Same, But Different
I sold records before I sold names. In my 20s, I worked at record stores dotted around the country: Amoeba in Hollywood, Cheapo in Austin, Everyday Music in Seattle. The job mostly consisted of being brooding and standoffish with an occasional request for actual customer service. A lot of the time that interaction would be giving music recommendations. The conversation would go…
Customer: I like LCD Soundsystem. Do you recommend anything like that?
Me: Yeah, James Murphy was really influenced by Gang of Four and early punk. Also check out Brian Eno’s solo stuff.
Customer [after listening to recommendations]: Yeah I don’t think any of these are for me.
I have come to learn that sometimes people don’t truly want something new or different, music or otherwise. They want more of the things they already like. The customer didn’t want music similar to LCD Soundsystem. They wanted more music by LCD Soundsystem. Same. But different.
This is one of the hardships of recommending creative work — both in record stores and creative studios. Now with a career in branding and naming, I find myself having the same conversation with different variables. Names, not records. There’s a slight difference to note: we create the work as well as suggest it to a client. Our batting average is around 97% but sometimes there’s the client who says they want something unique but really want the same old, same old.
How do we know this? We have installed opportunities throughout our process to discuss types of names and learn how a client feels about real-life names and brands. Our questionnaire, which every client answers before creative work begins, asks the question: What are three names you really like, regardless of relationship to what we’re naming here? Sometimes the answers include brands that have great success, not always great names. Think Facebook or Amazon. This is quality information about how a client perceives creative work in the real world. It’s why we ask.
But it’s our duty as creative professionals to challenge the people we work with, to push further into creative territory than they might feel comfortable. It’s why we’ve tacked on a 13th name to our naming presentations. We contractually state that we will present 10–12 names per round but we often add a 13th name for the client to see beyond what they’re used to. This name is one we like regardless of the creative brief, client expectations, and if we think they will go for it. It’s aptly called the “Wildcard”.
It reminds me of a naming brief we received from one of our design partners during a recent naming project. They said: “The client mentioned they want to feel uncomfortable during presentations.” I think this is such an admirable and bold request. The client didn’t want to take a step or two off the beaten path. They wanted a whole new trail.
We should all aspire to this type of open-mindedness when it comes to creative work, whether asking for music recommendations or work from creative agencies. The ideal strategy should be to start with being uncomfortable then walk back to find what feels creatively appropriate. To start with the biggest, most absurd concepts, not the ones that make us feel safe. Otherwise we’ll be singing the same old song over and over again.
