3 strategies for brainstorming the best intranet name
As the center of your digital workplace, your intranet has the potential to take your workplace by storm. But how can you ensure your solution’s name lives up to its purpose? Gain inspiration from our own clients to arrive at an intranet name that will drive adoption and fuel enthusiasm from the start.
Starting your intranet journey off on the right foot
Once you make the jump and decide to launch a new intranet software, adoption inevitably becomes top of mind. You want to create a platform that your colleagues will use and love, and something that can yield an impressive rate of return.
Unfortunately, too many intranets fail to achieve the widespread usage and acclaim their design leads likely envisioned. Just 13% of employees report using their platform on a daily basis. So what can be done to beat these odds and pave the way for sustained adoption?
The right name alone may not be enough to underpin ongoing usage, but it can help pique your colleagues’ interests. Assuming your intranet’s design and features are up to par, your employees will convert into passionate users once they start exploring. Consequently, choosing the right name for your platform is one of the first steps you can take to build the foundation for maximal adoption.
3 client-approved techniques to inspire unique intranet names
When it comes to choosing a name for your company intranet solution, the stakes are high. While there’s no singular strategy to determine what you should call your solution, we’ve seen a few approaches that have generated inspiring results. Some of the most creative naming techniques used by our own community include:
#1. Pay homage to your roots
Looking for a sure-fire way to bring employees together? Consider weaving in a sense of pride in your organization’s growth and development by selecting a name that honors your history. From your most tenured teammates to new starters, your intranet’s name can inspire your employees to learn a little more about your company’s origins and cultivate a connection to your own story.
For REA Group, the word “garage” holds special significance. 25 years ago, the digital media enterprise’s founder launched the start-up out of his own garage. With over 1.5k employees and 10 distinct brands, REA Group has since grown to become Australia’s leading destination for property listings and news. Choosing the name “The Garage” for their intranet not only connects employees to the enterprise’s history; it also serves a reminder of the tremendous potential that can come when you think outside of the box.
#2. Get in character
From sports mascots to Disney movies, there’s ample proof that it’s easy to fall in love with a compelling character. Consequently, some intranet teams may opt to create their own mascot for their solution and name it after him or her. Whether you select a human persona or four-legged creature, developing a character for your intranet is a creative way to weave some fun into your launch.
When it came time for media agency The Specialist Works to debut their new platform, they chose to create a persona for their intranet, "Steve". In addition to developing a character to embody their solution, the enterprise created animal persona badges based on a personality test that employees take when joining the company. This creative approach to naming and gamification paid off, as The Specialist Works earned top honors at the Ragan Awards.
#3. Make naming a team effort
Get your colleagues involved in your intranet launch from the start by hosting a naming contest for your new platform. Encourage everyone to submit their suggestions for what to call your intranet and then vote on the top contenders to finalize your decision.
Verra Mobility adopted this strategy when preparing to launch their new solution. After receiving more than 40 submissions, the mobility enterprise narrowed down choices to the top 5 options. With more than 250 votes, Verra Mobility identified a clear winner: The Intersection.
"Many of our solutions and products are installed at intersections, so on a business level, the name fit well with our company’s purpose and how we serve our customers. On a culture level, The Intersection is where we all meet to communicate, connect and collaborate."
Are you ready to introduce your own bespoke solution?
From the challenges you face to the features you choose to prioritize, every intranet project is unique. The name of your solution should be similarly customized to resonate with employees and plant the seeds for sustained usage. If you’re looking to launch an intranet that will maximize adoption from the start, get in touch with our digital workplace experts.
