New Name, New Chapter

Having launched more than 20 years ago as Mind Over Media, outgrowing our name represented a kind of triumph.

A triumph, but also a challenge.

On one hand, our fast growth was a sign that our team, expertise and relationships were calling for room to spill over. We no longer fit neatly inside the “media” category. Our mission, in fact, had evolved to that of steering client brands past the media fray, which had become so chaotic.

On the other hand, identifying a company name that not only fit, but also elevated our brand was no small task.

So, we approached this project as we would any other — as a team. We studied brand names across industries and platforms, dissecting those that spoke to us. Was it the bold statement, the ambiguity, the symmetry, the sound?

Our work begins and ends with a commitment to clarity — we strip away the layers and get to the essence of a brand.

We carved out time for introspection (and URL rights) — over six months, in fact.

We asked ourselves: What are the core values we want to convey? How do we secure an identity that represents our future and honors our past? How will our name point to our purpose — our work?

Only then did we settle on Redbird.

Why Redbird? Because Redbird means clarity, and clarity is central to all that we do. We help brands define their essence and, from there, create brand-building  content and experiences.

Picture a red bird, bright and distinct, against a tangled forest landscape. Now, picture a clean and navigable mobile app for small business owners . . . or a video that celebrates and inspires teachers . . . or a dynamic website drawing millions of nurses each month. All of them standing out, bright and clear, against today’s tangled media landscape.

We make work that helps brands stand apart and, like so many red birds, spark inspiration and “fire up” connection with their customers.

And we love that Redbird links us to a literary legacy. Mary Oliver, the contemporary American poet, uses red bird as a metaphor for that moment of clarity and connection: “Red bird came all winter / Firing up the landscape / As nothing else could.”

So did the American poet Wallace Stevens. For him, red bird is poetry that truly connects after so many “crumpled” tries. (He wrote this poem, “Le Monocle de Mon Oncle,” on sheets of paper he would crumple and toss until the words worked.)

A red bird flies across the golden floor. It is a red bird that seeks out his choir Among the choirs of wind and wet and wing. A torrent will fall from him when he finds. Shall I uncrumple this much-crumpled thing?

We know how difficult it is to create great work. It takes focus and attention, and often so many “crumpled” tries. But it is worth every effort because, when done well, great work sparks a “torrent” of connection between our clients and their customers. We’ve seen it again and again, and know we’ll continue to, ongoing, as our new chapter unfolds.

In a way, we’ve been Redbird all along. Only now we get to lead with it.