Why Rocket Media?

I’m often asked what the story is behind our company name. It’s a long story, but here it goes.

I believe a company name needs to have several characteristics for it to be successful, those being things like:

• Does it stick?
• Is it short & sweet?
• Is it functional?
• Does it tell a story?

I had been working as a sole proprietor, and to move the business out of the sole proprietor state and into a real company, I had to come up with a name — something to identify my work, my brand.

For those with children or folks who have had children, you might know the laborious process many go through when coming up with a name. My wife & I went through this hunting and searching process with our first. We spent many hours reading through name books, hearing from family and friends with suggestions, and even searching online (although the internet looked much different then). We did this because we knew that something great was coming, and our child deserved a name nothing less than extraordinary.

Coming up with the company name was very similar. I searched the library for business records and names and, specifically, for other creative firms. I did a fair amount of research online and, of course, talked and listened to many, many, many opinions from family and friends. It didn’t take long before confusion and information overload took hold of my creative spirit. I had hit a blocker and it was called “overthinking.”

I reached out to my business mentor during this quest for the perfect name and received some simple but great advice. He shared how “some names just drop out of the sky, and that when inspiration strikes, take advantage.” He also challenged me to dig into my childhood for inspiration and to recall things I was passionate about and enjoyed.

So I reflected and before I knew it, the inspiration hit me… rockets!

When I was in junior high, one of our 7th-grade shop class projects was to construct a working model rocket from scratch. After completing our rockets, the entire class went out to the track lawn and we took turns launching our rockets. We were graded on your rocket's specification requirements, craftsmanship, and uniqueness. But above all, you could only get an “A” if it could fly. This project resonated with me and I was hooked.

That summer, I became “the rocket man”. I was fortunate to have a father who was an art instructor and a mother who was crafty in her own right. They both encouraged and enabled me to run with this new hobby. I remember going to craft stores, looking at model rocket kits that I couldn’t afford, and then going home and creating them myself.

On weekends I’d take anyone interested over to the nearby field and launch as many rockets as I had engines. The thrill of the countdown, the ignition of the C6 engine, the screeching of the rocket into the blue sky, the “fingers crossed” hoping that the parachute would open and then finally, the final resting place for the mangled, fiery brilliance you just witnessed. Oh, this was what life was all about that summer, and it was great!

This was my inspiration. I knew the company name had to be about something relating to rockets. My passion and joy with model rockets in middle school was the same as I now find in my design work.

The following steps were all about finding a mate for the word “rocket.” I considered (and, of course, over, thought) lots of variations — Rocket Design, Rocket Launch, Rocket Studios… Rocket Media was actually one of the first names on the list, but I had initially dismissed it because I thought it was too broad. However, I eventually came back to the name. After all, I was creating media for my customers — both in print and web designs — and it left the door open for growth into other areas in the future.

Rocket Media it was.

Today, Rocket Media is still my passion. But now it’s more than just me. I’m proud of the thriving digital agency it’s become and all the amazingly talented people who design and create awesome solutions for our clients. We exist to innovate digital solutions that make a strategic impact in all that we do.

The journey for that perfect name was accomplished, and I’m proud to be a part of this company. I was right on two counts — my firstborn is, in fact, extraordinary, and so is this company.