As NOVA Chemicals evolves to reshape plastics, we are also changing the way we approach recycling. We formed a separate business, NOVA Circular Solutions, to manage our emerging recycling endeavors. This also encompasses the new category of related renewable polymers, which we named SYNDIGO™. Here is the story of how we landed on that name for our new brand and a few things we learned along the way.
In 2022, the NOVA Circular Solutions team began with a list of more than 50 ideas for the new name. They conducted market research, talked to focus groups, and consulted with branding experts to find the winner, SYNDIGO™ is combination of the words synergy and indigo. The essence of synergy is the idea that working together creates something new that is greater than the sum of its parts. The deep blue violet color indigo is cool and natural and has many historic associations, including honoring the past while planning for the future, increased intuition and clear perception, and a devotion to sincerity and helping others.
“The project was a great experience and we have had very positive responses from our customers, yet the naming process was a little more challenging than I initially thought it would be,” said Greg DeKunder, Vice President of NOVA Circular Solutions. When coming up with a new product or brand name, keep these three things in mind.
Categorize Your Ideas
There are many words being reused all over the recycling industry today, such as adding the prefix “re-“ to another word, “green” anything, or making up something totally obscure. The team had a hard time looking at the big list of words and selecting one that stood out. Grouping them into categories proved helpful, as the team could consider a category as a whole and whether a particular group fit the feeling of the new brand. Taking the time to sit the categories for a while gave the team the opportunity to warm up to types of words and names while eliminating other categories more efficiently.
Don’t Pick Favorites Too Soon
Naming a business takes multiple steps, from creating the initial list of ideas to screening the final shortlist. Many name ideas will not pass the legal department because they are too similar to existing brands in similar or adjacent industries. It can be discouraging to settle on a favorite and then have legal review reject the name, so try to stay open to several options until the decision is clear and final.
Evoke Meaning and Emotion
Many of the most successful brand names have deeper meanings and stir the emotions. The NOVA Circular Solutions team did not want just another recycling-related name for the new brand, but instead wanted a name that would tell a story and elicit an optimistic emotional response. “For me, SYNDIGO is both intuitively recognizable as language, albeit two joined words, and it gave me a feeling of forward motion and serenity at the same time,” said DeKunder. SYNDIGO and its portfolio of recycled resins embodies the innovative spirit and trustworthiness of NOVA Circular Solutions and its mission to move the industry forward.