Hamburg, March 2015: How do you come up with a new name for an international agency? There are thousands of them out there. And what should you do if you can no longer use some analogy or other that refers to the agency’s original founder?
That’s where Interbrand’s naming specialists came in. They accompanied us all the way on our journey to find a new name. They developed a myriad of ideas and approaches, supporting us every step of the way until we finally decided to call ourselves TRACK.
Why TRACK? What does it represent? Richard Veit, Chief Client Officer at Interbrand in Germany explains:
TRACK: a trailblazing name that packs a punch
The name TRACK has its etymological roots in the Old Norse language spoken by the peoples of medieval Scandinavia and Iceland between 700 to 1350. “Trathk” meant both “track” and “trail.” The Vikings introduced this Norse word to the British Isles, and it established itself as a word from around 1425 to 1475 – with the spelling “trak.” The word “trac” had also found its way into the medieval French language, almost certainly via the Normans, who gave their name to Normandy, an entire region in France.
The name TRACK is short, to the point, and demands immediate attention. Originally referring to the trail left by people, animals, or other materials, the term TRACK moved with the zeitgeist over a period of 500 years and enjoyed several promotions in status with respect to the meaning it conveyed. In this period, it adapted well to embrace contemporary developments in society and technology, without losing the essence of its original meaning.
During the era of industrialization, TRACK was synonymous with technical progress and performance orientation: “Being on the fast track” is a figure of speech that had long been more than just an expression in the world of sports, and had moved on to conquer new topical ground. In the meantime, TRACK has been integrated into the world of analytics, entertainment, the digital arena – and last but not least, into the global communications industry.
As an agency name, TRACK is far more than a catchy expression that stands out among the ubiquitous combinations of founders’ names and initials. TRACK is a name that raises expectations and makes an ambitious promise. From vast quantities of diverse data, we filter and identify key insights for positioning, brand messages, and target groups as well as select the most suitable communication channels. We bring all of this into a structured, coherent form for the benefit of the client and brand. Then we set the course and get things moving on the right TRACK.
Measurable, distinctive, targeted – TRACK to the future.
The name is also an internal stimulus for the further development of our corporate culture. TRACK is an attitude and describes openness for the new, order, and transparency. It is associated with the determination not just to recognize trails, but to convert them into opportunities and solutions. TRACK is our impetus to collaborate effectively with our clients and get brands moving in the right direction, toward mutual success.
