Ten years ago this month, we changed the name of the company – it was originally All-media Design. It did “exactly what it said on the tin” to borrow a slogan already 6 years old by then. So ten years on, has it made a difference?

Compare two companies that started out around the same time as each other, Microsoft and Apple. One is essentially a descriptive name, the other a pure brand name. In the final analysis, once you’re that big, your brand is firmly embedded in the minds of your customers and the brand name no longer confers significance beyond your own brand values. But they only got that big by leading the way with products people wanted.

For the rest of us, trying to differentiate ourselves in a crowded market, the conventions of the brand name are important. It has to be memorable, distinctive, and so on. Ten years later, I’m glad Designation made the switch, early on, to a distinctive name. But what do you think?