Thursday, October 29, 2009

Help me name my company - please!


Dear friends, I need help! I am trying to come up with a name for my company and not having a lot of luck. Let me explain the concept and see what your thoughts are.

The company will be a portal of dual use educational products - the concept being that everything a child has to interact with anyway, from bath towels, to nightlights, to cereal bowls, could also being teaching tools. Rather than be "branded" with Elmo 365 days a year while eating cereal, a child can be learning the planets. The company will bring together both those widespread, random existing products like the Company Store's letter quilt, the Pottery Barn's Spanish verb bowls, and the independent artist in CA who is doing a series of tee shirts with math equations....you get the idea. In addition, I have about 50 products I would like to create as well. Each item will have to have two uses, both a practical one and an educational one.

I loved the idea The Einstein Cottage and bought the domain name this morning for $15. I really liked "Cottage" (think Mary Engelbreit) because I want a warm friendly image - not a backlash against some vision of a pushed, unhappy child with education obsessed parents doing flashcards until midnight;-). I want the idea to be non-threatening. And of course, I liked Einstein because it connotes education, creativity, and knowledge.

But then a friend wondered if it's too close to Baby Einstein and would get into trademark issues. And Greg thought Einstein is maybe a bit cliche in the education field.

Committed Recycler suggested Simmering Apples, with the explanation that like apples simmering on a stove, the company would be creating something that is "subtly consistent in the background, but influential in the forefront." And I like it, but worry it doesn't capture the products concept enough that a random consumer would be able to put it all together. A side note, Greg loves this name and thinks the apple part of the name captures the education issue.

I read in an article that professional namers (for around $35,000) start with 800 possibilities and narrow it from there.

I would be thrilled to have 50 or 100 options to start. The only criteria is it must have .com available after the name. Sarah from Posi-Pair said that is a must so I went on http://www.hover.com/ today to find out names that still had this available.

So any help is appreciated. And thanks Antoinette for getting the ball rolling;-).

Eileen

7 comments:

  1. I really liked the "apple" aspect as well. My mom teaches and I associate apples with her. What about smart apples? or "Think Smart" I had a heck of a time coming up with a name for my blog...

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  2. Antoinette,
    Hope this finds you feeling better by the day! I too like the apple part, I think it has the homey feel like the cottage does. Let me keep brainstorming - and I would love to keep hearing your ideas. A friend recommended Thought Bubbles as a fun/non threatening sort of idea. Working to keep the process fun. Thanks for sharing. Eileen

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  3. common genius
    home smarts
    simple smarts
    simple genius
    simply genius
    simply smart


    I had one a second ago that slipped away....
    I will keep thinking them up and posting until you tell me you've got a winner...

    What about "winning genius"?

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  4. Hi. I have a thought - "The L.E.A.R.N. Company"
    L - learning
    E - everyday
    A - and
    R - right
    N - now

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  5. Thank you both for the great ideas. I just transfered them to my big poster board of potential names! Yes, Antoinette, please keep 'em coming! Eileen

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  6. How about Discovery House?

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  7. Karla,

    I like this! It's going on the big posterboard of ideas. My plan is to get a name decided by midnight tonight. Thanks for you suggestion!! Eileen

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