#sparkchamber 102620 — The Word Game
Since the beginning, we have always wanted to offer a token of appreciation to the creative souls who take the time and energy to complete the #sparkchamber questionnaire. And we now have the perfect thing!
Two summers ago, we had an idea to have a little fun on social media by posting a weekly word-based puzzler — #PlaysWith Words. As a verbal-branding company, we figured it would be a light, inviting way to bring some attention to the versatility and power of words — our raw material.
Every few months, we would introduce another type of word into the weekly mindgame mix with a blog post, here on Brandish, rooted in some type of word. But over time, it became clear that we’d gotten beyond just the fun-and-games of wordplay, and onto something bigger: A primer on verbal branding itself.
So, this summer, we had another idea. To collect up all the posts — with some bonus material for good measure — and print them together in a handy booklet. A sort of field-guide to naming. We are thrilled with the results, and so happy to introduce The Word Game.
We would love to send you a copy! If your #sparkchamber responses were posted, just email your name and physical address to me — Quinn, q@fussfactory.com — and, while they last, I’ll drop one in the mail to you. [We won’t use your address for any other purpose ever.]
If you want a copy of the booklet but haven’t yet completed the #sparkchamber — here’s the link. We would love to hear your thoughts on the creative process!
The spark in #sparkchamber is each and every one of us. What we do and say matters. Nothing exists in a vacuum or off camera. It all counts. Thoughts are things, and words express them, but actions are louder than all that. Be real. Be respectful. Have awareness. Have intention. Care. Stand up for what is right. Don’t be a jerk but don’t be a doormat either. Elevate what is good. Be who you are. Make space for others. Vote.
1.] Where do ideas come from?
The building blocks for creating a name are letters; combinations of which make syllables and words; words that exist in a dictionary … or not. The challenge is to put together just the right combination to communicate — quickly — the right idea with just the right vibe.
2.] What is the itch you are scratching?
To be effective, a name — the message that name carries — has to short-circuit a synapse mid-arc. Has to disconnect autopilot, stop the hand from hitting the snooze button again. Has to interfere with, rattle, suspend, challenge preconception for just a nanosecond. Long enough to maybe start a new neural pathway.
No matter the offering — from a new company launching to introduce a new way forward, to an existing beverage product adding a new flavor variant — something is new. New means change, and change is hard. To break through that resistance, a name must equally disrupt — defy expectations — and illuminate — set new expectations.
3.] Early bird or night owl? Tortoise or hare?
The question to ask is, what is the bigger picture? What does this thing mean to the person who will use it? Why do they need it? How is it worth their effort to stop doing what they’ve always done and start doing something else entirely? What’s in it for them? From their perspective, not from yours.
Put yourself in their shoes, feel with their heart, think with their mind. Naming is empathy. Naming is connecting to the soul of the other. A name says, I feel you. I’m with you. I’m here. Here to make your life easier. Or better. Or more exciting. Or less chaotic. I understand.
4.] How do you know when you are done?
People take things into their lives, and they want those things to matter. What they eat, what they drive, where they sleep, how they dress — every little thing they do — are all expressions of their individual identities. The names of those things help them create themselves, define themselves, help them feel that their lives matter, that they matter. If the name doesn’t resonate, the opportunity is lost.