Interview
Catchword, United States
Mark Skoultchi is the Principal and Project Lead at Catchword, and is responsible for creating brands all over the world with one catchy name!
1 Please give us a brief bio of yourself and your creative background.
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2 What made you become/why did you choose to become a creative?
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3 Tell us more about your business/company, job profile, and what you do.
The Catchword team are experts in every aspect of brand naming, from brand and naming strategy to name development to domain names to visual identity design. At Catchword, the team works together very closely, so whether you
4 What does “creativity” mean to you?
My perspective on creativity is communication focused, so for me creativity always involves making a connection with an audience, even if that
5 To you, what makes a “creative” idea and/or design?
A creative idea uses imagination to connect with others in meaningful ways. It engages heart and mind, expresses your truth. It builds trust so that your audience is open enough to hear you, so that they can recognize a piece of themselves and their truth in your message.
6 Tell us about your creative and/or design process.
At Catchword, we use a proven process evolved over more than two decades working with clients in every sector. Whether we are providing brand naming services only or a comprehensive strategy, naming, and design package, we begin with discovery: a deep dive into the client, their offerings, their needs, and their marketspace via research and interviews. Once we
7 What's your favorite part of the creative process and why?
I love the blue sky creative phase. Turn off that internal critic and explore those tangents, pull every thread, go ahead down that rabbit hole, at least until another metaphor grabs you. One of the magnificent things about project-based work is that every project is different, there
8 Describe your creative style and its main characteristics.
At Catchword, we blend the creative and strategic, the art and science of branding, rigor and inspiration in equal measure. To find a name that strategically and creatively expresses brand messages AND is available as a trademark you have to start with more candidates than you think. Our masterlists for a standard two-round company or product naming project are typically 1,500 names and up. And our agency doesn
9 Do you think your country and its cultural heritage has an impact on your creativity process?
I can
10 Congratulations! As the winner of the 2022 MUSE Creative Awards, what does it mean to you and your company and team to receive this award distinction?
Most people are unaware of how much time, energy, and creative thinking goes into brand name development. And, often the work involves a considerable amount of brand and naming strategy, as was the case here for the development of the PerSe brand name for Semtech
11 Can you explain a bit about the winning work you entered into the 2022 MUSE Creative Awards, and why you chose to enter this project?
Catchword developed a name and naming strategy for a new portfolio of sensors that detect human proximity to mobile devices to regulate power savings, auto on/off capabilities, gesture controls, and more for leading high-performance semiconductor supplier Semtech. Catchword explored a variety of creative avenues, including extending the naming convention of one of Semtech
12 What was the biggest challenge with this project?
Every good product name needs to richly convey the brand themes and story as well as brand personality and tone, appeal to an engage target audiences, separate the brand from the competition, be free from in appropriate cultural or linguistic associations, be easy to say, spell, and remember, be ownable, and remain relevant as the product evolves. If that isn
13 How has winning an Award developed your practice/career?
Catchword has received quite a few awards at this point, a number for projects that I led. It
14 What are your top three (3) favorite things about our industry?
As I noted before, it
15 What makes your country specifically, unique in the creative industry?
Artists in the US have great freedom but little support, which means that they often end up as commercial creatives, which in turn means our industry benefits from an incredible talent pool. Fortunately for all of us, many creatives in the US pursue both their art and their commercial careers. The Catchword team alone includes poets, musicians, and screenwriters.
16 Where do you see the evolution of creative industry going over the next 5-10 years?
The rise of 24/7 opportunities for digital engagement has completely changed marketing strategically and creatively. I expect the industry to continue in that direction, with more and more targeted and personalized means of communicating with customers. Creatives will need to embrace that. However, the fundamentals of branding will never change
17 If you were a student entering this industry or an aspiring MUSE Creative Awards submitter, what advice would you give them?
For people at the beginning of their career: Find a company that does what you want to do, does it well, and has a solid company culture. Then get a foot in the door any way you can, even if it isn
18 What resources would you recommend to someone who wants to improve their skills in the creative industry?
Surround yourself with top quality work. If you
19 Tell us something you have never told anyone else.
I
20 Who has inspired you in your life and why?
Gosh, I hate to pick just one since I
21 What is your key to success? Any parting words of wisdom?
Read, think, learn, create, ask questions, and most of all be a human being.
Entrant Company
Catchword Branding
Category
Corporate Identity - Corporate Identity Redesign (NEW)
Entrant Company
Catchword Branding
Category
Corporate Identity - Brand Identity
Entrant Company
Catchword Branding
Category
Corporate Identity - Corporate Identity / Other___
Entrant Company
Catchword Branding
Category
Corporate Identity - Corporate Identity / Other___
Entrant Company
Catchword Branding
Category
Corporate Identity - Corporate Identity / Other___
Entrant Company
Catchword Branding
Category
Corporate Identity - Corporate Identity / Other___
Entrant Company
Catchword Branding
Category
Corporate Identity - Corporate Identity / Other___
Entrant Company
Catchword Branding
Category
Corporate Identity - Corporate Identity / Other