What’s in a name?

     “We need to come up with something catchy, so people will remember your name.”

       I was set up at an art show, if you really want to call it that. It was hot, dry and dusty and there were no customers. It was more like a desert than an art show. So, as often happens, my neighbor and I began to talk. She was selling collapsible hats, and had travelled over the country doing so. Over the course of the long two day affair, she surprised me by becoming the self appointed advisor for my brand.

     At the time my brand was Paint Chip Jewelry. It was an apt description of my work. I peel the acrylic paint from an artist palette and upcycle it into jewelry. But that day as the hat lady perused my booth and offered her unsolicited but appreciated advice, I realized that which I had not seen. 
    

"Your name makes your jewelry sound cheap, like some leftover throwaway paint. We need to find a name that gives it perceived value. Preferably something that rhymes. What rhymes with paint? Ain’t? Saint? How about chips? Hips? Clips? No, that won’t work, but we’ll think of something.” 
   
   As the long weekend came to a close and we took down our dust covered booths and packed our cars to go home, we said goodbye and promised to stay in touch. On the way home, I thought about what she said. I even prayed about it, thankful for the right name that would fit and be catchy. 

   Then I had an epiphany. OMG, it’s not just paint chips, it’s all kinds of stuff I use from the artist studio! All kinds of stuff from the process of making art make the final cut. Bits of canvas, leather scraps, handmade papers, twigs, glitter, tissue paper, and on and on. Parts, parts parts.... Parts of Art! Wow, and it even rhymes! 

      I saw the hat lady at my next show two weeks later. By then I had changed the name and gotten new business cards, packaging and displays. I had rewritten the script I use with customers, replacing  “leftover paint chips” with “ exclusive paint films” and  "one of a kind upcycled treasures". I also raised my prices to reflect the perceived value. When I brought her over to see my booth, she actually became emotional. She hugged me and said,  “I am so, so, so proud of you!” She was so happy that I had taken the idea she generated and ran with it. And so was I!

    That weekend I saw a measurable increase in sales.  The difference was not in the product, but in the perceived value of the product.  The changes I had made gave my pieces a new look and a greater value. 

     My takeaway from the encounter with crazy hat lady was the importance of choosing your name. Your name needs to  be concise, descriptive of your brand, and memorable. 

What’s in your name? 

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