What can an individual Creative do to help the CH have a great experience and find a name (logo, tagline, etc.) that they truly love?

#1 - Please do NOT use Name Generators

#2 - Please don’t come across as combative or confrontational

#3- Please read the Brief thoroughly

#4 - Please ask pertinent questions in the “Comments” area

*Just my 2 cents - :relaxed:

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Please do not just take random words from the contest and mash them together. The CH can do that themselves.(unless the CH asks for particular words to be incorporated, of course). Don’t take the CH’s suggested names of what they like and just add a “The” or an “S”. Be original. Don’t take a winning name and keep resubmitting it with slight variations.(Especially if it was someone else’s winning name) In most situations, the CH wants a name they feel is fresh…and not a rehash of a name that’s won 7 times already.
And as Alwritey said…Respectfully ask the CH in the comments for clarification if the brief isn’t clear,or to adjust the contest if there is a need.And please read the brief before you submit names to be sure you are understanding what they are asking for. Don’t submit eleven hundred random names hoping one will stick. Or it’s more likely they will get overwhelmed or frustrated and walk away,thinking we are not taking their quest seriously.Try to put thought and effort behind them.
And so WE as a creative can have a great experience…realize that everyone has their own taste, and may not know what they are looking for til they see it. So if a CH isn’t into your naming style, don’t take it personally ,but move on to the next contest where you may be a superstar! Please also know that your long string of rejections may suddenly turn into green faces…so try to hang in and keep waiting for the contest that gels for you. Use the blue button to alert SH of issues or to clarify things if they are not understandable or you need help. Sorry this is a little long,but my 2 cents too.

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If you see a CH has rated every single entry as a no thank you, post a positive public message to them asking them for new directions, affirming that we are still going to work on their contest, etc.
IF you don’t receive feedback soon after posting the above, use the blue bubble to let SH know that the contest is on the skids so they can reach out to the CH!

Realize that the CHs OFTEN don’t understand how the system works, especially in terms of what names might be feasible with what domain extensions. Kindly ask them if they would consider broadening their scope.

Please, I beg you, stop asking CHs if it is OK to withdraw unrated names “because creatives have a limit”! It just really doesn’t sound great, to be honest, especially when that is the only message on the board! And CHs have no idea what you are talking about! I think it is OK to ask if they are still considering unrated names…just not that other part.

There are only a very small handful of creatives who actually post questions to the CHs. I know why that is and I understand it… but it would be nice if a few more creatives did.

I also want to “echo” what @hollygirl said about names in the brief AND previous winning names. It just doesn’t look good for all of us.

If a CH is frustrated and posts something frustrating, report it to SH before going and hitting send on a negative response. OR, say something nice.

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Good points, Clinks! I think you meant report it to SH (not CH) though, before responding negatively.

Yes, I did mean that!!! I’m going to edit…thanks!

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  1. If a CH does leave negative feedback on one or more of your entries, it’s better to leave it be, take a deep breath, and then think of a constructive question that you can ask the CH in the message center ( NOT as a reply to your entry) on names/idea they do like, what they envision when they think of the perfect thing for them, what kind of style intrigues them the most, etc. – this is because replying to your own entry can not only make you more inclined to be more overbearing and critical of their own choice, but if they did reply it may benefit you but not them because everyone deserves the chance to help the CH find what is perfect for THEM and if you reply to yours it could also give you an unfair advantage as much as it could accidentally come off as attacking.

  2. Namers: Do NOT do robotic entries. You may think your simple name that you come up with in seconds are good ideas, but actually put thought, research, and weighing of how well your names fit to the brief as well as to the ideas that the CH has for their needs. I’ve been guilty of it and there are many that have but hitting a streak (or what we think is one) of what we think is good and suddenly a creative has entered 12 names in the first hour of a contest and you may think it gives you a leg up and th more you submit the better chance you have at amassing a ‘WIN’ but all it does it muck up the pool. Your ideas may be good, but it’s not just about you or what you think is good. It’s better to submit less and wait to see if the CH likes those ideas before continuing than to put all your eggs in a basket at the very beginning. Just because you have 15-30 submissions you’re ABLE to submit does not mean you should use them and much less all at once. Toe the water and check the ‘temperature’ for a bit before diving right in. It’s more fair and better for EVERYONE – especially the CH this way.

  3. Give positive constructive feedback (just not about the CH’s decisions or how they choose to do certain things), we have to remember that MANY, if not most, CHs do not have experience with these types of things – if they did or even knew what they were doing – they wouldn’t be here. So if a brief is lacking of pertinent information, suggest in message center that if they add this or expand on that or help to give more ideas on what they are thinking, or things they have in mind can go a long way. If they think a REAL WORD 8 character .COM name is going to be obtainable and you know this is going to be challenging, let them know but don’t phrase it in a complaining way or frustrated way, instead explain why this is and that even going up 2 or 4 more characters may help or maybe even asking if they may at least consider names that LOOK LIKE real words or can be verbed and nouned like a real word could be considered opens the gate for more possibility of helping THEM and ultimately helping us. We all know things for us can be fustrating as we encounter things over and over – but the CH does not know this. They should not – at ANY point be able to pick up on frustration or complaining where it can then be misconstrued that the problem lies with them. Be constructive, be positive, be engaging and you may get constructiveness, positivity, and engagement in return! :slight_smile:

  4. Do not be afraid to contact SH if it seems a contest is going south or if you’re not sure what to say to the CH but know they may need help somehow. Just blue button, provide link and a little bit of info to describe what is going on and let SH see if they may be able to help.

  5. :heart: the contest or messages from the CH if you are in favor of the contest or the commentary. This is engaging them as well, showing that you appreciate the guidance they may be offering and or the mission they have. It’s a small thing and sometimes it doesn’t seem to do much good, but you never know.

  6. If you can spare the ability to not remove your entries, don’t remove them (at least immediately) after a NTY. Directions change, minds change, and sometimes the previous entries can show your own growth of trying to understand them as well. You never know when a NTY could turn to a love as time progresses and if nothing else, when you do finally mindsync with them, they can see the directions you took to try to get there and it may show your creative thought process better and be inspiring to them to understand your entries as well as maybe other creatives’ entries as well. They don’t know our process or how we do this, but considering a lot of us have great minds and great minds often think alike, sometimes little things can finally make sense and allow a CH to see things in a whole new perspective to how this process is and that we all are just trying to help them and this realization may help them then engage to find their perfect name.

– plus all the ‘echoes’ of all the ideas aformentioned. Those are all great, btw @AlwriteyThen @hollygirl @Commulinks! Keep these thoughts/ideas coming!

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Super awesome list, @rareworthy! Thanks for taking the time! I read every word!

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Oh #6 is brilliant @rareworthy. Thanks so much.

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I am in the habit of removing nty’s…and this makes me wonder maybe if it has been detrimental to do so.I may have to rethink this! Thanks for the food for thought…

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Interaction is the key. Back and forth discussion on what they like and don’t like. How can we tweak your name, what do you like and don’t like about the name I gave you. What can I keep, what should I throw out.
But on a large platform that is a difficult thing to do. It’s very easy for a CH to get overwhelmed and most will stop looking after 300 names have been thrown at them.
That’s a tricky thing to try and figure out. And I for one disagree with the rule on using a name the CH uses in the brief. While I have not ever won on that sometimes all they want is confirmation that their first thought was the right thought and I see nothing wrong with that. It’s all about the client, not us. Client likes first, not ours.
Just my thoughts since you asked :sunflower:

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Remember the CH’s business is like their baby…they want the perfect name, not just one that will work. So maybe think of a picky CH as a really dedicated parent? Also, try to be considerate of the CH’s location (if it is disclosed)…it can make a lot of difference in spelling and pronunciation. :slight_smile:

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So let’s talk about this because it’s important.
Right now, only the contestant who “gets there first” can enter the name in the brief. They win, VERY often.

So, if this is going to be allowed, I believe there needs to be a more to it. For example, perhaps the CH should outline what they are looking for. For example: I am searching for a domain that will use these terms. That gives more people a chance. Right now, I think that submitting the names without knowing if the CH is open to that just upsets some CHs who think, geez, why did I come here if they are just going to give me the name I already thought of? I don’t think it looks good for us to give them those names unless they specifically say…and it really, frankly, makes me mad when creatives do it.

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I admit to feeling somewhat frustrated too when I have spent an age trying to consider something maybe different, original, out of the box or just you know maybe even run of the mill but just presented a bit differently for a name to win that was exactly EXACTLY what the CH holder mentioned, except with an “s” on or a number stuck on or you know the I changed for a y! But then I figure its their money and their time too. Still bums me out though, gotta admit!!

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I can’t recall if there still is a box or not that comes up, but when you submitted a name, it used to be at least, by submitting a name you were attesting that to your best knowledge, it was your original work.So if you are just feeding the CH’s own name back to them that they mentioned…you are breaking that rule…as it is not YOUR original work. This is also one of my pet peeves.Why come here and pay to get original names and have people bust their rear trying to be creative, if someone is just going to virtually give the CH their own name back to them? To me, that’s a slap in the face to all the creatives who are working hard to come up with creative,original names.Now if the CH says they want a particular word or words in their name…that’s a different story.But to me…if a CH says I like the name Crotchety Bear…(just for a lame example)…then to me… to submit The Crotchety Bear, or Crotchety Bears…is not submitting an original name.You are pretty much just handing them back their own name, and that is something they could think of themselves. They don’t need to pay us for that! Now if you came up with something similar…like the Grouchy Bear Lair or something…that’s perfectly fine in my book. Plus as Clinks said…otherwise it just comes down to a race of who can see the contest first and submit the CH’s own name back to them with a slight variation. I don’t think it should be allowed.

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Yay @hollygirl exactly! Thanks

But see, it’s not about us. It’s about the client. If they don’t like it they will give a na/sad face. It’s already who gets the right name first. Whether it was the same name or one you came up with. The client is paying the big bucks, it’s their product, business, etc. We put in a lot of time, hours and hours, and many of us only win once in a while - some several times a month. You never know. That is something that tends to get lost on crowdsourcing platforms. It’s not about us, it’s about the one who paid for us to find the right fit for them. Squadhelp is the business, the Client is the customer, we are the independent creative trying to make them both happy. If we don’t like it we can always walk away, we are not paying to be here. But Squadhelp and the Client are.
Again, just my thoughts.

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I think one thing that would make a client more satisfied and would provide better ratings (not the ones leaving you scratching your head) is to provide a few clear cut and explained submission, Not just putting in 15 names to see what sticks, in the long run this potentially hurts the chances of the Ch seeing some good names, Working at a few other sites i have heard from clients that they have gotten so fed up with “junk” submissions they just started rating everything Nah, So when you feel like your name really fit the bill, and it got a Nah rating this could be why,

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LMAA @hollygirl I thought my Scottish mother was the only person who uses crotchety

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Now back on topic…we have had plenty of CH’s update their briefs to ask creatives to stop submitting different versions of names that were in the brief or alterations to existing businesses they said that they liked. And some were not pleasant about it. I’ve also seen contest where the winner chosen was not only the name of an existing company, but that company was a national/global company with well know name. Always makes me think that the CH is not from the US or is unaware of the major co. But my favorites are "I need a cool name for a Toy business, then the winning entry is “Cool Toy Business” always leaves my SMH. lol

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[quote=“LisaMac, post:19, topic:2299”]
But my favorites are "I need a cool name for a Toy business, then the winning entry is “Cool Toy Business” [/quote]
OK, Lisa, you just made me spew my coffee all over my keyboard - Thanks for the laugh!!! :laughing:

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