The naming workshop: where the naming process begins

A naming workshop is a guided, structured session held at the start of a naming project. Its goal: to work with the clients’ team to develop the strategic guidelines for the naming process. What should the name achieve? For which markets? In what context? The outcome is an approved requirements profile that guides the creative process and provides an objective basis for later evaluation.

This is the definition. In practice, I’ve noticed one thing in particular: the workshop is the moment when a naming project finds its direction. Or it doesn’t.

When companies hear the term “naming workshop,” lots of people think of a brainstorming session: everyone sits together, throws out ideas, and by the end, there are thirty names on the whiteboard. I get where they’re coming from. But experience shows that those thirty names rarely stand up to scrutiny. Not linguistically, not legally, and not strategically.

The problem isn’t the creativity of the people involved. The problem is the lack of evaluation criteria. Without a set of requirements, every naming decision becomes a matter of taste. And matters of taste lead to endless debates: Sales wants something catchy, the technical team wants precision, the management wants an international approach. Everyone is right. And that’s exactly why no one is making any progress.

My experience has shown that not every client needs the same thing when it comes to workshops. That’s why I use two different formats.

Here, we work together to develop the requirements profile for a specific naming project. Positioning, target audiences, market environment, naming strategy, legal framework: everything that needs to be clarified before the first name is created. My team then takes over the creative process. This approach is used at the beginning of most projects for which we are fully responsible.

This is all about knowledge transfer. The client team learns the basics of professional naming: naming strategies, levels of abstraction, creative techniques ranging from mind mapping to the 6-3-5 method, and evaluation criteria. The team then creates the names themselves; we provide the methodology, facilitate the process, and handle the qualitative evaluation, linguistic review, and trademark research. This format is ideal for companies that regularly name new products or technologies and want to build internal expertise in this area.

The principle behind both formats is the same: strategy before creation. No name without a direction.

Every workshop is different; the building blocks remain the same.

• We clarify the positioning: Where does the company stand, what is the product, and who makes the purchasing decisions?
• We analyze the competitive landscape: What naming conventions exist in the industry, and where are the opportunities for differentiation?
• We discuss the naming strategy: Should the name describe, evoke associations, symbolize, or be completely independent?
• And we define the framework: brand categories, target markets, domain requirements, and existing guidelines

That sounds like a lot. In practice, it goes quickly if the preparation is right and the right people are in the room.

The composition decides on the effectiveness. Too many participants slow things down; not enough people narrow down the options. A core team of four to seven people has proven to be effective:

• project leaders from marketing or product management,
• someone with decision-making authority from senior management,
• a representative from sales if needed (since sales is the department that mentions the name most often), and
• for international projects, a representative from the target market.

One thing I’ve noticed over and over again in 26 years: The most common cause of delays in the naming process is people who weren’t at the workshop raising concerns after the name was chosen. Anyone who has a say in the final decision should be part of the discussion from the beginning!

A naming workshop isn’t something you should attend unprepared. But it doesn’t require a fully developed briefing either. What helps: a description of the product or company, its positioning (if available), the main competitors and their names, the target markets and target audiences, and existing brand guidelines. If something is missing, that’s not a problem. That’s exactly what the workshop is for.

What doesn’t help: an internal list of twenty favorites that “just need to be reviewed.” The workshop works better when it starts with an open mind.

Both approaches work. In-person workshops create a dynamic atmosphere and facilitate creative group work. Remote workshops reduce travel time and enable international participants to join; however, they are more challenging and require greater concentration and discipline. Trying to quickly respond to emails and chat messages on the side makes it difficult.

The duration and format depend on the project: A focused kick-off meeting typically lasts half a day; a training workshop that includes theory, creative techniques, and initial application can take a full day.

The result is an approved name requirements profile. It outlines what the name is supposed to achieve: functionally, emotionally, legally, and internationally. It defines the type of name, the evaluation criteria, and the creative scope.

But the requirements profile is more than just a document. It is the standard that ensures the naming decision isn’t left up to the opinion of the loudest person in the room. It transforms an opinion into a justified decision—one that is transparent to management, the executive board, the advisory board, and the sales team.

Are you planning a naming project and want to know which workshop format is right for your project? Get in touch with us.