We were StokeSignals. Now we are Prequel. Yep. We've renamed our naming agency.
How's that for meta?
There was nothing wrong with our old name. We liked it. A lot. We own the trademark. We have a great domain name. Clients and partners have known us by that name - for 10 years. So⌠we decided to change our name.Makes total sense, right?
Check out our rather wordy site and let us know what you think.
YOU
( already )
have
a brand;
Now you need a name that lets you tell your brand's story.
Prequel: before the beginning
"Branding" isn't a thing that agencies do.
When you come to us for a name, you already have a brand - you just may not know how to articulate it.
Or you might have a brand strategy and a compelling story... but it feels disconnected from your name, which makes the story harder to tell. Or you had a name that you thought was great... until you outgrew it.
The point is this: while in theory the name is the foundation of the brand, we're almost never involved with a client that early. Instead, we're brought in later - when there's already a story to tell.
It's our job to create the prequel - a unique, trademarkable name which makes telling that story easier.
We have named
From Cars
To Cookies
To Crypto
1915
24Watts
2SeventyBio
3Keys
66Degrees
Altium
Altria
Arctos
Aviator
BrightPoint
Brightside
Broadline
Catalynt
Chisel
ClockwiseMD
Collage Rehab
Constellation Brands
Copient Health
Corus
Cycology
DetermiNation
DragonFly
Drive
Earth Spring
Eclectrics
EcoNex
Eversmith
Evive
Forth
GoTo
Gone Rogue
Gruuv
Kaleido
Kinsmith
My Choice
Oscity
PocketPaks
PowerBreak
Prosper
Quiq
Radius
Revelo
RidgeWorth
Sagent
Scipher
Sculpture
Selfish!
Sightline
SingleStone
Tactiq
Tandem Bank
Torch
TransArmor
Trilith
TruTV
TurnPoint
V8 VFusion
Verafirm
Verity
Vertex
Vyne
WatchPoint
WayForth
Wink
WiselyWell
Zentripy
Zeteky
1915
Pepperidge Farmâs first entrant into the premium juice category
The founding date, a nod to the old ways of farming
24Watts
A new kid-centric technology and education entertainment platform
Named for the energy a bright young brain generates
2SeventyBio
Renamed cancer research division of BlueBird Bio
The maximum speed of translating human thought into action
3Keys
Rosalyn Cartersâ passion project; housing for mentally challenged individuals
Based on the three founding principles: Housing, Help & Hope
66Degrees
Google cloud engineering and cloud development company
Inspired by the temperature range in which clouds form
Altium
Renamed Consolidated Container; $1B packaging manufacturer
The element of peak performance
Altria
Formerly Philip Morris
Borrowing from the Latin word for height and growth
Arctos
New name for ACC Aerospace; defense technology and manufacturing
Inspired by Arktos, the Great Bear Constellation
Aviator
Ford Motor Company; a Lincoln SUV
The smaller, nimbler sibling to the Navigator
BrightPoint
Formerly John Tyler Community College
Celebrating a place of learning and of change
Brightside
Pepperidge Farms breakfast on the go
Wake up on the bright side of the bed
Broadline
Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Healthâs flea and tick treatment for cats
Protects your cat from a broad range of parasites and diseases
Catalynt
Formerly TRInternational, chemical supply chain and manufacturing
A talented team, dedicated to making change happen
Chisel
Formerly KnoteAI; an AI, ML, NLP development technology firm
The art of uncovering information in data
ClockwiseMD
Scheduling platform for ER and urgent care facilities
The smarter way to manage time
Collage Rehab
Formerly ReMeD Rehab
Distinct elements bound together to create something beautiful
Constellation Brands
Formerly Canandaigua Brands; largest manufacturer of spirits in the U.S.
A collection of stars
Copient Health
Surgical operating room management technologies
The state of abundance; alludes to many options and optimal outcomes
Corus
An array of nonprofit organizations and businesses, united to drive change
Inspired by "chorus" and "core" + "us"
Cycology
A bike shop
I ride; therefore I am
DetermiNation
American Cancer Society's event endurance program
Speaks to the characteristics and community of cancer survivors and supporters
DragonFly
Monitored home security system
Dragonflys are territorial and possess amazing vision
Drive
The Atlanta TGL golf team
A play (pun intended) on a common golf term
Earth Spring
A botanical body wash from Yardley
Highlights the natural ingredients and uplifting experience
Eclectrics
Hamilton Beach's upscale line of kitchen appliances
They're eclectic electrics!
EcoNex
A new composite technology from Wabash
Eco-friendly and technologically advanced
Eversmith
A holding company focused on services for commercial buildings
Always building
Evive
A community of brands that help people live and thrive
From the root word for "life"
Forth
High quality CBD products from EAS
Forth leads the way to life improvement with quality you can trust
GoTo
Rebrand for a multi-billion dollar company
A portfolio of "go to" fast casual dining options; formerly Focus
Gone Rogue
Protein-centric snacks from Land O' Frost
Bold, tasty, and powerful - snacks like no others you've experienced
Gruuv
A sneaker from Ecco with very distinctive soles
The sole is groove-y, and you'll feel groovy wearing it!
Kaleido
Courses, templates, coaching, and resources from HealthDataViz
Put together, our offerings will help you see the pictures emerge from the data
Kinsmith
A family of financial businesses
Focused on building real relationships, we make finance feel personal
My Choice
A program name for UPS
Because sometimes the simple, straightforward names are the best
Oscity
CBD products
From forming word part '-ocity' - because CBD makes it possible
PocketPaks
Those little disolvable Listerine strips
Now you can carry your mouthwash in your pocket
PowerBreak
Lance Crackers' high-protein snack
Take a break and refuel
Prosper
A global INGO
Helping people prosper, in every sense of the word
Quiq
Communication platform for businesses connecting with customers
Smarter, faster communication
Radius
A new name for 100-year-old company Schnitzer Steel
Reflects a move toward recycling; at the center of the circular economy
Revelo
A revolutionary new electric meter for Landis Gyr
Uncovering energy insights every day
RidgeWorth
A global investment management firm (has since been acquired)
A nod to prosperity; a name with gravitas
Sagent
A new name for Clover telecom
Introduces the company cause: "know what your network knows"
Scipher
The data-based software platform from Utopus Insights
It's more than knowledge - it's knowledge deciphered
Sculpture
A new name for an old hospitality company
Clarity of vision combined with hard work
Selfish!
A self-improvement app
Ironic play on the word "selfish", striking just the right tone
Sightline
Ethos Risk's software solution
A clear line of sight from previously disparate data
SingleStone
Rebrand for an engineering firm
Every single action has a ripple effect
Tactiq
A software company for DSD users
Providing smart and tactical solutions
Tandem Bank
A regional retail bank
We work one on one with our clients
Torch
A software platform to fight crime
Shine light in the dark places; be a beacon of hope and change
TransArmor
Payment protection product developed by Fiserv
Your transactions are shielded and protected
Trilith
Formerly Pinewood Studios; largest film studio in the U.S.
Metaphor for a gateway â supporting the story that here, anything is possible
TruTV
Formerly Court TV; owned by Warner Bros
Not reality - actuality
TurnPoint
A new name for a roll-up of local services businesses
We turn bad days into good ones
V8 VFusion
A new product from Campbell's V8 brand
A fusion of vegetable and fruit juices
Verafirm
Microsoft certification program
Verifying the standard
Verity
From MackeyRMS to Verity - research management, data, and analytics software
Trusted to provide absolutely accurate information, always
Vertex
A revolutionary electric motor for East West
Small, powerful, and flexible - a turning point for what's possible
Vyne
End-to-end electronic communication management platform
Connecting disconnected data; strong and flexible
WatchPoint
National at-risk registry
Complete visibility from any point
WayForth
Move management services for home and business
Helping you find the way forward, getting you (and your stuff) from here to there
Wink
A condom brand targeting GenZ
Playful and fun - NOT your typical Trojan or Durex vibe
WiselyWell
A nutrition brand paving the way in the "food as medicine" space
Clearly communicates product benefits yet is alliterative and pleasing
Zentripy
Insurance company specializing in international and travel insurance
Coined from "zen", "trip", and (the opposite of) "entropy"
Zeteky
A technology company specializing in real-time monitoring and alerts
Named for a bright yellow frog with excellent communication and âwarningâ skills
NO
bait and switch,
junior talent,
outsourcing.
When you hire us,
you get...
US
We like to describe ourselves as the team you thought you were getting the last time you hired that big New York City firm. You've probably noticed that there's not much in the way of design on this page. That's because words are our art. We do one thing, and we do it well.
A simple naming engagement, from kickoff to completion, can be done in as little as three weeks. We also take on more extensive brand architecture and strategy projects - those can take a little longer.
We're not lawyers, but we do speak
trademarkese.
And that
matters.
For every project, we'll generate hundreds of names, then select 16-24 to present.
EVERY NAME
we share
ISÂ PRE-SCREENED
for potential trademark and common law conflicts.
Honestly, this is probably the most important part of our job - though not the most fun.
You save time and money in legal; Â we spare ourselves the heart-sinking feeling that comes along with disappointing a client by showing them a name they fall in love with, then learn they can't have.
Enough about us...
let's talk
about
you
A potential client with a need for naming
Renaming an existing company or naming a new company or product? Need help developing a naming system for a growing product portfolio? We can do that.
VC / PE firm with â¨a roll-up, merger, acquisition,â¨or
portfolio company
Let us "professionalize" a brand, and/or address challenges with product architecture and naming conventions when bringing companies together.
Agency looking for a naming resource to be a part of the team (sometimes)
We'll get in, handle the naming, then get out. Need us to help pitch, present names, or talk to trademark lawyers? We got you.
Our clients say some pretty nice things about us.
In our experience, while naming is what we do, the actual names are just a fraction of the value we bring to the table, and a fraction of where we spend our time. So we charge accordingly.
Work with us
in one of three ways
If you start with one Option and decide you need more support, we're happy to transition you to a different Option.
01
Your naming questions, answered
Description
Does it even need a name? If so, what kind of name? Is this name idea I have any good? Does it matter if so-and-so is also using this name for such-and-such? What do I need to know about trademarks? SEO? domain availability? Is my product portfolio totally out of control, or is it ok that we have 4 sub-brands and 17 named features?
We'll listen to your situation and use our decades of experience to provide you with simple, actionable advice.
We'll listen to your situation and use our decades of experience to provide you with simple, actionable advice.
02
Just the names
Description
We'll be your Human Intelligence (HI) name generating machine.â¨â¨
You give us the inputs, we'll give you the output. You'll get top-notch professional creative names that have been pre-screened for trademark conflicts at far less than the cost of a full project.â¨â¨Yes, you could use an AI name generator for a lot less.
But frankly, they suck. Good luck.
You give us the inputs, we'll give you the output. You'll get top-notch professional creative names that have been pre-screened for trademark conflicts at far less than the cost of a full project.â¨â¨Yes, you could use an AI name generator for a lot less.
But frankly, they suck. Good luck.
03
The names and everything else, too
Description
We'll guide you through the process, attend meetings with key execs, help you understand how to think about existing brands or equity, interface with your trademark attorneys, present a list of pre-screened names, help your team make a decision, etc.â¨
Basically, we'll do what it takes to get your naming project across the finish line.
Basically, we'll do what it takes to get your naming project across the finish line.
A peek at the
process
{ Phase 1 }
Discovery
{ Steps }
1
Discussion with the core team
2
Stakeholder interviews
3
Competitive and category naming audit
4
Identify the point of differences and brand benefit
5
Establish the role of the name
{ Phase 2 }
Brief
{ Steps }
1
Discussion with the core team
2
Stakeholder interviews
3
Competitive and category naming audit
4
Identify the point of differences and brand benefit
5
Establish the role of the name
If you've made it this far, we'd love to chat. No high pressure sales conversations, we promise - in fact, we sometimes (often?) talk people OUT of working with us. Not everything needs a name!
Talk wordy
/ ËwÉr-dÄ /
... If we think you need a super simple descriptive name or don't need a name at all, we'll tell you.
to us
The story begins here
In 2024, we decided that we needed to refresh our memories and experience for ourselves what our clients experience when naming or renaming their company. We documented every emotional high and low and every practical and logistical detail along the way - and there were LOTS - of all of them. Ultimately, we love our new name, and we learned a few things that we think will help us help our clients.