+++++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!

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.

++++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”.

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!

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

+++++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!