PR 20/20 Blog

What ICANN Top-Level Domains Mean to You

By Tracy DiMarino | Posted Jun 29, 2011 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Brand Marketing, Internet Marketing
Last week, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) approved the use of generic top-level domains (gTLDs). The result: organizations can now purchase TLDs outside the 22 suffixes historically approved for general use, such as .com, .net and .org. For example, Apple can purchase the branded .apple, or more descriptive terms, such as .computer or .phone.

The Specifics:

Brands and organizations can apply for gTLDs between January 12-April 12, 2012 for a fee of $185,000 per gTLD. If multiple qualified organizations apply for the same domain, then the suffix will be sold in an auctioning process to the highest bidder — so popular extensions may prove even more costly. Note that this fee is just to start the process; a yearly $25,000 fee will be applied as well.

The application process itself is complex and includes the submission of business plans and policy documents to outline how organizations will administer URLs within their gTLD. Because of this detailed application and approval process, new gTLDs are not expected to go live until 2013.

For more specifics on the application process, read Christina Warren’s Mashable post, “9 Things You Need to Know About ICANN’s New Top Level Domains.”

What This Means:

Due to the hefty fees associated with applying, it’s likely that only the top brands and government entities will be able to afford the new domain names at first, with the entertainment and financial services industries expected to be early adopters. Consider the following from Mashable:

“… It’s important to remember that it took years for the current TLD structure to become a viable and affordable strategy for individuals and non-Fortune 100 companies … It will take time for the process and oversight aspect of the new gTLD policies to be worked out and automated. However, we expect that community-driven TLDs for things like .music, .sports and .film [will] become more available in the future.”

For those organizations pursuing the new domains, most are doing so to create a competitive business advantage or to protect against brand infringement.

With the addition of the new domains, cyber squatting is a threat; however, the high cost is a strong barrier to entry, and ICANN has safeguards in place to try to prevent it.

But, this doesn’t prohibit large corporations from snatching up numerous generic domains, such as .purses, .toys, .doctor or .electronics. As described on PCMag.com, “all they [companies] need is the money and the ability to prove they deserve the right to own [it].”

SEO expert, Danny Sullivan at SearchEngineLand, doesn’t believe the new domains will have an impact on search engine rankings.

To Buy or Not to Buy:

Ultimately, whether or not you should purchase a gTLD will come down to your company’s financial resources, and an evaluation of the opportunities and risks. For many small-to-midsize companies, the price tag alone will make purchasing unlikely. Others may find benefit in securing a gTLD for branding or social/marketing campaigns.

What are your thoughts on the new gTLDs? Are you planning on purchasing? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments section below.

Tracy DiMarino is a consultant at PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. Follow Tracy on Twitter @TracyDiMarino.

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Image Credit: ivanpw
Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead: 3 Key Takeaways

By Dia Dalsky | Posted Aug 24, 2010 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Brand Marketing, Marketing
Like many influencers ahead of their time, the Grateful Dead took risks and made sacrifices to pursue their passion and ultimately change the landscape of the music industry. Lucky for us (and them), their struggles paid off and now present an excellent case study that is inciting the rise of a new, niche fan base —today’s marketing professionals.

Since the mid-1960s, the band has abandoned standards in branding, building a business model, communication style, marketing and performances — all of which are examined in Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead by David Meerman Scott and Brian Halligan.

The book documents the band’s success in creating a unique brand and encouraging a truly engaging fan experience. Scott and Halligan present simple marketing tactics used by the band, apply them to today’s business world and provide examples of companies that, like the Grateful Dead, have found success in going against “the norm.”

Here are a few marketing takeaways I found particularly insightful:

Create an Original and Innovative Brand

From the beginning, the Grateful Dead built a unique brand that set them apart from their competitors and intrigued fans. They did this by selecting an unusual name, constructing a band of unlikely musicians and creating a business model that defied normal success factors (e.g. achieving platinum record sales). As a result, it was able to establish its own category focused on listening to (rather than defining) its audiences’ needs.

Similarly, Scott and Halligan urge companies to think from a customer standpoint. Forget about the industry norm and ask yourself “What is the most logical way to fill my customers’ needs?” and “What differentiates me from my competitors?” While it’s important to stay in touch with your industry and remain conscious of your competitors, it should never dictate or limit where you take your business.

To champion the brand and connect with your audiences, you need to build a marketing team with diverse talent. Scott and Halligan encourage companies to build teams with a range of skill sets and experiences, including digital citizens, analytical thinkers, content creators and those with industry reach.

Attract and Engage Your Fans

The leading factor behind the Grateful Dead’s success was its die-hard community of Deadheads that supported, listened to and lived for the music. From its beginnings in San Francisco, the band sought to encourage personal connections and open dialogue with fans.

For example, the Grateful Dead placed a direct call-to-action inside the October 1971 live Skull and Roses album, requesting their fans to connect with them:

“DEAD FREAKS UNITE: Who are you? Where are you? How are you? Send us your name and address and we’ll keep you informed. Deadheads, P.O. Box 1065, San Rafael, California 94901.” – pg. 70, Ch. 9: Bring People on an Odessey

The response was overwhelming, receiving 10,257 responses in six months. Within five years, 63,147 Deadheads (in the United States alone) had requested to receive regular mailings from the band. Scott and Halligan relate this permission-based fan connection to a pre-Internet social network.

With this opt-in mailing list, the band was able to know their audience better, deliver fan communications and establish a community for Deadheads. The list also supported a variety of the band’s marketing activities, including ticket sales, which were kept entirely in-house and generated a majority of the band’s income.

Share Your Value Through (Free) Content

Deadheads also benefited from premium, or “fremium,” content, which is also the foundation of inbound marketing today.

By allowing fans to record live performances, permitting entrepreneurial vendors to create band paraphernalia and encouraging the distribution of both, the Grateful Dead removed the usual obstacles for music enthusiasts during the pre-Internet era. This availability of content without barriers makes the Dead’s music and brand “spreadable.”

“The Grateful Dead teaches us that your most passionate fans will pay a premium price for the best quality….The challenge in the upgrade model is to give away something that is considered valuable, and something that people will use regularly and become familiar with. It is the familiarity that grows from regular use…that generates the value and desire for the premium version of the same product or service.” – pg. 122, Ch. 15: Upgrade to Premium

Scott and Halligan have found professional inspiration from a shared interest in the Grateful Dead, the music and the experience they receive from being loyal followers (aka Deadheads). What brands give you inspiration from their marketing mission or core values? What lessons can you draw from them to implement in your own marketing strategy?

For more information

To learn more about individual businesses implementing Grateful Dead marketing tactics, watch How to Market Your Business Like the Most Iconic Band in History, a recent HubSpot webinar hosted by co-authors Scott and Halligan. The webinar showcases innovative companies such as Rue La La, Burton Snowboards and the New Belgium Brewing Company.

Dia Dalsky is an associate consultant at PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. Follow Dia on Twitter @DiaDalsky.

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Photo credits taken from Flickr Creative Commons (in order): Tony the Misfit; ActiveSteve; Jared
Is it Time to Change Your Brand Name?

By Christina | Posted Oct 30, 2008 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Brand Marketing
From the very abstract, to a founder's family name, corporate brand names have a story behind them.

However, when markets shift, and the brand itself changes, company leaders may find themselves considering a new name for a well-established brand.

There are a number of factors that drive organizations to contemplate a change:
- The brand name is difficult to pronounce.
- The brand name has limited awareness outside of geographic markets.
- The brand name appeals to a limited market.
- The brand identity is tired and obsolete.
- The organization needs a more contemporary, Internet-focused brand.
- The brand does not resonate with younger generations.
Companies can start the decision-making process by asking several important questions.
- Has your brand changed?
- Has your competition changed?
- What is your competitive advantage? (e.g. why do customers buy from your organization instead of your competitors). Does your brand align with your competitive advantage?
- How do people perceive your current brand? How do you want your brand to be perceived?
- What would a new brand name deliver to customers?
- Who are the audiences that would be affected by a brand name change?
- Which objectives do you believe that your organization must accomplish in order to build your business and reach desired growth goals?
- What are the evident strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of a brand name change?
- What are the time, financial and human resources available to take on a project of this magnitude?
- What are the time, financial and human resources available to roll out and maintain a brand name change marketing campaign?
When companies are looking at a name change, they not only must conduct comprehensive research and analysis in making the decision, but also need to consider the potential impact on all of its constituents: customers, employees, partners, board members and the industry overall. It’s these audiences that will be responsible for telling the new story.

Food for thought: KFC

One prominent brand currently in a unique rebranding process is KFC. In March 2008, KFC released news that it would be testing Kentucky Grilled Chicken as a co-brand of Kentucky Fried Chicken. The news garnered attention from online and mainstream media including USA Today and Reuters.

The release stated that at the time, it was “Currently being tested in Indianapolis, Colorado Springs, San Diego, Oklahoma City, Jacksonville, Fla., and Austin, Texas, KFC’s Kentucky Grilled Chicken is expected to be unveiled nationwide in early 2009.”

NameWire: The Name Development Blog posted its take on the news in a March 24, 2008 post:

“In the coming weeks you can expect to see "Now Grilling" signs at select KFC stores. And storefront signs will be changed to feature "Kentucky Grilled Chicken." The London Free Press says that "Even the brand's ubiquitous chicken buckets will get a makeover..."

“…First of all, customers have to accept that KFC can grill chicken and that the product is indeed healthier than its fried alternative. Will they really believe that a piece of grilled chicken from KFC is better for them than a piece of extra crispy chicken?" Click here for the full post.

According to the Yum! Brands, Inc. (YUM) Q3 2008 earnings call transcripts from Oct. 8, 2008, Yum! chairman, president and chief executive officer David C. Novak stated, “We expect to turn around KFC performance in 2009 with the introduction of our successfully tested Kentucky Grilled Chicken.”
Someone Stole My Brand Today

By Paul | Posted Aug 26, 2008 | 5 Comment(s) | Filed in: Brand Marketing, Business
A day in the life of an entrepreneur . . .

Today started like most others. After a restless night of tossing and turning, the thought of my pre-dawn venti Americano pulled me out of bed.

I arrived at the office and got the day rolling with a quick check of email before moving on to the prior day’s Website stats. I looked at the usual suspects — page views, keywords searched and referring sites, which is when the day took a bit of a turn.

In the referring sites I noticed a domain name (which will remain nameless for now) that appeared remarkably similar to our brand name (which is a registered trademark).

Curious to see where this link was coming from, I clicked on the referring URL. Much to my surprise, I landed on a Website for another PR firm and found text and services that appeared to be copied almost verbatim from our Website.

And if that wasn’t bad enough, they actually had an active link to our site from one of their services! No joke. I clicked on Press Release, and it took me to my own site.

Now when we published our service and pricing guide in early 2006, I figured that other PR firms would eventually consider evolving to a model of standardized services and set pricing, but I never thought anyone would be quite so blatant when doing it.

Now What?

Before contacting my attorneys, I pulled a few bits of background information from the Internet:
- Checked Go Daddy for domain name registration, which amazingly enough was public with the primary contact’s email address and phone number.
- Found the president of the company on LinkedIn (same contact as I found on Go Daddy).
From there I contacted my attorneys and drafted an email to the firm’s president. Hopefully the story ends there.

The Moral of the Story
- Be vigilant when monitoring and protecting your brand.
- Analyze your Website stats every day. You never know what you’ll find.
- For other entrepreneurs . . . be original. There’s nothing wrong with copying a successful business model, but at least put an original spin on it.
- Keep a good business attorney on retainer.