SUCCESSCLICK.COM

By Ray on Feb 23, 2008

My take on it…who cares? move on. That is the world of domaining and I’m sure you know it. It’s just unfortunate for you that you absent mindedly forgot to register the name before someone else did.

Putting aside the fact that it could very well be a coincident that they registered it the day you posted about it, that is how alot of domainers register their domains.

Reading blogs, news sites, trade publications, watching tv…basically and avenue in media is a source for more domain name ideas. Take it as a compliment and learn from this experience

Btw, I don’t normally read your blog. Just saw a link posted from domaining.com. However, I like some of the posts you’ve written. Great job with it. You have another reader in me.

Ray

+++++STEPHEN DOUGLAS SEZ++++

Hi Ray, thanks for your comments and compliments. I appreciate it. Much success to you.

By domainkingofkings on Feb 23, 2008

It’s the domain feeds that steal- they will not pickup your story on their pages if it contains info they can act on first

By Eugene K on Feb 23, 2008

It makes me sick. Its just shows how many greedy, money-hungry, unethical so-called domainers are still out there. I hope this person will come to his senses and return the domain. No respected domainer would want that kind of publicity for himself.
+++++STEPHEN DOUGLAS SEZ++++
Hi Eugene! You are passionate about this! Thanks for your post, and I agree with it wholeheartedly!

By Peter @ Domainer's Gazette on Feb 23, 2008

Hey Stephen,

sorry about that bad news..

I made sure to buy ‘SEOmainer’ before I made my post on it, knowing full well if I didn’t, it’d be gone forever..

looks like the owner’s up in Bellevue WA, though.. you could drive up, knock on his door, and slap him around a little..

By Dey on Feb 23, 2008

Hello:

Sorry to hear about your domainswipe incident. I am a new domainer (nine months and counting). The one thing that I have learned during my domain navigations is that while most domainers are super nice and always there with support, and helpful advice–there are domainers who are supposed to be men, but really mice–who took my cheese does not suffice–for these clepdomaniacs who are not nice.

Sorry for the Dr. Seuss rendition, its the only way for me to make your story palatable. This is a very stealth, secretive and at times ruthless industry– just like most business-centered enterprises. One must always treat his intellectual property or ideas as the trade secrets that they really are.

Jay at DomainTools may be able to identify the culprit. Good luck.

+++++STEPHEN DOUGLAS SEZ++++
Hi Dey, thanks for posting. You really think Jay at Domaintools might be able to identify the “culprit”? That would be great! (I like the term you used, “culprit”)

By Patrick McDermott on Feb 23, 2008

Hi Stephen,

It seems you know who registered the domain.

However the WhoIs list the first name as Domain and the last name as Hostmaster.

Since these are obviously fake isn’t this a violation of ICANN’s WhoIs accuracy requirements and of the Registrar agreement?

From ICANN: “the provision of false (WhoIs) data can be grounds for cancellation of a
(domain)registration.”

I thought your “Secondary Branding” concept was right on.

I see too many people and companies think it’s Either Or.

Either a Brand Name OR a Generic category definer.

I never understood why they didn’t realize they could do both in lock-step.

It’s unfortunate you didn’t register the domain and maybe the Registrant (opportunist) didn’t think you wanted it.

Since you obviously do, it would be very gracious of the Registrant to turn over the domain to you.

I hope he, she or they do.

By the way, DomainSleaze.com and DomainerSleaze are available…at least
while I’m typing this.

Patrick

+++++STEPHEN DOUGLAS SEZ++++

Thanks for your response, Patrick. I prefer not to give you a full comment though, because you said so much already!

By DotWeekly on Feb 23, 2008

Your buddy got it! lol

Name Intelligence
12806 22d SE PL
Bellevue WA 98005 US

Seems to match the address on whois to me.
AKA: Ascern/ Domain Hostmaster = Jay

+++++STEPHEN DOUGLAS SEZ++++

Really!!?? Dang! However, word is — he’s not my “buddy”. I appreciate the comment though, Yofie! Hope all is well with you — did you nab or sell any nice domains in the last few auctions?

By phil on Feb 23, 2008

Wow you are a big cry baby.

+++++STEPHEN DOUGLAS SEZ++++
Yes, “phil”, I go through a lot of tissues. Kleenex stock value goes up every time somebody rips me off. So is “John” your big brother, or your lovemate, or you? Hold on, I got more tears coming *sniff*… When you get a clue, come on back!

By Damir on Feb 23, 2008

Interesting post there.

I am not sure if you are familiar with this saying:

First come takes the cake and the second comer takes the crumbs (in this case there are no crumbs left since the SecondaryBranding.com is taken).

That is called Business

By Dey on Feb 24, 2008

Hey Stephen:

If in fact Yofi is right here, don’t be too mad at Jay. After all, one has to remember that Jay coined the “domain tasting” concept that was cut down while it was still in its infancy, I believe. “Seconday Branding” it would seem was the consummate replacement. I suppose you should have a “Domain Royalty Licensing Agreement” drawn up for royalties.

In closing, if Jay does have it–I am sure that he is holding it in trust for you since he is such an upstanding guy, and one of the figureheads of the industry. However, DomainTools/NameIntelligence registers domains right? Therefore, I don’t think Jay purchased the domain, but rather some sneaky domainsniping son of a gun who had the domain in his crosshairs the minute that you launched your post into cyberspace registered it through DomainTools. This explanation is the more sensible one to me.

Nevertheless, as a writer, I find that I am apt to spew out brandable names and concepts on the fly sometimes. Since I started domaining, I have learned that I must censor what I write before I countdown for launch just to tag any catch phrases or words that I may introduce to the English lexicon.

Sorry for the long-winded post. And to answer your question, yes, I do in fact believe that that mad domain scientist, Jay, over there at DomainTools can be of assistance to you, if the registration was not legit, as I believe Yofi alludes to above.

+++++STEPHEN DOUGLAS SEZ++++
Thanks Dey. Did you look up to see who owns “domaintasting.com”? Same people who bought “secondarybranding.com”. By the way, the two meanings are completely different, so my phrase “secondary branding” would not be the “consummate replacement” for “domain tasting”. I’m not pointing any fingers at anyone here, I’m just putting out a fact and asking for opinions from my readers on what their expertise or research tells them. There’s a good range of responses, including yours. Thanks!

By Orlando of Motex Group on Feb 24, 2008

It is unfortunate. As you know it is the name game. I use Direct browsing all the time, instead of direct navigation. Just works better for me. But you will see I own direct browsing. Lesson learned I hope. Love your blog!

++++STEPHEN DOUGLAS SEZ++++

Well Orlando, thanks for writing. You’re a genius and I hope “Direct Browsing” is one of the terms that replace the hideous “direct navigation” term for describing “type-in” domain value. Promoting it on my blog is welcome. However, let’s put your term up to some of my terms (sorry folks, already purchased as domain names):

http://www.namedirection.com
http://www.URLdirection.com
http://www.domainnavigate.com
http://www.domainnamesurfing.com
http://www.NameDestination.com
http://www.KeywordSurfing.com
http://www.SubjectSurfing.com
http://www.WordDirection.com
http://www.BrowserSearching.com

I have a few more, but not as good as these replacements for “direct navigation”. I think I will post a blog about the lame term “Direct Navigation” soon.

Thanks for writing! I invite my readers to submit their “replacement” terms for “DIRECT NAVIGATION” and I will post your domain links on my blog if your phrase is a good candidate for cancelling out “direct navigation”.

By Dey on Feb 24, 2008

Ah ha! I was actually being a bit sarcastic in my “consummate replacement” reference Stephen. I was actually trying to say that since domaintasting was/is loosing its relevance–there had to be a worthy buzz-word to replace it. Ergo, my reference was not one of equivocation, but rather one of substitution. Don’t mind me–its Sunday–its late. Au Revoir.

By ActNow on Feb 26, 2008

Stephen, you are suppose to be a be “pro”. You should know better. I think you were just careless.

Plus, the marketing concept and term “secondary branding” has been around for years.

With over 30 yrs. of marketing experience, I have heard the term “secondary branding” tens of thousands of time. And, I have probably have said it a thousand times.

Therefore, I don’t believe you have “tm” right to it.
If you do, I suggest you immediately send Microsoft a C&D since they have been using the term for years.
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa511284.aspx

And, doing a search on Google for the term “secondary branding” produced over 3,900 links.

As for someone registering it (it wasn’t me), If you drop a $ 20. bill on Main Street, do you really expect it to be there 4 hours later?

Moreover, you used the following phrases the other day and put “tm” on them.

“Stephen Douglas
Successful Domain Management? ”
?Own Your Competition? ?

And, the domains for those phrases are not registered as of this moment.
OwnYourCompetition.com
SuccessfulDomainManagement.com

I wonder how many times you have registered a term after you heard it?

I’m positive most domainers have.

You are too old and wise to start becoming a cry baby. As someone else said - “move on”.

+++++STEPHEN DOUGLAS SEZ+++++

Hi Richard,

Thanks for giving me the “pro” status and nice to see you do so much research and taking the time to comment. However, you completely missed the gist of the points I was making in my blogs, both when I said I coined the term “secondary branding” and then bringing attention to who may have registered the phrase within 24 hours of me posting the phrase in my previous blog. Additionally, I never said I owned any “TM” to the phrase. The fact I haven’t registered the domains that I “TM” in my company logos isn’t because I don’t think it’s relevant, it’s because it’s easy to settle a UDRP for $1500 and sue on TM related issues, which you have now brought up and sealed those phrases as recognized TM phrases for my company. Thank you.

I know “secondary branding” is a little-used term that has been around for years in a limited role, I have 25 years of marketing experience too. The term as it is rarely used in traditional marketing isn’t how I am applying it in my blog. Your comments that you’ve heard the term “tens of thousands of times” and used it yourself a “thousand times” is, with all due respect, a little over-the-top. LOL You probably haven’t uttered that phrase more than 25 times. The closest link I found that almost reaches the application I was referring to for “secondary branding” is here: http://www.firedog-design.co.uk/how.htm — but that site still doesn’t explicitly say “domains” as a part of their secondary branding program.

Additionally, your suggestion of the Microsoft Vista use of “secondary branding” is a shortfall on your research as you apply your link suggestion http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa511284.aspx to my assertions. This link explains that “secondary branding” is a graphical term in placing logo elements. Hardly the same thing I’m talking about regarding the term helping domain sellers to identify the value of domains to the business sector.

I stated in my blog that I coined the phrase for SPECIFIC use in explaining domain values for businesses. This phrase has not been used in that manner as far as I know by anyone else. A similar and more common term would be “generic branding”. My point was to give people trying to sell their generic domains to companies to use that terminology to create the mindset that the company doesn’t have to depend solely on their primary brand, which is the name of their company. To back this up, I viewed the following marketing websites to search for the term “secondary branding”, and they had no listing for the term at all:

http://www.marketingterms.com (marketing glossary)
http://www.marketing.about.com (marketing glossary)
http://www.marketin.org.au (international glossary of marketing terms, one of the world’s largest online)
http://www.marketingglossary.com

So much for the “common usage” claim you make about the phrase “secondary branding” in marketing.

If you re-read my follow-up blog on losing the domain for that phrase, you need to see my tongue-in-cheek attitude. It’s not the fact I lost the domain (I chalk it up to laziness and stupidity, but in the long run, who knows how it will work out?) I’ve already stated that I was looking for some professional opinions as to “who” registered it. A good place to start is by searching http://www.secstate.wa.gov/ for any domain industry corporate entity that matches the address of the new registrant of the domain. One of the reasons I posted my follow-up blog is because I didn’t want anyone who looked that domain up, and then saw who possibly registered it would connect me with that company/person, because I may have had a connection with them last year. However, I definitely DO NOT want the domain industry to believe I am still connected with them, if they truly are the ones who registered the domain. That was the point I was trying to make.

Yes, I have stated here and elsewhere that we all troll for nice domains from phrases and product descriptions we see online and in the news, and there’s no laws against it. There is a certain level of respect, and ethical behavior, that is expected of professional domain industry companies. You should have taken the time to read my blog fully and understand my intent. I’m not “crying” about losing the domain, I’m making a point to ask readers to help me find out who registered the domain, and that I’m no longer connected with them if it turns out to be who it may seem. I think I achieved that goal. I hope most people know now that I no longer have or want a connection to the possible new owners of the domain “secondarybranding.com”.

Anyway, I hope you now understand my blogs regarding this.

By Kelly Lieberman on Feb 27, 2008

Well, if secondary branding wasn’t popular before, it sure is now with all this publicity! I wish we could get some controversy surrounding 3d hd phone! That phone is 6 months away…. Just enough time for someone to develop the site and rake in some dough! Let me know if anyone is interested.
I love your blog. I found it at domaining.com and it is now bookmarked. Another great way to rebrand yourself. Great Linkage .com!

+++++STEPHEN DOUGLAS SEZ++++

Hi Kelly,

I thought of that! LOL so I’ve come up with a few replacement phrases, but I’m not sure they’re as good as “secondary branding”. I am in the same position you are with future technology names, including holographic (3D) products that are just around the corner. I trust they will be promoted quite heavily once they hit the mainstream, and then those holographic domains will be worth serious cash! Thanks for the kind compliments on my blog. Much success to you!