Encore

Naming

Aug 21

Situation

A group of entrepreneurs were creating a new financial services company, helping seniors unlock value in their insurance policies. Exciting!

These entrepreneurs wanted to tell a story that gave their potential customers hope for the future, and the comfort of making heavy decisions with the advice of a trustworthy partner. Their name would be the first word of that story.

I worked directly with the founders to identify a naming strategy, develop and screen names, facilitate final name selection, and identify web and social handles with their digital agency.

Creative Approach

I developed 160 names in two main territories over a single round of creative.

One territory explored names that focused on the company itself, its desire to educate seniors about their options and set itself apart from insurance companies, with names like:

Outsure played a verbal counterpoint to insurance, letting customers out of their costs and obligations while helping them be sure of their future.
Upfront straightforwardly conveyed the idea of honesty, while also speaking to the idea of getting a portion your life insurance payment up front.
Syllabus took an institutional approach to trust and honesty, emphasizing the company’s interest in providing educational resources.

The second territory focused on the customers themselves, and the potential for them to make even more out of their life than they thought possible.

Goldyear spoke to the golden years of a person’s life, and the ability to make the most of them, as well as making an oblique reference to finance.
Sequel played on the idea that the next chapter of your life could be equal to or even superior to that which came before.
Savor gave the customer a more active role in the story, while also potentially playing into the idea of being a saver by no longer making monthly payments.

After a spirited round of conversation, the team came to a decision.

Outcome

The team chose Encore.

Encore perfectly captured two sides of the story: an apparent end, and a triumphant, celebratory return. It was positive and hopeful, while still relevant, setting the team up with a clear story to tell.