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Creative

How to protect naming or a slogan proposed to a client

A naming or slogan can be born in seconds... and reappear months later as "internal idea". If you want to prevent your proposals becoming collective heritage without trace, you must firmly secure them before sharing. Here is how to do it practically.

3 min read

1. How it usually happens

Naming often arrives in exploratory phase: brainstorming, quick proposal, "send me some ideas".

You prepare a list:

names, payoffs, slogans, variants, maybe with short explanation.

Client reads, forwards, comments. Proposals start circulating:

  • between marketing and management
  • between partners or stakeholders
  • sometimes towards other consultants

Then something familiar happens:

one of "unchosen" names reappears, maybe slightly modified. Or a slogan is reused in future campaign.

Classic anecdote: copywriter proposes "Ignite change". Client rejects it. Six months later launches campaign with "Ignite your change". Nobody remembers exactly where it came from.

Naming has a unique characteristic: it's short, memorable, and extremely easy to reuse.

2. What you need to prove

With naming and slogans, point is proving those expressions already existed, precisely and at a certain moment.

Concretely:

  • that name or slogan were already formulated
  • that they belonged to structured proposal
  • that they linked to specific context (brand, project)
  • that they existed in that form on a certain date
  • that any subsequent variants derive from those

In practice:

"This formulation already existed like this, before being used or adapted."

3. What to collect

For naming and slogans it's fundamental documenting both words and context they are born in.

Collect:

  • document with all proposals (names, slogans, variants)
  • explanations or rationales (why they work, meaning)
  • any alternatives or shortlist
  • received client brief
  • delivery emails or messages
  • presentation or slide screenshots
  • relevant brainstorming notes
  • any feedback or comments

A useful detail: a structured list with multiple proposals is stronger than single isolated name. Shows creative work behind.

4. How to proceed

Effective protection starts before sending proposals.

When you have material ready:

  • organise naming and slogans in clear document
  • include context and explanations
  • export stable version (PDF or definitive document)
  • assign precise file name (client + date + naming)

Then:

  • use ExistBefore to timestamp that version
  • keep original file without modifying it
  • send proposals via traceable channel

During process:

  • create new versions if you add or modify proposals
  • avoid overwriting original document
  • keep rejected proposals too

A useful habit: every naming list is a snapshot of a creative moment. Worth keeping as is.

5. Mistakes to avoid

Some behaviours make naming and slogans hard to protect:

  • sending scattered ideas in chat without gathering in file
  • not saving complete proposal version
  • sharing only name without context
  • constantly updating same document
  • using generic file names

Useful precautions:

  • always link proposals to specific project
  • keep explanations too, not just words
  • avoid materials easily reusable without references

Free timestamping allows you to quickly secure every proposal, keeping clear when and how it was formulated.

6. After documenting

Once proposals are documented, you can also better manage what happens next.

You can:

  • clarify with client which names are part of proposal
  • monitor any usages over time
  • reuse some ideas yourself in other contexts
  • build an archive of your creative works

If similarities emerge:

  • compare formulations
  • verify documented versions
  • start confrontation based on concrete elements

When naming and slogans are tracked in time, understanding where a word comes from... and where it ends up, becomes much simpler.