Terrible Domain names on TV

mally · Sep 25, 2011

Just seen an advert which was on during the break in XFACTOR (which must be super prime time costs) advertising the following domain name!

RedSpottedHanky.com

This is a train reservation website.

Honestly, what a stupid name!!

What do you think?

viceroy · Sep 25, 2011

Agreed...
I heard this on the radio the other day 'get great deals on caravans when you visit YesIndeedy/co/uk'... It made me smile

Edit: Maybe I should add that their actual website is called CaravanBuys/co/uk...

Dizzy · Sep 25, 2011

With many companies competing in the same industry you have to do something to make your brand stand out, and a memorable name is a great place to start.

I guess they have realised that it is much easier for somebody to remember red spotted hanky from a TV advert than some of the other train related company names. After all, you remembered it and mentioned it here and that's what good marketing is all about. Look at Moonpig, Funky Pigeon etc etc

Edwin · Sep 25, 2011

I think the sample is self-filtering, in that we only get to see on TV those companies with marketing budgets large enough to "burn" on a fantastically expensive advertising medium.

So if by definition they've got millions to throw at a TV campaign, they're much more likely to have a go at "branding" than the average company that perhaps only spends 50K-500K a year on marketing and for whom a TV campaign is a pipedream.

That's not to say that the companies on TV aren't wasting their money - from many angles they are - but just that they hope/believe/pray that they have enough cash to carry them over the MASSIVE wall of blank stares and incomprehension that comes after somebody hears their "brand" and create lasting awareness, a new mental connection where once there was nothing at all.

mally · Sep 25, 2011

Well, the only reason I remembered was because I recalled a thread on A4U where the owner of sletoh.com (hotels backwards) was asking should he change his name. Pretty much everyone said yep ditch it and get a new one.

I've still got www.reservation.co.uk so have an interest in the travel market, a much better name for that sort of travel website!

accelerator · Sep 25, 2011

It's OK to have a "brandable" unique name, but I think it's better to keep them as short as possible, and redspottedhanky is a little on the long side, with a lot of possible typos.

Rgds

lancsman · Sep 28, 2011

Yes - RedSpottedHanky is a bit of a mouthful, BUT I think it is trying to use the 'remember the old engine driver always mopping his brow with a ......RedSpottedHanky..... type image.

AND, as one who has used the site I can say they offered a superb serviec, prompt delivery, AND they do NOT charge for using a credit card when booking .....like all the other rail booking sites seem to do.

I have no connection to this site, other than being a satisfied customer.

John

mally · Sep 28, 2011

lancsman said:
Yes - RedSpottedHanky is a bit of a mouthful, BUT I think it is trying to use the 'remember the old engine driver always mopping his brow with a ......RedSpottedHanky..... type image.

AND, as one who has used the site I can say they offered a superb serviec, prompt delivery, AND they do NOT charge for using a credit card when booking .....like all the other rail booking sites seem to do.

I have no connection to this site, other than being a satisfied customer.

John

No booking fee is good, but seems very similar booking system to all the other train booking websites.

Edwin · Sep 28, 2011

No delivery fee either, and you get the tickets very quickly. I use them all the time.

Pred · Sep 28, 2011

i think redspottedhanky is ok
only problem with radio test on this one is , is it hankie or hanky?
not sure if many would confuse spelling

doodlebug · Sep 28, 2011

This one is ridiculous, we've all seen moonpig.com and funnkypigeon.com but this new personalised card sites domain is a joke thedogsdoodahs.com I refuse to use them or even visit their site based purely on my hate of the domain, if you Google it you get the un hyphenated domain yet in their ad they use the hyphenated one.

thousands and thousands for marketing and they come up with that

Blossom · Sep 28, 2011

The worst ones are the ones with hyphens.

I don't think anything will ever beat make-a-swisssh.com though, especially as they owned more sensible alternatives.