Corporate branding and domain names

From: Teri Ross <teriross_at_imaginethatinc.us>
Date: Mon 31 Mar 2003 08:26:10 -0600

I have inherited an interesting challenge I would appreciate some opinions
on.

My objective is to increase brand awareness for my client, a company
offering B to B products and services in the sewn products/apparel/home
furnishings industries. One of our proposed strategies is to improve our
online marketing initiatives, which currently include a corporate domain and
website along with 5 additional websites and domains relating to their
products, services and partnerships. While everything contains links to
everything else, all websites were developed at different times, have
different looks and in some instances, the corporate identity (for product
sites) and link back to the corporate site is buried deep in the website.

I am proposing that we adopt a strategy whereby we no longer purchase or add
new domain names, but rather make any new and all existing products and
services part of the existing corporate domain and website. For example, any
future products or services for which we want to market a direct URL (i.e.,
as part of a product specific print ad campaign) would be something like
www.company.com/Product//. Another alternative, if their server can support
it, is www.product.company.com.

We would place a referral page for any existing product domains for one to
two years, while we continued to market the new product specific URLs under
the corporate domain.

A member of the team for my client is claiming he sees no brand building
value in this strategy and feels that keeping the separate domains, with a
clearly marked corporate identity and link to the corporate site from the
home page is fine. He also thinks it's fine that everyone now has 3 to 5
websites listed at the bottom of their e-mail signature, business cards and
PowerPoint presentations. My arguments don't appear to be persuasive. Any
suggestions?

I would appreciate some perspectives on this subject. Also, what is the
perception and are their any issues (marketing or technology) using
www.company.com/Product/ as opposed to www.product.company.com?

TIA

teri


Teri Ross
President, Imagine That!



Received on Mon Mar 31 2003 - 08:26:10 CST