Page 331 - The Green Building Bottom Line The Real Cost of Sustainable Building

MARKETING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 309

multiple of that found in a major city? Working in such a complex arena as sustainability
calls for a penchant for dialectical discourse and debate, where very few solutions are obvi-
ous or easily implemented. That dialectical sensibility is also part of the Melaver brand.
Trying to capture this and other elements of the company has informed everything we’ve
undertaken with this company, from developing the website, to creating pieces handed out
at conferences, to designing the posters that greet visitors to the Melaver offices.

BRANDING YOUR PROJECT

You may or may not decide to work with an advertising or marketing agency to help
create your brand. Perhaps it is my own bias here, but I do feel that it is often easier
for an outsider to see the persona of your project or company more clearly than you
can. That notwithstanding, whether you work with professionals or not, asking these
questions provides a useful foundation for exploring the brand of your project or the
brand of your company:

■ What is the inherent nature of this project?
■ Is it a housing development? Retail? Office?
■ What makes it different from other projects out there?
■ What do people need that this project provides?

Naming Your Project
What is the name of your project? Remember—this will become associated with the
project for its life. You’ll want to do your homework here. There are lots of ways to
research possible names. Here are some things to consider:

■ Make sure it’s memorable.
■ Steer clear of parts of names that are already in use, if possible.
■ Check to see if the Web address for the name you select is available.
■ Consider the descriptive words you use (Village, Heights, Center), and attempt to
use words that are unique and not often used.
■ Involve lots of minds in the process.

Strategies for name selection abound. It’s best to involve lots of minds and generate
as many candidates as possible. At Cayenne Creative, we involve the entire staff in
naming projects. We literally cover the walls with sheets of paper, and everyone adds
to the ever-growing list. In the end, when we’ve created as many candidates as possi-
ble, we arm each member of the firm with a colored marker and everyone votes for their
favorites by placing a small dot beside the names they like. In this way, we are able to
winnow the list. Here are some strategies you can use for finding potential names:

■ Study the natural history of the area.
■ Research the names (both Latin and common) for plants and animals native to the
area.