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Don't Call It That: A Naming Workbook
DON'T CALL IT THAT is a step-by-step workbook that will guide you through the naming process. A Hundred Monkeys Creative Director, Eli Altman, will help you develop attention grabbing names that speak to your audience and establish the seed of your brand.
- GenresBusinessDesignNonfiction
78 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2013
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321 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 15, 2015
a solid guide for the eager entrepreneur to check ideas against with some very actionable advice in the second half of the book. not much meat here for media professionals. on the whole i wish i'd been able to read it on slideshare for free (big fonts = "enough pages" for a book). i don't feel good about having paid new retail for it, but for someone who is starting a company and needs help naming, this would be a worthwhile read and mini workshop.
July 21, 2017
I picked up this book because our company is going through a name change. I don't consider myself a creative type--something I'm beginning to rethink--so we hired a consultant to help us. He is a great guy to work with, and he has exponentially more experience at this than our whole team put together, but the process turned out to not be what I expected. I guess I expected him to come in, learn our business, then come back in a week or two with 5 names, of which 2 or 3 would wow us all. And that would be that. Update the logos on our website, submit a legal form or two, and buy t-shirts for a kickoff party.
That ain't how it works, folks. It took 8 meetings and lots of confusion to get to a name that the stakeholders in the room could agree to. I didn't say that we loved it, it took that long to just agree on a name we could all live with. After the process was over, I went to the internet to try to figure out what had happened, and I ran into this book. After what we paid the consultant, the $25 price tag felt like pocket change, so I bought it.
What I found was that for $25 I got many weeks worth of experience and ah-ha moments packaged in about 45 minutes of reading (there are a lot of pictures in this book). Here are a few of my key take aways from this book:
-It still came down to picking a name you like. Not very scientific. It did help to have guidance in our brainstorming, and to hear some experiential common sense about what to stay away from, but just picking a name that I like does not feel satisfying. Maybe I just lack confidence, but I want some kind of data to indicate that I'm making a good decision.
-All too often this book said to write down wild names, awful names, boring names, good names, etc. If I knew how to distinguish between a "good name" and an "awful name" I probably wouldn't have bought that book. There are examples of names I think are awful, but are they awful? What is the criteria for that? I didn't know then, and after reading the book, I still don't know.
-And then there is the name of his company A Hundred Monkeys. Sure it is memorable, but, well, it sounds awful to me. Why would I want to do business with a bunch of animals? I don't even like animals. Maybe I am on my own there, but then again, I think I'm dead in his target market at the moment, so wouldn't that mean he missed his market with his name? (Although the rest of his marking worked obviously, since I found and bought the book.) Maybe that just goes to show that the name, and even the branding/marketing (the book is an eyeblinding flourescent orange) doesn't matter as much as the content.
Was it worth $25? Yes, but then it wasn't MY $25 that paid for it:) Is it worth a read if you are naming something? Yes. Will it function as a handbook to help you produce a name by the end? YMMV, but for me, no. It did quickly help me get the lessons that I gained from working with a consultant for 3 months, but it is not the magic bullet I was hoping for.
That ain't how it works, folks. It took 8 meetings and lots of confusion to get to a name that the stakeholders in the room could agree to. I didn't say that we loved it, it took that long to just agree on a name we could all live with. After the process was over, I went to the internet to try to figure out what had happened, and I ran into this book. After what we paid the consultant, the $25 price tag felt like pocket change, so I bought it.
What I found was that for $25 I got many weeks worth of experience and ah-ha moments packaged in about 45 minutes of reading (there are a lot of pictures in this book). Here are a few of my key take aways from this book:
-It still came down to picking a name you like. Not very scientific. It did help to have guidance in our brainstorming, and to hear some experiential common sense about what to stay away from, but just picking a name that I like does not feel satisfying. Maybe I just lack confidence, but I want some kind of data to indicate that I'm making a good decision.
-All too often this book said to write down wild names, awful names, boring names, good names, etc. If I knew how to distinguish between a "good name" and an "awful name" I probably wouldn't have bought that book. There are examples of names I think are awful, but are they awful? What is the criteria for that? I didn't know then, and after reading the book, I still don't know.
-And then there is the name of his company A Hundred Monkeys. Sure it is memorable, but, well, it sounds awful to me. Why would I want to do business with a bunch of animals? I don't even like animals. Maybe I am on my own there, but then again, I think I'm dead in his target market at the moment, so wouldn't that mean he missed his market with his name? (Although the rest of his marking worked obviously, since I found and bought the book.) Maybe that just goes to show that the name, and even the branding/marketing (the book is an eyeblinding flourescent orange) doesn't matter as much as the content.
Was it worth $25? Yes, but then it wasn't MY $25 that paid for it:) Is it worth a read if you are naming something? Yes. Will it function as a handbook to help you produce a name by the end? YMMV, but for me, no. It did quickly help me get the lessons that I gained from working with a consultant for 3 months, but it is not the magic bullet I was hoping for.
April 22, 2019
Very helpful for work project i had.
April 12, 2019
“It’s a little like looking at a baby and saying, “There’s no way he’ll be the next Michael Jordan.” Not with that attitude he won’t.”
This book definitely sets the right vibe and you can definitely tell it comes from people that love what they do, they do it right and they have the right attitude to transmit what they meant with this workbook.
Even if you don’t want to name something just get it for the creativity boost and the thinking process of what’s a good name and how to appreciate the bad ones that teach you the difference :)
This book definitely sets the right vibe and you can definitely tell it comes from people that love what they do, they do it right and they have the right attitude to transmit what they meant with this workbook.
Even if you don’t want to name something just get it for the creativity boost and the thinking process of what’s a good name and how to appreciate the bad ones that teach you the difference :)
March 9, 2018
Not a book you want to read if you are looking for inspirations or case studies. This is a workbook so if you are ready to come up with names for your businesses, products, services then this book will provide a quick process and practical tips.
November 7, 2020
Good and valuable information. This book will guide you towards naming a brand or product but don't expect detailed case studies (they're available everywhere on the net anyway).
I do recommend this book to everyone who is stuck or feels frustrated about naming things.
I do recommend this book to everyone who is stuck or feels frustrated about naming things.
January 19, 2021
Another helpful guide on naming brands. Includes worksheets and visuals to stimulate practice. "If your name sounds like everyone else's why should people believe your not like everyone else?"
March 9, 2024
If you do marketing — this will help you name things!! Love the questions and workbook space
December 10, 2024
Not as good as his other book.
February 25, 2017
Excellent, quick read
While this book is in opposition to many other branding books, its because it's based on a common sense approach. For example, many naming books freak out over ensuring you get the dotcom. This book does not and rightfully points out that if people are interested, they'll find you. True.
But this one if you need an intro or a quick primer, and if you're an old school brander that doesn't get digital, buy this book and memorize it.
While this book is in opposition to many other branding books, its because it's based on a common sense approach. For example, many naming books freak out over ensuring you get the dotcom. This book does not and rightfully points out that if people are interested, they'll find you. True.
But this one if you need an intro or a quick primer, and if you're an old school brander that doesn't get digital, buy this book and memorize it.
May 14, 2020
A very digestible and interactive workbook by one of the best in the naming business, full of helpful insights and thought-provoking questions. I run a design studio and often come back to this book when we work on branding projects that have a naming component.
March 4, 2014
Loved the attitude and insight.
No dry rhetoric and no pandering to convention.
This book is brutally honest and absolutely useful.
No dry rhetoric and no pandering to convention.
This book is brutally honest and absolutely useful.
February 4, 2016
A common-sense guide to naming businesses.
November 26, 2016
Practical book on product/brand naming written by the principal of One Hundred Monkeys. If you can't afford to hire a naming agency, you wouldn't wrong by reading/using this book.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews