Name: Don't Call It That — Digital
Brand: No Picnic Press
Price: 12.5 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 5 (22 reviews)

Moniker

Rose Linke

Whitney Trump

Don't Call It That is not a book about naming. It is a step-by-step workbook that walks you through all the ins and outs of the naming process. Go from zero to a great name in the time it takes you work through this concise, beautiful book.

Don't Call It That

The original naming workbook is back.

The third edition has 62% more content than the second — no minor rewrite here.

Multiple real-life case studies from A Hundred Monkeys projects throughout the workbook.

Direct quotations from clients illustrating how audiences perceive and adopt newly created names.

Three entirely new chapters address market testing names, the widespread preference for shorter names, and distinctions between visual and phonetic name qualities.

The book has been completely redesigned by the fine folks at Moniker.

The third edition has been edited by long-time collaborator Rose Linke, including dialogue transcripts from their collaborative process.

Wordsmash, Rhyme time, Opposites attract, That's not my name, Unlikely allies, and Simple enough.

Exercises underwent comprehensive revision with new additions and modifications to previous ones.

Two earlier chapters merged into a unified positioning chapter called "Condition your position."

What's new in the 3rd edition

Commercial Type

Draplin Design Co.

Hey Studio

Kate Bingaman-Burt

Manual

Mikey Burton

Champions

Perky Bros.

Under Consideration

Run Studio Run details how to manage and grow a small creative studio as a business and not just an artistic endeavour.

We also did a four part podcast miniseries speaking to different studio leaders about how they approach the business side of their work.

Run Studio Run started out on Kickstarter where it became a featured project and raised 150% of its goal. The book was designed and illustrated by Moniker in San Francisco.

Run Studio Run

The business book for creative people that isn't boring, repetitive, or blatantly sexist.

The two build on one another — Don't Call It That provides a structured naming process while Go Name Yourself focuses on the creative act of name generation.

A Hundred Monkeys

Out Of Office

Nando Alvarez Perez, Brandon Celi, Fatuchurofi, Pete Gamlen, Julian Glander, Chris Maggio, Ross Mantle, Alistair Matthews, Edward Monaghan, Nadine Redlich, Élise Rigollet, Eric Ruby, Nick Sheeran, Cari Vander Yacht

Name Right Now Bundle

Instead of staring at a blank page waiting for brilliance, each card gives you a thought exercise.

Go Name Yourself

The deck of cards for name generation

Establishes groundwork by helping you understand positioning, context, and audience before naming begins.

Preparation

The deck's core — 45 different naming approaches used professionally. Each card provides a thought exercise to generate name options.

Ideation

Shares naming insights and addresses common misconceptions and obstacles encountered during the naming process.

Lessons

Guides evaluation of generated names for legal, cultural, and practical considerations.

Vetting

The digital edition of Don't Call It That.

Don't Call It That — Digital

PDF edition

From cover to cover I was guided in a light hearted and punchy manner on how to name a company. It was freaking glorious. Eli outlines every step of the naming process in a way that is so practical and fluid, a 4th grader could do it.

I am getting ready to launch a small consulting company and finding the right name was a lot harder than I thought it would be. After reading a few pages of Don't Call It That I started to relax. Don't Call It That walked me through the whole process. This book is a life saver if you are starting a business and, like me, don't have a creative bone in your body or a big budget for marketing.

If you think about starting a company or do branding for clients this is a book for you. Every sentence is meaningful. Chapters are organized as a flow for name picking process. You cannot fail at picking a right name with this book.

I highly recommend this book. The exercises and tips add a level of depth to naming products and businesses. It's really hands on, and the knowledge is condensed: no filler.

This book doesn't explain the process of naming. It makes you go through it. That's priceless. It covers so many angles and problems that I was under the illusion that I was able to get the job done as well as a professional would. Explanations are never long but always to the point. I felt completely covered on all fronts, with no doubts or questions left. I also appreciate the style. Very clear, smart, and with a nice balance of humor. Working through the book was a great pleasure and a fun little intellectual adventure. It completely changed how I think about naming and how I go through the process. I was finally able to name my project and I feel confident about my choice.

Eli Altman has the pedigree and the experience. This book reflects a different level of understanding and expertise. The book is written in a quirky and direct fashion, letting what is in essence a training book become a more enjoyable experience. Would highly recommend to any company that has a frequent annual churn in products.

I bought this book because I've been in the process of starting my own wine bar and charcuterie shop. This book was a lifesaver — it has really helped me think outside the box and even helped me get some other cool branding and design ideas. It also made me feel better about taking some risks with my name that I might have otherwise been too nervous about. I'm grateful someone is thinking about small business owners who can't afford professional help.

As a verbal branding specialist I am always interested in books or articles that might help clients understand the ins and outs of brand naming. Eli Altman's book perfectly fits the bill. It is clear, concise, and enjoyable to read. He covers naming styles and challenges of product, service, and company naming with great verve. The exercises he provides get right to the point. I highly recommend this book to anyone involved in name generation.

I really enjoyed reading the book, but also loved the content. You see some examples, clear steps, and reasons why you do or don't do certain decisions when creating your name. It also includes a legal interview that's important in order to protect your name.

This book is worth every penny. It walks you through the brainstorming process and the result is a unique business name that will be all your own.

This is a great manual for figuring out your company name. Very informative, thoughtful and entertaining. What I liked most was that the takeaways not only applied directly to naming and the naming process, but to branding and brands in general.

Don't Call It That is a workshop in a book. Eli really helped me think, ponder and plan for a new name for a show I am doing.

Awesome book! I was able to find an amazing company name that goes along with my products.

Don't Call It That is a funny and useful book for how to name things: companies, objects, inventions. Mr. Altman tactfully goes through a series of exercises that reveal creative strategies behind what names do, and how they can help or hurt you. Even more broadly, this is a book about being creative and avoiding traps. The techniques and advice collected here are applicable to broader marketing, design, and strategic practices.

Don't Call It That helped me really understand the identity of my own business, who my audience was, and what I wanted to achieve with my own business name. It gave me great insight into what's important in the process of naming and what's not important at all. I like how it actually tries to communicate with you on a level that everyone understands — even someone who is not creative at all.

Don't Call It That is a workbook that forces you to go through a proven naming process in order to weed out the nonsense and come to a decision on a name you will not only be happy with, but love. I strongly recommend this book to any entrepreneur who is struggling to find the right name for their company or product.

The name of your product or business is the first chance you get to make the right impression on your customer and it's worth spending the time to make sure you get it right. Don't Call It That does a great job at breaking down the naming process and walks you through all of the steps involved in finding the right name. I'm really pleased with the results that I got with the help of this book.

Don't Call It That lays out a thoroughly approachable method for naming your company or product. It's clear and direct. It's got a palatable mixture of snark and serious. It goes beyond telling you what — it tells you why and how. Altman's workbook is most striking not for the way it teaches readers how to name something new but for the way it reteaches us how to see and understand all the names of products and companies we're confronted with all the time.

Don't Call It That was not only incredibly helpful, but also fun and inspiring. This workbook enabled me to maintain ownership over a key decision like creating a name and identity, avoid common mistakes and pitfalls I'm sure I would have otherwise made. This book is excellently written — it's an easy read while being funny, provocative, and educational.

Smart enough to warrant the respect of pros. Comfortable enough to guide amateurs. Eli takes you through the discipline of an intelligent naming process, enabling you to avoid all the pitfalls. Don't Call It That will help you generate results on your own or enrich your understanding of why you need professionals and how to use them more wisely.

Mr. Altman walks the reader through the naming process in an engaging and ultimately useful journey. He's funny, and he never wastes the reader's time. It certainly doesn't hurt that the book itself is a beautiful object — one gets the sense that each page was designed with care, and that approach transforms this from a one-use workbook to a resource that readers will want to return to.

I will not look at naming the same after reading this book. Eli Altman does a smart job in teaching the reader how to name a company or product. Rather than just explain concepts, he experientially guides you step-by-step through the naming process. The book is written in a sharp, creative and informative way and shows you how to take the strategies and apply them to your business.