- Market Research
- Naming Strategy Development
- Name Development and Testing
- Logo Development and Testing
In the aftermath of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989 the name of the operating company – “Exxon Shipping” – was toxic: a classic case of when you really need to come up with a new name.
A classic process of new name development was also called for:
- Setting clear criteria by which to judge prospective new names
- Conducting wide-ranging creative development exercises for new names
- Market research to evaluate the finalists
- And a similar, but far more focused, process to develop a logo for the new name
The result – “SeaRiver Maritime” – was selected for these reasons:
- The combining of “sea” and “river” was a nod to the fact that just as Exxon had ocean going vessels it also had transports going up and down the Mississippi river system in the US.
- The name was extremely descriptive of the enterprise: sea and river maritime operations. Thus, while different from the previous name, it was also transparent.
- The resulting (final) logo was deemed distinctive, easy-to-read, and “friendly.”
SeaRiver Maritime continues to operate to this day.