CMb 2008–15
Naming the intranet
Categorised under: articles, intranets
When creating or relaunching an intranet, the question of whether to give the site a name often comes up. This briefing explores when to name an intranet, and how best to do it.
Why name your intranet?
Having a catchy and memorable intranet name is a great way of promoting the intranet.
A name can help build an identity, even give the intranet a personality, removing that ‘techy’ edge. This is useful when trying to build staff awareness and engagement with a new or relaunched intranet.
It is an opportunity to leverage off the organisation’s brand or simply to differentiate the intranet from the organisation’s internet site.
What to consider in a name
Some names will work in a particular organisation while others may not. A culturally formal financial services organisation may opt for a name such as The Vault or Max, whereas Capsicum or The Lily Pad may sit more comfortably in a less formal environment.
For some, the benefit of the name comes from being synonymous with the aim and purpose of the intranet, such as The Hub or The Heart Beat for a health care organisation. Other organisations can leverage the profile that a fun and light-hearted image may provide.
Consider what type of name will best suit your organisation.
Keep the name short and catchy. A name that is a mouthful is unlikely to have a great adoption rate. It also needs to be meaningful to most of the staff, not just the IT department or Star Trek aficionados!
Make sure the name is not confusing. If ‘PeopleConnect’ makes staff think only of the staff directory, then perhaps it is not the correct name for an intranet with a much broader purpose.
When looking at a word or phrase, remember to consider all connotations and ensure no offence can be taken.
When not to name an intranet
Only use a name when promoting a new or redeveloped intranet. Don’t think that naming an existing poor intranet will convince anyone it is any better.
And don’t confuse staff with a new name if the intranet already is well used and highly trusted.
Selecting a name
In some cases, a single person such as the intranet manager may bestow the intranet name. Another approach is to run an intranet naming competition, complete with prizes. This generates involvement from the entire organisation, builds a greater sense of ownership and is invaluable in promoting the new intranet.
Consider running a short list of names past key stakeholders such as a senior manager and the internal comms team for their input. The marketing department will be especially useful as they can help build the marketing potential of the name.
Finally, consider doing some basic user research. Run some suggestions past a few staff members and get their feedback.
Promoting the name
The key to adoption of a new name is consistent usage. Reinforce the name throughout the launch campaign and afterwards in documents and conversation.
Leverage the marketing potential of the name. The image of Boris (a local government intranet name), a rotund and balding man, made it to mug coasters and other promotional materials prior to the launch. Boris is now seen changing his intranet image to reflect the seasons and special events.
In the case of Max, the marketing was less overt, consisting of the name and a simple logo; the strength came from a short, strong name and has gone on to become part of the corporate lexicon for that organisation.
A catchy name, consistent use and good marketing may be just the thing to give a new intranet a vital boost.
Amanda Broomhall is a senior member of the consulting team, specialising in intranet management and design. She has worked for a decade in this space, for a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors. 
9 Comments:
Good to see your first article Amanda. I hope to see more. The naming question is one I’ve been grappling with. It’s just “the intranet” and I’d prefer to have something more engaging. I think you’re right when you advise to only rename a new or redeveloped intranet. So our renaming will have to wait.
Hi Amanda, I am from the “culturally formal financial services organisation” that has The Vault and Max intranets. Do you have any thoughts on re-branding the intranet during a re-design? As you mentioned, Max is a powerful brand currently but is heavily tied in people’s mind to the current state. When we replace Max should we retire that brand? Love to hear your thoughts.
Amanda,
I agree – I think that it is quite important that an intranet have a brand name. I was genuinely surprised that my last intranet, called unimaginatively the ‘Information Management System’ became widely known as IMS (rhymes with rims) and as such it gained quite a strong identity.
However what’s also important is that the brand is then adequately protected. Don’t immediately include new initiatives such as wikis, blogs etc until they have proven themselves. Users may perceive the brand as a single entity and when one part is failing this may well corrode confidence in the rest of the intranet.
Look forward to your next article!
Andrew, I think if you are undertaking a re-design and you already have a strong brand, then consider the size of the change that is going to occur.
If you are taking a ‘big bang’ approach with a great deal of change to look & feel and functionality, then a re-brand might be useful is assisting with the marketing of the project. But even then I would consider leveraging off your existing brand, by coming up with a name that is an extension of or a play on the existing, e.g. Maxima or Maxim (you might ask someone a little more creative that I am !)
But if the way forward is going to be more subtle than that, ie incremental changes, then don’t risk the potential for confusion.
Our company name is Trapeze Group and our intranet is called Intrapeze.
Thanks Mario.
Anyone else like to share their intranet name and how successful it has been?
I’ve been ‘collecting’ intranet names for some time and – thanks to your post here, Amanda – finally got around to put them online in my blog, now: http://intranet-matters.de/intranet-names/
Thanks Stephan, a good list of names!
Hey Amanda,
I loved your article, especially since it targets exactly what we’re trying to do I work at a credit union and we are looking for a name for the intranet that holds all our policies and procedures, and resources for our employees. Do you have any ideas for me or examples of others? Thanks!
Amanda
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