As we start developing the brand strategy for the social business, we're investigating current business naming trends in Machakos, the visual language as much as the actual naming of a business. What we find is an interesting batch of trends - either a family or first name + business service offering, or a series of names, usually two names, fused into one name.
In Machakos, people mostly speak Kikamba, the language of the Kamba tribe. Business names tend to play with names in Kikamba, sometimes mixed with English and rather rarely in Swahili. To create a brand that resonates with the community we aim to provide a service for, and nurtures acceptance and trust, we're exploring playful names in Kikamba with the help of future employees with lived experience with serious mental illness.
Once the name has been solidified, and with the help of our first employees, we'll kick off the design of the actual brand and its guidelines. Stay tuned!
