cc976a

Anyone had any experience on approaching a large corporate company with a domain name you feel would be 'perfect' for them?

I have a domain, and would suit a very recognised company. It is a 'product' name of sorts, highly lucrative, they already use the name but it's not TM'd.

I would assume marketing department is best place to start but is this a generally frowned upon exercise and will yield little result - or are their some tips / etiquette on this type of thing anyone can provide?

DomainAngel

If the company is well established, and you are targetting the main marketing department, forget it, most are so far up their own preverbials, it would be in one ear and out of the other.

Have a good look at what they do, find people on linkedin who could champion your cause, or do it the best way.

1. Show them the figures that make it impossible to say no.

2. If you have no figures as yet, set up an affiliate with them, watch out for their t and c's, and when you start showing signs of success, get their affiliate manager, who is surprisingly normally someone of little importance in the company, who will then champion it internally for you, being a no brainer as you can show results.

Have a look through some threads on AD, there is some great advice.

If it all ends in nothing, at least you tried, download your certificate from nom, sprinkle on some mustard seeds, wet and leave for a few days, the better the domain, the more that should grow, works best on s e o domains.

Rob_F

Not a registered TM but could they claim common law TM rights? Doesn't have to be registered to be a TM.

Unless it's 100% generic, I'd forget it. If they want it, they'll contact you eventually.

- Rob

cc976a

Thanks guys.

In terms of the TM issue the term is used - or going to be used - by other companies who provide the same service. Not to say I could be caught by this (we all know the powers these companies have in the courts) but I had the name before they started marketing their service as such.

It's a bit like Vacuum Cleaner rather than Hoover etc... (just an analagy, nothing to do with this product).

It's just this one company is actively using the name as part of their services now and bidding for the phrase on Adwords, whereas the others are not (yet).

I've had the name for over a year now and on Sedo. If they had wanted so far I am sure they would have found me, guess I wanted to leave the breadcrumbs...

rainbowjet

Why don't you give it a try?

Better fail at trying than not doing anything. It will hound you as long as you don't get the answer, "NO" or "Yes!"


I am in the same situation and I want to get to the decision-makers themselves. It's a tough journey even requiring me to learn another language, but I'm resolved.

expertc

I agree on this one! Been there

DarrenTSO

The problem is, unless you really need the money now you're unlikely to get the maximum value of the domain if you approach them. Conversely, if you wait for them to approach, they may never know of the domain's existence and availability.