A FORTUNE 1000 COMPANY GOES NUTS WITH A DOMAIN
March 2nd, 2009 Posted in General Domain News
(Image is trademark of Unilever)
I was pretty excited to see Unilever feature a google adlink with the URL “Peanutbutter.com” at the top of my gmail account today. Not sure how long they’ve been doing this brilliant piece of “inexpensive recall positive publicity,” but I can tell you that everyone who has been typing in Peanutbutter.com lately has been getting a nice big “Alert” window stating that the SKIPPY™ Brand peanut butter is not affected by the recall of peanuts.
Most of the peanut recall is directed at Peanut Corporation of America’s Texas and Georgia plants, but the real news is that Unilever used the domain name “Peanutbutter.com” to literally “crunch out” the competition and establish themselves as “online peanut butter, safe, easy, and still here!” The question is, did the domain name perform so well for Unilever’s SKIPPY peanut butter during pre-recall in order for the Unilever marketing department to go to their PR group and say “Hey! We can keep people buying Skippy, and even help them relate to Skippy as the “Safe Peanut Butter” by using this little ol’ natural domain we own called “PeanutButter.com.” It gets us lots of visitors every week, and we can use those eyeballs cheaply to get the message out!”
If you get where I’m going, then you’re a domain investor. If not, let me quickly explain: For months peanut butter has been receiving bad, to very bad, media coverage from the salmonella-infected peanut recall. Since this has obviously been hurting sales for peanut butter products, Skippy probably experienced the drop in sales too. What to do? Bring out the ONLINE POWER PLAYER FOR YOUR PRODSERV – the domain name that describes what everyone is worrying about (Peanut butter), but point that domain to your OWN product, and pour your public relations heart out to the world! “SKIPPY PEANUT BUTTER IS SAFE!”
What goes unsaid but understood by most of the average consumer is: Skippy is PEANUTBUTTER.COM. How cool. I can get to their website to check out their site features, current news, and new peanut butter products by just typing in Peanutbutter.com. The aftermarket price and the yearly renewal fees on this domain are now looking ridiculously cheap for having a simple domain provide an excellent public relations solution, and even a new brand marriage. I call it “backbranding”.
3 Responses to “A FORTUNE 1000 COMPANY GOES NUTS WITH A DOMAIN”
By Kevin Jackson on Mar 3, 2009
Wow! Some companies do get the power of domains.
This is excellent use of a category-killer and generic domain name.
The advantage over the competition for Unilever is tremendous.
Great post Stephen!
XXXXXX Stephen Douglas Responds:
Hi Kevin,
Isn’t it ironic that the majority of mid level domains could be sold along these geo and generic lines to tens of thousands of smaller companies who should be copying the marketing tactics of the bigger boys? The mid-level domains that would describe their prodserv would be priced within their budget, but still the majority of the business sector doesn’t understand this “domain marketing their prodserv” concept. We just need to keep pounding out the message!
By dnclips.com - Domain feeds and more on Mar 25, 2009
That is a good way to utilize a domain.. And thanks for the great explanation. Too bad, very few companies realize the importance of such generic names.
XXXXXX Stephen Douglas Responds:
Sure is a nice understandable example of why business SHOULD be using domains to promote their prodservs. I think it’s very important the domain industry works together in an organized manner to promote this angle somehow.
The aftermarket companies, Sedo, Snapnames, Aftermarket.com, Moniker, Afternic and others, including myself, need to form some sort of “public service organization” focuses at businesses for encouraging enduser sales of generic prodservs domains.
thanks for writing!
By ohio civil engineer on Apr 8, 2009
Skippy makes the best chunky peanut butter… now it would seem they have the best domain as well. Maybe Skippy and Smuckers should go together and buy PeanutButterandJelly.com
XXXXXX Stephen Douglas Responds:
Sweet idea! lol