You've Built It, Now Try Explaining It: Naming What Hasn't Before Existed

Stefanie Francis
MARKETING PROFS

What do you call something that's never existed? That's not a riddle, it's the real, unglamorous work of building something genuinely new. In this MarketingProfs piece, Stefanie Francis tackles the linguistic trap that catches every true innovator: what do you do when your creation doesn't fit any existing category? From the iPhone to Uber to Hootology's own "discussionnaire," she makes the case that naming isn't just a branding exercise — it's a survival strategy. If you've ever struggled to explain what you do without watching someone's eyes glaze over, this one's for you.