How can you build a buzz around your brand to grow your business if the brand name isn't easy to remember and doesn't set you apart in any way from your competitors? One solution – and one that takes courage when you've been in business for a number of years – is to change the name of your company.

That's the approach David Hauser and Siamak Taghaddo cofounders of the business formerly known as GotVMail have taken to bring attention to the company and the advanced phone number service and virtual PBX it offers small businesses and startups. The company's new name, Grasshopper, was chosen by Tagjaddo (the company's CEO) and Hauser (the CTO) because in one way, grasshoppers are like entrepreneurs the company serves. "They can leap 20 times further than their body length." says Taghaddo. "They can go far even though they are small."

"We knew for a while that we wanted to find a name that spoke to the brand and culture of the company," says Taghaddo. "We were developing a better version of the services with new and improved features our customers had asked for, and wanted to do the name change at the same time."

How effective was the promotion?

Well, it did get attention. There's something about getting a FedEx package that has nothing but a pack of chocolate covered grasshoppers and a tag with a web link that makes you want to go look at that link. So, the company did get calls and publicity. Whether those calls and publicity will turn into a long-term business is something only time will tell, of course.

More: Six Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing a Business Name

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