For many founders, naming a business is one of the most defining (and stressful) moments. An agency's name is often the "first impression" marker, often setting the tone and positioning long before the first client meet.
So, while many founders ultimately decide on "safe", sometimes eponymous, corporate identities for their branding, what inspired some of the region's more abstract names?
PRmoment MENA asked founders across the region to explain how they landed on theirs.
Running out of time, and a grandfather's love
Natasha Hatherall-Shawe opened TishTash 15 years ago, at a point when she was planning to freelance after stepping away from a corporate career, and needed to finalise a trade licence quickly to begin taking on projects.
"I found myself overthinking the name a lot, trying to be clever with letters and words, and I ran out of time – so I ended up calling the business TishTash quickly, thinking it didn't matter very much, as it was only for a trade licence to freelance. The rest, as they say, is history!"
TishTash was in fact the nickname her grandfather had for her growing up. "It's very personal to me. It means something, and it reminds me of my grandfather every day, who has since passed away – it's a beautiful legacy. My whole business is built around personal connections and the importance of keeping it personal and human, so I feel it fits perfectly. I'm proud of the well-known brand it's gone on to become in the region."
The heart of the message
Saudi-based Jummar PR & Communications takes its name from the "tender white core" at the heart of the palm tree – "a prized Arabian delicacy that symbolises the essence of a message rather than its surface appearance," shares the team.
Ibrahim Al-Mutawa, Jummar's co-founder and CEO, established the firm to bridge a critical gap in the market, recognising that while international expertise is valuable, "communication ultimately succeeds or fails at the local level. This founding principle ensures that narratives are not merely translated but are conceived within the authentic cultural and socio-economic realities of the Kingdom".
As the exclusive Saudi partner for PROI Worldwide, Jummar acts as a cultural gateway for a global network of independent agencies across more than 60 countries, helping international partners connect authentically with the Saudi market through a grounded understanding of local traditions and language nuances.
"Ultimately, Jummar remains guided by the symbolism of the palm tree – an icon of life,
resilience, and generosity – with its "Jummar" heart representing its most treasured and
valuable offering," says Al-Mutawa.
Born from necessity
The name StickyGinger was born from a business objective rather than a grand piece of brand philosophy, reveals the team.
The agency was founded by Kiera Purdue and Lucy Freeman, two British women who, at the time, had no regional credentials, network or reputation to lean on.
"The name needed to cut through, be memorable, and immediately signal that the agency belonged in the lifestyle space rather than the corporate world," says Purdue.
At the time, both founders were working full-time jobs while quietly plotting the launch of the agency during evenings and weekends. Freeman, worked in Garhoud next door to More Café, "home to a legendary ginger tea strong enough to cure almost anything and famous enough to inspire daily pilgrimages," she says. "Somewhere between caffeine deprivation, late-night planning sessions and sheer exhaustion, the name "StickyGinger" was suggested. Nobody hated it. More importantly, nobody forgot it. The domain was purchased immediately."
Nearly two decades later, it has proven effective. "People remember it after hearing it once. Clients recall it years later. Journalists rarely confuse it with another agency. In a market crowded with corporate-sounding consultancies, it does exactly what it was designed to do: stick."
The trade-off, Purdue adds, is having to spell it out – often several times a day, letter by letter, using the NATO phonetic alphabet: Sierra Tango India Charlie Kilo Yankee Golf India November Golf Echo Romeo.
One symbol, two languages
For Seven Media, the story behind the logo and agency name go hand-in-hand. Co-founder Gregg Fray shares how he, co-founder Matt Slater and Creative Managing Director Sara Raffaghello finalised the concept almost two decades ago.
"Fifteen years ago, when Matt and I were about to launch the agency, we knew there was a need to create a visual identity. Sara was a friend and a graphic designer, and we went over to her house and sat around her kitchen table to brainstorm.
"The Guardian had just redesigned their logo, and we liked the sleek yet "news centric" style they had gone with. We also wanted to represent the UAE's seven emirates, to convey that we were regionally focused.
"Sara realised that the Arabic symbol for "seven" matched the English letter V, which fit nicely with the identity and the word 'seven' – and works in both languages.
"We've always stayed fairly faithful to the original logo, though it has been modernised through the years, and we added "let us tell your story" to reinforce that storytelling is central to all we do."
In 2020, Raffaghello officially joined the Seven team, bringing the whole story full circle.
A nickname, and a philosophy of memory
For founder Anika Berger, NikNak PR carries a double meaning. The name is a play on her own – a shortened, informal version of "Anika."
But there's a second layer behind it. "When you go on holiday, you buy a fridge magnet, or a shot glass, or whatever – you bring back a little memory from that trip. A little knickknack," she explains.
"I feel like PR is very much like that. We're about finding and providing memories, having people feel something around products and brands. So the agency's output is, in a way, little knickknacks of PR – little pieces of coverage in different forms."
Great taste
Colin Hutton founded Umami Comms in 2016. Having worked in hospitality, running restaurants at Jumeirah Beach Hotel and later working with African+Eastern and Diageo, he founded the agency "to bridge a gap in the market and to blend an operator’s instinct with a communicator’s craft".
On arriving on the name, he says: "Umami Comms was named to reference the fact that we wanted to always have great taste, which is what umami literally means in Japanese."
Good vibes
In 2025, Colin Hutton launched Good Juju, a sister agency to Umami, with a focus on lifestyle and design-led brands.
"Good Juju is all about good energy. The name is a reflection of the team behind the brand, which always brings a positive attitude to creativity," says Hutton.
Do you have your own agency name tale to tell? Share your story to: t.zulu@prmoment.com