When naming, companies often make a fundamental mistake about the nature of risk. The faulty assumption is that a company needs a descriptive name in order to "describe what it does," or what its product does. Or an experiential name to refer as … [Read More...] about The real risky business of naming
Zinzin is a naming agency. We create company, product, and service names for established firms, next new things, and breakout brands.
The Beginning of a Naming Adventure
At Zinzin, we believe in the power of real, human language, in names that have rich meaning and depth. Names that are born from a rigorous, logical, and battle-tested naming process, yet aspire to poetry and art. When you have a great name, people will remember it, talk about it, and develop an emotional connection to your brand. We want to help you dream big.
Theory & Practice
The Value of a Powerful Name
A powerful name elevates a brand above and beyond the particular goods or services being sold and creates a memorable and lasting impression out in the world. Such names tell rich stories by drawing from a deep pool of meaning, history, myth, culture, and language. With a powerful name, you don't have to spend as much precious marketing capital trying to convince the world of your uniqueness — you are unique. Here are a few recent examples from our Portfolio:

NAME: Highwire, the Partner Elevation Platform for capital projects & operations.
BRAND POSITIONING: Highwire figuratively refers to doing something with inherent danger or risk, such as capital project construction and risk mitigation. The name Highwire succeeds at the delicate balancing act of representing this innovative company and its capabilities on multiple levels.
MORE: Read the Highwire case study.

NAME: Antimatter, a company and technology infrastructure name for B2B SaaS.
BRAND POSITIONING: Antimatter connotes the future-forward, creative, and complex elegance of game-changing technology, science, and design. With this new "invisible layer" of data security that "slides" into place, Antimatter transparently encrypts customer data. Even though it's invisible, it's there.
MORE: Read the Antimatter case study.

NAME: Limbo, a transformative health & wellness platform and company name.
BRAND POSITIONING: Limbo, evokes the unique, complex, and ultimately optimistic nature of this game-changing technology platform that uses a combination of biodata and behavioral psychology driving nudges to change a person's behavior. Small changes add up to lasting habits when you stay "in Limbo."
MORE: Read the Limbo case study.
Some Of Our Fabulous Clients
3M, ABC Television, Alcatel, Alloy, AMC Television, Anthology, Clutch, CMT (TV), Commune Hotels, Compass Learning, Constellation Brands, Criterion, Daybreak Games, E.&J. Gallo, Éclair Naturals, eCornell, Elements Behavioral Health, Ember Technologies, Exos, F5 Networks, FiftyOne, Fluent, FUJIFILM SonoSite GameChanger Media, GE Healthcare, General Dynamics Mission Systems, IFG, Georgia-Pacific, Google, GP PRO, Gravy, GSN Games, Honeywell Aerospace, Insight Pharmaceuticals, Intel, Interstate Batteries, Jabra, Larky, Lore, Mojo Vision, Move Inc, Moxie Software, NCM, Nielsen, Obo, Parkwood Entertainment, Participant Media, PepsiCo, Raytheon, Rubicon, Target, TCF Bank, Universum, Virgin Hotels, and ZS Associates.
Whether you are a startup developing your first brand or an established company that’s been around the block before, our naming guide, The Art of Naming, will help clarify the naming process.
Hue & Cry

The Mother of All Brand Names
By Ali Sell
What inspires a great brand name? For Zinzin, it's getting outside of ourselves, our specialty, our industry. Sometimes, stepping outside of our familiar spaces sparks unexpected connections and other mind wanderings. For instance, we're big fans of … [Read More...] about The Mother of All Brand Names
Stories are how we connect with each other, and how we become emotionally engaged with brands. Names that tell stories are much more powerful than names that do not. Storytelling is how you turn a name that might belong to any company or product into a powerful brand that can only belong to you. (See our Manifesto for more about our naming philosophy.)

Great names have the potential to generate smiles, word-of-mouth buzz, and press interest. Visit our Press page to see our coverage.
Let's talk. In conversation we can go into greater detail about your unique project and our process and philosophy. We specialize in brand name development, tagline development, brand positioning, brand architecture, trademark prescreening, global linguistic screening, and domain name and social media naming issues. We look forward to continuing the conversation — fill out our handy Contact form or give us a call at 415-857-5775.