A Bad Day in “Nameville”

One of the most important elements of any marketing or communications project is the assignment of a precise name or title for that project. I frequently run across situations with clients in which several people are working away on an important but nameless project. Frequently, all involved have a slightly different perception (or opinion) as to what the project is actually all about. And because those involved are not always on the same page, the focus of the project tends to be a bit scattered. Sometimes this is not a big deal, but at other times, it’s a major (although mostly unrealized) reason for some degree of disappointment. Naming the project is not the most exciting way to kick things off, but I believe it’s a key first moment to point the project toward success (and much preferred over discovering later that some of the goals and perhaps even the purposes of the project were unclear…due to differing notions of what those involved were working on). Most nameless communications projects are nameless simply because giving the project an official title does not occur to those leading the endeavor. Perhaps the idea of a precise, descriptive, comprehensive name is just too simple a concept. In more than a few meetings, I’ve been met with bemused looks or raised eyebrows when I ask the simplest of simple questions: “By the way, what’s the name of this project?” Why is a name so important? Most communications projects involve meetings, lots of emails, and more than a few documents. Each person working with these materials assumes he or she knows what the project is all about. But without an official project name, each team member may think of the project in his or her own way. The project leader may consider the task to be all about “X,” but because “X” is not the project title, other team members may consider the project to be mostly about “Z.” Without a proper name, everybody involved may be working under a different core set of basic assumptions. While a proper name may seem too inconsequential to spend any time on, most communications assignments—from creation of web sites, to advertising campaigns, to e-marketing initiatives—will be aided tremendously by putting thought into a good, simple title. The right designation helps to focus your team members’ thinking about what it is they’re working on, and helps to keep everybody moving in the same direction. How to use the name Use the project name everywhere. It should be seen on the covers of documents, in the names of meetings, in email subject headers, and should be used in discussions. The more the project name permeates the process, the better the chances that the communal task stays on track. Of course a good project name is not a substitute for a creative brief, or the Big Idea, or a good marketing plan, but precisely naming the project is a key element in improving team concentration, and bettering the overall chances of success. Name it, publish it, use it. The bad news Properly naming a project is not easy. In fact, it can be frustrating, and may require several iterations. Boiling-down a major undertaking into just a few key words is hard enough, but making those words accurate and comprehensive can be both frustrating and taxing (and a common reason projects go nameless). Moss Hart once wrote to his editor Bennett Cerf, complaining that his assignment to write the jacket copy blurb for the marketing of his new book was much harder than writing the book itself. Condensing anything into a few words is hard. Condensing an entire project into a single, precise title is extra-hard. But not doing so early in project can be more exasperating in the long run. Conclusion Sometimes communications projects fail to reach maximum fruition because the team members involved see the purpose and goals of the project differently. Laying the groundwork for how a project is to function—or even exactly what the project is—begins with a descriptive, unambiguous, and precise title. It may seem like a no-brainer, but the correct name is perhaps the most critical simple element for a project’s ultimate chance of success.