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debate Verisign “Best Domain Name Contest” .com USA only? Global Brand?

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Should Verisign have made the Best Domain Name .com contest global?


  • 10 votes
  • Ended 9 years ago
  • Final results

Templr

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Hey,

Thought I'd just copy/paste my comment from a recent DNwire post "Survey says .com ..."

What do make of this?


Regarding "Verisign their obvious connection with .com and global branding.

I was completely dumfounded the other day when entering the Verisign “Best Domain Name Contest”. Whilst about to enter my address details (I live in the UK), alas, the drop down box was fixed to the United States! Eh!

So, after mailing; and in reply, restricted to the 50 states. Not a global comp! I felt discriminated against, I know it’s nothing personal? but still feel that Verisign would promote the .com comp globally? They do have Euro sites.

Verisign stated the Best Domain Name Contest is a targeted contest and verified they were a global brand in capitals.

Maybe they were concerned about the handreg quality outside US?
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The views expressed on this page by users and staff are their own, not those of NamePros.
Calm down. Complying with contest rules in the US is tough enough. Having to do it worldwide would be even more trouble - especially if this is a marketing promotion targeted towards us consumers.
 
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Remind me not to have a contest where some people are not allowed to enter.
Otherwise there would be a thread here bashing me.

Bottom line is:
Company sets the rules.
 
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No, you're missing the point of the whole post.
 
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Calm down. Complying with contest rules in the US is tough enough. Having to do it worldwide would be even more trouble - especially if this is a marketing promotion targeted towards us consumers.

I'm perfectly calm thanks. Its the mighty Verisgn giving away $35,000

But im talking brand principles here.
 
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I agree with your opinion. I was also going to submit my picks just to learn that "the most global" TLD limits contest to US. Disappointing and short-sighted. I would like to see the buzz here if they stated that only african-american folks can submit.
 
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I would like to see the buzz here if they stated that only african-american folks can submit.

Are you really trying to equate a company limiting entries to a contest based on legal boundaries and their marketing goals with racial discrimination?
 
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I'm perfectly calm thanks. Its the mighty Verisgn giving away $35,000

But im talking brand principles here.

Brand principles? They're running a contest. They've chosen to restrict entries to the united states, because
a) it means they only have to comply with the laws of the US (which also means complying with 50 individual state laws with regards to contests - already enough work).
b) it means they only have to worry about creating a site and rules in english - no french, german, spanish,russian, etc.
c) it meets their marketing goals for this promotion - trying to demonstrate the global reach of .com to consumers in the united states.

If they were trying to broaden their global reach instead of shoring up their market share in the US, then they might have gone through the trouble and expense of making it global. But that wasn't their focus this time, so they didn't.
 
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Are you really trying to equate a company limiting entries to a contest based on legal boundaries and their marketing goals with racial discrimination?

Of course not. This is hypothetical example proving why some people are disappointed when company like Verisign, global leader and monopoly, in the most used global domain extension limits the competition to less then 5 % of global population by setting geographical boundaries for entrants. I understand that running global completion it would be more complicated, but would definitely make more sense and reinforce global image of .com domains.
 
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Of course not. This is hypothetical example proving why some people are disappointed when company like Verisign, global leader and monopoly, in the most used global domain extension limits the competition to less then 5 % of global population by setting geographical boundaries for entrants. I understand that running global completion it would be more complicated, but would definitely make more sense and reinforce global image of .com domains.

Saying '5% of global population' is a meaningless measurement. Even most poor in the US have the money to register a .com domain and the ability to do so. That is not true in may parts of the world which may have plenty of people - but those people may be without reliable (or any) internet access and the disposable income to become a verisign customer.

What matters is in this case is what % of their customer base is in the US - and if that's what they want to work on increasing.
 
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@TheNewGuy You speak as you have some knowledge on this subject?
"Brand principles? They're running a contest."

It's about understanding business and not just the concept of a simple 'contest'. Verisign have marketed .com as a global brand for 35 years! and spent a huge amount of money into it. No they would have to create multi language sites ;) If they wanted they could implement a multi-lingual too, it's easy and cheap. But just keep it English, as the site is and as the contest is advertised, just let there be freedom.

Just think it's very narrow minded.
 
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I'm sure they won't give the award to a domainer anyways lol.
 
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It's about understanding business and not just the concept of a simple 'contest'. Verisign have marketed .com as a global brand for 35 years! and spent a huge amount of money into it. No they would have to create multi language sites ;) If they wanted they could implement a multi-lingual too, it's easy and cheap. .

It's easy and cheap if all you have to do is sit on the sidelines and tell somebody what to do.

Complying with different laws in 196 countries also means you have to make the rules available in the languages of those countries - which have to be cleared by lawyers who speak that language and are familiar with the laws in those countries.
 
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@TheNewGuy I understand where you're coming from regarding the laws involved, and it is intricate.
I don't have a problem with anything USA of course, far from it... it's just business transparency, the email I received from Verisign did not mention any rationale regarding 'laws' albeit in their 'Eligibility' online does state 'local laws' but does not state any reasoning why the contest is restricted?

Verisign could have mentioned 'law infringements' restricting outside US competitors to be more transparent.
 
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