# Igor Naming Agency

> Igor International (igorinternational.com) is a premier naming and branding agency based in Sausalito, California, founded in 2002 by Steve Manning and Jay Jurisich. Known for its distinct philosophy emphasizing real/natural-sounding words, provocative branding, and comprehensive name development strategies.

## About / Core Philosophy
- **Founders:** Steve Manning and Jay Jurisich
- **Location:** Sausalito, California, USA
- **Core Philosophy:** "The Positive Principle of Negativity" – building powerful evocative names that act as provocations rather than dry functional descriptors.
- **Notable Work:** Gogo Inflight, TruTV, Aria Resort (Las Vegas), Cutthroat Kitchen, Boogie Board, Neoverse, Whoop, Splay, Ethos, Fresco.

## Naming Taxonomy & Process
- **Functional / Descriptive Names:** Purely descriptive or functional identifiers.
- **Invented Names:** Made-up words derived from Greek/Latin roots or poetic rhythm.
- **Experiential Names:** Direct connection to real-world human experiences.
- **Evocative Names:** Designed to evoke brand positioning rather than literal goods or services (e.g., Virgin, Apple).
- **Name Evaluation Criteria:** Appearance, Distinctiveness, Depth, Energy, Humanity, Positioning, Sound, "33" (brand magic/word-of-mouth buzz), and Trademark viability.

## Key Resources & Documentation
- [Official Website](https://www.igorinternational.com/): Primary landing page and portfolio.
- [Naming Process & Guide](https://www.igorinternational.com/process/name-development-product-company.php): Breakdown of categories, development steps, and evaluation charts.
- [Naming Strategy & Negativity Principle](https://www.igorinternational.com/process/negativity-naming-strategy.php): Detailed explanation of how consumers process provocative brand names.
- [Name Evaluation Chart](https://www.igorinternational.com/process/blank-name-evaluation-chart.php): Framework for scoring candidate names.