The Story of Architon
For those of you who have children, how do you settle on names for them that make both you and your spouse say, “Yes!”?
- Testing it by calling it out the back door?
- Spelling out the initials?
- Imagining saying it thousands of times throughout your life?
Now think about finding a new name for your business. What “tests” should a business name pass before it’s ready to launch into the world?
A Name for a New Company
Colby Bowman, owner of Artisan Door and Trim in Elida, Ohio, is launching a custom home-building business with his brother Keaton. They needed a distinctive brand name to distinguish their new venture from Colby’s existing door and trim supply business.
Although Rosewood’s price gave them pause, Colby says, “We decided that we ultimately wanted to come out with a great name, and so we bit the bullet and went with Rosewood.”
Operation Naming
The naming process began with a questionnaire that explored the Bowmans’ ideal customer profile, dug into the stats on competitors, and probed the Bowmans’ business tone and personality. Research like this is vital for providing direction in the brainstorming sessions.
Next, the naming team at Rosewood set their imaginations to mining a host of names. Two brainstorming time slots yielded approximately 340 names–from Charter Oak to Elegold to Dragonfly to Gable & Cove to Crownpointe to Contour.
The Smile or Scratch Test
At the end of the second brainstorming session, everyone involved in the naming compiled a list of their top favorites. Then it was time for the test–a test called “The Smile & Scratch Test,” from Alexandra Watkins’s book, Hello, My Name Is Awesome: How to Create Brand Names that Stick. Each name was marked 0 (bad) to 5 (good) for each “smile” item. In the “scratch” category, each item was marked 0 (not problematic) to 5 (problematic).
SMILE
| S | Suggestive – Evokes something about your brand |
| M | Memorable – Makes an association with the familiar |
| I | Imagery – Aids memory through evocative visuals |
| L | Legs – Lends itself to a theme for extended mileage |
| E | Emotional – Moves people |
SCRATCH
| S | Spelling challenged – looks like a typo |
| C | Copycat – resembles competitors’ names |
| R | Restrictive – limits future growth |
| A | Annoying – seems forced, frustrates customers |
| T | Tame – feels flat, descriptive, uninspired |
| C | Curse of knowledge – speaks only to insiders |
| H | Hard to pronounce – confuses customers |
After the scoring, a Rosewood digital marketer analyzed the top contenders to see which of those names had the best chances of ranking online.
Lyndon, the head of the naming team, met with the brothers to share the findings of the tests. Then the ball was back in the Bowmans’ court.
Discerning the Right Name
Choosing a name for a business requires an open mind. Colby advises, “Don’t just settle for a name that you like the sound of. Do your research and see if it’s overused. Think outside the box and see if there are any other options out there.”
Colby’s advice comes from his own experience. At the beginning of the process, there were a few names that Colby really liked. However, after researching them, the naming team found that those names were heavily used in the construction industry. For example, one of Colby’s favorites was Paragon, but that name was overused in a crowded online space.
So with the advice of the naming team, they had turned their attention to other names on the list. “My brother and I had a list of ten names that we had narrowed it down to. We sat down with our wives and each of us wrote down his/her top pick and submitted it. They were all Architon. So that was our answer.”
Architon was also Rosewood’s top recommendation. Chad, a member of the naming team, explains, “Architon connects with their industry and rolls off the tongue nicely. Architon retains that paragon ring but with an architectural approach.”
“When we hit on Architon, it took a little bit for it to grow on me,” says Colby, “but then we all ended up falling in love with it.” Colby continues. “I think we picked a name that’s shared by only one other company in the world, and they’re in England, I believe. So we’re pretty safe here.”
Lyndon speaks from his experience working with many clients on naming projects. He counsels: “Be open to new ideas. The more evocative the name, the greater the opportunity to develop the brand the way you want it rather than having the name lock you into a message you didn’t want.”
“I Really Liked the Professionalism”
Colby and Keaton have enrolled in the Marketing Guide Path at Rosewood Marketing. Their new venture, Architon, will soon be serving customers with carefully-detailed, high-end construction.
As Colby reflects on the naming process, he says, “I really liked Rosewood’s professionalism and how everything was handled. Thinking outside the box to try and come up with different names, doing the research and checking things out to see what works best, and then, coming up with a long-term solution for a good name.”
Is Your Company Due for a New Name?
Naming and especially renaming your business means a lot of complicated decisions, but there is a time for everything, including a new name. Rosewood offers naming and branding services as a part of the Marketing Guide Path.
If you are looking for an expert team to replenish your brand and facilitate your marketing, explore our website to see if we’re a long-term fit for your company.
Is the Marketing Guide Path™ for You?
Does a Marketing Guide partnership for your business pique your interest?
- Explore our website to learn more. Schedule a call, and we’ll discern together if Rosewood is right for you.
- Get onboard and start your journey. Your Marketing Guide™ and Strategy Coach work with you to create a marketing strategy, set goals, and plan your projects for the year.
- Watch your business grow with purposeful marketing as your marketing plan comes to life through creative messaging and design, both print and digital.