The S.M.I.L.E. Test: 1Convalescent
In case you missed it, we put out a post on the “Smile or Scratch” test for your company name last week. You can read it here.
An easy pick for a S.C.R.A.T.C.H. example is 1Convalescent.
☑ Spelling-challenged ☑ Copycat ☑ Restricts growth ☑ Annoying ☑ Tame ☑ Curse of Knowledge
Let’s take a look at a brand that was established with great purpose: 1Convalescent
Their goal was to help people break dependency on pain medication, increase mobilization after surgery, and assist rehab steps toward physical and emotional recovery.
Right from the start, the name, unfortunately, conveys associations with a convalescent care home. Sure, the word convalesce means to relax and recover, but much of the public has negative impressions of “convalescent homes” as places where elderly family members are left to grow old alone. Aside from this, 1Convalescent served a more diverse populace than just the elderly and offered a wider scope of work than mere “rest and recovery”.
What are the takeaways here?
It’s hard to spell. The meaning is obscure. The combination of a number and name doesn’t add up. Only insiders would understand the meaning right away.
As a matter of fact, we helped design brochures to streamline the 1Convalescent team’s selling process and we were able to help set up meaningful conversations and introductions.
But what was the sales team’s biggest barrier?
The name of the company and overall brand wasn’t clear, so sales professionals were constantly having to quickly guide prospects past the confusion it caused during new introductions.
Sadly, 1Convalescent no longer exists. Learn from their mistakes and if you’re reviewing naming and branding, make sure to avoid all 7 items on the S.C.R.A.T.C.H list.
Jason Manarchuck is the Founder & Growth Strategist behind SPROUT Consulting. Jason gets jazzed when sharing his unique perspective with leaders so they can use it as a point of leverage in their lives, families, and organizations.
Jason brings over 20 years of consulting and leadership experience focused on the growth and development of leaders and brands in a variety of industries. He seeks to share his creative and strategic perspectives with owners and stakeholders so they can add it as leverage for leading toward a desired future.