Roast & Ritual: crafting a name for M&S specialty coffee

When M&S approached us with a new specialty coffee to launch in their Cafés and Foodhalls, we needed to find the perfect brand name. Naming takes time and requires great context and storytelling. For us, it’s always about creating a name that exists as an intrinsic part of a brand identity, rather than bolting a word onto some visuals.

Ideas are brewing...

First, we needed to find out what good coffee means to people – so we asked them. In a nutshell, they were looking for taste, choice and quality. Fine if you live in London, but for the rest of the country artisanal and affordable coffee isn't readily available. M&S was about to change that by democratising specialty coffee for everyone.

Crucially, all of this information gave us a job description for our name. It needed to feel warm and approachable, modern and artisanal. And the right name would be able to stand alone and also exist within the M&S master brand.

As part of our process, we explored names across functional, experiential, evocative and invented territories. Names that ranged from the basic does-what-it-says-on-the-tin, to words that neatly describe an experience or emotion.

M&S wasn’t sure whether they needed a highly functional name or something more standout. And this is why the naming process is so invaluable. Not only is it fundamental to success, but it also takes clients on a journey, guiding them in the right direction and unlocking new possibilities for their brand.

We used workshops with the M&S team to understand what was in their heads and inform the direction we took. Sometimes part of that journey is to show what doesn't work alongside what does.

When you place functional names like House Blend or Signature Roast beside a name like Roast & Ritual, the former names appear to be no more than descriptors (which arguably, they are). When we landed on Roast & Ritual early on in our process, we instinctively knew we'd found our winner.

The perfect blend

Not only did this name feel artisanal, but it perfectly played into that ‘me’ moment of enjoyment for consumers, turning an everyday cup of coffee into something more refined – and an important ritual.

To confirm our instincts, we used testing to ask our target audience's preferences and feelings about the top naming contenders in our four territories. Responses came back with a resounding preference for Roast & Ritual.

Of course, a name is only as good as the way it’s brought to life. And that’s why it was so important to get the logo treatment absolutely right.

When we presented Roast & Ritual as a name for M&S’s new specialty coffee, it was loved by all with no discussion needed. A unicorn moment in brand naming – and a sign that you've absolutely smashed it.

See the case study: Roast & Ritual