#139: Naming “The Baconator”, Getting Trapped Under A Boat While Whitewater Rafting In Zimbabwe, & How YOU Can Create Brand Names With Buzz… w/ Alexandra Watkins

Previous Episode: #138: How You Can Use The “Velvet Machete” & Create A World-Class Brand w/ Amber Hurdle

Next Episode: #140a: Introducing Beyond Curious™ (Brand Reveal Masterclass Version)

Ever heard of the Wendy’s Baconator?

What about Burger King’s Mac n’ Cheetos?

Well today’s guest, Alexandra Watkins, is the brain behind those well known names... and ALSO the person who came up with the new name of THIS podcast (which will be revealed on episode #140!).

Alexandra is the founder of a naming firm, Eat My Words, that has created love-at-first sight brand names for countless companies including Amazon, Coca-Cola, Disney, Google, Twitter, and Colgate.

She’s also the author of the book, “Hello, My Name is Awesome: How To Create Brand Names That Stick” which has become my BIBLE for coming up with creative names!

Some other fun facts about her:
- Her pool house office is literally a Barbie Dream House (she gave me a virtual tour) where she has a view of a colorful surfboard fence, tropical tiki bar, and chattering flocks of Point Loma’s famous green parrots.
- Her three giant inflatable pink flamingos are named Maui, Wowie, and Howie.
- She has eaten her way through 50 countries where she’s sunk her teeth into delicacies including BBQ squirrel in Tanzania. 😆

Alexandra is SO much fun, has TONS of hilarious stories, and packed a massive amount of value in this interview.

To learn more about Alexandra, visit https://7figuremillennials.com/podcast/alexandra-watkins/

Key Takeaways:

1:14 - Introducing Alexandra Watkins
6:33 - How whitewater rafting on the "Meat Grinder" emphasized the importance of powerful names
13:47 - How Alexandra's extremely imaginative mother talking about "the creative process being an idea orgy" informed her creativity
17:50 - Why proper naming is important
22:36 - Epic branding mistakes other companies have made with their names
24:57 - Important naming nuances to consider
33:09 - Alexandra's SMILE and SCRATCH frameworks for creating brand names that stick
36:25 - How to put emotion in naming or renaming anything
43:57 - Planning your name with growth in mind
48:44 - Why the phrase "Clear is better than clever" isn't accurate & how you can have both
52:32 - Alexandra talks about her brainstorming process
1:01:18 - What brings Alexandra happiness?

Resources:

Hello My Name Is Awesome: How to Create Brand Names That Stick by Alexandra Watkins - https://www.amazon.com/Hello-My-Name-Awesome-Create/dp/B07WSN73YY

Contagious: Why Things Catch On by Jonah Berger - https://www.amazon.com/Contagious-Things-Catch-Jonah-Berger/dp/1451686587

#139: Naming “The Baconator”, Getting Trapped Under A Boat While Whitewater Rafting In Zimbabwe, & How YOU Can Create Brand Names With Buzz… w/ Alexandra Watkins

Beyond Curious ™ (formerly 7-Figure Millennials)