The Word

Thoughts and news. All about the language of brands.

FEATURED POST

What makes a brand name strong for B2B or enterprise?
In enterprise environments, naming is treated as much more than an aesthetic choice.From the start, leaders consider...
By Jill Stanewick ●Naming
February 10th, 2026

RECENT POSTS

How to Name Product Tiers Without Creating Confusion

Tier naming looks simple on the surface: Add “Pro.” Add “Enterprise.” Add a higher price. Move on.But if it’s not a...
By Tanj Staff ●Naming ● Naming Systems
February 9th, 2026

How do you know if a brand name is actually good?

You don't know at first sight. And that's the point.Most leaders assume a "good" name is one...
By Jill Stanewick ●Naming
February 7th, 2026

Tanj on The Hidden Engine of ROI — Brand Names

Tanj Founder & Managing Director — Scott Milano — was featured an exciting (new) newsletter on branding and...
By Tanj Staff ●News
February 7th, 2026

Best Naming Agencies in 2026

Who Are the Best Naming Agencies?Choosing a naming agency isn't about finding "the best" firm in the...
By Research Team ●Naming
February 6th, 2026

10 Signs It’s Time to Rename Your Brand

10 Signs It’s Time to Rename Your BrandRenaming is rarely anyone’s first choice.It feels disruptive, political, and...
By Jill Stanewick ●Naming
February 6th, 2026

Why AI Stinks for Brand Naming — Part 1 of a Series

We like AI.We use AI. We talk to AI more than is probably healthy.But after watching hundreds of teams try to name...
By Scott Milano ●Naming ● Naming Hot Takes
February 5th, 2026

How to Name a Platform (Without Boxing Yourself In)

Platform naming may feel similar to product naming, but it has important distinctions.A product can be specific. A...
By Tanj Staff ●Naming ● Naming Systems
February 4th, 2026

Product Naming Architecture: How to Build a System That Scales

Product naming architecture usually becomes a topic after something breaks.After sales starts explaining too...
By Jill Stanewick ●Brand Architecture ● Naming Systems
February 3rd, 2026

Is it worth hiring a naming agency—or can AI do this?

If you're asking this question, naming already feels real to you.At first, it looks like a creativity problem:...
By Jill Stanewick ●Naming
February 3rd, 2026

How to Name a Product When the Stakes Are High

Naming a product sounds simple… until the decision starts to matter.When a name is tied to a real launch, a real...
By Jill Stanewick ●Naming
February 2nd, 2026

When Your Portfolio Sounds Like Internal Code Names

It starts innocently enough. Someone on your team says, "We're rolling it into Orion next quarter."...
By Jill Stanewick ●Brand Architecture ● Naming Systems
January 30th, 2026

When You Keep the Acquired Name... and Pay for It Forever

Keeping the acquired name usually feels like the right decision—at least in the moment.It protects revenue, keeps...
By Tanj Staff ●Brand Architecture ● Naming Systems
January 29th, 2026

Why AI Stinks at Brand Naming - Not a Rant

AI does many things well. Naming brands is not one of them.We’ve tried it. A lot. And we’ve worked with countless...
By Jill Stanewick ●Naming ● Naming Tools
January 29th, 2026

Is This a Platform—or a Collection of Acquisitions?

You can feel the question forming before anyone asks it.It happens when the portfolio slide comes up, when the...
By Tanj Staff
January 28th, 2026

When Everyone Has an Opinion—and None of Them Agree

This is the part of the naming process no one prepares you for. Not the creativity, not the pressure, but the moment...
By Jill Stanewick ●Naming
January 27th, 2026

When Naming Becomes a Board-Level Conversation

You can feel the shift before anyone says it out loud. The questions get tighter. The room gets quieter. The deck...
By Jill Stanewick ●Naming
January 26th, 2026

How Naming Portfolio Confusion Becomes Sales Friction

At first, it looks like a sales problem.Deals slow down. Calls run long. Prospects ask the same clarifying questions...
By Jill Stanewick ●Naming ● Naming Systems ● Brand Architecture
January 24th, 2026

Why "Just One More Round" Rarely Changes the Outcome

You don't say it because you're indecisive. You say it because you're responsible."Let's...
By Jill Stanewick ●Naming
January 23rd, 2026