Homegrown After Dark: Lauri Maerov of Writethink - The Power of Naming

Why some product and brand names become iconic and memorable, while others fail: the ingredients to creating a winning name.

You’ll learn:

• What makes a name resonate with its audience and become unforgettable
• Why more is better: beating obstacles like trademark and domain unavailability
• Tools for name development, from strategic positioning to linguistic music
• Foolproof categories to help you generate ideas 
• Participatory brainstorm process based on the above: yes, we will name a product together!

Please bring a pen and at least one favorite brand/product name or one you think fails.

About Lauri Maerov
Lauri is Creative Director & Chief Storyteller of her own indie consulting firm, WriteThink. She helps companies and individuals discover their unique voice, brand identity, and the most compelling story to ignite a powerful, emotional connection with their audiences.

Lauri built her expertise through two decades working with major global brands and advertising agencies, including Hain Celestials, Clairol, Bounty, Charmin, Puffs, Timberland, Hyundai, The Olympics, Jane Iredale Cosmetics, the Interbrand Agency and Resource (now Resource/Ammirati IBM). She has led or participated in naming and creative initiatives for numerous brands, including Samsung, Disney, DirecTV and Procter & Gamble, where she facilitated workshops to kick off name development for two top secret products. She’s helped launch hit brands like MUD Makeup, Tio Gazpacho and SpaRitual, supervised record-shattering social media campaigns and named everything from new technologies to Oscar-nominated movies.

She serves as a mentor in AIGA Raleigh’s 2016 Mentor Program. Off the clock, she is an award-winning short story writer with a passion for flash fiction. 

Homegrown After Dark, a Dinner & Learn series from AIGA Raleigh

Things change fast in our industry, and it's important for us to grow our non-traditional design skills. This monthly lunch (and dinner) series brings local, "homegrown" experts together with designers for an intimate, in-depth discussion of different skills or topics that will help designers add a few skills to their toolbox. Homegrown is your opportunity to have lunch (or dinner!) with the smartest people in town.