name options that our partners can confidently champion internally (and can present to their legal/regulatory departments without breaking a sweat), that our strategy and design team can bring to life through visual identity and messaging, and that customers and consumers will find engaging, meaningful, and memorable.