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CAP

What Makes a Good Name?

A good brand name is an amalgam of visual and verbal characteristics, both rational and emotional, that help provide differentiation in the hearts and minds of consumers. Strong names create value for the brand. They may describe the brand or product. They may describe the emotion or experience of using the brand. For the Community Action Project of Tulsa, OK, we went down two paths of discovery to create a name worthy of the organization it would represent.

Join Be Live

So Where Does Naming Begin?

For starters, we looked at CAP's mission and vision to identify unique concepts that we could explore.

Join The Community. Welcome to a place where likeminded people meet. People with the passion and the drive to make a real difference. People that want to do something because it means something. People like you. With big hearts, open minds and willing hands. From different places and different perspectives. All here to learn, grow and be a part of something bigger than themselves. Creating a community where anything is possible.

Be The Change. Progression is a part of life. And now, it's a part of education. We've researched, reinvented and revolutionized. With one unprecedented program, we're helping kids who need it most, at the age they need it most. We're changing the course of early childhood education. Starting kids sooner in life, for later, greater success. At the forefront of education, we teach, inspire and innovate. Becoming the change the world needs.

Live The Cause. It's a cause worth fighting for. A cause worth devoting your time, effort and even a little bit of your soul towards. Helping impoverished children break free from the inequality they're born with. Stopping injustice where it starts with the education they deserve. Molding their minds, touching their hearts, fostering their future. It's the cause you were born to be a part of. So live it. Be it. Make it your career. Make it their chance.

Narrowing down the "Pathways"

Structured exploration is key to the effective development of a name. Whether functional, invented, experiential or evocative, the right name captures the essence of the cause and the organization at hand. Many good ideas can emerge, but it's essential to focus ideas so the final name isn't just good, it's right. For CAP, we explored the following two pathways in developing a name.

The Community Naming Pathway

  • "Teach First", When it matters most.
  • "Act Now", Today's your day to make a difference.
  • "Smart Start", Teach. Learn. Become.
  • "Ground Breakers", Teach what's never been taught.
  • "Forward Thinkers", Take education to a new level.
  • "Launch Pad", Springboard to a brighter future.
  • "Fair Tales", Where justice leads to happy endings.
  • "Kids Crew", Be the motivator of minds.
  • "OutReach", Touch their lives. Change their course.
  • "Groundwork", Lay the foundation for kid's futures.

The Cause Naming Pathway

  • "Growing Minds", Teach a youth. Change a life.
  • "Little Sprouts", Teach and watch them grow.
  • "Future Fighters", Teach today for tomorrow's success.
  • "Core Cause", Get to the core of education.
  • "Educators in Action", Teach for a greater tomorrow.
  • "Kick Starts", Help start their future on the right foot.
  • "First Thought", First start. First step. First success.
  • "Grow Tomorrow", Plant the seeds for their future.
  • "BeCause", Because early education is a right, not a privilege.
  • "Fingerprints", Touch lives. Change futures.

The Fun Part

Once LaunchPad made the cut, we wanted to give it legs and see if it could stand up to all of its potential uses. Working with educators and advocates, as well as the CAP team, we crafted a logo design that captured both the concept behind the name as well as how the program works at large. That meant developing strong imagery that reflected the importance of educational growth for individuals, families and the community as a whole.

As we presented iterations, the growing excitement among our decision-making team members and their increased involvement in the design process told us we were going in the right direction. After a final presentation and whole-hearted approval from the Board of Directors, we knew we hit the mark.

How does it work across the board?

A logo has to be more than just a pretty face in order to be effective. It has to translate across a variety of media, meaning it has to work at a variety of sizes, in color and black-and-white, on different backgrounds and much more. The bold shapes of the LaunchPad logo, as well as its distinctive font, ensures that no matter how it's used, it'll be recognized.

Focused Services

  • Brand Discovery
  • Audience Analysis
  • Information Architecture
  • Usability Analysis
  • Campaign Analysis
  • Visual Design
  • Content Design
  • Back-end Integration
  • Demographic Research