naming & branding for rubicon float studio · hone in on something that we were comfortable...

P R O J E C T S U M M A R Y

Looking to uniquely position themselves as a high-end provider, a float studio hired Zinzin to come up with a wide range of names, narrowing the list over five weeks until one was selected.

“They did a fantastic job of working with an out-of-box company and ac-cepted the challenge with full gusto.”

B A C K G R O U N D

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner and operator of Rubicon Float Studio. It is a floatation studio in the Juanita Bay area of the Seattle Metro area. Floatation is a form of reduced envi-ronmental stimulus therapy that involves laying in an Epsom salt saturated tank of water, roughly 200 gallons and 10 inches deep. The Epsom salts are very good for chronic pain and sports recovery.

O P P O R T U N I T Y / C H A L L E N G E

What challenge were you trying to address with Zinzin?

When I first started the company, I had a different business name. It was called Lazy River Float Studio and I was running into problems with people who thought our business was putting a lazy river from a water theme park into a building. I realized I was having a branding issue with the name. I reached out to Zinzin because I was looking for a company that could help me rebrand and rename before I actually opened a physical location for our company.

S O L U T I O N

What was the scope of their involvement?

They went through about five different phone calls, the initial meeting, and then a pre-planning meeting. This was all done telephonically. In the first meeting, they got an idea of what my company is and the services that we offer.

T H E R E V I E W E R

Robert BarrOwnerRubicon Float Studio

F E E D B A C K S U M M A R Y

Throughout the naming process, Zinzin was committed to ensuring all materi-als were present at meetings and that team members were always available to discuss questions and ideas. They provided several excellent options that could have all been the selected name in the end.

W W W . C L U T C H . C O | P A G E 1 / 3Z I N Z I N C L I E N T R E V I E W | N A M I N G & B R A N D I N G F O R R U B I C O N F L O A T S T U D I O

Naming & Branding for Rubicon Float Studio

Z I N Z I N C L I E N T R E V I E W | A U G U S T 0 4 , 2 0 1 7

They then went and did research on all the float studios in America, compiled all of their names, and ranked them in terms of how effective they are. Their goal was to become up with a name for me that fit into a more experiential and high-level naming category.

After they did that initial research, they provided me with several rounds of names. The first round was around 20 or 30 names. I reviewed those and then we had another phone call. We discussed which names worked and which ones didn’t. We went through that round an additional two times until we had a more nar-rowed-down focus. The very last round was when I came to a conclusion of the name I liked - Rubicon.

Once I had made my decision, they provided me with some insight into marketing and social media aspects. Since then, they’ve followed up with me several times and offered me some helpful hints and tips.

My primary point of contact was Jay Jurisich. I also worked with Martin McMurray.

How did you come to work with Zinzin?

They came highly recommended through Internet searches. I looked at their brand portfolio of companies they had worked with. I was very impressed with their overall brand positioning. Since I wanted to represent a higher-end float studio, I thought it would be a good idea to go with a company that’s also represented higher-end brands.

I reached out to them and they liked my unique concept for a business. They were willing to work with me to come up with a new name.

What is the status of this engagement?

It was a five-week project. We began working with Zinzin in February 2016 and we were done by the beginning of April.

R E S U L T S & F E E D B A C K

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or impact of the engagement?

I don’t have any numbers or anything, but in terms of the reception of my new name from the previous name, my brand is much stronger. It’s a stronger brand than any others in the float world. We’ve raised the bar in terms of our brand experience and it’s helped a lot with our brand positioning. When I’m dealing with other industries, the name recognition has been very good for me.

How did Zinzin perform from a project management standpoint?

They did a very good job. They laid all the steps out in front of us. Before a phone call, they were very good at making sure everything was in line. All the data was sent to me. After a phone call, they were very good at sending me notes of how the meeting went and any sort of follow-up. They would also call me a couple of days later to see if I had any questions.



Robert BarrOwnerRubicon Float StudioKirkland, Washington

What did you find most impressive about Zinzin?

Their professionalism was really good. Their willingness to take on a new type of business venture and look at it as an interesting challenge was very impressive to me because not many people want to risk their reputation on something so new. I really appreciated that they stepped out on a limb and took it seriously. They gave me five or six names that were fantastic. I’ve been very impressed with the response that I got from the name. Overall I’m very pleased with the experience that I had with them.

Are there areas Zinzin could improve?

My suggestion would be for people to really consider the value that they’re going to get from working with an agency like Zinzin versus the price.

Q U A L I T YThey did a fantastic job of working with an out-of-box company and accepted the challenge with full gusto.

S C H E D U L I N GI didn’t have a single issue with any sort of deadline slippage.

C O S TI caution people that have small budgets to make sure it’s really somethingthey find necessary. For us, the pay-off has been worth it.

W I L L I N G T O R E F E RI’ve already mentioned Zinzin to several people looking to rename.

O V E R A L L S C O R EThey brought a lot to the table and offered me names that were unique to my industry. It was a very pleasurable experience.



Robert BarrOwnerRubicon Float StudioKirkland, Washington

H H H H H

R A T I N G S

H H H H H

H H H H H

H H H H H

H H H H H

Apr19,2016Firmsthatdeliver

©2015Clutch Page1of3

NamingandCopywritingforNaturalCosmeticsCompany

BrandingandcorporateidentityBrandingandcorporateidentity$10,000to$49,999$10,000to$49,999

Projectsummary

Detai ls: Detai ls: BACKGROUNDBACKGROUND

Pleasedescribeyourorganization.Pleasedescribeyourorganization.

ÉclairNaturalsisacosmeticscompanythatproducesall-naturalsoaps,lotions,shampoos,conditioners,massageoils,andbathsalts.

Whatisyourposition?Whatisyourposition?

I'mthecofounderandCEOofthecompany.

OPPORTUNITY/CHALLENGEOPPORTUNITY/CHALLENGE

Whatbusinesschal lengewereyoutryingtoaddresswithZinzin?Whatbusinesschal lengewereyoutryingtoaddresswithZinzin?

Wewantedtolaunchthisnewbrand,andweneededtofindanamethatwouldsignifythefactthatwe'remadewithfood-gradeingredients,thatwehaveverypureformulas,andthatwe'realuxuryproduct.

SOLUTIONSOLUTION

Pleasedescribethescopeoftheir involvementindetai l .Pleasedescribethescopeoftheir involvementindetai l .

Projectsummary: Projectsummary: TheclientisÉclairNaturals,acosmeticscompanythatproducesall-naturalsoaps,lotions,andshampoos.Theclientisastartupthathadalreadyscheduledanumberofmeetingswithretailersbeforedecidingonanamefortheirbrand.TheclientfoundZinzinonlineandgavethemathree-weekdeadlinetocomeupwithanameforthebrandthatwouldhighlightthefactthatitwasanall-natural,luxuryproduct.

Feedbacksummary: Feedbacksummary: TheclientisextremelyhappywiththeworkdeliveredbyZinzin.ÉclairNaturalsisnowin5,000retailstoresnationwide,andtheclientattributesmuchoftheirsuccesstoZinzin.TheclienthadnocomplaintstoreportandhighlyrecommendsZinzintoothers.

"Overal l , Zinz inwas very easy to"Overal l , Zinz inwas very easy to

workw ithandcol laborative, whichworkw ithandcol laborative, which

I ’ve found is not common in thisI ’ve found is not common in this

space."space."

—Founder , Éc l a i r Natural s (—Founder , Éc l a i r Natural s ( Cosmet i csCosmet i cs

CompanyCompany ))

InterviewFounderatÉcla ir NaturalsFounderatÉcla ir Naturals2-10Employees2-10Employees

LosAngeles,CALosAngeles,CA

Quality: Qual ity:

Schedule: Schedule:

Cost: Cost:

Overal l rating: Overal l rating:

Will ingtorefer : Wil l ingtorefer :



Namingwastheprimaryservice.Therewasalittlebitofcopywritingwiththetagline,buttheydidnotdoanytypeoflogodesignorotherbrandingactivity.

HowdidyoucometoworkwithZinzin?HowdidyoucometoworkwithZinzin?

Wehaddonesomeresearchonlineandlookedatothercompanieswhowereinthenamingbusiness.WewereveryimpressedwithZinzinbecausetheyhadnamedoneofmyfavoritehotels,theARIAinLasVegas,aswellasGogo,thein-flightInternetbusiness.

Couldyouprovidea senseofthesizeofthisinitiativeinf inancia l terms?Couldyouprovidea senseofthesizeofthisinitiativeinf inancia l terms?

Itwasinexcessof$10,000.

Whatisthestatusofthisengagement?Whatisthestatusofthisengagement?

Unfortunately,wehadalreadyscheduledmanyretailermeetingswithstoreswhowereinterestedinourproducts,butwedidn'tevenhaveaname.Weonlygavethemthreeweekstocomeupwithsomethingand,inthattime,theywereabletogothroughmultipleroundsoftheirnamingprocessandcomeupwithsomethingwewereveryhappywith

RESULTS&FEEDBACKRESULTS&FEEDBACK

Couldyoushareanystatisticsor metricsfromthisengagement?Couldyoushareanystatisticsor metricsfromthisengagement?

Thecompanywentfromzerodistributionandzerobrandrecognitiontolaunchingin5,000retailstores,includingsomemajorretailers,suchasRiteAidandTarget.

WhatdistinguishesZinzinfromotherproviders?WhatdistinguishesZinzinfromotherproviders?

Ifeltitwasverycollaborative.Ifeltliketheylistenedtoourfeedback.Therewereacoupleotherfirmsthatwehadinterviewed,anditwasverycleartheyweregoingtotakethestancethat,"We'retheexperts.You'regoingtopickwhatevernamewethinkisbestforyou,"asopposedtohavingsomeroundsandsomefeedbackandbeingabletohoneinonsomethingthatwewerecomfortablewith,andwasalsoavailablefromacopywritingperspective.Overall,Zinzinwasveryeasytoworkwithandcollaborative,whichI'vefoundisnotcommoninthisspace.

IsthereanythingZinzincouldhaveimprovedor donedifferently?IsthereanythingZinzincouldhaveimprovedor donedifferently?

I'dberackingmybrain.Ican'tthinkofasinglething.Wewereverypleasedwiththeprocessandtheresult.We'reveryhappywiththename.IfeellikeIdevelopedafriendshipwithJay[Jurisch,CEOandcreativedirectoratZinzin]andtherestofhisteam.Wedefinitelystayintouch,andwe'reinvitingthemtoourlaunchparty.

Wehavef iveadditional questions. For eachofthese,weaskthatyourateZinzinona scaleofoneWehavef iveadditional questions. For eachofthese,weaskthatyourateZinzinona scaleofonetof ive,withf ivebeingthebestscore.tof ive,withf ivebeingthebestscore. Howwouldyouratethemfor thequal ityoftheir serviceHowwouldyouratethemfor thequal ityoftheir serviceanddel iverables?anddel iverables?

Five.

Howwouldyouratethemfor scheduling,asinmeetingdeadl inesandcompliancewitha projectHowwouldyouratethemfor scheduling,asinmeetingdeadl inesandcompliancewitha projecttimeline?timeline?

Five,whichwasaverytoughschedule.I'dalmostgivethemasix.

Howwouldyouratethemfor cost,asinvalueandconformancewithprojectestimates?Howwouldyouratethemfor cost,asinvalueandconformancewithprojectestimates?

Five.Theyweredefinitelyontimeandonbudget.

Howl ikelyareyoutorecommendZinzintoa fr iendor col league,outoff ive?Howl ikelyareyoutorecommendZinzintoa fr iendor col league,outoff ive?

Five.Verylikely.Ihave,infact,recommendedthemtoothercompanies.

Howwouldyourateyouroveral l experiencecol laboratingwithZinzin?Howwouldyourateyouroveral l experiencecol laboratingwithZinzin?

Five.

Aug26,2015Firmsthatdeliver


NamingforMobileLocationServicesNamingforMobileLocationServicesCompanyCompany

BrandingandcorporateidentityBrandingandcorporateidentity $10,000to$49,999$10,000to$49,999 OngoingOngoing

Projectsummary


Projectsummary: Projectsummary: Theclientisamobilelocation,data,andanalyticscompanybasedintheWashingtonDCmetroarea.Theclientwaslookingtorenametheirfirmtobetteralignwiththeirperceivedroleinthemarketplace,aswellasincreaseengagementwiththeircustomers.TheclientapproachedZinzintoorchestratetherenamingprocess,whichincludedstrategysessions,focusgroups,markettesting,brandimpacttesting,andtrademarking.TogetherthetwocompaniesjointlydecideduponGravyasthenewnameforthefirm.

Feedbacksummary: Feedbacksummary: TheclientisextremelysatisfiedwiththeworkdeliveredbyZinzin.Thenewnamehasbeenwell-receivedbyallstakeholders,andthecompanyhasgrownrapidlyinthefirstyearsincetherenamingeffort.TheclientfocusedonthethoroughnessofZinzin'sprocessasthehighlightoftheengagement,andalsoexpressedappreciationattheirwillingnessto"holdmyhand"throughouttheprocess.Theclienthadnocomplaintstoreport,andwouldhighlyrecommendZinzin'sservicestoothers.

" I f eel l ikewedidn’t ful ly exploit" I f eel l ikewedidn’t ful ly exploit

everything that they werecapableeverything that they werecapable

of , not because they wereholdingof , not because they wereholding

back, but just becausewedidn’tback, but just becausewedidn’t

need to. However , I wouldbe just asneed to. However , I wouldbe just as

conf ident recommending theirconf ident recommending their

serv ices to aFortune500companyserv ices to aFortune500company

as I woulda smal l s tar tup l ikeours ."as I woulda smal l s tar tup l ikeours ."

—Founder , Gravy (Locat i onServi ces—Founder , Gravy (Locat i onServi ces

basedapp)basedapp)

11-50Employees11-50Employees

WashingtonD.C .MetroAreaWashingtonD.C .MetroArea

InterviewFounderatGravyFounderatGravy

Quality: Qual ity:

Schedule: Schedule:

Cost: Cost:






OurcompanyisGravy,Weareamobilelocation,dataandanalyticscompany.

Whatisyourposition?Whatisyourposition?

IamtheCEO.


Whatbusinesschal lengewereyoutryingtoaddresswithZinzin?Whatbusinesschal lengewereyoutryingtoaddresswithZinzin?

Itwastwofold.Ononehand,wewerelookingforanewcompanynamethatwasmoreengagingthanouroriginalandabetterfitforourroleinthemarketplace.Onthesecondhand,weweretryingtoavoidpotentialtrademarkissuesstemmingfromourpreviouscompany'sname.

SOLUTIONSOLUTION

Pleasedescribethescopeoftheir involvementingreater detai l .Pleasedescribethescopeoftheir involvementingreater detai l .

Therewereanumberofdifferentaspectstoournamingprojectincluding,strategysessions,focusgroups,markettesting,brandimpact,trademarkingetc,Zinzinhandledeverythingforus.Attheendoftheprojectwewereleftwithfournames,andfranklywewouldhavebeenhappywithanyofthem,butI’mgladwechoseGravy.It’sbeentheperfectfit.

HowdidyoucometoworkwithZinzin?HowdidyoucometoworkwithZinzin?

OurchiefmarketingofficerdidaprettyextensiveresearchwithourPRfirmonthemarketplace[ofnamingagencies],andtheyrecommendedanumberoffirms.Wewentthroughavettingprocess,withprobablyfiveorsixshortlistedfirms,andZinzincametothetopafterthatprocess,largelybecauseoftheirpreviousworkandtheexamplesofpriornamestheyhadcreated.

Couldyouprovidea senseofthesizeofthisinitiativeinf inancia l terms?Couldyouprovidea senseofthesizeofthisinitiativeinf inancia l terms?

Itwasprobablyinthe$10,000to$15,000range.

Whatwasthetimelineoftheproject?Whatwasthetimelineoftheproject?

Intotaltheprojectprobablylastedfourorfivemonths.


Whathavebeentheresultsofthisengagement?Whathavebeentheresultsofthisengagement?

Intermsofmarketimpact,itchangedeverythingforourcompany.It’sthemosttangibleaspectofourbrand,we’vetrademarkedit,andithasbecomeeverythingthatwerepresenttothemarketplace.Amongotherthings,peopleaskusallthetimewhatthenamemeans,soitgetstheresponsewewant,whichis,increasedengagementwithourcustomers.

WhatdistinguishesZinzinfromotherproviders?WhatdistinguishesZinzinfromotherproviders?

Inoneword,Iwouldsaypragmatic.They’reexpertsatnaming,andthatcomesacrossmostobviouslyintheirprocess.Thethoroughnesswithwhichtheyapproachedthewholeproject,andtheirwillingnesstoexplaineverythingtoanovicelikemewasverycomforting.Withthatbeingsaid,Ifeellikewedidn’tfullyexploiteverythingthattheywerecapableof,notbecausetheywereholdingback,butjustbecausewedidn’tneedto.However,IwouldbejustasconfidentrecommendingtheirservicestoaFortune500companyasIwouldasmallstartuplikemyself.

Isthereanyadviceyouwouldhavefor someinterestedinworkingwithZinzin?Isthereanyadviceyouwouldhavefor someinterestedinworkingwithZinzin?

AswithanyoneworkingwithaspecialtyvendorlikeZinzin,it’saboutlearningtotrusttheirexpertise.Attimes,peoplelikemewhothinktheyhavetheworldallfiguredout,canbeveryconfident,toputitpolitely.Zinzinwasverypatientwithme,andifanything,Iwouldjustsayletthemguideyouthroughtheprocess,andtrusttheirexperience.

Wehavef iveadditional questions. For eachofthese,weaskthatyourateZinzinona scaleofoneWehavef iveadditional questions. For eachofthese,weaskthatyourateZinzinona scaleofonetof ive,withf ivebeingthebestscore.tof ive,withf ivebeingthebestscore.



Howwouldyouratethemfor thequal ityoftheir serviceanddel iverables?Howwouldyouratethemfor thequal ityoftheir serviceanddel iverables?

Five.

Howwouldyouratethemfor scheduling,asinmeetingdeadl inesandcompliancewitha projectHowwouldyouratethemfor scheduling,asinmeetingdeadl inesandcompliancewitha projecttimeline?timeline?

Five.

Howwouldyouratethemfor cost,asinvalueand/orconformancewithprojectestimates?Howwouldyouratethemfor cost,asinvalueand/orconformancewithprojectestimates?

Five.

Howwouldyourateyouroveral l experiencecol laboratingwithZinzin?Howwouldyourateyouroveral l experiencecol laboratingwithZinzin?

Five.

Howl ikelyareyoutorecommendZinzintoa fr iendor col league,outoff ive?Howl ikelyareyoutorecommendZinzintoa fr iendor col league,outoff ive?

Five.



Zinzinreview:NamingforPersonalZinzinreview:NamingforPersonalTrainingCompanyTrainingCompany

BrandingandcorporateidentityBrandingandcorporateidentity ConfidentialConfidential Sep1,2013Sep1,2013

Projectsummary


Pleasedescribeyourorganizationandyourroleandresponsibi l i ties.Pleasedescribeyourorganizationandyourroleandresponsibi l i ties.

Wehaveacoupleofcompanies,butthecompanythatweworkedonwithZinziniscalledAlloy.Welicensebusinesssystemstofitnessclubsworldwide.


Couldyoudescribethescopeoftheworktheydidfor you?Couldyoudescribethescopeoftheworktheydidfor you?

Zinzin’suniquefunctionisnamingcompanies,sothescopeoftheworkwastolearnaboutourcompanyandhelpuschooseanamethatwastrademarkableandwouldincreaseourattractivenesstoourmarket.

Howlongdidthatprocesstake?Howlongdidthatprocesstake?

Itwastwoandone-halftothreemonthsfromstarttofinish.Wedidaninitialsearchtomakesurethattherewasn’tatrademarkexistinginourspace.Thenwetookthoseideastoamarketingcompanywhowasabletobuildabrandaroundthename.Zinzinhelpedustoenvisionwhatthatwouldlooklike.

Projectsummary: Projectsummary: TheclientisAlloyPersonalTrainingSolutions,acompanythatlicensespersonaltrainingsystemstofitnessfacilitiesworldwide.Theyneededanewnamethattheycouldtrademark,andthatwouldimprovetheirattractivenessinthemarket.Zinzinworkedwiththeclientduringaperiodof2-3monthstocomeupwiththenewname,Alloy.

Feedbacksummary: Feedbacksummary: TheclientisverysatisfiedwiththeworkdeliveredbyZinzin.Hehighlightedtheirdeepexpertiseinnaming.Thenamehasbeenveryvaluabletotheircompanyandappealingtotheircustomers.Theclientreallyenjoyedtheexperienceandthelevelofcustomerserviceinvolvedintheprocess.Therearenocomplaintstoreport.Zinzinishighlyrecommendedtoothers.

"Theywere real l y good. Theyare real l y"Theywere real l y good. Theyare real l y

subj ect mat ter expert s i nnaming . I tsubj ect mat ter expert s i nnaming . I t

was a great cus tomer exper i ence . I waswas a great cus tomer exper i ence . I was

as sat i s f i edas I couldbe . "as sat i s f i edas I couldbe . " – –

Pres ident, A l loy Personal TrainingPres ident, A l loy Personal Training

SolutionsSolutions

GreaterAt lantaAreaGreaterAt lantaArea

InterviewPresident,Al loyPersonal TrainingPresident,Al loyPersonal TrainingSolutionsSolutions

Quality: Qual ity:

Schedule: Schedule:

Cost: Cost:





SOLUTIONSOLUTION

Whatwasyourprocessfor selectingZinzinWhatwasyourprocessfor selectingZinzinwithwhichtowork?withwhichtowork?

Weinterviewedseveralcompanies.Someweremarketingcompaniesthatofferedmoreservices,butZinzinseemedtobethemostcompletesolutionfortheonefunctionthatwewerelookingfor,whichwasthenamingprocess.

Whenwasthatworkcompleted?Whenwasthatworkcompleted?

Itwasprobably14or15monthsago[in2013].


Canyousharefeedbackyou’vegottenaboutthenameoranythingthatwouldindicatesuccessofCanyousharefeedbackyou’vegottenaboutthenameoranythingthatwouldindicatesuccessoftheoutcome?theoutcome?

It’sbeenfantastic.Thenamehasbeenverywellreceived.It’sreallybroughtalotofvaluetousasacompany,andevenmoresotoourcustomerswhowereabletopresentthatbrandtotheircustomers.

Canyouta lkabouttheir performanceandtherelationshipworkingwiththem?Canyouta lkabouttheir performanceandtherelationshipworkingwiththem?

Theywerereallygood.Theyarereallysubjectmatterexpertsinnaming.Iwouldsaytheycertainlyover-deliveredbasedonwhatIthoughtwewouldget.Wereallyenjoyedtheprocessoverall.Itwasagreatcustomerexperience.Theywentaboveandbeyondtomakesuretheyfullyvettedwhowewereandreallygotustoapositionwherewewerecomfortablewiththenameandunderstoodthereasonswhybehindit.

Lookingbackattheworkthey’vedone,isthereanysignif icantareaofimprovementtheycouldLookingbackattheworkthey’vedone,isthereanysignif icantareaofimprovementtheycoulddoontheir endor anythingtheycould’vedonedifferently?doontheir endor anythingtheycould’vedonedifferently?

Ireallywouldn’t.IwasassatisfiedasIcouldbe.

WeaskyoutorateZinWeaskyoutorateZinzinona scaleofonetof ive,withf ivebeingthebestzinona scaleofonetof ive,withf ivebeingthebest . Whatwouldyougive. Whatwouldyougivethemoutoff ivefor thequal ityoftheir work?themoutoff ivefor thequal ityoftheir work?

Five.

Forschedule,asinbeingontimeandmeetingdeadl ines?Forschedule,asinbeingontimeandmeetingdeadl ines?

Five.

Forcost,asinvaluefor yourmoneyandstickingwiththeoriginal estimates?Forcost,asinvaluefor yourmoneyandstickingwiththeoriginal estimates?

Four.

Fortheoveral l score?Fortheoveral l score?

Five.

Howl ikelyareyoutorecommendZinzintoa col league?Howl ikelyareyoutorecommendZinzintoa col league?

Five.



Zinzinreview:Namingof Ratings andZinzinreview:Namingof Ratings andReviewsStartupReviewsStartup

BrandingandcorporateidentityBrandingandcorporateidentity $10,000to$49,999$10,000to$49,999

Projectsummary


Pleasedescribeyourorganization. Whatisyourroleandresponsibi l i ties?Pleasedescribeyourorganization. Whatisyourroleandresponsibi l i ties?

IamthefounderoftheB2B[business-to-business]researchandreviewsite,Clutch[thesiteyouareonnow].Aswithmostfoundersofrelativelyyoungfirms,Ifillarangeofroles,allthewayfromsettingstrategytowebsitetestingandeverythinginbetween.


Whatwasyourgoal for workingwithZinzin?Whatwasyourgoal for workingwithZinzin?

Thesimpleanswerisweneededanewname.Youcanreadmoreaboutourbrandingjourneyhere,butthebasicstoryisthatwefollowedacommonpathforabootstrappedstartup.Whenwegotstartedacoupleofyearsago,wedidnothaveaperfectvisionofwheretheideawouldleadusanddidnothavemuchexperiencewithbrandingorabudgettogetqualifiedhelp.Wepickedupanavailable.comdomainandpressedforwardwiththeconcept.The

Projectsummary: Projectsummary: Zinzinwasselectedtodevelopanewnameforabusiness-to-businessratingsandreviewwebsite.Theoriginalbusinessnamenolongerfitwiththefirm'sobjectivesandtargetmarket.Zinzincameonboardandrefinedthebrandstrategy,developedseveralroundsofnamingoptions,andhelpedselectthefinalname.

Feedbacksummary: Feedbacksummary: Theclientisthrilledwiththenewname.Zinzinpushedtoreimaginethebrandandidentifiedsomegreatnamealternatives.Withthehelpoftherebrand,theclienthasgrownmorethan50percentinthesixmonthssincethebrandrelaunch.

"TheZinz in teamgotour s trategy"TheZinz in teamgotour s trategy

andcompetit iveenv ironmentandcompetit iveenv ironment

immediately . They thenelevatedourimmediately . They thenelevatedour

thinkingaboutour brandandthinkingaboutour brandand

prov ideda rangeof great namingprov ideda rangeof great naming

options . Whatmorecouldyouask?"options . Whatmorecouldyouask?"

—Founder , B2B ResearchandRevi ew—Founder , B2B ResearchandRevi ew

Webs i teWebs i te

11-50employees11-50employees

WashingtonDCMetroAreaWashingtonDCMetroArea

InterviewFounder,ClutchFounder,Clutch

Quality: Qual ity:

Schedule: Schedule:

Cost: Cost:





conceptevolvedandoncewegotsometraction,itbecameclearweneededtoupgradeourbrand.

SOLUTIONSOLUTION

Whatwasyourprocessfor selectingZinzinwithwhichtowork?Whatwasyourprocessfor selectingZinzinwithwhichtowork?

WeinitiallyfoundZinzinviaaGooglesearch.AfterspeakingwithJay[Jurisich],theirfounder,weweresuitablyimpressed,butgotaveryinexpensivequotefromanotherfirmandwentinthatdirection.Sixweekslater,afterafailedeffortwiththecheaperfirmandbecomingmoreeducatedconsumersofbrandingservices,wewentbacktoZinzin.Jayputtogetheracustomizedpackagethatgaveusaccesstoworld-classtalentonastartupbudget.

Whatwasthescopeofwork?Whatwasthescopeofwork?

Wefollowedanacceleratedschedulecomparedtomostoftheircorporateclients,buttheprojectincludedallthestandardelementsofanamingprojectincludingacompetitiveassessment,creativebrief,andseveralroundsofnamedevelopment.

Canyougivea senseofthesizeoftheinitiativeindol lar termsor a personnel work-hourf igure?Canyougivea senseofthesizeoftheinitiativeindol lar termsor a personnel work-hourf igure?

Theprojectwasinthe$10,000-to-$50,000pricerange.

Whenwastheworkcompleted?Whenwastheworkcompleted?

WecompletedthebrandingworkwithZinzininthespringof2014andrelaunchedthewebsitewiththenewnameattheendofthesummer.


Isthereanythinguniqueor specia l aboutZinzinthatreal lymakesthemstandoutcomparedtoIsthereanythinguniqueor specia l aboutZinzinthatreal lymakesthemstandoutcomparedtootherbusinesspartners?otherbusinesspartners?

Theyareworldclassatthenaminggame.Jayhasworkedatandhelpedbuildsomeofthelargestnamingagenciesintheworld.WithZinzin,yougetaccesstoworld-classtalenttypicallyonlyfoundatlargerfirms,buthavetheintimacyandflexibilityofworkingwithasmallerfirm.Inmanyways,itwasthebestofbothworlds.

Lookingbackonthework,isthereanyareathatyouthinktheycouldimproveuponor thatyouLookingbackonthework,isthereanyareathatyouthinktheycouldimproveuponor thatyoumightdodifferently?mightdodifferently?

IwouldnotchangeanyoftheprocesswithZinzin.IonlywishweweremoresophisticatedbuyersofbrandingservicesandgotZinzin'shelpearlier.

WeaskyoutorateZinzinona scaleofonetof ive,withf ivebeingthetopscore. WhatwouldyouWeaskyoutorateZinzinona scaleofonetof ive,withf ivebeingthetopscore. Whatwouldyougivethemoutoff ivefor thequal ityoftheir work?givethemoutoff ivefor thequal ityoftheir work?

Five.Ican'timagineendingupinabetterplace.


Five.Jayandtheteammovedquickly,butwerealsoflexiblewhenweneededmoretimetodigesttheirinput.Ithinktheyhiteverymilestonetheyset.


Five.Zinzinisnotgoingtobethecheapestoption,butifyouneedaworld-classbrand,theyarewortheverypenny.


Five.

Howl ikelyareyoutorecommendZinzintoa col league?Howl ikelyareyoutorecommendZinzintoa col league?

Five.



Zinzinreview:NamingforTreatmentZinzinreview:NamingforTreatmentCenterCenter

BrandingandcorporateidentityBrandingandcorporateidentity ConfidentialConfidential Nov30,2014Nov30,2014

Projectsummary



It'sElementsBehavioralHealth.Wehavetreatmentcentersthroughoutthecountrythattreatpeoplewithsubstanceabuseormentalhealthissues.

Projectsummary: Projectsummary: TheclientisElementsBehavioralHealth,amentalhealthandsubstanceabusetreatmentcenter.Theywerenamesfortheirprogramsthatcouldbelegallyprotectedandthatwouldstandoutinthemarketplaceasunique,asopposedtothedescriptivenamesthatmostlyexistamongtreatmentcenters.TheyhavehiredZinzinonseveraloccasionstonametheirprograms.Zinzinhascreatedatotalofeightnamessofarfortheirbusinessduringthelastyearandahalf.

Feedbacksummary: Feedbacksummary: TheclientisverysatisfiedwithZinzin'swork.Thenewnamesareuniqueandhavegarneredpositiveattention.Thenamingprocesshasalsohelpedtheclienttobetterclarifyanddefinetheirbrandandprograms,andthereforeimprovetheirmarketingmaterials.Theclientenjoystheircollaborative,effectiveprocessfornaming,anddescribesZinzinassmart,fun,consistent,andprofessional.Zinzinishighlyrecommendedtoothers.

"We ' re onour e i ghthproj ect w i th them."We ' re onour e i ghthproj ect w i th them.

I t ' s a very goodprocess . I t ' s veryI t ' s a very goodprocess . I t ' s very

e f f ect i ve . I t ' s f unand verye f f ect i ve . I t ' s f unand very

col l aborat i ve . What s tands out to me i scol l aborat i ve . What s tands out to me i s

the cons i s tency i n the i r work , the i rthe cons i s tency i n the i r work , the i r

prof es s i onal i sm andhow theyde l i verprof es s i onal i sm andhow theyde l i ver

the i r work . "the i r work . " - - Chief Internet and - - Chief Internet and

MediaOf f icer , E lements Behav ioralMediaOf f icer , E lements Behav ioral

HealthHealth


LongBeach,CaliforniaLongBeach,California

InterviewChiefInternetandMedia Officer ,ChiefInternetandMedia Officer ,ElementsBehavioral HealthElementsBehavioral Health

Quality: Qual ity:

Schedule: Schedule:

Cost: Cost:





Whatisyourroleatthecompany?Whatisyourroleatthecompany?

I'mthechiefInternetandmediaofficer.



Wehadpeoplepickingnamesforvariousdivisionsandprogramsthatwerenotverygood.Theywerealwaysdescriptiveversusevocative.Theywereclearlynotabletobeprotected.Theattorneyswerenothappywiththenamestheywerecomingupwith.So,wedecidedtolookathiringaprofessionalnamingcompany.Itwentverywell.Sincethen,we'veusedZinzinonanumberofotherprojectstonamebothprimaryprogramsandprogramswithinprograms.Basically,wewantedtofixtheproblemofcomingupwithterriblenamesonourown.

SOLUTIONSOLUTION

Pleasedescribethescopeoftheir work.Pleasedescribethescopeoftheir work.

Theydidafullanalysisofthecompetitivelandscapeandratedthenamesaccordingtohowgoodtheywereonascaleoffivetoone,afivebeingthebestandaveryevocativenamethatcancapturethespiritofabrandversusaonebeingcompletelydescriptive.Thecrudestexampleofadescriptivenamewouldbe"TheTreatmentCenter."Theytaughtuswhythesenamesarebadandwhythey'redifficulttoprotectandtobrandbecausethey'resogeneric,andthengaveusexamplesofnamesbothinourfieldandinotherfields.Whatwediscoveredwasthatthereweren'tverymanynamesinthetreatmentspacethatwereactuallygood.Thevastmajorityareverydescriptiveandgeneric.

WeretheyhelpingyouwiththedomainnameandmanagingWeretheyhelpingyouwiththedomainnameandmanaginga l l of that?al l of that?

Istartlookingveryearlyonatnameoptionsandhowthosewouldwork.Becauseofthenatureofourbusiness,youcanoftenaddamodifierto"TreatmentCenter,"soyoudon'thavetoworryasmuchaboutgettingaone-worddomainname.But,atthebeginning,wetalkedaboutthatandhowthemoreuniqueitis,theeasiertofindadomainnameandstandapart.Ifollowthatprocessnow.

Howlonghaveyoubeenworkingwiththem?Howlonghaveyoubeenworkingwiththem?

Aboutayearandahalf.

WhydidyouhireZinzinWhydidyouhireZinzinwithwhichtowork?withwhichtowork?

ThefirstthingthatdrewmetothemwasthefactthatwhenIwenttolookatnamingcompanies,Icouldn'tbelievehowmanywerecalled"TheNamingCompany"or"WeBuildBrands"andIthought,ifyouputyourmoneywhereyourmouthis,whydon'tyouhaveaninterestingname?ThatwasthefirstthingthatattractedmetoZinzin,anditturnedouttobeaninstinctivechoicebecausethey'vebeenverygoodforus.


Areyouhappywiththeresultsofthework?Areyouhappywiththeresultsofthework?

Ithasbeengreatintwoways.Thefirstwayisthatitmakesuslookatitdifferentlywhenwe'redevelopingabrandnewproductoraprogramthathasn'texistedbefore.Itreallymakesusfocusourattentiononwhatitisandhowwewanttoconveyittoouraudience.Second,Ithinkthenameshavebeengreat.Theyhavereallycapturedthespiritofwhateachprogramplanstodoinaveryevocativeandinterestingway.Ithasallowedustofocusourmarketingmaterialsbettertocreatestrongerbranding,bothvisuallyandwiththelanguageweuse.Peoplereallylikethenamesbecausetheyareunique.Itdrawspositiveattentiontous.


It'sagreatprocessfornotonlycomingupwithaname,butmakingyoufocusonyourbrandandthinkaboutwhatyourbrandpromisesbecausethat'ssocriticalindevelopingtherightname.It'saterrificrelationship.We'reonoureighthprojectwiththem.It'saverygoodprocess.It'sveryeffective.It'sfunandverycollaborative.They'resupersmart.Oneachround,theygetabetterandbetterunderstandingofwhatwedoinourbusiness.

IsthereanythinguniqueaboutZinzinthatreal lymakesthemstandout,comparedtootherIsthereanythinguniqueaboutZinzinthatreal lymakesthemstandout,comparedtoothercompanies?companies?



Whatstandsouttomeistheconsistencyintheirwork,theirprofessionalismandhowtheydelivertheirwork.They'rereallynicetoworkwith.They'refun.We'realwayslaughing.Ithinkit'sanicecollaboration.

Lookingbackontheworksofar ,isthereanyareathatyouthinktheycouldimproveuponor thatLookingbackontheworksofar ,isthereanyareathatyouthinktheycouldimproveuponor thatyoumightdodifferently?youmightdodifferently?

Honestly,no.Ihaven'thadanyproblemswithworkingwiththem.


Five.


Five.


Five.


Five.

Howl ikelyareyoutorecommendZinzintoa col league,outoff ive?Howl ikelyareyoutorecommendZinzintoa col league,outoff ive?

Five.Ihaveactuallyrecommendedthemtoothers.



Zinzinreview:Namingfore-LearningZinzinreview:Namingfore-LearningProductProduct

BrandingandcorporateidentityBrandingandcorporateidentity ConfidentialConfidential Nov1,2012Nov1,2012

Projectsummary



ThecompanyiseCornell,anonlineeducationcompanyownedbyCornellUniversity.

Whatisyourroleandresponsibi l i ties?Whatisyourroleandresponsibi l i ties?

I’mtheformerCEO.



eCornellhadbeenaroundfor11or12years.Wewereintheprocessoflaunchinganewproduct,adifferentwayofpackagingthelearningthatwasbothdelivereddifferentlyandpriceddifferentlythanhowitwasofferedtraditionally.Wewantedtodifferentiatefromourcorebrand.WehiredZinzintohelpuswiththatproductnamingchallenge.

Didyouhaveanyspecif icgoalsyouwerelookingfor inthatname?Didyouhaveanyspecif icgoalsyouwerelookingfor inthatname?

OneofthegoalsthatIhadwastobroadenthenetofpopularnamesthatwecoulduse.Usingourowntalentpool,

Projectsummary: Projectsummary: TheclientiseCornell,aproviderofonlineprofessionaldevelopmentcourses.TheyhiredZinzintohelpthemnameanewe-learningproducttheywerelaunching.Theywerelookingforanamethatwouldbeevocativetogenerateinterest,aswellasenduringandthatwouldresonatewiththeircorebrand.Theworktookplaceduringacoupleofmonthsin2012.

Feedbacksummary: Feedbacksummary: TheclientisextremelysatisfiedwithZinzin'swork.Zinzinwasabletotakeintoaccountthevariousopinionsoftheclient'sinternalteams,whilealsorecommendingfromtheirexpertisewhysomenameswerebetterthanothers.Theclientfeltthatitwasaneducationalexperienceforthem.Zinzinisdescribedashighlyprofessional,responsive,andcreative.Althoughtheproductitselfwaslesssuccessfulthanhoped,thenamewasverypositivelyreceivedasanappealing,differentiatedmark.Zinzinishighlyrecommendedtoothers.

"Theymet a l l the deadl i nes . Theywere"Theymet a l l the deadl i nes . Theywere

great at di s cuss i on. Theywere creat i vegreat at di s cuss i on. Theywere creat i ve

andhada l ot of great i deas . "andhada l ot of great i deas . " - - - -

Former CEO, eCornel lFormer CEO, eCornel l


I thaca,NYIthaca,NY

InterviewFormerCEOofeCornel lFormerCEOofeCornel l

Qual ity: Qual ity:

Schedule: Schedule:

Cost: Cost:





wehadfoundnothingeitherevocativeorprovocativeenough,andIwantedsomethingthatwasgoingtobeenduringandcouldgeneratesomeinterestandexcitementinthemarketplace,butsomethingthatwasappropriateandresonatedwithouroverhauledcorebrand.Havinganamethatwouldcapturepeople'simaginationswasimportantwiththatproduct.

SOLUTIONSOLUTION

Pleasedescribethescopeofthework.Pleasedescribethescopeofthework.

Theytookusthroughafour-stepprocessthattookacoupleofmonths.Wewentthroughaseriesofactivitiestohelpusarriveatthename.Itstartedinaveryhigh-levelwayinwhichtheydidn'tsharenameswithus,butwordsthathavecertainconceptsormeaningstogaugeourvisceralandemotionalreaction.Wewentthroughacoupleofspecificnamingexercises,reviewingsomenamesthattheyworkedonandwhytheychosethatname.Laterinthatprocess,theydidalloftheappropriatescreeningstomakesurethenamewaslegalalongwiththetrademarkoftheproduct,keepinginmindthecountryandregioninwhichweprovidetheproducttomakesureitdidn'thaveanyunintendednegativemeaning.

Weretheremultipleopinionsandstakeholdersinvolved,andi f so,howdidZinzinmanageWeretheremultipleopinionsandstakeholdersinvolved,andi f so,howdidZinzinmanagediffer ingviewpoints?differ ingviewpoints?

Yes.Theywereallinternalstakeholders,peoplefromproductdevelopment,marketing,andsalesteams.Thereweredefinitelydivergentopinions.Therewerethosewhowerelookingforsomethingmorepragmaticandutilitarian.Then,therewereotherswhoperhapsresonatedmorewithevocativenames.IthinkZinzindidagreatjobwithprovidingthenamesthroughthefeedbackthatcamefromthevariousstakeholders,butalsotryingtorepresentclearlywhytheythoughtsomenameshadmorevaluethanothersbasedontheirexperiencewithnames.Thewholeprocesswaseducationalforourteam.Inadditiontocomingupwithagreatnameintheend,everyonebenefitedfromtheprocessofworkingwiththem.

Iwouldsaythattheirapproachwasveryclientfocused.TheywereveryresponsivetohowIwantedtomapouttheprocess.Theyweren'tsoclientresponsivethatthey[onlyresponded]towhatwasrecommendedbysomeofthestakeholders,buttheyreallytriedtoholdtruetowhattheybelievearegoodprinciplesinbrandnaming.

Whendidtheworktakeplace?Whendidtheworktakeplace?

Itwasinthefallof2012.

WhydidyouselectZinWhydidyouselectZinzinzinwithwhichtowork?withwhichtowork?

Iresearchedonlytwoorthreeorganizations.Wewereunderashorttimeline.TheteamatZinzinrespondedrightawaytomyinquiry.Theyhadgreatskillsingettingtotheproblemincomparisonwithotherswhowereabitmoreformulaic.Jay[Jurisch,creativedirectoratZinzin]andhisteamreallytriedtounderstandwherewewereintermsofproductevolution.Theprofessionalismoftheirresponsewasgreat.Pricingwise,theywereintherangeoftheircompetitors,butthelevelofattentiontoserviceandtheirenergyandenthusiasmweremuchstronger.


Howwouldyoudescribetheresults?Howwouldyoudescribetheresults?

Oneofthesuccesseswasinternally.Itimmediatelyworked.Thenamebuiltexcitementforthepeopleworkingonhowitwouldberepresentedinternally.Inthemarketplace,theproductneverendedupbeingquiteassuccessfulaswehadhoped.Thatwasn'tanythingtodowiththename.Therewereelementstooursalesstrategyandsoon.But,thatsaid,itwasaclearlydifferentiatedmarkanditworkswellwithanyandallbrandidentity.Whereweuseitinpracticehasastrongappealtous.Iendedupbeingsatisfiedwiththeoutcomeofthatproject.


It'sexcellent.Theywereresponsive.Theymetallthedeadlines.Theyweregreatatdiscussion.Theywerecreativeandhadalotofgreatideas.

IsthereanythinguniqueaboutZinzinthatreal lymakesthemstandoutcomparedtootherIsthereanythinguniqueaboutZinzinthatreal lymakesthemstandoutcomparedtoothercompanies?companies?

Theirperformanceandclientservicementalityisstrong,combinedwiththeirabilitytobecreative.Youdon'talways



getthosetwothingstogether.

Lookingbackontheworksofar ,isthereanyareathatyouthinktheycouldimproveuponor thatLookingbackontheworksofar ,isthereanyareathatyouthinktheycouldimproveuponor thatyoumightdodifferently?youmightdodifferently?

Nothingcomestomind.


Five.


Five.


Five.


Five.

Howl ikelyareyoutorecommendZinzintoa col league,outoff ive?Howl ikelyareyoutorecommendZinzintoa col league,outoff ive?

Five.

naming & branding for rubicon float studio · hone in on something that we were comfortable...

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