Know-How Exchange : Taglines/Names

Let's deal with this project exactly as you would with one of your clients -- by drafting a formal Creative Brief.

Who is the target audience? (Be very specific.) What are their most important needs? How do they make a decision on which advertising agency to hire? What words do they use to describe their "perfect" advertising agency? What agencies have they used in the past? What did they like/dislike about each?

Who is your competition? What are they saying about themselves? What makes you different from, and better than, the competition (for your specific target audience)? Which clients are you not-so-perfect for? Why?

How will you judge the names we come up with? What are the criteria you'll use to pick a winner?

Aren't these the things you'd ask a new client? And if this is a serious and important project for your agency, then shouldn't you engage professionals to lead you through this process?

We can throw out some ideas once we have answers to these questions, but the real project needs to be more formal than this, and tackled in-depth by professional positioning and strategy experts. This isn't the time for quick hits or bump-and-run sound-bites. Your name is the way your prospective clients will form their first impressions of you ... and we all know how important those first impressions can be.

J Falter Thompson
N.W. Error
Young & Whatascam

one approach that you could use would be to do a Google search on something like, . "Largest advertising agencies." Or "most successful advertising agencies."

I think you will find that many firms have very generic names.

As an outbound marketing company, I have often promoted firms with very specific and catchy names... names that sounded good as they started their business, but that no longer fit their current offerings. And we had to explain why the company no longer matched yesterday's idea.

Without any more specifics from you, consider the (available domain) AdverTomorrow.com

Hi, Mgoodman.

I agree and here are the answers.

Who is the target audience?
Small and large business who needs an integrated 360 degree marketing and communications intervention or who are seeking a new agency because their existing agency has "run out of ideas"

What are their most important needs?
fast turnaround. new ideas. how can we help them differentiate themselves in the market

How do they make a decision on which advertising agency to hire?
cost, graphic team, ability to understand their business and execute on the goals and objectives of the company.

What words do they use to describe their "perfect" advertising agency?
proactive, innovative

What agencies have they used in the past? What did they like/dislike about each?
high costs, inexperienced staff, slow turnaround, not understanding their business

Who is your competition? varied - other agencies in the market

What are they saying about themselves? What makes you different from, and better than, the competition (for your specific target audience)? Which clients are you not-so-perfect for? Why?
they are saying that they have a great creative team.
We are different because we use the best talent at best prices

How will you judge the names we come up with? What are the criteria you'll use to pick a winner?
One that is creative and different and brings to life the agency.

Aren't these the things you'd ask a new client? And if this is a serious and important project for your agency, then shouldn't you engage professionals to lead you through this process?
I am someone who is going to open an advertising agency. i have no clients as yet

We can throw out some ideas once we have answers to these questions, but the real project needs to be more formal than this, and tackled in-depth by professional positioning and strategy experts. This isn't the time for quick hits or bump-and-run sound-bites. Your name is the way your prospective clients will form their first impressions of you ... and we all know how important those first impressions can be.