Build Brand Value
Your trademark is unique and valuable. Trademarks never expire, so long as you are using your product or service in United States commerce and you remember to renew to prove you are still active. The more recognizable your brand is, the more valuable it will be.
Capitalize on your trademark by crafting top of the line landing pages, customer service strategies and logo recognition and impact. A .SUCKS domain is much more memorable than a .com or .org, so this memorability should be leveraged to create a lasting brand impression.
Own the Conversation
Digital marketing is the foreseeable future for brand growth and engagement. And this is a good thing! Social media, website forums and online dissemination of information means it’s quicker and easier than ever to reach your target audience.
This is why you can’t leave any digital space unused. You’ve taken the crucial first step of procuring your brand’s .SUCKS domain, but now you need to maximize its potential. Control the conversation around your brand by being proactive—rather than reactive—in how you tell your brand’s story. It’s much easier to protect your brand image if you get out ahead of the haters, own your brand’s shortcomings or imperfections, and give customers a controlled platform to air their grievances than to be forced into crisis management mode after someone calls you out for an issue you could have foreseen. A .SUCKS domain gives you power over your own narrative, and saves you from being at the mercy of online trolls.
Focus on Customer Service Initiatives
If someone thinks to search for [YourCompany].Sucks, you want to make sure that they are directed somewhere useful, rather than, say, to an angry Reddit rant (let’s face it, sometimes Reddit sucks). As such, a .SUCKS domain is a powerful tool in helping to convert would-be brand haters into fans. Negative consumer feedback should never be ignored, and a .SUCKS domain is fantastic way to channel that feedback onto a platform that will make the consumer feel heard and understood. Overall, it’s about building loyalty, not reacting to crisis, so it’s better to be prepared.
Leaving your .SUCKS domain unused robs you of an opportunity for customer service and conversion. Provide your potential audience with a place for safe, effective feedback, or convert that 404 page to a useful, constructive source for information and inspiration. The last thing you want is for consumers to go searching for answers and find dead ends, so use your domain to promote clarity, transparency and brand ownership.
Establish Brand Strength and Recognition
At some point, you may need to challenge someone who is using your trademark illicitly or who is trying to claim a mark too similar to yours. Having an established, active and properly annotated (when to use ™ versus ®️, for example) website can help prove your case.
Taking up digital space with a .SUCKS domain is just another way to demonstrate your brand’s viability, if and when push comes to shove. TrademarkInfringement.Sucks, so turn your .SUCKS domain into an active forum for information and community engagement to further prove your vitality.
The Takeaway
Digital marketing, online brand awareness and trademark protection are too important to be ignored. Crafting an effective, eye-catching .SUCKS landing page is just another tool at your disposal for protecting your intellectual property. Savvy marketers and IP experts know that the key to effective brand growth is effectively using every asset at your disposal—so stop sitting on a parked .SUCKS and put it to good use.
Need more direction? Take a look at our favorite marketing campaigns from last year and tips on how a .SUCKS domain can drive your digital marketing strategy.
Photo Credits: Shutterstock / Denis Mikheev, Shutterstock / Goran Bogicevic, Shutterstock / Bloomicon
