mySmart: What’s in a Brand Name?
At the heart of any company lies their brand. As we celebrate mySmart’s eighteenth birthday, we’re reflecting on how our brand name has changed to reflect our company’s evolution.
mySmart began in Sydney in 2001 with two employees offering smart lighting solutions. Back then we were CTI – Complete Technology Integrations. As with many start-ups, we didn’t have the budget to invest in brand name testing, but the name CTI served us well. Our reputation grew. By 2003 we had expanded to Melbourne, then in 2007, Perth.
A company’s brand needs to reflect their mission and their personality. By 2012, the name CTI had served its purpose. We needed a modern, memorable, unique name that embraced our new direction: creating intelligent environments. A label that reflected our expertise in bringing products, services and solutions together.
We recognised that CTI had a fantastic client base and a brand name change needs care. That’s why we became mySmartCTI in 2012. Our goal was to make the full transition to mySmart gradually, giving our customers and employees time to acclimatise to that change.
Then, in 2017, the decision was made to remove CTI from the company name altogether. Becoming mySmart and adding a tagline that represents what we believe in:
mySmart. Building smart cities, one mySmart building at a time.
If you’re looking at changing your company and/or brand name, here are some points worth considering:
- Does it make you distinguishable from competitors or well-known brand names, unless you’re trying to ride on a competitor’s coat-tails (not advisable and potentially litigious).
CTI could easily be mistaken for other companies. In Sydney alone, a simple Google search shows numerous companies with ‘CTI’ in their name e.g. CTI Group, CTI Solutions, CTI Consultants, etc.
- Does it represent the company externally and internally?
It’s easy to focus on how customers will see your brand name and forget about your own employees. Does your name fit with their understanding of the company? Or maybe you need to hold workshops explaining the message behind the new name.
- Does your name reflect your company’s positive values and mission?
This can be a challenge, especially if you’re planning for a short name. Your name needs to reflect not just the product and services being offered but the company ethos. We chose mySmart because the ‘my’ represents adaptability – we offer solutions to suit your intelligent environment needs. The ‘Smart’ part reflects our vision for the future and our expertise in offering smart solutions, as stated in our tagline: mySmart. Building smart cities, one mySmart building at a time.
- Is your name appropriate to your market?
In other words, don’t choose a comical or crazy name unless it’s appropriate to your business and/or product. Or if you’re a ‘funky young company’, look for a name that reflects that personality.
- How soon is it likely to become dated in terms of trends?
A name’s durability is tricky to predict. No-one can see the future, after all, but you can usually gauge the market with simple Google searches.
- Can it be shortened in a negative, rude or ridiculous way that changes its meaning?
This one requires no further explanation. We’re hoping mySmart doesn’t fall foul of the shortening curse!
- Is it easy to say? Easy to remember?
Is it easy to pronounce? Does it roll off the tongue? You don’t want customers and business contacts struggling to say your name or pronouncing it in different ways. Short and punchy is usually best.
- Is it easy to spell?
Remember, a brand name should be simple and memorable but distinctive too. If it’s hard to spell you risk being confused with another company online. Potential customers may struggle to Google you and end up on competitors’ websites. Try to avoid quirky spellings of traditional words if you want to play safe.
We’re forward-thinking enough to recognise that our name may need to change in the future. But for now, the mySmart brand encapsulates our mission to push boundaries and redefine the complex relationship and interaction between people, spaces and devices.
Happy Birthday mySmart!
