Business Details
36 Years
experience
Trusted Naming & Writing Services in Berkeley
A Hundred Monkeys is a Berkeley, California-based naming and writing studio founded in 1990. With over three decades of experience, we specialize in distilling complex ideas into impactful brand names, messaging, and written content. Our team of six professionals brings 75 combined years of expertise, having completed over 700 projects for clients ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies. We prioritize collaborative processes that align with client goals while maintaining a focus on social equity and environmental responsibility. Our work spans global industries, including technology, healthcare, and consumer goods, with a commitment to creating names and narratives that resonate culturally and linguistically across markets. 
Services
Brand Naming
Copywriting
Messaging Strategy
Name Evaluation
Trademark Screening
Brand Positioning
Content Creation
Naming Architecture
Verbal Identity
Writing Workshops
Details
- Year established: 1990
Highlights and features
- We offer 30+ years of specialized naming expertise since 1990
- Our collaborative process involves 75 combined years of team experience
- We implement a proven methodology balancing creativity with trademark viability
- Our portfolio includes successful rebranding for global companies like Miro
- We maintain rigorous cultural and linguistic checks for international markets
What people say
Creative excellence
Collaborative process
Strategic insight
Timely delivery
Cultural awareness
Services
Brand Naming
Our brand naming process combines linguistic analysis with market research to create memorable, trademarkable names. We conduct comprehensive screenings for cultural appropriateness and linguistic viability across target markets. Our approach ensures names align with brand positioning while maintaining legal safety.
Copywriting
We craft compelling brand narratives and marketing copy that resonates with target audiences. Our writing emphasizes clarity and impact while maintaining brand consistency across all touchpoints. Services include website copy, product descriptions, and campaign messaging tailored to specific industry needs.
Messaging Strategy
We develop cohesive messaging frameworks that articulate brand values and unique selling propositions. Our strategic approach ensures consistent communication across channels while adapting to different audience segments and market conditions through tailored verbal identities.
Trademark Screening
Our preliminary trademark assessments evaluate name availability across relevant jurisdictions. We analyze potential conflicts in both USPTO and EU databases while considering common law usage to minimize legal risks before formal registration processes begin.
Naming Architecture
We create structured naming systems for product lines and brand extensions that maintain coherence while allowing individual differentiation. Our approach balances organizational clarity with market distinctiveness to support long-term brand growth and product portfolio expansion.
People
Rose Linke
Creative Director
Creative Director with 15 years of naming expertise. Former museum professional and art historian who specializes in developing brand narratives that combine cultural insight with strategic messaging for global clients.
Eli Altman
Managing Director
Managing Director and author of 'Don't Call It That'. With experience since age 16, he leads strategic naming initiatives and has advised major tech companies on brand development through his work at MetaDesign and A Hundred Monkeys.
Ben Weis
Strategy Director
Strategy Director with extensive experience in brand development across diverse industries. Former art student and chocolatier who brings creative problem-solving to naming projects for technology and consumer product clients globally.
Liam Humble
Senior Creative Lead
Senior Creative Lead with background in communications and graphic design. Combines writing expertise with visual thinking to create cohesive brand identities that translate effectively across multiple media platforms.
Patrick Keenan
Senior Creative Lead
Senior Creative Lead balancing creative work with family life. Brings surf culture perspective to brand naming while maintaining rigorous attention to linguistic and market requirements for successful brand development.
Questions
What industries do you specialize in?
We work across technology, healthcare, consumer goods, and environmental sectors. Our naming expertise adapts to any industry while maintaining technical accuracy and market relevance.
How long does the naming process take?
Typical projects last 4-8 weeks, including research, name generation, screening, and client collaboration phases to ensure optimal results and legal viability.
Do you handle international naming considerations?
Yes, we conduct linguistic checks across target markets to ensure names maintain appropriate meaning and cultural relevance in all intended languages.
Can you help with URL availability?
We consider domain availability during the naming process and can prioritize names with strong digital footprint potential while maintaining brand integrity.
What's your success rate with trademark clearance?
Our preliminary screening process achieves approximately 85% clearance success rate, though final legal determination requires formal trademark attorney evaluation.
Reviews (2)
Michele W.
Dec 21, 2017
Report
My org. hired A Hundred Monkeys in 2014 for a rebranding initiative we were kicking off. Not only were all Stakeholders engaged throughout the process, our team of in house and contract designers and creatives were able to leverage the insight from the Hundred Monkeys' team. At the end, we got a series of great options for our business, and moved forward with something really unique for our space.
Kenneth S.
Apr 28, 2015
Report
I found A Hundred Monkeys to assist me in naming a service. The company has done a very good job of marketing themselves and their rates for their services are competitive. They promised that they would work very hard to understand my business and my service to come up with a name for the service. This is an abstract service but they claim to be very experienced in this process and I had no reason to think that they would not perform. They took my money and then it went to hell. They came up with a list of 10 potential names. One name was worse than the next. I am not sure this was not their
