Soar.com is the leading data-driven platform that nurtures individual talents and hosts top-tier certified coaches and business trainers, matching them with organizations, business teams, and individuals worldwide. Scott Fleming, Head of Enterprise Partnerships at Soar, shared the story behind the brand for our “Names with stories” series of interviews.

What is the story behind SOAR?

In 2012, Clint Carlos introduced Paul Allen to the global strengths movement, and Paul’s life was changed by Dr. Don Clifton’s book, Soar With Your Strengths. Together they helped launch several innovation initiatives for Gallup (the global research and consulting firm founded by Dr. Clifton). But they dreamed of doing much more and once they left Gallup, the two teamed up and decided to pursue their vision together. SOAR speaks to the infinite potential of every human being, and our mission is to help each individual unlock that potential.

When did you start thinking about your brand name and how did you settle on SOAR?

Long before we started the company, we felt that SOAR.COM would be the perfect home for a tech platform built to help humans be better versions of themselves, more consistently…but we knew it wouldn’t be easy to obtain the domain.

How did you get the domain name SOAR.COM for your brand? Why did you select that one exactly?

3 months after forming our founding team and securing our initial seed funding, we negotiated the purchase of the domain, and even though it was a huge investment at that time, we felt it was worthwhile to do things right from the beginning and build a brand that we could grow into for the decades to follow.

How has owning SOAR.COM affected your business? Do you own any other domain names?

The domain is memorable, easy to spell, easy to find, and goes against the grain of many flash-in-the-pan trends by companies to come up with creative spellings and other short-cuts to secure a domain. We don’t want to take any shortcuts or diminish the brand, and we feel that this has given us enhanced credibility from the very beginning. People are inspired by the brand, and take pride in being a part of our community. We own dozens of other domains that are used for ancillary purposes and marketing.

Who is your target customer and how is your brand name helping in reaching them?

Our target market at Soar are individuals looking to fulfill their highest potential. Through Soar’s coaching platform and revolutionary audio streaming technology, customers will obtain a unique opportunity to optimize their strengths and become their best selves.

How do you keep your brand consistent across different channels online and offline?

Brand uniformity is key to accomplishing our most lofty goals. Obviously, the brand style guide is an important way to visually maintain the uplifting feel we wish to portray. Beyond the style guide, however, the words used by employees, investors, advisors, and customers when describing Soar and its mission are also critical to maintaining uniformity and a cohesive message no matter where people are interacting with us.

Has the pandemic affected your company in any way? What has changed since?

The pandemic has had a tremendous influence on Soar. As the world began to shut down, we partnered with ICF to offer our coaching platform for free to coaches as they sought digital solutions. We were forced to adapt quickly and improve our products in a world where remote interactions became the norm. In addition, learning and development departments have sought our audio solutions to help bridge the physical gap between them and their employees.

What do you do to make sure your marketing is effective?

To me, marketing is most effective when you speak to a customer and their needs. Through meetings with customers and prospects, you can understand their individual situations and also common pain points. From here, you are able to derive your product’s key value propositions and speak to alleviating your prospects’ pain. You can’t have effective marketing without effectively listening.

What would your advice be to entrepreneurs who are just starting out, in general, and when it comes to branding and naming?

Clear and concise. Don’t get too fancy. Pick a name that people can understand when you say it over the phone. I personally like a name and brand that has meaning because it creates a compelling story when people ask about your origins.

Where do you see your business in the future and how does your brand name fit into that vision?

Soar is on a mission to unlock the infinite potential of over 1 billion people! Every day people are dragged down by negative influences and corrosive media. At Soar, we choose to focus on the good of people and their strengths. We want to help individuals be exposed to the immense good in the world and allow everyone to Soar to greater heights!

We hope the above information will help you in making informed decisions about your brand. What is your vision for the future of your brand? Get in touch, we are always happy to chat.

Find out more about Soar.com