Phoenix Brand Evocation

The Method

In times of seemingly endless choices and marketing blitz, people decide in an instant what's worth their attention and time.
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A company's name is often the first thing anyone will encounter. The brand name is your first impression and the mental anchor for all other associations tied to your brand. A great name piques attention and makes people wonder what's the story behind it.

Unfortunately, many business owners and marketers are scared of unique names that don't please everybody. They water down, test, and compromise until all brand names sound the same.

We believe that creativity always requires a healthy dose of uncertainty–that's how we create something that nobody has done before. We will evoke your brand name here at the Phoenix Brand Consultancy with our signature two-week process. Together, we'll find the perfect brand name for your startups, small business, or product.

The Four Stages of naming

1 – Define the spectrum

Tie briefing into brand strategy

At the beginning of our brand evocation project, we define the jobs of your brand name. We tie the briefing into your brand strategy, look at your competitors and create a custom evaluation matrix–so we can be objective about this important decision.

2 – Explore the highs and lows

Find hundreds of names

Now, it's going to get weird. We'll come up with hundreds of very different brand names through creative exercises. There will be descriptive, experiential, invented, and evocative names. We'll give you the story for each name and explain their potential.

3 – Practice for perfection

Screen, vet and eliminate

Before we pick a winner, we have to determine if your favorite names have the right stuff. We check if your name means "buttcrack" in a different language. We also scan if somebody in your field already uses your name and investigate your options for domains.

4 – Sing the melody

Find the winning name

After two rounds of naming, we'll have a shortlist of solid names rooted in your brand strategy that will help you stand out from the crowd. Now, you'll have to take courage and trust that it's just a matter of time until your new name will feel like it has always been there.

The Timing

Week 1

Week 2

We define the briefing, look at the competitive namescape, and create a custom quality matrix. We present the first batch of 8-10 names with stories and context feedback at the end of the week.

We integrate your ideas and present two additional names with your favorites from the first batch. We screen all names for trademark popularity, domain availability, cultural and linguistic viability. In our final presentation, we'll recommend a finalist.

The Deliverable

Naming Summary (PDF) with all shortlisted 10-13 names, context, examples and the results of the screening.

Testimonials

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FAQ

Does this offer include trademark application or domain purchase?

No. We offer a similarity search with publicly available databases to help you with decision-making. For full legal clearance and application, you need to hire a trademark attorney. We can recommend attorneys for EU trademarks. Also the domain purchase happens on your side. We'll include available domains in the naming presentations to guide your way.
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We have our own Brand Name ideas – can they be considered?

Yes, we will consider your ideas. We'll add them to our custom evaluation sheet and present them if they make the quality cut.

I’m ready to start! What’s my next step?

Fantastic! The next step would be to schedule an initial call with us here. The purpose of this call is to confirm that we’re a good fit to work together, discuss the project timeline (depending on your goals and our availability) and then we’ll send over the proposal for you to sign.

How much does working with you cost?

Our services are designed for pre-seed and seed stage startups with $500K-$2M in investment. After a call and talking about your needs and goals, we'll make you an offer with detailed pricing. A general rule of thumb is to spend about 5–15% of your total startup budget on a branding project.

Do you offer payment plans?

Yes, we offer startup-friendly payment plans. We'll tell you more about your options during our call.

Do you offer discounts?

We offer significant price advantages for marginalized founders to help them navigate the funding gaps. You'll find more information about our pricing structure here.

How do we know you are the right fit for us?

That's a great question. Book a strategy consultation before a bigger project. That is the best way to find out if we like and trust each other.

Do you only work with women?

No. But we prioritize startups with at least one female or non-binary co-founder or c-level executive. These marginalized groups of entrepreneurs are widely underfunded, overworked, and undervalued. We dedicate our energy to them. We're happy to connect you with highly-qualified professionals to join your c-ranks.

Which countries do you work with?

The Phoenix Brand Consultancy is based in Munich Germany (come see our beergardens ;)). We work remotely and collaborate with startups from Europe and the US.

Phoenix Brand Naming