Article

November 6, 2024

10 Tips for Choosing an Inspiring Intranet Name (+Examples)

Milton Herman

10 minute read

The importance of your intranet name can’t be overstated for a simple reason: branding works. A research conducted by Demand Metric, showed that almost 90% of companies agree that brand consistency is important in all the places people might encounter them. In addition 49% think that branding plays a major role in internal communication with employees. And at the same time less than 10% of study’s participant report that their branding strategy is very consistent.

That is why aligning the name of your internal communication platform with your business identity and company culture is very important. The right intranet name can quickly show good results in terms of platform adoption and user engagement. So don’t worry, because no resources will be wasted if you invest your time in finding the perfect name.

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Why is a good intranet name so important?

More than 80% of customers nowadays make purchases based on a brand name. Most people don’t say “ Can you give me the tablet” they say “…the iPad” or when you need information online you ”Google it” not “search for it”. Company names can play a monumental role in a brand’s perception and growth and even become a verb or standard for quality in an industry. As the first thing customers often see, a brand name can make a profound and even subliminal impact on decision makers' choices. It has to convey the right message.

Intranet names can be a symbol of company culture and signal certain behaviors, reinforcing existing internal networks.

The same applies to your intranet name. At best, intranet names can be a symbol of company culture and signal certain behaviors, reinforcing existing internal networks. A well-chosen name can go beyond just humanizing a platform. By providing new vocabulary, teams can differentiate an intranet platform from other work systems and invite new ways of collaborating.

Many companies are literal in naming, sticking to “My [Company] Intranet” or “[Company] Hub.” While there is merit in being straightforward, it can also be a lost opportunity to ensure that your intranet solution turns into a destination and not just another site.

Direct benefits of a personalized intranet name:

Distinctive from other tools and sites
Easy to remember and make associations
Creates a sense of ownership and belonging
Reinforces company values
Facilitates internal communication
Increases employees adoption
Encourages employee engagement
Improves corporate culture

The stakes are high, because this name will probably be around for a while. You want your employees to be happy when saying it out loud.

But where to start? How to pick an intranet name?

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The main types of Intranet portal names

As an intranet software provider that has supported over 300 clients to find the best intranet name, we’ve gathered some best practices that we would like to share with you.

Most companies will start by making a long list of intranet names before finding the perfect one. However, there are some key elements you could consider before conducting countless brainstorm sessions. Striving to choose a name that embodies company culture and shows the role the intranet can occupy within an organization can help.

Here are a few distinguished intranet archetypes that can provide a basis for the decision-making process.

1. People-focused names

A good industry practice to approach the naming process is by focusing on your employees. Who works for you? Which generation is dominating? What are their interests? This is a more grassroots, social approach that looks to match the employee lifestyle. Taking inspiration from staff can lead to a creative name that best represents their energy and motivation.

2. Industry or product-oriented names

Your intranet identity can be different from your external brand identity, but you can still connect the two. Most leaders want their employees to be able to translate the company mission and vision to the customers, so why not reinforce that in a new way? If you are selling sports cars like Ferrari you should think of names that are as equally powerful and dynamic as your product. Working in the banking industry, you can go for something that translates security and prosperity, something you want your customers to feel when they use your service.

3. Objectives-oriented names

Here a starting point could be identifying the purpose of your intranet and how you imagine your employees will be using it. If it’s a purely top-down communication channel where you will be sharing mainly corporate news, start brainstorming, news-related terms can be helpful. If, on the other hand, you are aiming for a more horizontal or cross-communication platform, names like “center”,“one ”, “connect ” may sound more logical.

Another commonly used approach, when you intranet’s purposes is both top-down and horizontal communication, is to chose a name that combines both. Randstad’s platform name is a great example. They’ve chose the name “Com’unity” that uses both words “communication” and “unity” to represent corporate communication and employee connections within communities.

4. Internally-oriented names

What is the nature of your company? What hides behind your doors? This category is actually a combination of the above-mentioned types. If your organization already has a strong company culture and common values, you want to ensure they are an integral part of your intranet name. A great example of an intranet name that combines those elements is Red Energy. They’ve chosen the name “Campfire” that represents both their industry, but it also unites their different brands, using the campfire as a symbol of a unified and consistent communication across the business. It’s always nice to see that the name you choose is in harmony with the nature of your business, employees and goals.

Now that we’ve outlined some essential questions to ask ourselves at the very beginning, let’s see some of the most common practices companies apply. Our internal experts provide key guidance in order to choose the best name for your company intranet portal.

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10 ideas to find the right intranet name

1. Reach out to your employees

A good practice is to include employees in the naming process. You can organize brainstorm groups at different stages in order to narrow down your intranet name options. Then organize a naming contest or a poll and let everyone in the organization vote. This is not only a good way to show employees you care about their opinion, but also to create excitement and positive buzz even before launching the intranet. If you already have an active intranet but you are struggling to drive adoption and engagement, you might be surprised at how much just a simple name change can accomplish.

“Some companies conduct naming contests and polls to garner excitement about the new intranet. If a client had a poor adoption of their intranet, they tend to completely change their name. Having the employees participate in the process is always a great win. “

— Taryn

2. Keep it short and simple

A secret to avoid long and confusing names is actually to avoid over-complicating the process itself. The name should ideally be short and commonly-used in the company. A trick here is to test how it fits in simple, everyday sentences such as:

I shared my report on…
You can find this document in …’s repository
She posted the video on…

3. Easy to spell and remember

Make sure that your intranet name doesn’t bring a headache to employees every time they try to spell it. Your intranet portal is the everyday communication channel and internal employee network, so give them something easy to remember and use in daily conversations.

4. Multicultural

Another important element to consider is your company’s internationalization level. If you are operating in a multinational corporation, you need to account for cultural and language differences. Three main questions to ask yourself are:

Is the name easy to pronounce in all languages?
Does the word have different meanings in the various operational languages?
Are there any spelling disputes between languages?

“Centre France chose the name “Bonjour” (the french word for “hello”). They are a company operating solely in France, which makes the name perfect. But if you are an international company, you need to think about how understandable it is for all employees.”

— Theo

In the case of Group Centre France , they chose a native word, but this doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t be understandable for other nations. There are foreign words that bring a certain symbolism that can be positively accepted across multiple cultures. But If you are not sure the name checks all the boxes from the above mentioned questions, you might want to consider other options and avoid deep cultural references in the name.

5. Inspired from your values

You can get inspiration from your external brand tagline or your internal values. If your company has well known brand slogans in the style of “Just Do It” (Nike), “Think Different” (Apple) or “The World On Time” (FedEx), use it to your advantage. Other companies may have strong mission and value statements that represent their internal culture. Choosing a name that integrates internal values creates an even more unified work environment built on common culture.

6. Inspired from a company symbol

The name can be inspired by your industry or a distinct company symbol such as a logo or another branding element. Any existing iconography can serve as an inspiration and brings an added value to the intranet as it’s reflecting its nature and goals.

Using branded symbols to define the name of your intranet will also help you build a clear platform to design around an idea. Tying visual and aesthetic elements into the name can also help make it stick. In any case, consistency is key to driving engagement and user retention.

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7. Create a mascot

Another way to ensure your intranet name keeps the attention of employees is by creating a named mascot that typifies the employee experience — a “Joe Six Pack” custom to your brand. Joe can be whoever you want him to be. Give the Joe character the qualities you want your intranet to represent. “Joe knows everything” can be a buzzword in the office and Frank will turn into a trusted colleague that has all the information you need.

Creating an intranet mascot is also a great way to improve user experience. Not only does it help improve visual design, but you can also have intranet tutorial videos, intranet navigation indications, an intranet chatbot and many other features that improve the onboarding and user experience for employees.

8. Try word play

If a direct link to your company name or industry is not really bringing any fruitful results, you can always consult a thesaurus or play with alliteration or puns. If you are a travel agency you can go for a name that is complementary to your service: “Suitcase,” “Passport,” “Vacation,” or you can try something opposite like “The House” or “Check Point.” A play on words with a company slogan can be even more memorable.

9. Not too techy

Nowadays, modern cloud-based intranets don’t require a degree in computer science. They can be deployed and operated by any department inside your company. So unless you are working in an IT-focused industry, we recommend that you avoid excessively “techy” intranet names, such as “Intranet2.0,” “Intranet1000,” “Intranet P2D2,” etc. As cool as it might seem to your IT department, there is a chance it will diminish adoption rate and platform usage.

10. Make it stick

People tend to give nicknames to everything. If you fail to provide a good intranet name, sooner or later your employees will find a more suitable nickname, which you may not necessarily like. That’s why it’s imperative to pick a name and focus on promoting and reinforcing its use. Make it stick by including the name in regular communications even before the intranet platform is Live.

Choosing the right name for your intranet is important, but it's just the first step in creating an effective platform. To ensure your intranet is optimized for productivity and engagement, it's essential to follow best practices. Check out our guide on the 15 Must-Follow Intranet Best Practices for more information.

Sometimes companies choose to keep their existing intranet name for a new project. Others feel like they need a clean slate. In any case, make sure you reach out to the right stakeholders and consider the tips above.

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