Listen to the 3i Member Spotlight podcast for interviews and insights with notable 3i Members in technology, finance, and real estate. In these thirty-minute episodes, our members share their success stories, lessons learned, and invaluable business wisdom. 3i Members is an invitation-only investment network designed for founders, family offices, and fund managers, founded in 2021 by Mark Gerson (GLG), Billy Libby (Upper90), and Teddy Gold. Learn more at 3imembers.com.
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Listen to the 3i Member Spotlight podcast for interviews and insights with notable 3i Members in technology, finance, and real estate. In these thirty-minute episodes, our members share their success stories, lessons learned, and invaluable business wisdom. 3i Members is an invitation-only investment network designed for founders, family offices, and fund managers, founded in 2021 by Mark Gerson (GLG), Billy Libby (Upper90), and Teddy Gold. Learn more at 3imembers.com.
The Art of the Name: The Man Behind Swiffer, BlackBerry & Lucid—and 100+ Iconic Brands, with David Placek, President & Founder of Lexicon Branding
3i Member Spotlight
33 minutes 37 seconds
6 months ago
The Art of the Name: The Man Behind Swiffer, BlackBerry & Lucid—and 100+ Iconic Brands, with David Placek, President & Founder of Lexicon Branding
What do BlackBerry, Swiffer, Impossible Burger, Sonos, and Febreze have in common? They were all named by one man—David Placek, founder of Lexicon Branding, the agency behind more than 100 iconic brand names. Fast Company calls Lexicon “the most envied branding agency in the world.”
A 3i Member since 2024, David has spent decades naming companies—from Silicon Valley startups to global giants like Apple and Coca-Cola—craft the language that defines their brands. He also lectures on creativity at Stanford GSB and UC Berkeley Haas, advises startups, and runs River Lane Vineyard in Sonoma.
In this episode, David sits down with Mark Gerson to reveal the surprising stories behind some of the world’s most recognizable names—and why the best ideas often come from unexpected places. He explains:
• How Lexicon’s three-team system helps spark creativity through controlled chaos
• The strategy behind names like Impossible, PowerBook, and Dasani
• Why the sound of a name matters just as much as its meaning
• How risk, discomfort, and even polarization signal a name that has real power
• What entrepreneurs often get wrong when naming their company or product
3i Member Spotlight
Listen to the 3i Member Spotlight podcast for interviews and insights with notable 3i Members in technology, finance, and real estate. In these thirty-minute episodes, our members share their success stories, lessons learned, and invaluable business wisdom. 3i Members is an invitation-only investment network designed for founders, family offices, and fund managers, founded in 2021 by Mark Gerson (GLG), Billy Libby (Upper90), and Teddy Gold. Learn more at 3imembers.com.
