When the Easy Answer is the Right Answer

Recently, I was part of a team developing brand architecture for a healthcare organization. The organization had one hospital, and was in the process of building another hospital. For the sake of argument, let’s call the original hospital Brothers of Sisters. And let’s say the new hospital is being built in Northbrook.

So we brainstormed and came up with a bunch of different names to test. Some were geography-based, some were mission-based, some were competency-based.

Next step was to test the names in research. Research was conducted, and here is the winning name: Sisters of Brothers – Northbrook.

I told this story to someone, and it was greeted with a rolling of the eyes, a smirk, and a caustic “and how much did they pay for that?”

Frankly, I don’t know how much they paid for that. But I will tell you this – it was worth the price, and it is a fraction of what they will spend to communicate and promote the brand.

Maybe it is the easy answer. Maybe it is the obvious answer. Maybe it is not an especially creative answer. But here’s the point: It is the right answer.

We know it is the right answer because data tell us it is the right answer. So when millions are spent communicating and promoting the brand, there is confidence that the right brand is being promoted.

Which would you rather have: an obvious answer that has been tested and you know is right? Or some novel name that has not been tested, and you haven’t a clue whether you are right?

So when you hear what appears to be the easy answer, don’t ask: “How much did they pay for that?” Ask “Did they test it?” Until then, hold the smirk.