Founder of naming firm Eat My Words, Alexandra Watkins is a recognized expert on brand names with buzz. She is a Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center Author in Residence and a winner of the Make Mine a Million $ Business program sponsored by American Express. She is frequently quoted in the press and has been featured in leading business publications including the Wall Street Journal, Inc., and Entrepreneur. She is a popular guest lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Berkeley's Haas School of Business, USF School of Management, and other MBA programs. She was most recently invited to speak at the prestigious MIT Media Lab, which is a client of Eat My Words.
"Top 10 Marketing Book"
—Inc.com
"Brand names can make a critical first impression, and naming
expert Watkins, founder of the naming firm Eat My Words, attempts
with this book to prove that even the "most noncreative person" can
conceive of something that will resonate with customers. She
examines all aspects of a brand name's commercial value, from how
easily it can be pronounced and recognized, to whether or not voice
recognition software will be able to spell it correctly. She uses
the acronyms SMILE (Suggestive, Meaningful, Imagery, Legs,
Emotional) and SCRATCH (Spelling challenged, Copycat, Restrictive,
Annoying, Tame, Curse of Knowledge, Hard to pronounce) to describe,
respectively, "sticky" and "deadly" qualities. Watkins also offers
examples of companies or products that hit the mark, like Pedigree
and Snuggle, and those that missed it, like Eukanuba and Xobni. She
provides advice for securing a good domain name and ideas to avoid.
Her most potentially valuable recommendation is for would-be
brand-name owners to create a "creative brief," a checklist of all
the elements that need to present. It defines the core
characteristics of an organization from target audience to
competition to "brand personality." Watkins also examines
brainstorming, "building consensus," and changing a name.
Jam-packed with sound advice, this slim volume can be the
difference between becoming a Target and becoming a Speesees."
—Publishers Weekly
"Let's hear it for an author who clearly and succinctly explains
how to do a critical business task rather than merely presenting
historical examples for the hapless reader to puzzle out. Here,
former Ogilvy advertising copywriter Watkins, founder of
industry-leading naming company Eat My Words, expands considerably
on the company and brand-naming tips posted on her website. In
addition to explaining and illustrating her 12-point vetting
process for potential names (e.g., cautioning that unpronounceable
names will be mangled by Siri and other voice-recognition
software), Watkins gives surpassingly solid advice about how to
brainstorm potential names, root out probable bad choices, build
consensus, and protect chosen brand names and URLS. Her reputation
within the industry is apparent from her client list of prominent
companies—Adobe, Microsoft, Disney, Marriott, and many more—and
nonprofits. In one of the best chapters, the author walks readers
through the multilayered processes she followed in generating a
memorable name for Spoon Me yogurt. VERDICT: Useful for readers who
are naming anything more important than a household pet."
—Library Journal (Elizabeth Wood, Bowling Green State Univ. Libs.,
OH)
“How do you find the right name for your brand or company? This is
what Watkins does for a living—her company is responsible for
naming a wedding brunch service Bloody Married and a frozen yogurt
franchise Spoon Me—and her clever examples and advice will spare us
all from putting the wrong foot forward.”
—Adam Grant, Wharton Professor and author or coauthor of the New
York Times bestsellers Give and Take, Originals, and Option B
"You are nuts to name your company or product without consulting
this book first."
— Dan Heath, coauthor of the New York Times bestsellers Made to
Stick, Switch, and Decisive
“Your brand is in a relentless fight for attention. This must-read
book shows you how to prepare for battle and win with the strongest
name possible.”
—Nir Eyal, bestselling author of Hooked and Indistractable
“Zappos.com originally started out as ShoeSite.com, but that
limited our potential future growth. A company’s name can be vital
to its success. Reading the tips in this book can help anyone avoid
the pitfalls.”
—Tony Hsieh, New York Times bestselling author of Delivering
Happiness and CEO, Zappos.com, Inc.
“Insightful, irreverent, and eminently practical, Watkins’s Hello,
My Name Is Awesome should be required reading for anyone naming a
brand.”
—S. Christian Wheeler, Professor of Marketing, Stanford Graduate
School of Business
“This awesome piece of writing is worth bottling, shaking, and
stirring into your brand-name strategy either online or offline. I
love the way Alexandra weaves her voice and humor into a very clear
message to distill what you are about into a business name. This
approach can be applied to your brand name and domain name.
Alexandra’s process is coherent and creative. This is a brilliant
book that I couldn't put down"
—Jeff Bullas, blogger, strategist, speaker, Forbes Top 10 Social
Media Power Influencer, #1 Content Marketing Influencer, #1 Global
Business Blog
“The insight and processes that Alexandra Watkins reveals in Hello,
My Name is Awesome not only have direct application to your naming
process but also have direct application to thinking about your
company from your customers’ perspective—not what you sell but why
someone will decide to buy it. There is true wisdom
here—intelligence plus experience—which makes it safe and
dependable for you. There is true entertainment here—passion and
provocation delivered without any reasonable restraint—which makes
it a fabulous reading experience. My own company works with
successful organizations in over ninety countries, and every one of
them would be made measurably better by applying these unique
concepts. My advice: get this book before your competitors do.”
—Stan Slap, CEO, SLAP, and New York Times bestselling author of
Bury My Heart at Conference Room B and Under the Hood
“Fantastic book! Funny, down-to-earth, and practical, it’s
chock-full of solid branding principles and huge ‘ahas’ cleverly
delivered with humor and fun. A classic example of blending wit and
wisdom to make a message stick. Well done!”
—Tim Gard, CSP, CPAE, Hall of Fame Speaker
“Your company or product probably needs all the help it can get.
Watkins helped me name my firm, and I’m constantly told what a
great name it is. Don’t pick a name until you’ve read Watkins’s
book—you’ll want to have a name that you love forever!”
—Charlene Li, founder of Altimeter Group, New York Times
bestselling author of Open Leadership, and coauthor of
Groundswell
“A fascinating examination of why some brand names are forgettable
and others are abominable. This is the best guide ever to the art
of great naming and should be required reading for all startup CEOs
who ‘have a great idea’ for their company name!”
—Jay Baer, founder of Convince & Convert and coauthor of Talk
Triggers
“I was skeptical about a how-to book on naming products and brands.
Alexandra Watkins convinced me otherwise. Her book is a fun read
with lots of practical advice.”
—Patricia Roller, angel investor and former Co-CEO, Frog Design
“The type of hands-on practical wisdom rarely found (but
desperately needed) in the academic community.”
—Michael Webber, former Dean, School of Management, University of
San Francisco
“We’ve got a terrible name. No one can spell it. No one can
pronounce it. Don’t make the same mistake we made. Read this book
and let Alexandra Watkins guide you away from the ‘we thought we
were being clever with our name, but now we just look silly’
syndrome.”
—Matt Ruby, founder and CEO, Vooza
“This is the perfect book for kick-starting entrepreneurs, brand
managers, and practicing creatives.”
—Pat Hanlon, founder and CEO, Thinktopia, and author of Primal
Branding
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