Some 15 years ago the domain name aftermarket saw the advent of "brandable" marketplaces. The reason, as always when anything changes in business, was that a neglected segment of the market had no viable options that catered to their specific needs. Foresighted individuals recognized this and developed marketplaces that attempted to align with the idea of what a brand name is. Marketplaces such as Brandbucket, Namerific, Brandroot, Squadhelp, Brandpa and Novanym tried to crack the code and in the process came to realize that presentation is a benefit when selling brand-name-type-options. The reason is that brand type options are rarely straightforward. As a consequence, aspects and use-cases need to be underlined to visualize and bring the offer to life. Today even big domain name industry players such as Godaddy and others have eventually started slapping an AI-slop logo and an unremarkable description on aftermarket listings. It's a "trend". But was visual and textual presentation really what this neglected market segment wanted? I don't think so. When you slap a logo and description on a domain listing you must do so along the lines of <a href="https://www.nextventure.com/blog/the-brandable-idea" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the brandable idea</a>. The brandable idea does not extend to all types of domain names. Putting the wrong thing on the wrong shelf with the wrong description is always a cardinal mistake. There is a reason that you won't find toothpaste in the food department or a Gucci bag at Costco. Differentiating between types of products and types of buyers is not optional in retail. The same goes for domain names. The difference is that the domain name industry can't bother to differentiate between whatever and a viable brand name option. All domain names are domain names. We can agree on that. But very few domain names have appeal as prospective brand names. As a veteran brandable domain investor and acquisition broker for new brand ventures for the past decade, I have a unique perspective on this. There is a fundamental difference between kinds of names that is generally not acknowledged. It is simply not a form of literacy that is common. When you try to sell a random collection of letters, there is no benefit in either description or visualization. The overall effect of presentation is not emphasis, or branding if you wish, because there is nothing to emphasise or brand. The same goes for literal descriptions with low potential for analogy or metaphor. Only names that have some kind of inherent appeal as prospective brand names are aided by logos and descriptions to the extent that the full presentation exceeds the sum of it's parts. Brand type buyers will tire of wading through options that do not align with the nature of their demand. Organization and the elimination of options that are not really options at all is key to sales. Presentation should align with some kind of idea. Otherwise, you just have a warehouse of random items in fancy boxes. Not a store. It is true that not every domain name that sells is brandable. The brand type market is not the only market. But it is the most moneyed market, and arguably the most fundamental part of the engine, and it deserves options that are completely geared for the type of demand that this market represents. Perhaps I should be glad that presentation is now part of the equation at all, but if name qualities don't factor in, the result will be negligible, and development will most likely regress after a short honeymoon period. Even brandable marketplaces themselves would probably do well to recognize that to be successful in selling brandable names, they can't indifferently offer non-brandable names to brand type customers. Irrespective of whether there is a description or logo for it. I don't think they are foreign to the idea that core business should be distilled and refined. And the core business does not arise from the wrapper around the product, but the product itself. That product is potential brand name options, and <a href="https://www.nextventure.com/blog/four-explanations-for-the-nature-of-names" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">brand names have structure and logic.</a> -Sten Lillieström- Next Venture <a href="https://www.nextventure.com/buy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">acquires</a> taken domains, or helps you <a href="https://www.nextventure.com/find" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">find</a> a new name identity with the domain available for immediate purchase.

A nameless lump of chalk and cheese

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