Portfolio of product and company names, and branding consulting

Since 2000, we have taken care of naming projects in the most diverse fields. Our philosophy is not 'one size fits all'. Our clients expect tailor-made precision, and this is what they get. Therefore, every project is conceived and implemented truly individually. Some exemplary projects illustrate this attitude.

6 exemplary naming works to illustrate competence

The following six naming works show the bandwidth of jobs and the individuality of their related naming solutions: National and international projects, creation and consulting, B2B and B2C.

BORA Pure -
a clear entry brand

GORE-TEX EXTRAGUARD -
name for an ingredient brand

Name design for the
Bosch IXO cordless drill

A system of market names -
for more than 5000 products

Knorr-Bremse, Munich

German ICEs, Amtrak trains in the USA, metros in Moscow and Tashkent, Paris and Perth run with components made by the world leader from Munich. As you see, we are concentrating on the rail division (truck, Knorr-Bremse's second mainstay, is left out here).

© Knorr-Bremse AG

Traditional core products are - surprise - brakes. In the meantime, however, there have been added air conditioning systems, clutches, controls, etc. due to enormous organic and inorganic growth in the past years. Many of the products did not have their own names, but rather special abbreviations, a combination of letters, numbers, symbols. Some actually had brand names*. So it was time for a stringent and meaningful naming system. Customers as well as employees should be able to intuitively find their way around the wealth of more than 5,000 components.

Knorr-Bremse tram insuzhou china Tram in Suzho, China, © Knorr- Bremse AG

Knorr-Bremse tram insuzhou china Tram in Suzho, China, © Knorr- Bremse AG

Tram in Suzhou, China, with Knorr-Bremse components, © Knorr-Bremse AG

Over a period of several months, we defined the structure of the portfolio in working groups. We worked out alternative portfolio sets and created seven functional segments: "Supply", for example, includes products for providing brake pressure such as compressors, and "Adhesion" stands for the wheel-rail contact, while "Control" represents brake control and management. This assignment forms the base of the new, coherent name structure.

All products with a lighthouse function were given "Market Names". They have a strongly descriptive character and make it easy to understand what function a product has and where it is located in the portfolio. These names consist of two linked individual parts: The product family (e.g. "Axle") ranks first for differentiation, to which a marker for the functional segment is docked (e.g. "Act"). This results in the name "AxleAct". It can be followed by further differentiation within the product family. All in all, there are more than 100 names in the new naming system.

* Outstanding brands in the portfolio kept their names, such as the KE control valve, which is legendary thanks to its reliability and robustness. Since 1954, this brand name has established a high historical and actual brand value. It would have been grossly negligent to give him up.

Naming for a new technology brand -
CERTIUM by Rohde & Schwarz

An inventend brand name -
linexo by WERTGARANTIE

Select naming projects B2B and B2C

For those interested in even more insights and projects, here you find a
detailed list of references:

		Testo Instruments Testo, Titisee / Neustadt Divsion Name, Measurement Solutions, B2B, 2025 Develop the naming strategy for the fifth division name in the group, elaborate various examples and define the right path with the descriptive result Testo Instruments.
		WebEngineers 3m5., Dresden Corporate Denomination, Web Services, B2B, 2016 Develop a new self-description which merges inside and outside perspective, and corresponds to today's and future self-image: WebEngineers.
		Audi, Ingolstadt Name Check, Mobility Services, B2C, 2016 Review multiple names for a new car rental service by Audi. From testing for international applicability, adequacy and associations in a variety of markets and languages, Audi on demand turned out as the clear favorite.
		Audi, Ingolstadt Name Test, Mobility Services, B2C, 2014 A new range of flexible leasing packages offering more variety by switching Audi models more often was to be introduced. The name Audi select emerged as winner from a test on international applicability, adequacy and evocations in a score of markets and languages.
		BdKom^® BdP, Berlin Rebranding, Association, B2B, 2019 Consulting on the positioning of the association and finding a new name for the Bundesverband Deutscher Pressesprecher - the association of German press officers.
		Bora, Raubling Name Consulting, White Goods, B2C, 2013 Scrutiny of various potential line names for cooking equipment as well as design of alternative name systems. Workshop involving presentation of results and communal decision on the future line names strategy.
		Bora Pure^® Bora, Raubling Product Name, White Goods, B2C, 2018 As a supplement to the existing cooktop with integrated extractor - BORA Basic - a new product line, BORA Pure was introduced. It is characterized by very focused design and reduction to the essentials.
		Ixo^® Bosch Power Tools, Leinfelden-Echterdingen Innovation Naming, Power Tools, B2C, 2003 Product name for the first power drill with a lithium battery. The name focuses on the features "tiny" and "nimble" while still expressing strong technical competence. Ixo is short and likeable, yet unique. Its cheerful sound represents the omnipresent little helper.* * Werner Brandl as project manager for Nomen
		C.H. Beck Verlag, München Consulting + Creation, Publishing, B2B, 2014 Analysis of existing alternative names as well as creation of additional titles for a giant new legal comment on the BGB of Germany's largest publisher of legal literature and relevant databases.
		Servity^® DCON, Kaiserslautern Brand Name, ERP Software, B2B, 2019 New brand name for enterprise service management software to be used in large international companies and government agencies. Servity is an extremely accessible and instantly attractive name.
		Kartenregie DZ Bank, Frankfurt am Main App Name, Financial Services, B2C, 2014 Develop a name for a new smartphone app of DZ BANK with all relevant domains available. The Kartenregie app helps to survey one's debit card transactions and payments. At the same time, it enables the user to keep an eye on the state of their personal finances.
		TxB ganzheitlich gestalten DZ Bank, Frankfurt am Main Claim Development, Finance, B2B, 2022 Finding a slogan in German that reflects the performance-related positioning of DZ BANK's Transaction Banking division. "TxB ganzheitlich gestalten" ("Designing TxB holistically") marks media in payment, transactions and credit card business and is used at B2B events.
		Hütts^® Dr. Karg's, Schwabach / Nuernberg Product Brand, Food, B2C, 2018 These rustic nibbles are the perfect alternative to chips and flips. Healthy and tasty, conventional and organic, four truly natural flavors. Lucidly positioned by the name Hütts with the imagery rich world of hiking and delightful eating breaks.
		Secoder^® EURO Kartensysteme, Frankfurt am Main Category Branding, Security Electronics, B2C, 2008 A new branded product category of EURO Kartensysteme, Frankfurt. The Secoder seal is only licensed to card readers fulfilling rigid security requirements. It focuses the essential concepts "security" and "code", and its similarity with "decoder" enhances acceptance and understanding.
		girogo^® EURO Kartensysteme, Frankfurt am Main Service Trademark, Finance, B2C, 2012 Design a name for an electronic payment function to be used on smart cards. The contactless functionality of girogo is explained by its elements "giro" and "go", which stand for banking applications and velocity. In addition, the name perfectly fits with the brand name "girocard".
		Aerosense Frequentis, Vienna / Austria Positioning Workshop, Communication Technology, B2B, 2018 Workshop with employees of Frequentis in Vienna and the Deutsche Flugsicherung / DFA in Langen. Together, the positioning of a new joint venture for remote tower services was reviewed and the name Aerosense was developed.
		Vitalsphere^® Frequentis, Vienna / Austria Positioning Workshop, Communication Technology, B2B, 2015 Workshop at the Austrian world market leader for airport communications and member of ATX Prime in Vienna. Together with the employees, the repositioning of the business area ATM Networks was defined and the name Vitalsphere was developed for all related products.
		GORE-TEX Extraguard Gore, Putzbrunn / Feldkirchen-Westerham Ingredient Brand, Work Safety, B2B, 2019 Hi-tech textile components for shoes and boots for work safety and fire services. The new ingredient brand GORE-TEX Extraguard perfectly conveys both exceptional and external protection.
		Gore, Putzbrunn / Feldkirchen-Westerham Name System + Names, Fashion, B2C, 2020 Fine-tuning of an in-house designed name system for GORE Wear sports apparel. In addition, more than 30 prototypical names in various categories were developed to enable the market launch in 2021.
		Gigahub H-TEC SYSTEMS / Quest One, Augsburg / Hamburg Own Denominator, Energy Systems, B2B, 2024 Naming the new Gigahub in Hamburg, the new center and factory for green hydrogen electrolyzers by German hydrogen pioneer Quest One, formerly known as H-TEC SYSTEMS.
		Idyllica^® HDI Vier CE / Private Equity, Munich Enterprise Trademark, Agriculture, B2B, 2022 Corporate brand for a new, global reforestation concept, combined with social development steps. By planting neem trees, Idyllica helps to recultivate arid areas and bind CO2.
		Neemavera^® HDI Vier CE / Private Equity, Munich Ingredient Name, Cosmetics, B2C, 2024 Proprietary name for an extremely high quality cosmetic ingredient extracted from the leaves of the neem tree by hi-tech processes in Germany.
		Better Business Haufe, Freiburg Service Description, Consulting Software, B2B, 2019 Attractive and descriptive term that addresses tax advisors as efficiently as their clients.
		Digital Thinking Haufe, Freiburg Service Name, Education, B2B, 2020 Clear and accessible name for a novel training for tax consultants. Digital Thinking stands for conveying the mindset essential for future success.
		Axera^® Haufe FIO, Freiburg Product Brand, Real Estate Software, B2B, 2016 Creation of the name for an ERP system in the cloud for real estate management by Haufe Gruppe and FIO SYSTEMS AG. The artificial name Axera claims a unique position in the market environment. It radiates agility as well as the software's focal position in the office workflow.
		IVU AG, Berlin Portfolio Name System, Public Transport, B2B, 2008 Portfolio and competition analysis as well as a brand workshop for IVU AG in Berlin. Based on a review of all current and future software and hardware, a liberal, but still consistent name strategy and fitting names were developed and implemented.
		Corio^® / Dyneo^® / Magio^® Julabo, Seelbach Range Names, Med Tech, B2B, 2014 JULABO is a leading manufacturer of tempering units with ultra high precision regulation technology. Their products are intended for science, research and industries like pharma and food. For global distribution, we developed the names Corio, Dyneo and Magio to designate new thermostates.
		Minimise risk, maximise performance KWS SAAT, Einbeck Slogan Developoment, Agriculture, B2B, 2023 Slogan to highlight the special benefits of new sugar beet varieties with high virus yellows tolerance, i.e. seeds with the feature VY Protect.
		Synact^® Knorr-Bremse, Munich Brand Name, Auto / Truck, B2B, 2014 In 2014, for a new line of truck disc brakes, a name was sought. The new model sported a perfect synergetic interaction resulting from many improvements in construction details. This should be reflected in the name, and as a result, later on SYNACT was launched.
		Friction Technologies Knorr-Bremse, Munich Division Name + Name System, Trains, B2B, 2018 Naming of the friction division plus definition of the name system for a product portfolio, which got enlarged through acquisitions. Knorr-Bremse, the world market leader for brake systems, will bundle its brake pads and brake pads in the new Friction Technologies unit, the single products are categorized in families.
		Data2Action Knorr-Bremse, Munich Service Brand, Mobility, B2B, 2024 New, comprehensive umbrella for the digital expertise and connection options of Knorr-Bremse Rail systems and technologies - with a focus on the benefits for users.
		Knorr-Bremse, Munich Portfolio Name System, B2B, 2020 Name system for the entire portfolio of the rail division of Knorr-Bremse AG, listed in the MDAX, comprising systematics, rules, and more than 100 self-explanatory names.
		Avanto^® Linde Gas, Unterschleissheim Service Trademark, Engineering, B2B, 2006 The globally applicable brand name Avanto was designed for an umbrella concept offering specific services to the food sector. It was introduced step by step on a global scale, starting in Northern Europe.
		Mercateo Unite^® Mercateo, Leipzig Naming Workshop, ERP Software, B2B, 2016 Definition of a fitting strategy for the name of a new service by Mercateo AG. Accordingly, the most appropriate and evocation-strong name adjunct Unite was elaborated and selected.
		Froop^® Mueller, Aretsried Brand Creation, Dairy, B2C, 2002 Develop a name for an innovative fruit yogurt with the potential to be used internationally as a product group name. The short, gripping name Froop triggers most fitting associations of enormous fruitiness and fun on an international scale.* * Werner Brandl as project manager, for Nomen
		Woodox^® Private Equity, Leipzig Corporate Brand, Energy, B2C, 2008 Design a name for a newly formed company in the field of renewable energies. The brand name Woodox is powerful and can be employed on an international scale. It hints at the raw material wood as well as the core product wooden pellets for heating.
		IdeaMed Private Equity, Bad Wiessee Company Name, Health, B2B, 2016 Company name for a Tegernsee based group of medical clinics, group praxis centers, and educational institutes including the .de domain. The name Ideamed is easy to understand and attractive, yet open to new business developments in the medical field.
		Privia / Optia / Citylife / Easylife Recaro CS, Marktleugast Name System + Brand Names, Boosters + Strollers, B2C, 2014 Creation of a name system for child seats and strollers inclusive of baby carriers as well as corresponding product brand names for segmented product portfolios. After designing various systems, Privia and Optia were selected for child and baby car seats, Citylife and Easylife for strollers.
		Certium^® Rohde & Schwarz, München Product Brand, Technology, B2B, 2019 Trademarked name for the ATC portfolio of Rohde & Schwarz, ranging from microphone to radio and antenna. CERTIUM embodies perfectly reliable communication solutions for air traffic control. It also reflects the motto "Security by Design".
		Soveron^® Rohde & Schwarz, München Brand Name, Radios, B2B, 2017 Global brand name for a new generation of software-defined radios under the brand Rohde & Schwarz. Soveron clearly appeals to sovereign states as customers and refers to highly secure and unique, customized solutions.
		Pro / Prime / Core Sick, Waldkirch Portfolio Markers, Sensors, B2B, 2012 The product portfolio of Sick can be divided into three clusters, for which markers were required. The target groups addressed are Sick's own employees, mainly in sales, and users from many industries. For them, we developed a system of three terms - Pro, Prime, and Core.
		TeleAlarm, Leipzig Name Consulting, Electronics, B2B, 2024 Name consulting on changes to the name suffix and logo design - in cooperation with an experienced design consultant.
		Testo, Lenzkirch Brand Analysis, Measurement Solutions, B2B, 2009 Based on word field analysis and semantic structuring of existing and aspired brand values, we analyzed the brand values of the brand "Testo". Then, related attributes were developed in several workshops. The results are used for controlling brand activities and marketing campaigns.
		Saveris^® Testo, Lenzkirch Product Brand, Measurement Solutions, B2B, 2008 Product brand for a new data acquisition system of Testo AG. Saveris has a technical feel, is in perfect harmony with its sender brand Testo, and radiates reliability, efficiency and precision. In addition, the name integrates the topics "knowledge" and "competence".
		Aygo^® Toyota Europe, Brussels Brand Name, Automobile, B2C, 2005 Name for a small car by Toyota with appeal to the vanguard of young drivers. Aygo is a truly idiosyncratic name for the new car concept. It is likeable, with a fine reference to mobility while at the same time including parts of the brand name Toyota in a subtle phonetic way.* * Werner Brandl as project manager for Nomen
		GenerationenDepot Versicherungskammer Bayern, Munich Innovative Term Design, Insurance, B2C, 2010 Develop an attractive and easily understandable name for a tax-optimized retirement provision of one of Germany's largest insurance companies. The new name exactly expresses the product's core quality: to pass capital on to heirs and heiresses in a very cost-efficient way.
		Leistung zu Lebzeiten Versicherungskammer Bayern, Munich Innovative Term Design, Insurance, B2C, 2013 New name for an important feature of life insurance, so called "early death payment". The new term "payment when still alive" changes the perspective and is still honest.
		StartSchutz Versicherungskammer Bayern, Munich Innovative Term Design, Insurance, B2C, 2011 Develop a strong and self-explanatory name for an occupational disablement insurance that with job starters and students. The name clearly states the introductory character of the tariff and also its core benefit. Related internet domains also were required to be available.
		Curamenta^® Vitos digitale Gesundheit GmbH, Kassel Name Development, Health, B2C, 2022 Develop the brand name Curamenta for a new digital platform (website + app) on mental health to support the patient management of non-profit psychiatric clinics by KBO, LVR, LWL, Vitos in Bavaria, Hesse, and North Rhine-Westphalia.
		Vitos Kinder- und Jugendklinik für psychische Gesundheit Vitos, Kassel Decision-Making, Health, B2B + B2C, 2020 The names of a score of psychiatric clinics for young people were to be harmonized. Name variants were devised, and a decision was made on the new name pattern “Vitos Children's and Youth Clinic for Mental Health + PLACE”.
		Vitos Südhessen Vitos, Kassel Decision-Making, Health, B2B+ B2C, 2021 For the merged companies of Riedstadt and Heppenheim, a location-specific name was sought to suit all current and future locations. In a workshop with the clinic managers, the name Vitos Südhessen was selected to reflect the future business scope.
		Consumer Electric^® WMF, Geislingen/Steige Division Branding + Consulting, Small Appliances, B2C, 2011 Consulting concerning the naming of existing as well as future business fields. We created various naming systems and held workshops to find the best fitting one for WMF. Also, the new name for the business field WMF Consumer Electric was selected.
		Linexo Wertgarantie SE, Hannover Service Trademark, Mobility + Insurance, B2B + B2C, 2024 Development of the Linexo word mark including .com and .de domains for an for active service. The new offer from the established specialist insurer WERTGARANTIE from Hanover offers bicycle insurance and company bike leasing from a single source.
		Flood^® Wrigley, Unterhaching Subbrand, Food / Confectionery, B2C, 2010 Find a name for a new European flavor of gum to be sold under the brand 5 GUM by Wrigley. The compact name Flood for a red berry flavor fits perfectly into the existing name structure. It also features strong imagery and rich associations.
		Turbulence^® Wrigley, Unterhaching Subbrand, Food / Confectionery, B2C, 2011 Finding a name for a new flavor under the brand 5 GUM by Wrigley. The name Turbulence for watermelon perfectly fits into the existing name structure. It features strong imagery and rich associations of this popular summer fruit variant.