What’s in a Name? Malbek!

We are often asked, "How did you come up with the company’s name?" Naming a company is not something you do every day. In many ways, it could be like naming a child, or even a pet. It can be fun and exciting, yet very daunting. Most of all, it’s rewarding, knowing that you are about to attach an identity to something you’ve come to care about, believe in, cherish, and love. And you get to create a brand image around that name that people can latch onto.

Let me take you back a little bit to the early days of when we founded our company, Malbek. As we sat around the table with a desire to solve a complex problem with a simple, innovative solution, it was time for a name. We hadn’t put a lot of thought into it initially because our focus had been on developing a world-class solution for our customers. However, we soon realized it was time to think of something unique. As we are a player in the Quote-to-Cash space offering a cloud-based solution and technology, early contenders were Quotes-R-Us, ContractUS, SimpleQuotes, ContractXpress, TechCLM and a few others, but somehow, those didn’t resonate as well as we wanted. We ultimately knew we needed to avoid using “contract” or “cloud” or “solution” or “quote” in our name since we are much more than just a contracting solution. As we were enjoying dinner with some wine, one of us raised his glass and said, in a celebratory fashion, “To Malbec!” Of course, naming ourselves after a bottle of fermented purple grapes with a hint of black cherry wasn’t our initial goal, but as we thought it through, it had possibility. It’s simple, short and easily rolls off the tongue. To make sure Google results weren’t 1 billion plus when searching for us, we changed the “c” to a “k,” and the name Malbek was born. We used the name for a few days to see if we liked it, and, sure enough, it stuck. That is how we got our new name.

And here are a few reasons our name resonates with the popular wine originating in France, made popular in Argentina:

• Only the best grapes make the best wine, and only the best people help create the best company. We knew from the very beginning that hiring those with the greatest talent, passion, and most of all, attitude, would help us succeed, and grow.
• We, too, will only get better as a company with age. As a true, native cloud solution, our features and powerful functionality are quick to enhance the user experience day after day, month after month, year after year. But best of all, you don’t have to wait to uncork the benefits.
• We pair well. We provide best-in-class technology, and when this is put into action solving our customers challenges and providing opportunity, then our true value is realized and appreciated.
• As mentioned in our Culture Story, we cultivate a work hard, play hard atmosphere, one that is built on respect, collaboration, and relationships. We are committed to our employees, so they can be committed to you.

So, the next time you are enjoying dinner with whatever your beverage of choice is, think of how pairing Malbek with your company can create a powerful impact on your business, helping you solve the contracting challenges of today, and tomorrow.