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Wherewords is the story of where words and names come from (etymology)
but it's also the story of where words and names are going (neology)
Steve Cecil is a shortform copywriter and verbal branding professional
specializing in 9-letter novels (names) and 6-syllable sagas (taglines)
stevececil@comcast.net
(650) 595-2856
PO Box 1484
San Carlos CA 94070
I'm glad you're here, because that probably means you have a naming problem; and after all, that's one of the few things
I can help you with. I work to discover the genuine 'aboutness' of your product or service, then translate that promise
into authentic brand expression for the marketplace.
My brain thinks in pictures that come out as words, and last year I created over 27,000 candidate names and taglines for
76 agencies and their clients -- proving that in this business you have to be wrong a lot to be right at all!
From gum to rum, from shoes to shampoos, from soft drinks to software, I've been the lead creative copywriter on nearly
500 product or corporate identity projects over the past decade. Fun is where you find it, and I find it in words. They
don't just obey me, they want to please me.
For example, couple weeks before a recent analyst's meeting AMD found the name they'd planned to use announcing a
new open chip architecture was unavailable to them. In order to convey the raw speed advantage of the technology as
well as the onslaught of partner's products expected to immediately incorporate it, I named the microprocessor integration
initiative Torrenza (a completely made-up word that did not even exist prior to June 1st and now returns over 150,000
results at http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=torrenza).
Here's another success story: The day Kim Sample spun her practice out of Ketchum to realign under the Diversified
Agency Services (DAS) division of Omnicom, this consummate PR pro had everything she ever wanted -- except the
perfect name. Because her team combines traditional storytelling with innovative community-building, I named them
Emanate to connote that authentic origination and delivery of messages and ideas (check out www.emanatepr.com). Then:
Previously I renamed Terrace Bank who'd outgrown their regional toponym, which was hindering new business efforts to
grow beyond their Temple Terrace FL headquarters. Because they help clients navigate a proper financial course against
the infinite horizon of possibilities, I renamed them Pilot Bank (which you can see at www.pilotbank.com).
Pioneer Digital Technologies was one of the dozens of start-ups spun out of consumer electronics giant Pioneer Corp,
to build a business around promising technology not mainstream to the core company strategy. PDT (as they were
instantly known) develops interactive applications for TV, so I renamed them Aptiv (visit www.aptivdigital.com).
Last year I created the name Versation for popular ESL software publisher English Baby! to help them create new
dialogue between students, alumni and the academic community at colleges and universities around the world. Read
all about it at www.versation.com. When First American Credco launched a program designed to assist non traditional
homeowners in emerging markets, I listened carefully and named it ANTHEM (which stands for Assisting Non Traditional
Homeowners in Emerging Markets).
Before that I renamed Novato Community Bank, now known as Circle Bank. They wanted to signal their commitment
to champion small business, and clearly this name puts entrepreneurs in the winners circle. Get the whole story at
www.circlebank.com. On the other end of the spectrum from financial services is Landtech Solutions. This soil excavation
consulting firm wanted a name that sounded smart but didn't take itself too seriously, so I renamed them DirtLogic.
You can read about it at www.dirtlogic.com.
A typical assignment delivers at least 300 names, costs about $3750 and takes around a week or 10 days, as follows:
Your creative brief becomes my treasure map, describing what were looking for while delineating the boundaries and
explicating the dominant variables of the assignment. This crucially important confirming document should also account
for the heritage of the company and the direction of the industry, analyze previous and existing names and taglines for the
competitor-set (including conceptual competitors), and prioritize the criteria for evaluating new name candidates (including
knock-out factors and other linguistic restrictions).
Next a cyber survey of the marketplace to see which Brand Archetypes are over-represented (and which are under-
represented), which Position Dimensions are occupied (and which are vacant), who owns what images and metaphors,
who's using what kind of language and who is branding around what shapes and colors. I allow 4 or 5 hours to fully
digest the opportunity (including our phone and email conversations) before starting to formulate creative strategies for
pursuit. Then I go off and do something else, while the assignment ferments and percolates in my head.
When my mind is literally brimming with ideas I sit down for the first of two creative sessions, filling the margins of your
documents with a copious array of name candidates. I start by building around theme words which execute on your
creative brief, I look to other languages for roots and morphemes to borrow and I ideate profusely. I'll make connections
with the brand promise through literature and music, with similes and metaphors, through science and nature, with analogy
and logic, via constructive linguistics and rhyme, through philosophy and religion, with humor and sarcasm, through intuition
and synesthesia, along with all the other voodoo that I do. I'm shooting for 150 names in this session, and I'm usually good
for about a name per minute once I get traction in the open field.
The next day I begin by typing my notes, exploiting the subtle difference between how the ideas look in my longhand and
how they appear on the monitor to evoke new responses which hit the target from a variety of new and different angles.
I'll review the input to make sure I haven't overlooked anything, and I'll heavy-up on some favorite directions I think can
tolerate the extra attention. (I'm like a big dog that gets into your back yard and digs for 10 or 15 minutes in each of 30
or 40 different holes; if there's a bone, I'll find it.)
Finally, I present the ideas in the order conceived, to facilitate your brainstorming along with me.
Now you and your team spend 48-to-72 hours living with the list, tick marking your favorites, ignoring the duds, first
review it front-to-back, then back-to-front (so fatigue sets in at a different place); read at the list in the dentist chair,
on the train, first thing in the morning before coffee, after a workout or a cocktail, right before bed; then email me your
shortlist for legal prescreen against the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) database. I'll research the
status of the top 25 favorites and create a document to support a list review session and final consultation to craft rationale
for the top 5 finalists (but often times even my leftover verbal confections get repurposed in mission and vision statements,
value propositions, category descriptors, tradeshow themes, public relations initiatives, advertising campaigns, websites
and newsletters).
I can usually get to your assignment within a few days of your initiating phone call, and you can generally have that first list
a week later (actual mileage my vary). To facilitate name and tagline deliverables, I offer an on-site Verbal Branding
Workshop, designed to answer the age-old question: Where do good names come from? Like a Forest Ranger, I lead
a fun-filled foray into the wild world of words, as we plumb the depths of the dictionary in our quest for free-range
language (and the true source of verbal leverage!)
Trading my campaign hat for a pith helmet, we'll explore everything from corporate identities and nomenclature architectures
to sales slogans and marketing mottoes. You'll learn the difference between Master Brands and Driver Brands, Extended
Brands and Ingredient Brands, Co-Brands and No-Brands. I use over 100 props in all, but it's the can of SPAM that
holds everyone's attention as we highlight the basics of Trademark protection and Intellectual Property law. Our Semantic
Safari concludes with a rousing reprise of the 5 phases in every company's lifecycle when verbal branding becomes a priority.
Where do good names come from?
From good namers, of course! Now you know, and now you know one. So call 650-595-2856 or email
stevececil@wherewords.com for the best appellations this side of, well, the Appalachians.
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client experience:
90 Degree Software
Accesse HR
ActiveMaps
Activision
Acuson
Adaptive Planning
Adobe
Advance Auto Parts
Advanced Micro Devices
Aesthera
Allstate Insurance
America Online
Aptiv Digital
Arnold Engineering Development Corp
Bank of America
BestBuy
Botanical Laboratories
Breyers
Brilliant Shopper
Brocade
Cadbury Schweppes
Candie's
Canduit Technologies
Canon
Chicago Consulting Actuaries
Chubb
Circle Bank
Cisco
Clorox
Cobra Golf
CommVault, an AT&T spin-off
Combe
Crane Merchandising
CTN
D-Link
De La Rue, plc
Digital Origin
DirtLogic
Dixie
DuPont
Elekta
Emanate
Energizer
English Baby
Ericsson
Fila
First American Corporation
GammaKnife
Genentech
Georgia Pacific
GMAC
Guitar Hero
Harmony Foods
HP
Hunter Fans
Hunter Properties
iDeal
IMPAC
Intel
Intuit
Johnson & Murphy
Just For Men
Kabballah Energy Drink
Keravision
Kodak
Kraft
L.A. Fitness
Landtech Solutions
LaSalle Bank
Levi's Dockers
Lucent
Madison Square Garden
Magellan GPS
Manifold Products
Mastercard
Merrill Corp.
Monier LifeTile
Motorola
MTV
MTVU
Mysys
National Bank & Trust
NetBlue
Newport Corp.
Nike
Novato Community Bank
Ocean Park Advisors
Omnesia
Oracle
PacStar
Palm
PenCal Financial
PeopleSoft
Pepsi
Picture IQ
Pilot Bank
Pioneer Digital Technologies
Procter& Gamble
Practical Instruments
Puritan Bennett
Qinetix
Quaker Oats
QuantaRay
QuickBooks
Radius
Redmond National Bank
RedOctane
Ricera Foods
Richemont
Ross
Safeway
SaraLee
Seurat
Showtime
Sierra Schools Credit Union
Snapple
Soliant Energy
SpectraPhysics
Speedo
SpikeTV
Starwood Hotels
StorageTek
Student Universe
SUN Microsystems
Symtec
Teichert Construction
Terrace Bank
THQ Software
Tibco
Torrenza
TNN
Tyson Foods
Ubisoft
U.S. Steel (USX)
Varian
Veeco
Versation
Washington Mutual
WCSN
Wellesse
Werther's Original
Wrigley's
Xerox
Agencies:
Addison Whitney
Bob Gold PR
Bonfire Communications
Brand Resources Group
BrandFusion
BrandPlay
Catapult Direct
Catchword Branding
Citigate Cunningham
CLK Design
Compass Group
Cornerstone Branding
DiMassimo Advertising
Emanate PR
Frankfurt Balkind Partners
Gauger + Associates
GK Design
Idiom Branding
Ketchum
Landor Worldwide
Laga Design
Lanig Associates
Larsen Design
LaunchSquad
Liquid Agency
Manning Selvage & Lee
Marshall Strategies
Metaphor Naming
Monigle Associates
NewGround Resources
Nice Advertising
Polese Clancy
PRx
Rieches Baird
Rivkin Associates
Salt Branding
Shout Creative
Siegel + Gale
Silverstein Associates
Smith Design
Stratagem
The Naming Company
U.S. Concepts
Whitaker Partners
Word4Word
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Steve Cecil
Post Office Box 1484
San Carlos, CA 94070
Phone: 650.595.2856
E-Mail: stevececil@comcast.net
SUMMARY
Strong presenter, facilitator, moderator; thinks well on feet, unflappable.
Superior copywriting skills; exceptionally creative, always on strategy.
Ability to translate company and product "aboutness" into brand expression.
Broad business background; works and plays well with other team members.
Rapidly grasps problems, concepts and ideas; curious about everything
Sense of humor, achieves superior results with cross-functional teams
EXPERIENCE
WhereWords, an MFI Company 4/01 -- present
Principal Consultant
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Verbal branding professional and shortform copywriter specializing in names (9-letter novels)
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and taglines (6-syllable sagas).
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Initiate client relationships and maintain professional liaison with c-level execs.
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Gain agreement on scope of work, prioritize criteria for evaluating creative deliverables.
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Facilitate exploration of alternative brand directions, and develop ideation which tracks to input.
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Guide executive team through process of participation and discovery, analysis and evaluation,
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decision and acceptance.
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Success with agencies such as Citigate Cunningham, Landor Associates, Bonfire Communications,
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Larsen Design, Frankfurt Balkind, Catchword Branding, The Naming Company, U.S. Concepts,
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Word4Word, NewGround Resources, BrandFusion, Shout Creative, Compass Group, Gauger +
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Associates, Liquid Agency, Cornerstone Branding, Bob Gold PR, Manning Selvage & Lee, Smith
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Design, LaunchSquad, BrandPlay, CLK Design, Emanate PR, Dimassimo Advertising, Idiom,
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Ketchum, Nice Advertising, Polese Clancy, Rieches Baird, Salt Branding, GK Design, Laga,
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Marshall Strategies, Monigle Associates, Siegel + Gale, and Stratagem Healthcare Communications.
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For clients such as Advanced Micro Devices, 90 Degree Software, Allstate Insurance, AOL, Genentech,
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L.A. Fitness, GMAC, Safeway, Ricera Foods, Symtec, Breyers, SaraLee, Intel, D-Link, Pioneer
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Digital (now known as Aptiv), DirtLogic, Varian, SUN Microsystems, U.S. Steel (USX), Arnold
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Engineering, BestBuy, Advance Auto Parts, Botanical Labs, Brilliant Shopper, Canduit Technologies,
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Crane Merchandising, Dupont, Energizer, GammaKnife, Intuit, IMPAC, Versation, First American
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Credit, Sprectra Physics, Kabballah Energy Drink, Newport Corp, Madison Square Garden, Candie's,
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Manifold Products, Merrill Corp, Monier LifeTile, NetBlue, ActiveMaps, PenCal Financial, Ocean
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Park Advisors, Omnesia, PacStar, QuantaRay, Speedo, Starwood Hotels, Teichert Construction,
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THQ Software, Tibco, Veeco, WCSN, Wellesse, StorageTek, Georgia Pacific, TNN (now Spike),
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MTVU (formerly CTN), Showtime, Circle Bank, Terrace Bank, Pilot Bank, Redmond National Bank,
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Sierra Schools Credit Union, National Bank & Trust, LaSalle Bank, Activision, Combe, Bank of
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America, iDeal, Cadbury Schweppes, Canon, Elekta, Aesthera, Accesse HR, Harmony Foods,
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Hunter Properties, Motorola, Johnson & Murphy, Guitar Hero, Just For Men, Hunter Fans, Ross,
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Practical Instruments, Richemont, Soliant Energy, RedOctane, Tyson Foods, Mysys, Puritan Bennett,
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Quaker Oats, Snapple, Student Universe, Wrigley's Magellan GPS, Quickbooks and MasterCard.
Citigate Cunningham, part of Incepta Group, plc 4/00 -- 3/01
Vice President, Neologist
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Responsible for all aspects of naming practice within Brand Momentum Group.
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Acted as day-to-day client contact; up-selling scope of work and cross-selling.
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Built and led corporate and product brand equity assessments.
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Developed research, ran brainstorms, crafted campaign strategies and presented recommendations to clients.
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Wrote copy executing on communications platforms.
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Analyzed leadership dimensions and momentum profiles.
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Created new corporate and product identities as well as taglines.
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Developed strategic positioning concepts and verbal branding solutions for Cisco, Kodak, Brocade,
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PeopleSoft and Seurat.com.
MFI, Manufacturers of Fine Ideas 8/99 -- 3/00
Independent Contractor, Freelance Copywriter
Provided creative services to naming, branding, advertising, public relations and
publishing companies; participated in brainstorms, developed rationale.
Agencies: Frankfurt Balkind Partners, Landor Associates, Catchword Branding, Metaphor
Naming, the Naming Company, and Brand Resources Group.
Clients: Levi's Dockers, Pepsi, Kraft, Procter & Gamble, Dixie, MTV, Washington Mutual,
Oracle, HP, Intel, Palm, Ericsson, Xerox, Lucent, Chubb, Clorox.
Addison Whitney, an IPG Company 7/97 -- 7/99
Senior Brand Identity Consultant
Managed corporate image assessments, brand equity evaluations, strategic positioning
articulation, creative name development, international linguistics evaluation, interactive field
validation and graphic design services.
Initiated client relationships, provided day-to-day account leadership including budget allocation
and control.
Provided project coordination and creative services for such clients as Nike, Adobe, Keravision,
Acuson, Radius and Cobra Golf.
MFI, Manufacturers of Fine Ideas 8/87 -- 6/97
Independent Contractor
Provided business development, agency management and creative services to advertising,
public relations and publishing companies.
Developed marketing and communication solutions for Silverstein Partners, Whitaker
Associates, Catapult Branding, PRx, Gordon Publications (now Elsevier), Troll Publishing (now
Scholastic), Par Emprises (golf directory).
3M Corp., Media Networks Division 6/82 -- 7/87
Regional Sales Manager
Provided advertising space sales, field sales training and account management for regional
editions of national magazines including TIME, Sports Illustrated, BusinessWeek, Newsweek,
U.S. News & World Report and Inc. Magazine.
Curtis Publishing Company 8/79 -- 5/82
Editor/Publisher
Produced 60-page monthly magazine, Indiana Business
Managed staff of 4, negotiated vendor contracts
Human interest and feature reporting for The Saturday Evening Post; non-fiction book editor,
John: The Man Who Would Be President.
EDUCATION / ACCOMPLISHMENTS
BA English, University of the Pacific
Author and illustrator of 5 published books
Contributing columnist to AdAge, ADWEEK and PRWeek magazines
Frequent correspondent to the San Francisco Chronicle and ANG newspapers |
