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.