“Help me Obi Wan Kenobi, you’re my only hope.”
We’ve been having some internal discussions lately based on a (seemingly) simple sentence in some of our internal documents: “RD2 is an acronym for our methodology: Research, Design, Develop.” This got us talking about our name.
While “Research, Design, Develop” simplifies the process and is not entirely unrepresentative of our Approach, you may have noticed on our Community page that there is no one whose job title sounds like “Research.” You may have also noticed the sentence that says “We are a small community of strategists, designers, technologists, and managers.” Where do all these departments fit in?
In response to some discussions on what our name really means and how it defines us, Chris sent out the following email. Enjoy:
When coming up with our name, I had a list that I was keeping which had over 250 possibilities. It was aggravating as hell because just when I would come up with something that I liked, the domain would be taken or there would be potential trademark issues. I’ve been lucky to have good guidance on some of the things that people don’t often think of when inventing a name for their new company. I retained an attorney to do trademark searches etc. for names that could be construed as legal conflicts down the road. So, the challenge was this:
- Find a good name
- Is there a good domain name version?
- Is it copyright protected already even if in another state or industry?
- Is there a local version of any kind?
… This eliminates so many damn possibilities.
David Slack then came up with a sample identity that I liked, but he was trying to sell me on something with my name in it, which I hated. But some of the words that we used in the branding exercise had to do with simple, minimal, effective — boiling the methodology down to: research, design, develop
The Dallas Company, Not the Robot: So, RD2 was born. I like the movie Star Wars, but don’t take it the wrong way… It’s not like I have a hidden stash of Star Wars action figures that I play with in the bath tub…
At first I was not very into the name because of the close sound of “R2-D2.” But after really, really thinking about it, my conclusion was that it’s not so bad having a familiar sound of the famous little droid. It’s not as if this is a negative brand image. In fact, R2-D2 is on the side of Good… fighting the opposing forces of the dark side. R2-D2 has a mind of it’s own… it’s willing to explore. R2-D2 traveled with Luke Skywalker to the Dagobah System, where he met with Yoda. Without “R2″, Luke may never have become the great Jedi Knight. R2D2 is a messenger, a confident little droid with a quirky personality yet has the intelligence from many distant galaxies. R2 wanders without hesitation through a fire fight with storm troopers and confronts the root of all intergalactic evil…a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away. R2 periodically gets in trouble, falls down, gets back up, and lives to see another fight. R2 is a survivor!
So, we knew that RD2 was going to forever be the subject of an association with this famous little droid. And how bad is that? We’re not KFC, having to move around our name and long standing brand to hide what was once an appropriate image, prior to the American Heart Association’s campaign against fried food, trans fats, and so on.
The little wise cracks are actually not only harmless, they are a compliment. The way I see it, we have nothing to worry about unless George Lucas releases a sequel to Return of the Jedi, with a twist… Where R2-D2 was, all along, a secret spy for the Emperor, and was an instrument of terror and intergalactic mayhem, then I think we will find ourselves in the same brand quandary as KFC. Until then, I’ll gladly accept the “accidental” association.
The point of all this is that the brand is far less about the name. It’s a beacon for the story. It’s a symbol that becomes associated with a mantra, a community, an emotion, and if we’re lucky…an inspiration. At first, we shifted the meaning of RD2 to Research, Design, Develop. It was appropriate for the time and conditions for our business. It was short for our Methodology. And what do we know about Methodologies? They are [edited]s… everyone has one. Methodologies are becoming like mission statements. You always have one, but no one really wears them like a prominent tattoo any longer. A good friend of mine, Sally Herbert, is the best consultant I have ever worked with. She never used the word “Methodology”. As sophisticated as she is, she never used those big MBA words. She always went right to the “Approach.” So, when you hear me say it, that’s a phrase that came from her. The word “Approach” to me seems more as if you are prepared for action. You have your tools, instruments, landing gear, and all of your focus aligned and ready for what’s ahead.
The name of a brand is in the story, and over time becomes an emotional connection within those who are part of it and within the community that surrounds it. A mission statement and methodology are more like the English aristocracy. It’s just an ornament on the tree. It’s there, but really has little to do with the day to day goings on.
So, who is RD2? We’re a determined little company who knows how to build online communities, engaging an audience with our clients. We have a history, a methodology, and all that mission statement stuff… But most importantly we have a specific Approach which we have used successfully to systematically solve complex problems. If we get to know you along the way, maybe we’ll have a few cold ones and talk about droids, battle scars, and the thrill associated with the lifecycle of a company that simply never quits until it finds it’s way…
Oh, by the way… RD2, Inc. and it’s logo are a registered trademark!
- Chris
