Naming the Campaign
Humans name things. Adam's first job was to name all the animals, and ever since, half the fun of a new puppy has been to give it a name. Every expectant parent fingers a rosary of names, and every would-be novelist has a whole shelf of titles at the ready.
When a group of people get together to do something, the very first question is usually, "What should we name the campaign?" Typically, we aim for catchy, clever, memorable – the virtues of the esteemed art of advertising.
The trouble is, naming the campaign is more fun – and much easier – than figuring out what the campaign is fundamentally about. And the name, if it's to be effective, must capture – or at least resonate with – the real story of the effort.
There's no simple formula for doing this work. Its difficulty comes partly from this tricky requirement: in order to understand the campaign in its fundamental character, the very people who have been creative enough to spearhead the effort often have to challenge their own dearly held assumptions.
Framing the issue is not the same as manipulating perceptions through spin or slogan. The frame creates a clear and honest story about how things are and how they could be – a story that recognizes not everyone sees the world in the same way, but that includes the broadest range of people who can see themselves in the story.
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