In its recently announced Leaders in Naming for 2018, Clutch—the leading provider of ratings and reviews for marketing, advertising, and design agencies—recognized Oakland-based Catchword as the #1 naming agency for the competitive Bay Area.
It Started Here
Naming as a creative agency specialty began in the Bay Area, so it’s no surprise that the playing field is crowded, with 15 agencies listed as leaders on Clutch, and dozens more who offer the service. “It’s no easy feat standing out from the rest when it comes to the naming industry,” said Clutch Business Analyst Jenna Seter. “Catchword’s #1 spot is well earned.”
The award is not Catchword’s first accolade. Just four months ago, the company was named #1 in the world by Clutch, and in 2016, it received a Silver in the debut of the Naming category in the prestigious London International Awards.
20 Years of Naming Expertise
“We are thrilled to be recognized in this way,” said Catchword executive creative director and co-founder Maria Cypher. “Particularly as we approach our 20th anniversary on May 5th.”
Headquartered in the historic Tribune Tower, Catchword was among the first creative agencies to specialize in brand naming. Over the past two decades, the firm has created names for major companies such as HP, Starbucks, Canon, Corning, and McDonald’s, and completed more than 1000 naming projects for 500+ clients. Some of the company’s more recognizable creations include Starbucks Refreshers, Popchips, Chobani Flip, Fitbit Zip, One, Flex, and Force, Intel Optane, video delivery service Vudu, productivity company Asana, and freelance platform Upwork.
When Catchword started in 1998, Cypher explained, specialized naming firms were few. Most companies created their brand names in-house or asked their advertising firm to develop a name. “We knew that we could do better—needed to do better—because worldwide business growth means more competition for trademark and for mindshare.”
The solution was to assemble a team of naming experts from differing backgrounds—marketing, linguistics, law, design, media—and evolve a proprietary process for developing creative, strategic, and legally protectable names.
“We love what we do, and love doing it here,” said longtime Bay Area resident Cypher, who lives in Oakland and received her MBA from Stanford. “Like our team, the Bay Area is creative and diverse, the logical place for our home,” she continued. “We are actually the oldest tenant in the Tribune Tower and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
How Clutch Assesses Agencies
The Clutch team ranked Catchword number 1 for brand naming based on marketing presence, services offered, work quality, and client feedback. Clutch evaluates each agency through in-depth phone interviews with vetted clients, along with an analysis of overall experience and market presence.
In its recently announced Leaders in Naming for 2018, Clutch—the leading provider of ratings and reviews for marketing, advertising, and design agencies—recognized Oakland-based Catchword as the #1 naming agency for the competitive Bay Area.
