“…that which we call a rose. By any other name would smell as sweet”  Romeo and Juliette. 

Our present day Branding metrics suggests a lot is in a name. The more pertinent question might be asked: What’s a thing but in some measure its name and our perception of it?

Upfit, the name of my company, doesn’t seem like a traditional writing service name. This is because it isn’t one.

Most writing company names are a play on words associated with, duh, writing: words, punctuation, spelling, pen, ink, on and on. Another approach to naming is about characterizing the product or service with something that catches your ear and eye.

A good example of this approach is Uber, the ride sharing app. Uber was originally Ubercab but the name was shortened when the company was charged with competing with licensed taxi services. The name, Uber, refers to the quality of the experience it promises.

The Oxford English Dictionary states the word über “denotes an outstanding or supreme example of a particular kind of person or thing.” The Urban Dictionary states über has a pop culture usage which means an extreme version of something. As in, über-cool — not just cool, extremely cool.

The U also refers to the user, with the name missing the umlaut found in the actual word. Placing the user at the core of a company’s name and brand is perfect for a business which connects people in the sharing economy.

Uber has a guttural sound with earworm buzz. The name Uber sticks. Lyft, named more conventionally, cleverly connects with tweeting/texting (deliberate misspelling for brevity’s sake) and with the idea of sharing a ride with someone. The effect of using a misspelled word is visual not aural. Of course, there are a million reasons why a company’s name gains currency but—as naming is one of the first steps in the development of an enduring brand — it sets an aspirational course for a young business.

Like Uber, upfit refers to the quality of writing I aspire to deliver: Up, means elevate or bring to a higher level; fit, means perfect or correct with other elements. Most people can cobble a sentence together but writing with the strategies of the craft in hand is another animal altogether. Graphically, upfit has loads of potential for interesting iterations that will keep it fresh for years. So, off to an auspicious start.