A global, stock trading platform

TradingBlock

The Challenge: Create a solid sounding company brand name for an online, financial services company

Web-based branding can be tricky. Ideally, you need a name that is easy to say and spell, conveys the right message, and (most importantly) has the available, exact matching .com domain name. In this case, the client also needed the name to create a sense of community.

The "Ah-ha" Moment: Use a descriptive hybrid naming strategy to build the right brand message

Descriptive hybrid names do two things... define the category/industry while alluding to a key attribute. TradingBlock does just that... combines an industry descriptor word "Trading" with the very malleable “Block” suffix, a word that can morph to mean a number of things. “Block” conveys the qualities of strength, dependability, and reliability, as in a building block. It also conveys the notion of a neighborhood block and captures the sense of camaraderie and community. It can also be used in the pejorative sense to affectionately call the company faithful “Blockheads” (in the same vein as “Parrot Heads,” “Dead Heads” and “Ditto Heads," etc.). The brand name was also personified by the little smiling expression on the block itself, inviting potential clients with the warm message, “Welcome to the neighborhood!” TradingBlock.com is now the new face of online investing.

Branding Update: Since the creation of this brand name, a "sister" brand called MoneyBlock has also been developed. The beauty of strong brand development is that it becomes self-directive, allowing the organization itself to continue to develop cohesive and congruent brand extensions and sub-brands. And that name is right on the money!