“FAIL: Why Most Brand Names Suck”
Recently, Pollywog had the privilege of speaking to design and technology students at Rasmussen College in Brooklyn Park, MN. Here is a recording of that 23-minute presentation.
Making Some Headway
In 1970, a small group of parents in Richfield, MN began meeting in a vacant commercial space to discuss the needs of suburban families that were not being met by more urban-centric programs. Their venue became their name: Storefront. Over time, they relocated, expanded and grew out of their name, yet continued to operate under it for 40 years.
Last year, Storefront asked Pollywog to help them develop a new name and brand identity to more clearly communicate the value of what they bring to the community–comprehensive and effective mental health treatment, intervention and education that can transform lives.
The new brand was unveiled this month on the group’s Web site: Headway Emotional Health Services.
We’re very proud of the work we did for Headway–and pleased again to have provided affordable, effective branding for a worthy cause.
A Small Price to Spay
Animal welfare advocates agree: The best way to reduce the heartbreaking volume of animals euthanized by overcrowded shelters is to prevent unwanted litters.
But when times are tough, a lot of pet owners can’t afford to neuter their animals, which ultimately results in more unwanted litters.
To address this problem, the Animal Humane Society (AHS), the leading animal welfare organization in the Midwest, teamed up with a local veterinarian to introduce a subsidized spay/neuter service for low-income pet owners, delivered by way of two mobile surgical units. Pet owners can sterilize their dog, cat or rabbit for a fee ranging from $35-$100–a substantial discount over regular veterinary costs.
AHS asked Pollywog to lead the naming of this new service. Because sterilization surgery is key to saving more animals–and because the service is made possible through the generous donations of strangers–we recommended “Kindest Cut.”
Logo and brand identity were created by our friends at Sussner Design.
We count it a privilege to work on such an important cause and look forward to partnering with the Animal Humane Society on future projects.
Sprockets: A “Hopeful Ray of Sunshine”
From the It’s Nice To Be Noticed Department comes this—a thoughtful (and completely unsolicited!) response from someone who really understands what the Sprockets brand can do for the community:
Mired in a series of budget cuts, union issues, declining enrollment and a persistent and staggering gap in achievement between student groups, the Sprockets “power name” provides a very strong platform and hopeful ray of sunshine that the strife-ridden local education environment can use as a flash-point to spark a fresh approach to things.
Let’s hope that in addition to engaging and inspiring struggling students in our urban education environment, the vibrant, value-add of the Sprockets brand can give a much-needed extra-curricular boost to the tone and essence of the struggling district leadership as well.
Katherine Emmonds is a Minneapolis-based writer who specializes in civic engagement, education, science, the arts, innovation and creativity. Thanks for the kind words, Katherine!
You can read the rest of Katherine’s blog post here.
St. Paul Kids Find Out What Moves Them
How do you increase high school graduation rates by more than 90%? Get kids to keep learning, even when they’re not in school.
And how do you do that? By offering them such a wide range of learning opportunities, they can fill their out-of-school time with activities they love–and in so doing, find out what they’re really good at.
That’s the idea behind a new initiative from the City of Saint Paul. The program coordinates the city’s many existing resources to offer kids hundreds of free or low-cost activities and programs, from art to basketball to reading to music to math tutoring.
Key to the initiative’s success was its brand, which had to be youthful (but not too young), fun (but not flippant), and somehow communicate the idea of an interconnected network (without being complicated).
Pollywog led a diverse group of influencers and decision-makers–including the Mayor’s Office, school board, library system, parks and recreation department, Youth Commission and students themselves–through the branding process to give this innovative program the energetic, youthful name it deserved, along with an aspirational tagline.
Sprockets. Find out what moves you.
The brand identity–and this cool little spot–were created by our friends at Peggy Lauritsen Design Group.
Pollywog on the Peter McClellan Show
Pollywog founders John Stucker and Devon Thomas Treadwell appeared this week on Business Radio AM1570′s Peter McClellan Show. Among the topics covered: What makes a brand name powerful? And why does today’s competitive market require a new approach to naming and branding?
“Scent of the Missing” Finds Early Success
Sales are brisk for Pollywog-named Scent of the Missing, a new memoir by Susannah Charleson, named by Pollywog and released this month by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Scent of the Missing chronicles the author’s adventures with her golden retriever as members of a Texas-based canine search and rescue team.
Since the book’s release on April 13, Susannah and Puzzle have been making the media rounds, talking to reporters curious about the inner workings of canine search and rescue and remarkable abilities of SAR dogs. Susannah says, “Across a baker’s dozen interviews in the past 10 days, I have been called Suzanne Charleson, Susannah Carlson, Susannah Charleston, and Shewanna Charleson. That said, the book’s title has always been correct.”
Canine search and rescue is a fascinating subject that appeals to a wide swath of readers, and the writing itself is top-notch. But we also know that the book’s title has helped propel its success: We learned that Houghton insiders, when presented with a list of upcoming books to peruse on their Kindles, selected Scent of the Missing because the title intrigued them.
See also the official Scent of the Missing Web site.
Pollywog to Present at Business Marketing Association
Brand Naming for the Digital Age
Forget everything you know about naming for B2B—the rules are changing. Five converging trends are having a profound effect on how well brand names perform.
Will your brand have the power to compete in the coming years? How will you know if it’s time to rebrand? If you’re introducing a new brand, what should you know about naming?
John Stucker and Devon Thomas Treadwell, founders of Pollywog, will share how Medtronic and other B2B leaders have created names that succeed in the digital age and how a powerful name can propel the success of your business.
Presentation Highlights:
- Brand Naming through the Ages
- Converging Trends Affecting Naming for B2B Marketers
- What a Brand Name Needs to Succeed in the Digital Age
- Power Names
- Elements of a Power Name
- What a Power Name Does for a Brand
- Is Your Brand Working For You or Against You?
A members-only networking event will be held immediately following the event (9-9:30 a.m.) to discuss presentation highlights.
What: Business Marketing Association, Minnesota Chapter
When: April 20, 2010
Time: 7:30 a.m. Registration and breakfast — 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. Presentation
Where: Metropolitan Ballroom, 5418 Wayzata Blvd Minneapolis, MN 55416
Cost: Members $30 / Non Members $45
Registration link: https://www.123signup.com/register?id=mzqpv
Register by April 16
Introducing Ground Control™ Self-Raising Wind Towers
Pollywog recently worked with American Resource & Energy to position and name its flagship product for the small wind industry: Ground Control™ self-raising towers.
Ground Control towers are the only nonhydraulic wind tower that can be raised and lowered by just one person–for maintenance on the wind turbine, or to protect the turbine from damaging winds.
This technology effectively creates the new category of self-raising wind towers, enabling the expansion of wind energy into new markets: coastal areas vulnerable to hurricanes/typhoons, areas too remote for dealer servicing and small operators everywhere who lack the crew and heavy equipment needed to raise and lower conventional towers.
Pollywog on the Ed Schultz Show
Last week, Devon Thomas Treadwell, Principal of Pollywog, was interviewed by Ed Schultz on his nationally radio syndicated show. Listen here: