"Queequeg was a native of Rokovoko, an island far away to the West and South. It is not down in any map; true places never are." ~Herman Melville, Moby-Dick … [Read More...] about Fictional places & states of mind: Rokovoko
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: ZEO, a suite of consumer banking services.
BRAND POSITION: Freedom, convenience, control, and simplicity. The name itself had to be cool, hip, and techy, yet casual and approachable. Our name, ZEO, evokes a new ("neo"), empowering, and aspirational approach to personal finance, with a fun, energetic, and friendly vibe.
MORE: Read the ZEO case study.
NAME: Éclair, a natural body care brand that's good enough to eat.
BRAND POSITION: Fresh, sophisticated, elegant, fun, and tasty, Éclair perfectly represents a "luxury for everyone" brand experience. The oscillation between quotidian and sophisticated, creamy and illuminated, generates creative friction that gives this brand great power and resonance.
MORE: Read the Éclair case study.
NAME: Alloy, a Personal training company and fitness brand.
BRAND POSITION: Alloy represents a combination of elements coming together to create something bigger, stronger, and longer-lasting, just like the Alloy system does when combined with an individual trainer's skill, passion and know-how. It's where strength and motion meet.
MORE: Read the Alloy case study.
Some Of Our Fabulous Clients
ABC Television, Alloy, AMC Television, Anthology, Clutch, CMT (TV), Commune Hotels, Compass Learning, Constellation Brands, Criterion, DST Health Solutions, E.&J. Gallo Winery, Éclair Naturals, eCornell, Elements Behavioral Health, Exos, FiftyOne, Fluent, Google, Gravy, GSN Games, Honeywell Aerospace, Insight Pharmaceuticals, Intel, Interstate Batteries, Jabra, Larky, Listrak, Lore, Move Inc, Moxie Software, Parkwood Entertainment, Participant Media, PennWell, PepsiCo, Take Care, TCF Bank, and Universum.
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 for you.
Hue & Cry
Industry Jargon: Development Mule
I recently came across the term "development mule" in an article at Jalopnik, and several Ford Mustang "mules" were featured in director David Gelb's A Faster Horse, which documents the design, production, and development of the 2015 Mustang. I was … [Read More...] about Industry Jargon: Development Mule
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 our our handy Contact form or give us a call at 415-857-5775.