Creativity and Consistency
Applying a constrictive formula to creativity can be a recipe for disaster. Yet complete blue sky ideation is nearly as daunting. In our naming process we seek that elusive balance of creativity and consistency, where families and franchises stick to existing thematics, product type is referenced by a consistent set of conventions and our best ideas grow between directional guardrails that maintain an on-brand heading.
Mountain Culture, Wyoming Character
Two defining elements of our brand are culture and character that ties our brand not just to a location but to the valley and community we call home. Whether drawing from dialect or local knowledge, Equality State history or geography, high range character or high point place names, we seek to capture the essence of both culture and character in our product names.
On-Tone and On-Brand
While random letters, bland numbering and words without meaning work for some brands, Stio seeks a more soulful connection to deeper meaning in our outdoor world. Therefore elements like connectedness, authenticity to our identity and credibility within mountain town circles are all paramount for the words selected to represent our products.
Hometown Down
Our most iconic product, Stio’s Hometown Down resonates with the core identity of our brand in two short words. Why? As any mountain town resident knows, the first piece of gear you buy when moving to a town like Jackson is a good down jacket. At the same time, this name underscores that Stio is the hometown brand, rooted and centered in a community and valley defined by mountains. The name also translates across mountain communities creating a commonality that expands the reach and range of the name.
Alpine Athlete
Focused on high-output, high-aerobic activities that push the pace whether on or off trail. Designed for layering, wicking or mobility these pieces can be used on or off the mountain for all types of training or longer epics. Matching technical benefit with versatile range, our alpine athlete silo is known for both its fit, athletic profile and lasting mountain endurance.
Dialect
Active mountain culture—whether on the hill, the trail or the river—is voiced by its own distinct language. For many who live and thrive in those rich, vibrant cultures, communication takes on a tone and a word choice that reflects both understanding of those passions and membership in those communities. With specific vocabulary that translates across rivers and ranges, linguistic adaptation of that terminology is fertile ground for Stio product names.
Stio’s primary naming convention is a three element combination that combines gender, creative name and product type. Providing enough description for definition through product type, yet enough creative range to connect with our brand identity, this convention also keeps word count and complication to a minimum.
Include Flannel Weight
Flannels are an institution in mountain life and selecting the right one for the job is key. To support consumer wayfinding include the fabric weight—lightweight, midweight—in the name in all cases going forward, offering a consistent, quick reference guide to the weight and warmth in this category.
The Alpine Athlete Mindset
Alpine Athletes seek to move, explore, and push their muscles and neurons in wild environs while discovering the freedom of these natural realms. When naming, put yourself in their shoes, at their trailhead, staring up at their peak. Where is their horizon line, their crest, their next crux in the route? Here, strong names come alive on these stages, from rocky outcroppings, to gaps between dirt jumps, to twists in the trail. A great name invokes an enticing natural visual or an emotional driver that gets these athletes’ endorphins firing.
