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debate What is a brandable domain?

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JayT

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There was a huge debate in chat room. Everyone participating thought I was wrong:(

-My definition of a brandable: any made up word or non-definite string of words.

-NOT a brandable: 'any generic (dictionary)word, or combination of words that have a rather exacting meaning / have one obvious 'best use'.

My Real examples from chat:
NON BRANDABLE:
Jade.com
Popcorn.com
GoldNews.net
Muffins.org
Apple.com
Monkey.com

All these words can be brandable. Obviously apple isn't expected to be a computer company, but it is. According to everyone else in chat it was a brandable domain all along! They said Jade could be a hotel, or airliner, and as such, it is a brandable domain too. They said GoldNews was a brandable too (and gave crazy reasoning)! My argument was that in reality, anything can be brandable. I told them I could brand blueberrymuffin.com into a baby clothing store (they disagreed) So popcorn.com is brandable but blueberrymuffin.com isn't? I do not think we should be calling the above domains brandables.

It is easier to see when a domain IS a brandable...

They are casting this wide net. I asked why even use the term 'brandable' if it's going to encompass all these domains? Furthermore, if they hated a domain (example: tyvix.com) they said it was NOT a brandable! I could not believe it! They have no definition! they are just going off emotions! Looks like that if they hate a domain they don't want to associate it with their beloved 'brandables'...okay so reality check. Yes, any name can be branded to anything. Do that mean we, as domainers, consider that a brandable domain? Again, why even use the term if we apply it to all of these domains? Why don't we just stop calling them domains and start calling them brandables? (one guy even suggesting just by adding .com or w/e to the end, you are instantly making a brandable, LOL!)

my real examples:
BRANDABLE:
Tyvix.com
Purpleknife.com
Scratchmonkey.com

These word/string are not generic. They have no certain meaning at all. The names can be used for almost anything. These are the kind of domains we should be calling 'brandable'

I would appreciate anyone's input here. This thread might be a little selfish, just to prove to myself that I am not way off base here. I am confused...everyone else was arguing with me...and this seems so simple to me. I am also writing this to warn you because I think it's important to see sentiment!

I highly recommend stop buying 'brandables' This is way over saturated, and ludicrous now. This argument opened my eyes more than ever that this is a big brandable bubble now, ready to pop, just like chips. I honestly think everyone is feeling threatened and must add these good generic domains into their definition of 'brandable' to protect their investment. This is exactly what happens in bubble, investors become irrational. Do not be self-centered people, LOOK around!
 
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The views expressed on this page by users and staff are their own, not those of NamePros.
What is wrong here, is that you are contradicting yourself at every turn, because you have no method.


Just another tail chaser.

Jade.com is not necessarily category defining. Neither is Platinum or Gold or Silver, they could all be used as Brandables because although they are physical things they are also colors. In the case of platinum the luxury aspect makes it brandable.
 
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Brandable Domain:
A Domain that you think you can sell after you bought it - You end up put it in a $1 auction and sold for $2.
 
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Jade.com is not necessarily category defining. Neither is Platinum or Gold or Silver, they could all be used as Brandables because although they are physical things they are also colors. In the case of platinum the luxury aspect makes it brandable.
If you go to gold.com , what would you expect to see? What about silver.com? I honestly fully expect to see something about gold, or silver, the metals (by the way, you don't capitalize elements). Same as for cigarettes.com, and jade.com, both these I expect to see something related to the real meaning of the name. It can get a little tricky with something like mercury, that has one more than completely different meaning. These words are extremely rare, and the kind of domains you could use to put me in a trap! It's that blurry line. But still, single words are usually very generic and exacting.

When I see a domain like godaddy.com, vulpx.com, strengthfly.com, these are not definitive - they are brandable under my definition. I cannot be sure what I am dealing with just by looking at the name. I am making it simple, you are making it impossible.

Your definitions are not even definitive, which is why you need to give examples every time. Your saying it is totally subjective. Yes, I know language can 'flex' but we have definitions for words, guidelines.
 
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If you go to gold.com , what would you expect to see? What about silver.com? I honestly fully expect to see something about gold, or silver, the metals (by the way, you don't capitalize elements). Same as for cigarettes.com, and jade.com, both these I expect to see something related to the real meaning of the name. When I see a domain like godaddy.com, vulpx.com, strengthfly.com, these are not definitive - they are brandable under my definition. I am making it simple, you are making it impossible.

Your definitions are not even definitive, which is why you need to give examples every time. Your saying it is totally subjective. Yes, I know language can 'flex' but we have definitions for words, guidelines.

A lot of things come into my mind when I think about gold, silver, Jade. You forget that many businesses have these words+ the function of their company at the end. These are all also last names and Jade is a first name. So stop trying to force yourself into pigeonholing the purpose of a name because generic brandables can be used in a number of different ways and marketed to ultimately any niche.

Gold Investments, Gold Law, Gold Grocer, Gold Toys, Gold Accounting, Gold Hotel, Gold anything can be simplified to gold.com and the same thing goes for Silver, Copper, Steel,Jade, Platinum. There is no unilateral approach to viewing these words and their purpose AS DOMAINS and that is what makes them powerful brands because whoever can market them as theirs will establish a synonymous online presence with words that have global reach.

Brandables are not something you can peg with an absolute definition because everyone sees them differently its a broad based term and in case you haven't noticed, everyone has their own opinion on them, some more plausible than others.

You won't find your answer here because no real answer exists for such a broadly based term and trying to force others into believing your definition won't help you or anyone reading this chat since its just not something people agree with.

Your constantly looking for people to reaffirm what you believe and that isn't happening, so I think its best to stop and close the thread....
 
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To me personally it's not only the term "brandable" .. which means "it's ability for that"

but also "branding" .. "it is branding, it does something"

So like tiger, puma, platinum, whatever.. the branding ability is awesome. Guess Puma is enjoying the transfer of characteristics from the animal puma way more then .. let's say snail. Other business of course differ.

These terms are generic, yes.
But making good brandables or "branding" words too (if used correctly).


To me branding words are the highest quality cause they have meaning (generic) plus transfer of characteristics.


IMO the lines are rather blurry. Like fashion, arts, taste.. debating is possible, but winning or being right is not.
 
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@slader23
Gold Investments, Gold Law, Gold Grocer, Gold Toys, Gold Accounting, Gold Hotel, is not GOLD. you are using in a completely new context. You are turning gold from a NOUN to a 'supporting word' - gold alone is a NOUN, you are turning it from a noun, making it to augment a more prominate subject. By thinking like this, you can turn ANY WORD into a brand.
We were not talking about goldlaw.com or goldaccounting.com. We were talking GOLD.COM, they are totally different things.

CANDY CIGARETTE (to use your example) changes the perspective. ANY WORD can be TWISTED into a brand! Beer was turned into a clothing brand!! What are you not understanding? Under your (non-existant) definition, all words can be a brand. so what ISN'T brandable? It's just a matter of someone DOING IT.
 
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Dude, have you ever heard of people using "brand"? Brand means Apple.com and Walmart.com and any other brand. Brandable means it could be a brand.

Brandable means it isn't a microniche website and could be transposed to another niche. So Apple.com is absolutely a brand. BestAppleComputers.com is NOT and neither is AppleComputers.

Grasshopper.com is brandable. UpperDeck.com is also brandable even though it could also transfer to a niche.
 
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Dude, have you ever heard of people using "brand"? Brand means Apple.com and Walmart.com and any other brand. Brandable means it could be a brand.

Brandable means it isn't a microniche website and could be transposed to another niche. So Apple.com is absolutely a brand. BestAppleComputers.com is NOT and neither is AppleComputers.

Grasshopper.com is brandable. UpperDeck.com is also brandable even though it could also transfer to a niche.

It's easy to say what is a brand, especially when they are existing. Apple is a generic word, it's real meaning is manupliated by 'branding' to associate with computers. THE WORD ITSELF is generic!
funapple.com isn't generic..it's a 'brandable'.

If i made a skateboard company and name it "Apple skateboards", it isn't not very weird. Because apple is generic.

What if I make "Walmart skateboards"? It sounds so dumb because walmart is a brandable from the beginning. Do you all not see the difference, still?
 
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@slader23
Gold Investments, Gold Law, Gold Grocer, Gold Toys, Gold Accounting, Gold Hotel, is not GOLD. you are using in a completely new context. You are turning gold from a NOUN to a 'supporting word' - gold alone is a NOUN, you are turning it from a noun, making it to augment a more prominate subject. By thinking like this, you can turn ANY WORD into a brand.

CANDY CIGARETTE (to use your example) changes the perspective. ANY WORD can be TWISTED into a brand! Beer was turned into a clothing brand!! What are you not understanding? Under your (non-existant) definition, all words can be a brand. so what ISN'T brandable? It's just a matter of someone DOING IT.


Just give up already bro. Of course none of those are gold but they use the word as a descriptive word coupled with their business function and I made myself clear on that. The brandability of the word gold is desirable to companies that use the word as a descriptor and simplifying an already existing business domain like GoldInvestments.com or GoldHotel.com to Gold.com is an attractive and competitive option to those who can afford it.

Amazon.com is not AMAZON nor does its business function have anything to do with the Amazon, but that word has become synonymous to the notion of an online marketplace and has become more popular than the Amazon itself and that is the true power of a brandable domain. Stop trying to argue semantics that aren't even valid within the context of this debate, your just digging yourself a deeper hole.
 
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Just give up already bro. Of course none of those are gold but they use the word as a descriptive word coupled with their business function and I was made myself clear on that. The brandability of the word gold is desirable to companies that use the word as a descriptor and simplifying an already existing business domain like GoldInvestments.com or GoldHotel.com to Gold.com is an attractive and competitive option to those who can afford it.

Amazon.com is not AMAZON nor does its business function have anything to do with the Amazon, but that word has become synonymous to its brand more so now than even the Amazon itself and that is the true power of a brandable domain. Stop trying to argue semantics that aren't even valid within the context of this debate, your just digging yourself a deeper hole.

@slader23 you saying "Just give up already bro." - I don't appreciate this. You are being extremely rude.

Same as above: If I start a company named "amazon animal shelter", how strange is it? NOT very strange because AMAZON is a generic word!

What If i name it "google animal shelter"? it's so stupid, because at the root, google is already a brandable.
 
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Same as above: If I start a company named "amazon animal shelter", how strange is it? NOT very strange because AMAZON is a generic word!

What If i name it "google animal shelter"? it's so stupid, because at the root, google is already a brandable.

Google is TMd, so thats a bad example. Its not a brandable its branded.
 
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Google is TMd, so thats a bad example. Its not a brandable its branded.
LOL! amazon is trademarked too. apple is trademarked too. moot. I can't believe you literally just said "google is not a brandable" WHY not? Because it's already done? Flawed thinking.
 
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LOL! amazon is trademarked too. apple is trademarked too. moot.


Google is a made up word so you can't brand it at all after it has been trademarked, whereas generic words like apple or amazon are given service marks that restrict their uses to particular niches so they can be used by other businesses that are in different niches. You clearly don't know what your talking about.
 
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@slader23 I understand the legality of it. It is irrelevant. The point is that a 'Brandable' is meaningless / SILLY without an idea behind it. If I were try to 'steal' this brandable and apply it to something else it is ridiculous. This is because a brandable is "made up". "google" IS branded, but it's a brandable domain, you are just using tenses. You're really reaching there.

It should be obvious that Apple, amazon (generics), and any other single word is nothing like a 'brandable'.

You are avoiding the topic with irreverent things that we all probably already know. You are forcing me to explain it to you as if you were a kindergartner otherwise we are off on your tangents in order to steer clear of the issue. Clear signs I see.

Are we really expected to consider weather a domain is trademarked or not means if it's a brandable now too? Is this part of your equation?
 
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@slader23 I understand the legality of it. It is irrelevant. The point is that a 'Brandable' is meaningless / SILLY without an idea behind it. If I were try to 'steal' this brandable and apply it to something else it is ridiculous. This is because a brandable is "made up".

It should be obvious that Apple, amazon, and any other single word is not like this time. "google" IS branded, but it's a brandable domain, you are just using tenses. You're really reaching there.

You clearly do not understand the legality of it because I had to correct your conjecture. I am not using tenses, to be honest that doesn't even make sense. The person reaching here is you and this fact was made clear from the onset. Your even adding your own definitions and conclusions as you go along, trying to reaffirm them, like a madman: This is because a brandable is "made up", stop trying to define something that has no absolute definition many people on this thread have tried to explain this to you but you don't listen.

Stop wasting your time on this. Get over it and move on. I don't know why your so obsessed with this but if you've lost money or something negative has happened in your life and it somehow relates to brandables or maybe doesn't relate at all and your just throwing your anger and emotion into this, please stop. Your arguments are weak, redundant and illogical. Your doing and asking the same thing over and over again expecting different results and its not happening. It's best you stop and close this thread.
 
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neither is AppleComputers. (a brand)
Except apple was named "apple computers" before renaming to apple. inc. Nice try though. glad to see other great people like your post too. Makes sense.
 
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Except apple was named "apple computers" before renaming to apple. inc. Nice try though. glad to see other great people like your post too. Makes sense.
Stop trying to be condescending to others. They renamed themselves Apple INC in 2007. They spent 30 years as Apple Computers before that.
 
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You clearly do not understand the legality of it because I had to correct your conjecture. I am not using tenses, to be honest that doesn't even make sense. The person reaching here is you and this fact was made clear from the onset. Your even adding your own definitions and conclusions as you go along, trying to reaffirm them, like a madman: This is because a brandable is "made up", stop trying to define something that has no absolute definition many people on this thread have tried to explain this to you but you don't listen.

Stop wasting your time on this. Get over it and move on. I don't know why your so obsessed with this but if you've lost money or something negative has happened in your life and it somehow relates to brandables or maybe doesn't relate at all and your just throwing your anger and emotion into this, please stop. Your arguments are weak, redundant and illogical. Your doing and asking the same thing over and over again expecting different results and its not happening. It's best you stop and close this thread.

I am done here. Maybe someone else wants to pick up where I left off. I doubt it, because all is see here are fallacies, assumptions and insults.

My defintions are in the OP. I cannot alter them as they work. Almost everyone else definition is vague and subjective at best - which isn't a definition at all.

I am having a legitmate debate and being talked down to with things like "Stop wasting your time on this." - Hypocritical,

You are insinuating I have some "IRL issues" as well. - This is the internet. Keep real life out.

I am being swore at with F words even.

I see the emotion against me. I hit a nerve.
 
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Except apple was named "apple computers" before renaming to apple. inc. Nice try though. glad to see other great people like your post too. Makes sense.

If you want to try and be condescending me, I'm totally okay with calling you dumb as fuck. Just because a company started as "Apple Computers" doesn't mean they can move on to becoming "apple." Apple Computers is the name of a brand name, but its not a universal brand name. No soft drink company can EVER adopt that name. But a soft drink company could adopt the name Apple.com. In fact, they could even sell soft drinks that weren't flavored apple if branded well. But no softdrink company can EVER user the name AppleComputers.com LOL.

You're the type of moron who sends me ChildrenGoCart.com and BestAppleComputers.com and iPhoneHax.com when I ask for a brand name. At least send something like PurpleHax.com that has some potential of crossing niche limits and becoming a brand.
 
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I am done here. Maybe someone else wants to pick up where I left off. I doubt it, because all is see here are fallacies, assumptions and insults.

My defintions are in the OP. I cannot alter them as they work. Almost everyone else definition is vague and subjective at best - which isn't a definition at all.

I am having a legitmate debate and being talked down to with things like "Stop wasting your time on this." - Why don't you take your own advice? You are being an extreme hypocrite among other things with statements like these. I do not respect you.

You are insinuating I have some "IRL issues" as well. - This is the internet. Keep real life out, you are acting like a noob. You are an offensive person. I see the emotion against me. I hit a nerve.


You seem like someone who is full of himself to the point at which they cannot see or acknowledge themselves being wrong nor can they accept the opinions of others. I insinuated those things because the tone, level of hostility and manic nature of your responses begets someone who is not in a sound psychological state. I'm glad your done with this thread. Its been a pleasure taking your ego down a notch.
 
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You seem like someone who is full of himself to the point at which they cannot see or acknowledge themselves being wrong nor can they accept the opinions of others. I insinuated those things because the tone, level of hostility and manic nature of your responses begets someone who is not in a sound psychological state. I'm glad your done with this thread. Its been a pleasure taking your ego down a notch.

Both yall need to stop caring about what people say on an internet message board :xf.wink:
 
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The true meaning of "brandable" is a completely made up pronounceable name that could be used as a brand. At least it was many years ago. Over the years, as the popularity of the brandable domain niche has grown the cast of the net has gotten wider and wider that now almost anything is considered a brandable in the eyes of a domainer. Now, anything that could potentially name a company is considered a brandable even though that's not the true, original meaning of the term.

The term "brandable" is so specific to the domain industry that most outside of the industry, including branding professionals, are clueless to the term.
 
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I think JayT is pretty much on the mark but some of the argument is shakey as anything catchy including a generic word could be used. If i owned popcorn.com i probably wouldn't use it to sell popcorn but perhaps brand my own movie or TV channel with it. So generic words can qualify as brand names in many cases. Even typos can make good brands. There are some crap names being considered brands but as mentioned another persons trash is another's treasure.
I wouldn't think brand buckets exclusion list makes the ideal template for brands but it helps with their qualifying as they have so many submissions. I tend to stick with generic but think more along the lines of whether if non generic can it be used as a brand then keep qualifying. I could talk a lot about this but it isn't what i concentrate on myself as a buyer i will try instead to sell the brand name generic feeders. There is no real right and wrong just more formulas to what is being sold.

Many domain industry terms i would like to see work without spell check.
brandable domaining at least webmaster finally is not web and master.
 
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Brandable is something that you make out of a name and is associated with 'what you do'. E.g. You will find numerous businesses around word 'Delta' - can Delta airlines claim others cannot use it. Answer is No. Today also you can start a business under name 'Delta' and you will be fine. (unrelated business from existing ones, of course) . With a similar name, as long you do not encroach on someone else business or otherwise use their proprietary information, you are fine.

Brandable is something that you make of your business/service purely by virtue of what you do - and then you can give it any name. Having a 'brandable domain' does not give you that right (of brandability) by itself.

More appropriate term for 'brandable domain' is 'marketable name'
 
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