MARKET DOMINATION via NAME IDENTITY
Global corporate nomenclature is making history, right now, as ICANN gTLD platform
opens with full swing, the established and largest name brands of the world are
now pitted against the newest, recently incubated, globally poised but relatively
unknown name brands. The global image shifts are at play. The coming years will
define the new landscape of image and brand name superiority and spell out a
new language defining market domination via name identity. It makes little difference
where you are located and what type or size of organization you manage. The fact
remains it’s going to alter your thinking about marketing and business image
and name identity expansion. Here are the key factors.
A gTLD dot brand with the right name identity and a business model offers the
fastest way to create hyper-visibility and global presence and becomes an intricate
device for attracting massive customer acquisition. The old school of traditional
advertising marketing and branding is slowly recognizing this game changer.
A gTLD platform also opens new opportunities for branding, marketing and trademark
law firms, as critical needs arise for fast-track evaluations of current name
portfolios to determine long-term action plans. It calls for realignment of naming
architectures to accommodate too many or too few identities or reassessment of
current name ownership strategies in light of this new age frontier.
For many organizations the application process has hidden naming challenges in
the program. Example, how to differentiate power and evaluate a proposed name,
(.car .auto .motor) or how to select a winning combination (.locomoto or automoto,)
or (.udrive or idrive,) or (.ucar or mycar;) Advance level name usability issues
will decide winners and losers, including, pricing of sub-brand domain naming
architecture for a master gTLD name being introduced in the market place.
The Boardroom Agenda
(Excerpted from DOMINATION, THE GTLD NAME GAME by Naseem Javed
Copyright © 2012 by Naseem Javed by permission of Metrostate Syndicate)
http://amzn.to/wouTE9How businesses should appoint an Internal Leadership Team to tackle all name-identity
issues on an organized basis towards 2012 and beyond.
For big businesses, it would be imperative to create ‘layers of name identity
protection’ and to acquire a deeper understanding of how to cope with these new
and emerging trends.
For middle-sized and regional businesses, it opens highly cost-effective global
opportunities to reposition, re-name, and re-brand their entire operations as
new style market domination.
Any company at the grassroots marketing and business development level must evaluate
all of its name brands and identities to answer the following key questions.
What are the hotspots whereby a slight change in spelling, alpha structure, the
meaning and the shade of a name identity could seriously be jeopardized?
What are the competitive forces in the marketplace that are already attacking
a brand name identity and how can they harness new powers to further intensify
their attack?
What are the brand new opportunities that could be brought in as an extension
or protection layer to the current brand identity?
What are complete and brand new concepts that could be created around existing
name brands to support and expand sales?
What are the most sophisticated name expansion structures that will provide a
global scale leadership for any new or existing name brand identity?
If evaluated names have been found weak and damaged, what positive options are
available to them with this new global policy?
Here are three basic types of names in use around the world
1-Hassle free names, because they rest on solid footings.
Examples: Microsoft, IBM, Nokia, Toyota, Intel, Disney, BMW, Gillette, Honda,
Google, Cisco, Honda, Sony, Nike, IKEA, Nintendo, Gucci
2-The troublesome names, as they carry varying confusion
Examples: GE, BT, CA, SK, LG, major brand names with two letters are not allowed
as two letter suffixes are reserved for country like .jp for Japan. Names like,
iSong, Utalk, Citi, AIG, UMS, MPC types will require special scrutiny to stay
clear from any confusion with other users. Names that come in two or more parts,
like, Mercedes Benz, Merrill Lynch, Harley Davidson, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley,
Hewlett Packard such names may pass but two words names are overly cumbersome
in usability.
3-The borderline disaster names, these names are simultaneously used by hundreds
or thousands making it difficult to claim exclusive ownership.
Examples: United, Premier, Delta or National etc.
Only a minuscule percentage is the hassle free names. Incidentally, applying
the nomenclature rules the largest majority of last century brand names fall
into ‘troublesome’ or outright ‘disaster’ names. However, it’s also important
to note that once most borderline/disaster names were ‘darlings’ of the period
but overtime became either generic or lost their distinction in mergers and acquisitions.
Most importantly last century thinking was not very global and last millennia
tools for image expansion were not as cheap and freely accessible as today.
According to various studies by ABC Namebank on global naming dilution when you
observe that “there are 100 most diluted names around the world in use by some
100 million businesses” a logic defying picture of waste emerges. The century
old models start showing cracks and the need for a single universal name clearance
solution appears to be the most logical solution. ICANN’s proposal for a single
global trademark clearance house is a very bold step forward.
Summary
The boardroom agendas must raise some of these questions. What are the specific
tactical options available for the organization at this stage? What are the hot
buttons on name evaluation for national or global cyber name branding? What are
the key steps to get current name identity ahead of competitors on fast track
basis? What are the new digital platforms for mass-customer-acquisition? What
are the methodical steps to market domination via name identity? What will it
take to get your internal teams ready to articulate on these new platforms?
Naseem Javed, founder of ABC Namebank, is a globally recognized authority on
corporate nomenclature and related issues of global naming complexities and especially
market domination via name identity. He is a lecturer, syndicated columnist,
and the author of ‘Domination, the gLTD name game’.
www.abcnamebank.com---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
