The Problem to Solve 

With AI and AI products trending now, the abundance of names and naming conventions seen in the marketplace is overwhelming. Sentier was tasked with generating insights to support the development of naming guidelines for an AI product line that sat within a client’s larger product platform. This project’s goal was to establish naming conventions that resonated with the client’s audiences while maintaining consistency, reinforcing brand trust, and aligning with leadership’s expectations. This research effort marked the third attempt to meet the client’s needs and expectations, and while the pressure was undeniable, so was the excitement in taking on this unique challenge.

Sentier’s Approach 

The client had three AI product concepts within the product line, each having their own purpose and technology. Each product had both a consumer and commercial experience within the platform, and in turn its own marketing and name for resonating with its specific audience. This presented a challenge of balancing the appeal, clarity, and relevance of naming conventions across the two audiences. 

Two surveys were conducted, each targeting 300 potential users from either the consumer or commercial audience. Each survey sample included a diverse mix of demographics, brand experience, and varying levels of AI usage and comfort. Respondents were first asked whether each product should have a specific name and whether "AI" should be included in the name.  For a select set of names for each of the three products, respondents then provided a series of ratings, including: 

• Appeal/first impression  
• Relevance 
• Uniqueness 
• Trustworthiness 
• Impact on brand opinion 

After providing ratings, respondents ranked the names by preference and explained their top and bottom choices. Quantitative data allowed for statistical analysis to compare the names against each other along the various ratings, as well as exploring sub-groups within each audience based on brand experience, AI experience and comfort, and if respondents felt the product warranted its own name.

Data for Guiding the Guidelines 

Surprisingly, demographics and brand experience had little impact on the names’ ratings and preferences. Respondents had clear favorites for each product, with both ratings and preferences aligning with the open-ended feedback as to why. The Sentier team identified parallels and differences with the client’s previous studies, even bolstering prior results with multiple sources of insights. In examination of the findings, a few key patterns emerged across the two audiences: 

• The impact of AI comfort and experience in name preferences (or aversions) 
• The contribution of clarity in a name to understanding product value and usage 
• The importance of a name aligning with the product’s context of use 
• The relationship between brand experience and inclusion of the brand name 

Although tasked with providing insights to inform guidelines creation, Sentier leveraged its customer experience (CX) research expertise and in-house linguist to transform the insights into a ‘cookbook’ for the client when naming AI products. These guidelines offered solid direction, including strategies such as: 

• Prioritize sounding experienced rather than friendly 
• Avoid, but imply, select words pertaining to AI  
• Maintain consistency across products and audiences 
• Don’t imply that humans can be replaced by AI 

The Impact 

By using a data-driven approach, Sentier was able to transform what is typically a subjective or qualitative research process into an objective strategy. The guidance and conventions provided will help the client select names for both current and future AI products. Additionally, this research framed how AI is perceived within the client’s industry and provided guidance for customer communications and marketing messaging related to the AI product line. Months later, members throughout the client organization continue to use these guidelines in their go-to-market planning. 

In a marketplace where product experiences must resonate with multiple customers, thoughtful naming goes beyond a simple label—it’s a critical component of CX and brand affinity. Are you navigating similar challenges in laying a foundation for customer experience strategy and design?  Gain the clarity you need to make confident decisions that drive real impact. Sentier is here to help.