In the evolving landscape of business, a company’s name is more than just a label – it’s a promise, a story, and a strategic asset. But what happens when that name no longer reflects who you’ve become? Our recent experience with a significant renaming project — now shortlisted for Best Naming Strategy at the 2025 European Transform Awards — revealed valuable insights about when and how to approach this transformative process.
When your name becomes a constraint
The decision to rename a company is never taken lightly. In our experience, there are several clear indicators that it’s time to consider a new name. For our client, these signs were unmistakable: their name “SalesSense” had served them well during their initial growth phase, but as they expanded beyond sales into broader customer experience services, it became a constraint rather than an asset.
Through extensive customer research and stakeholder interviews, three critical insights emerged:
- Existing clients had no emotional connection to the name
- The name was actively preventing prospects from considering them for broader customer experience opportunities
- In an industry battling for attention, neither customers nor potential employees could articulate the organisation’s distinctive difference
Finding the strategic foundation
Before diving into naming exploration, we needed to establish a powerful foundation. This led us to develop the proposition “Experience Uncommon”— a concept that captured not just what the business did, but how they did it differently. This wasn’t just a tagline; it became the strategic platform that would inform every aspect of the new identity.
The power of linguistic patterns
The path to the new name emerged through careful attention to patterns in stakeholder conversations. Words like “understanding,” “uncompromising,” and “unparalleled” kept surfacing in discussions. This linguistic pattern of the “un-” prefix became a powerful creative device that would eventually lead us to “Uniquely.”
The new name works on multiple levels:
- It intrigues rather than merely describes
- It opens conversations instead of closing them
- It creates a platform for future growth while honouring their distinctive approach
- It provides rich creative territory for visual and verbal expression
Beyond the name
The transformation to Uniquely demonstrates how a name change can be more than a surface-level rebrand. The “un-” prefix became central to both verbal and visual identity, creating a distinctive and ownable characteristic in the brand’s language. Visually, the “U” evolved into a framing device used throughout the identity system, wrapping around portraits and key messages to create a cohesive and instantly recognisable look.
The human element was equally crucial. By featuring real employees, from recent graduates to the CEO, in authentic, expressive photography, the new brand captured the genuine personality behind the name. This approach reinforced that the rename wasn’t just about creating a new label, but about expressing the true character of the organisation.
A platform for growth
The success of this rename came from approaching it not as a creative exercise, but as a strategic transformation. It required understanding not just who the company was, but who they wanted to become. The new name needed to bridge that gap while opening doors to new possibilities.
In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, having the right name isn’t just about being identified — it’s about being understood. When your name truly reflects your essence and ambitions, it becomes more than a label. It becomes a powerful asset for growth and transformation.
The key lesson? A successful rename isn’t about finding a new name — it’s about uncovering the truth of who you are and expressing it in a way that creates new possibilities for your future. The recognition from the Transform Awards judging panel validates this strategic approach to naming, demonstrating how a thoughtfully executed rename can drive genuine business transformation.
Read the full Uniquely case study here
