David Placek
Founder & President @ Lexicon Branding
Founded Lexicon Branding 40+ years ago. Named nearly 4,000 brands including BlackBerry, Sonos, Swiffer.
“Naming expert shares the process behind creating billion-dollar brand names like Azure, Vercel, Windsurf, Sonos, Blackberry, and Impossible Burger, covering strategic decision-making, team leadership, and product design.”
Career History
| Company | Role | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Lexicon Branding | Founder & President | 1982-present |
| Foote, Cone & Belding | Executive | ~1978-~1982 |
| United States Senate Commerce Committee | Staff Member | ~1976-~1978 |
Episodes (1)
Top Topics
Quotable Clips
“But Sonos is something I'm so glad that I had this internal energy to, "I got to go down there and make a bid for this." I don't do that often, by the way, but I felt very strongly about Sonos.”
Naming expert shares the process behind creating billion-dollar brand names like Azure, Vercel, Windsurf, Sonos, Blackberry, and Impossible Burger | David Placek (Lexicon Branding)
“By the way, in the book, there's no mention of marketing or brand strategy or any of these things, but if you read it, you begin to see that it's marketing, really, is about a symmetric advantage. And...”
Naming expert shares the process behind creating billion-dollar brand names like Azure, Vercel, Windsurf, Sonos, Blackberry, and Impossible Burger | David Placek (Lexicon Branding)
“For us, the ideal link is pretty short. It's eight weeks. For larger corporate projects where you have boards and a little more politicking to do, and a few more presentations, it's a three-month chur...”
Naming expert shares the process behind creating billion-dollar brand names like Azure, Vercel, Windsurf, Sonos, Blackberry, and Impossible Burger | David Placek (Lexicon Branding)
“I would say it happens every third or fourth project we'll find something that we will eliminate and never show the client.”
Naming expert shares the process behind creating billion-dollar brand names like Azure, Vercel, Windsurf, Sonos, Blackberry, and Impossible Burger | David Placek (Lexicon Branding)
“So, we like to be in that implementation phase because we have so much experience. And usually, credibility with people.”
Naming expert shares the process behind creating billion-dollar brand names like Azure, Vercel, Windsurf, Sonos, Blackberry, and Impossible Burger | David Placek (Lexicon Branding)
“Yeah. And just to clarify that, it's ideas, directions. It's not-”
Naming expert shares the process behind creating billion-dollar brand names like Azure, Vercel, Windsurf, Sonos, Blackberry, and Impossible Burger | David Placek (Lexicon Branding)
“This is a very inefficient process and a little chaotic. So in that list of 3,000 names is probably 250 potential diamonds that have to be fractured and examined.”
Naming expert shares the process behind creating billion-dollar brand names like Azure, Vercel, Windsurf, Sonos, Blackberry, and Impossible Burger | David Placek (Lexicon Branding)
“And so I'll do a little coaching like that, and then that usually kind of sets them free. And they're now thinking about it not as a word, which has maybe limited value, but as creating an experience ...”
Naming expert shares the process behind creating billion-dollar brand names like Azure, Vercel, Windsurf, Sonos, Blackberry, and Impossible Burger | David Placek (Lexicon Branding)
“Yes, that's right. And all companies are in that same situation. They have a bunch of stuff, but they need... A P&G might say, "We need a good distributor."”
Naming expert shares the process behind creating billion-dollar brand names like Azure, Vercel, Windsurf, Sonos, Blackberry, and Impossible Burger | David Placek (Lexicon Branding)
“"Okay. All right, we'll put that on the list."”
Naming expert shares the process behind creating billion-dollar brand names like Azure, Vercel, Windsurf, Sonos, Blackberry, and Impossible Burger | David Placek (Lexicon Branding)
“Yeah. And then you start. But there is this... And maybe, it's naivete. I guess, that's probably the best word for this is that, because I do hear this all of the time. "Hey, we've worked at this, we ...”
Naming expert shares the process behind creating billion-dollar brand names like Azure, Vercel, Windsurf, Sonos, Blackberry, and Impossible Burger | David Placek (Lexicon Branding)
“Yeah, it is. It is. Look for that polarization. That's what we look for.”
Naming expert shares the process behind creating billion-dollar brand names like Azure, Vercel, Windsurf, Sonos, Blackberry, and Impossible Burger | David Placek (Lexicon Branding)