A lesson in practicing what you preach. The trials and tribulations of a rename firsthand
The time for a rebrand had arrived. As we shifted into growth mode, it became clear that we needed a rebrand of our own. It was time to ask ourselves the same difficult questions we ask our clients: Who are we today? Where do we want to go in the future? We knew we offered something unique but we were still a little lost in what truly differentiated us from the competition. We needed alignment, clarity, and to rekindle the sense of pride that got us here.
It was time to turn the page and build the foundation for the next stage of growth. So we began the journey, following the same process we use with our clients. Then came the big question: Is this the name that will get us there? Is it time to change the name? The same question that so often arises during client rebrands.
To rename or not to rename, that is the question
A little candid backstory: Studio MLM didn’t start as an agency. It grew out of my decision to leave the agency world and launch my own CPG brand, Dotz. What began as a single product idea became a full line of cord and cable management products sold in thousands of retailers across more than 30 countries. The path out of the agency world was well underway.
But as Dotz found early success, inventors and startups began reaching out to me for help bringing their ideas to life. To do for them what I had done for my own brand, and the pull back toward agency work began. When I started Studio MLM, it was just me, an intern, and a few contractors, essentially a side gig.
The name made sense at the time. It was based on my initials. It was simple and personal, though admittedly shortsighted in hindsight. I never planned to build a full agency, but it grew naturally. Studio MLM took off. Dotz became less of my focus. Clients came, the team expanded, and our capabilities grew. What started as a one-person studio evolved into a full-service design agency. The name Studio MLM no longer reflected who we had become. So then came the conundrum: Do we keep the name, or do we start over?
Why the name change?
We see this often with our clients. When a rebrand begins, it becomes clear that the name no longer fits. Yet clients cling to it out of familiarity, sentiment, legal reasons, or simply because change feels hard.
Of course, when we guide clients through this, the decision is always theirs. Sometimes it is easy; sometimes it is excruciating. This time, that difficult decision was mine. A company founded in my basement, built on my initials, full of history. Was it a bad name? It depended on who you asked. Feedback ranged from “That’s cool” to “That’s… terrible.”
The arguments to keep it were strong: legacy and familiarity. But the arguments against it were stronger, namely the confusion with multi-level marketing. And that is not a conversation you want to have. There is nothing positive about being mistaken for a multilevel-marketing scheme, especially for a company built on integrity and transparency.
There was no way we wanted that confusion ever again.
So we did the work. We followed the same process we ask our clients to trust. It wasn’t easy, especially given the personal history behind the name. Dozens of hours, hundreds of domain searches, research, countless brainstorm sessions… and then we found it. A name that reflected who we are today and gave us the foundation to build who we want to become.
Enter Forma
As a product-led agency, Forma represents everything we stand for: form, function, foundation, and forward movement. It is not just a new name; it is a philosophy. Every brand, product, and digital experience is a form, a physical or digital embodiment of a company’s purpose. Forma is rooted in the belief that design isn’t decoration; it is the structure that supports growth.
We then applied the same process to ourselves that we use with clients: self-audit, market validation, message testing, visual system development, and rollout. It wasn’t easy or cheap, but it was worth it.
Why rebrands and renaming work
Rebranding and renaming isn’t about abandoning your past. It is about creating space for your next chapter. For us, it aligned our external identity with our internal evolution. It brought clarity to our positioning and renewed pride in our team. It helped us show up in the market at the level we were already performing.
And the results speak for themselves:
- 80% increase in RFPs
- 50% increase in website engagement
- Our largest client project to date
- Over 25% increase in annual revenue
Was it only because of the rebrand? Maybe not entirely. But it created the momentum, alignment, and confidence we needed to grow into the agency we are today.
Rebrands work when they are done with intention, built on truth, guided by strategy, and designed to carry a business forward. Forma is living proof. We practiced what we preach, and it worked.
