PERSONNA began life as Oneztà five years ago. We named Oneztà after the Italian word “onesta”, for honesty. Core to that name, there are a whole lot of values, like the need for honest conversations and doing honest good work, that make the work we do meaningful for us.
In February, we approached the creative shop, gyro, to revamp our logo and website (which you can check out here). When presenting the pitch to us, Manuel Camino, Executive Creative Director at gyro, in his soulful Spanish-accented voice, said: "I know you didn't ask for this...”
We kinda knew it was coming…
“Be calm, relax... Think of Oneztà as a patient, we're going to put it on the table, and we’re going to operate.”
It was our brand name. We always kinda knew, but ignored the niggling feeling. Some clients who have been working with us since day one were still calling us One-Star. That's how most people in the English-speaking world see the word. Maybe it's a Latin language thing. So Manuel tested the name on his mum who only speaks Spanish, and she couldn't pronounce it too. Turns out the “zt” is not used in Latin languages.
So we decided to review the brand name. Even though gyro did a lot of the creative legwork for us, it was not an easy process, it was not a “foregone conclusion.” We debated, diverged, concluded, then changed our minds again. But in the end, PERSONNA felt right. We also tested the name with our long-time clients, and they felt it's memorable, it meant something different to each individual.
On hindsight, I think we were fighting the change, even though the change was the right thing to do. Our discussions were not about the brand name itself, it dug deeper into our core. In the end, we stayed true to our values and behaviours, and we chose a new name that better reflects what we do, and focuses on the most important person -- our customer.
Although it's just a name change, PERSONNA feels different, a clearer intent to make work more personal in Asia. But in the beginning, we hesitated to put our real thoughts and feelings out there.
It takes courage to be honest, with ourselves and with others. We love for you to tell your story about making work personal, whether it is a side project, or going the extra mile. If you have a question for me, about how to make work more personal, connect with us here, or leave a comment.
Curious to learn how to stand in your circle of power and unleash your force for positive change?
If you like reading more about leadership and change, join our newsletter, stay inspired here.
PERSONNA is a leadership development company focused on the people side of transformation. We hold a simple belief that everyone is an extraordinary and powerful force for positive change. When you make work personal, naturally you become a better leader.
We’re here to help people become better leaders, build highly-effective teams, and create a culture of trust & collaboration in their organisations. We provide leadership branding, leadership coaching and group experiences. If you are curious to learn more drop us an email to hello@personna.me.