What’s in our name?

What’s in our name?

More than 400 years ago, through his timeless character of the ill-fated Juliet, William Shakespeare wrote, “What’s in a name?” The bard certainly had a point: a name is just that — a name, and not the essence of the thing itself. Juliet argued that the rose would still smell as sweet if it were called by any other name and, of course, she’s right. 

To an extent, the same logic can be applied to brands. Whether Coca-Cola were named McDonalds, the magic that is the black fizzy drink would not change. Customers may appreciate a company’s name, may think it’s witty and charming, but the bottom line is that they expect so much more. A truly great product, a promise to really listen to customers, a commitment to ethics and trust — these are the cornerstones of lasting businesses. 

But, that’s not to say that there’s nothing in a name. To answer Shakespeare’s question, “What’s in a name?”, we would have to say, “A story.” At JaSure, there’s been a story, both in our name and our logo. 

The word ‘insurance’ stems from ‘assurance’, taking much of its meaning from keeping something ‘sure’ or ‘safe’ in the event of disaster. This is what we are sure of at JaSure, and why we had to have the word in our very name: that your favourite leisure gear is protected in the event of theft, loss or damage. 

But why on earth ‘Ja’? As South Africans, we are more than familiar with the local colloquialism. 

“Feel like going for a cycle?” “Ja, let’s do it.”

“Should we have a round of golf this weekend?” “Ja, why not?”

Quite literally meaning ‘yes’, it has positive connotations with its local roots, traits which JaSure embraces. Yes, we are local. Yes, you can be sure we’ll look after your favourite things. 

“Are you insured?” “Ja, sure” 

It’s an answer in itself.

Our name is one thing, but we got even more excited when we found the perfect logo with, in our mind at least, its rather clever icon! The ‘J’ in ‘JaSure’ is flipped around to create a monogram which resembles a shield, encapsulating our promise to protect you. Within this shield, we have a square, a triangle and a semi-circle, representing the ‘stuff’ we insure, but also looking suspiciously like a winking face. It’s just a bit of fun, really, as we’re a friendly bunch, always here to help make your life a little easier.

And that’s our story, where it turns out there are a few things in our name, after all. There’s our promise to protect your favourite things and to do it while keeping a smile on your face! Not sure about smiling and insurance being in the same sentence yet? Have a look at our new app and we might just change your mind! 

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Please note that the views in this article are not intended to provide or constitute advice.

Written by Julie Smith

A member of the JaSure founding team, Julie believes that brand stewardship is always about entering into honest conversations with people – not consumers, not even customers! Her dream is to see JaSure become a household name and a tool for bettering people’s lives. In her spare time, when she’s not running after her very busy toddler, she can be found curled up with a cup of Earl Grey tea and a good book.