A lot of math is floating around, some of which appears to be skewed to fit the agenda of the “professors.”
As I’ve said before, new gTLDs are not like candy, and therefore it does not matter what the total numbers amount to, at this point.
What matters, however, is that registries stop selling ice to the igloo inhabitants and focus on the free market that just might want a cooler house.
Having received a couple of emails from RightSide on the pricing of .PUB domains, I am not exactly known for owning a bar, or a pub, or any other establishment for consuming alcohol.
So why did RightSide email me their exciting, “standard priced” catalog of .PUB domains?
For the same reason that the line “selling ice to the Eskimo” exists: failure to focus on the target market.
So before you do the math and deploy various equations on the worthiness or failure of gTLDs, ask the registries what exactly their target market is. Some have it right, most have it wrong.
There is nothing wrong with the concept of expanding the Internet space to allow for the use of meaningful domain names for brands and services.
What is wrong, is the obsession with selling “igloo ice” to the domainer community, known both for its lack of appreciation of progress and for its rejection of anything that won’t fit their equation.
gTLDs + Domainers != Future.
Compute that.
I don’t know if you received this promotional email as part of a “general marketing campaign”, or because you actually hold a large portfolio of names and could be considered a “Domain Investor”
The way I see it, domain investors are the Registrie’s first “target market”, because they have the ability to turn “vast nothingness” (at the left of the dot) into something meaningful… for example, “frenchwine.bar”
Yes, you may not be a Bar, but as a Domain Investor, you may actually know a Bar that could benefit from acquiring this specific domain name at a much lower price than the 2,000 usd frenchwine.net
You may want to get hold of that name for a known sale, for future use, for speculation or just for fun.
Of course the Registry (I don’t know about the .pub Registry, since I speak on behalf of the .bar Registry) will eventually approach these Bars as well, but Domain Investors should see the benefit of being targeted first (driven into the ball game first, if I may), and see the opportunity of diversifying their portfolios with new, and meaningful, domain names.
Because this also benefits their business.
Yes, it’s risky, but it has a chance to be profitable as well.
Otherwise, Domain Investors would not exist!
Adolfo – Despite being an open-minded domain investor welcoming the new gTLDs, I own less than 100; but the point is that registries need to wake up and smell the coffee about who they target.
I don’t own a bar and I don’t live in Berlin, so either gTLD are not only not of interest to me, but as marketing pitches from their respective registries they are both failed attempts to stir interest.
The definition of spam is that enough emails are sent out for some to stick; that’s the same approach here and it’s the failing point in the gTLD launch.
Since you speak on behalf of the .bar registry, I will honestly advise you to reboot your strategy, and find bigger and better targets for your domains. You are wasting time and effort targeting the 1,000 or so domainers willing to budget a few thousand dollars on gTLDs, and you’ll be getting zero love in return.
Perhaps gTLD operators need to hire professional marketing teams, as opposed to industry insiders? Just a thought.
You are right, Acro, and I will use some examples from our Registry… because it’s the one that I know about!
Marketing efforts should -and will be -directed towards bars and restaurants when domain names become available at General Availability. We have already started an awareness campaign among restaurants and bars, at a slower pace.
But before this happens, we have to acknowledge the existence of the people that see other long-term values for Domain Names.
There is little awareness among restaurants and bars -and I assume among many other industries -about the value of domain names. There is even less awareness about what a “Landrush phase” is.
So initial marketing and awareness campaigns are being directed, first, to Domain Investors, and then, to both Restaurants and bars.
In the end, I believe that marketing campaigns will be launched and kept on both ends… within the Domain Industry and the food and beverage industry, because we are right in the middle of both!
We were not used to this kind of advertising, because no one needed to remind us about the value of a .com domain name!
So now we need to find a way to get the love of both Domain Investors and the Rstaurant and Bar Industries!
This may be hard, but not impossible to accomplish.
And as a final note… I trust that you won’t receive spam on our behalf, unless you are opted-in to our newsletters!
Re .pub
I have never known a drinker that was not capable of finding a pub without the aid of technology or a website. Historically even the yellow pages didn’t have much luck selling their add space to pubs. Drinkers are like geese they know which way south is come fall, no GPS required. Personally I don’t drink so .pub is of no interest.
Adolfo – When launching non-generic gTLDs, the immediate target of your marketing campaign should be the matching industry that your gTLD describes.
In a world dominated by com/net/org the gTLDs have the advantage of targeting niche markets that these ancient TLDs are unable to expand further. You have the advantage, and yet it’s being wasted on “premium” or “freemium” campaigns targeting domainers.
As much as I like a good deal like the next domain investor, I am ringing the bell about an industry that is obsessed by the dot .com dominance. To thrive, gTLD registries much target the open market almost exclusively; in fact, I would strongly suggest that you bar all ‘domainers’ from your initial launches, reversing the current status quo.
That last pun was unintentional, but it seems to work well. 😀 Best of luck in your .bar launch.
Give it up. The gtld program is doomed. Was from Day #1.
Sy – Seek professional help immediately. Preferably, of the medical kind.