For many companies, the prospect of hiring a naming agency is filled with nearly as much uncertainty as the process of naming itself. In order to feel more confident with your selection of a naming company, regardless of who you ultimately hire to do the job, here are Ten Criteria For Selecting A Naming Agency:

1. Check out the agency’s portfolio. Have they created any great names, or any names at all? Do they demonstrate the ability to create a range of names, or a narrow niche? Do any of the names resonate with you?
2. Does the agency have a well-developed process for creating names?
3. Is their process public and easy to understand, or is it missing in action, hidden behind a proprietary TM-branded “black box,” or riddled with alienating biz-speak and obfuscating consultant diagrams?
4. Is their naming process interactive, demanding your involvement throughout, or do they just go away for a month or two, return with 5 names and say, “pick one”? (Ours, BTW, is very hands-on and interactive.)
5. Does the agency have a clear philosophy of naming? Do you get the sense that they are passionate about naming? That they fully understand all aspects of the naming process and can communicate that clearly when you speak with them?
6. Does the agency have a blog and a presence on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or other social media? If so, are they active? Do they have anything interesting to say? Do they have strong opinions that they are not afraid to share? Do they engage in conversations, or is it mostly just one-way marketing chatter that’s all about them and how awesome they are?
7. Can you get a company principal on the phone to discuss your project, or are you routed to “account rep” intermediaries? Are they helpful, and do you get a sense that they actively listen to you and understand your concerns?
8. Are they industry thought leaders, or followers?
9. Do you get the sense that working with this agency will be a creative joy, a waste of your time, or even downright drudgery?
10. Has the agency, with their own name, gone above and beyond being a generic commodity? Is their own name any good? (Surprisingly, many naming companies have generic names that cause them to be indistinguishable from each other, defeating the most important purpose of naming. Go figure.)