Why name it Second Story Media?

BOONE, N.C. – Appalachian State University students brand their new agency Second Story Media.

“We tell our story so we can tell their story,” said Cain Luke, a member of the agency recruited to be a part of the naming team.

The name originated from the agency classroom, second floor, Room 204 of Walker Hall. The name second floor then turned into Second Story because of the connotations behind the word story. This name reflects on where the agency started– just a few students in a class with big ideas and the drive to make it into a real company. The name was thought through carefully and critiqued by alumni, students of the class and a few faculty members of the department.

“You can always rebrand an image, but you cannot rebrand a name,” said Veronica Romero, the student who gave the original pitch for the name Second Story. “A name is important – it will distinguish you from others, whether it is a person or a company.”

All of these aspects were considered as the agency debated the name for weeks. After much debate and feedback from faculty, staff, and other mentors to the agency, we finally landed on the name Second Story Media.  

“There’s a lot about it that I like,” said interim Communication Department chair Dr. Janice Pope in reference to the name. “So, an organization has a crisis – well you can help them create another story, a second story.