Catchword Branding

Award-winning branding, naming, and visual identity

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Catchword is a trusted leader in brand strategy, naming, and logo design that’s been creating impactful identities for clients worldwide since 1998. From offices in the San Francisco Bay Area, New York, and Denver, Catchword helps clients express who, what, and why they are. Industry-leading brands such as PwC, TikTok, Intel, Allergan, Boston Scientific, Starbucks, HBO, and VW turn to Catchword for creativity and strategic insight delivered with expert guidance.

Whether a quick-turnaround startup project or a Fortune 500 retainer, Catchword helps clients develop a timeless brand that resonates with target audiences.

Catchword has received more awards for naming work than any other agency, including Top Honors at the London International Awards and multiple awards from Transform Magazine, Hermes Creative, MarCom, C2A, and MUSE.

"The Catchword team members that I have worked with are truly experts in the field of naming and have a passion for linguistics, naming, and marketing that is evidenced by every interaction I have with them." – Corporate Marketing & Branding Director, Corning 

"What keeps us coming back to Catchword is the ease of working with them. … I wish I could have somebody at Catchword on call at all times.” Brand Director, PwC

"They provide incredible insights into the branding process. Instead of coming in with preconceived notions, they listened to what we wanted and took it to the next level." – Content Lead, Stanford Center for Global Health

NA
2 - 9
1998
Locations
United States
409 13th Street, 12th Floor, Tribune Tower, Oakland, California 94612
510.628.0080
United States
33 West 19th Street, 4th Floor, NYC, New York 10011
212.475.8936
United States
1801 Briarwood Avenue, Littleton, Colorado 80120
617.755.1904

Focus Areas

Service Focus

50%
50%
  • Digital Marketing
  • Advertising

Client Focus

55%
35%
10%
  • Large Business
  • Medium Business
  • Small Business

Industry Focus

10%
10%
10%
10%
10%
50%
  • Information Technology
  • Business Services
  • Consumer Products

Catchword Branding Clients & Portfolios

Key Clients

  • Asana
  • Starbucks
  • VW
  • Allergan
  • UpWork
  • PwC
  • Intel
  • Fitbit
  • Vudu
  • Aetna
  • Thermo Fisher
  • Boston Scientific
  • HBO
  • Amazon
  • Corning
  • TikTok
  • Unilever
  • Indeed
  • Hitachi

Asana
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Asana
  • Asana screenshot 1
Not Disclosed
6 weeks
Productivity

A software company formed by Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz and programming whiz Justin Rosenstein is clearly not ordinary. So, the company’s name also needed to stand out from the IT herd.

Asana, a Sanskrit word conveying “yoga pose,” reflects the founders’ love of yoga and their quest for focus, flow, and clarity. It’s also an apt name for the company’s productivity platform, which enables team members to manage complex projects smoothly.

In 2015, Asana announced 100% year-on-year growth, with 140,000 companies using its platform to generate annual recurring revenue in the tens of millions. Namaste.

Volkswagen Atlas
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Volkswagen Atlas
  • Volkswagen Atlas screenshot 1
Not Disclosed
8 weeks
Automotive

Volkswagen has some of the auto industry’s most iconic (and distinctive) cars and car names, from the Beetle to the Touareg. So we were excited when they called on us to name their sturdy 7-seat SUV, codenamed “CrossBlue.” Working with VW’s US, German and Chinese marketing teams, Catchword explored a broad range of messaging themes, and developed over 2500 name candidates. The global nature of the project meant we also carried out linguistic and cultural screening in 19 different languages, including Min Nan and Kejia Chinese. Atlas, the name VW decided to adopt, reinforces the vehicle’s size and strength and implies a titan among SUVs.

Fitbit
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Fitbit
  • Fitbit screenshot 1
Not Disclosed
8 weeks
Consumer Products

The margin for error was slim with these wireless fitness trackers. Successful names would have to be short enough to fit on the small devices, and match the snappiness of the mother brand. In addition, the names would need to fit within a larger portfolio of related products and still telegraph each product’s distinguishing features. For Fitbit’s entry-level device, Zip was in the zone, followed by One, which unifies data on exercise, calories burned, and sleep. Next came Flex, Fitbit’s first wristband, and finally Force, a fitness wristband to be reckoned with. All single syllable, all evocative, and all tied together by a common construction—a naming convention was born.

Vudu
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Vudu
  • Vudu screenshot 1
Not Disclosed
6 weeks
Media

From the moment we heard about this online movie service, it had us under its spell. Users can instantly stream an almost infinite library of HD movies on demand—as well as new releases—directly to their Xbox 360®, PlayStation® 3, Blu-ray™ player, HDTV, iPad®, or computer. And the crispness of the definition and richness of the surround sound makes Vudu little short of … well, voodoo.

Upwork
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Upwork
  • Upwork screenshot 1
Not Disclosed
8 weeks
Business Services

In 2014, Elance and oDesk, the two largest online platforms for connecting clients and freelance workers, decided to merge to better provide international services with their combined resources. They realized they could maximize impact by developing a new, unified brand. They called on Catchword to develop a new name that would capture their vision and inspire their global community of millions of independent professionals and the businesses hiring them. Upwork—the company’s new name as of May 2015—is as innovative and impactful as the company itself. The name invites you to reimagine how work happens today and suggests that the best talent is always up to the task.

NOTE: Upwork was named one of Inc. Magazine’s 10 best new company names of 2015! See here.

Ursa
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Ursa
  • Ursa screenshot 1
Not Disclosed
8 weeks
Media

While consumers have many options for streaming music nowadays, most subscription-based services are focused solely on delivering as much music as possible, and provide little opportunity for artists and fans to interact in truly meaningful ways. Ursa, the name Catchword developed for an exciting new music engagement “ecosystem,” speaks to a constellation of streaming services and connecting in countless ways (features, music, people, etc.). It also recalls the major and minor scales (Ursa Major and Ursa Minor), and evokes an otherworldly music streaming platform.

Catchword Branding Reviews

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Eric Seifert

What's In a Name?

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Project Detail

$10001 to $50000

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Review Summary

I’m the founder and President of Good Hope Advisors, a specialized M&A firm providing prospecting, consulting, and process management support throughout the M&A lifecycle. My team and I engaged Catchword to assist with brand positioning and to help us identify a meaningful and compelling brand name for our firm. We decided to work with Catchword because of their stellar reputation in the space, and because we felt their process was more thorough and creative than other agencies we considered. The Catchword team did a fantastic job. Every aspect of the engagement was a success, from the creative name solutions they proposed to the friendly and effective project management. First rate naming agency and we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to any company looking for a new company name or in the process of renaming.

What is it about the company that you appreciate the most?

After we initially decided to go with Catchword they had the ability to get the best out of us and then run with it. The result was just what we needed. Our team felt Catchword coupled a "get it done" attitude with a "this can also be a fun process" vibe.

What was it about the company that you didn't like which they should do better?

Nothing comes to mind. We were happy with all aspects.

Resources

How to Launch Your New Company Name
View eBook