New Product Launch Domain Management Best Practices

For more information please download the new MarkMonitor Domain Handbook at http://info.markmonitor.com/handbook_domainmanagement

When companies launch a new product, service, title or campaign, the focus is often on trademark coverage. However, securing domain names is just as important, if not more so, for many companies. In fact, domain registrations should be completed before any trademark application becomes public, to curb the potential for cybersquatting. Prior to any launch, there are many important questions to be answered.

• For instance, are the domains available?
• Will the product be launched globally or domestically?
• Do you need to register in local languages to support global promotions?
• Is confidentiality a concern?

It’s critical to understand these requirements in order to properly support the product launch and to minimize infringement.
Based on our 15-plus years of experience supporting the world’s largest brands, we’ve developed a group of best practices to help companies with new product launches.

Best practices in this area start with checking domain availability globally, to identify which domains are still available and which are already registered to third parties. Be aware of existing domains that contain your new product name prior to launching any new product, service, title or campaign. Based on your findings, you may want to reconsider your naming approach.

Next, when checking global availability, lookups should be performed using a trusted Whois service. It is critical that the Whois service used is secure, and that any domains searched remain confidential. Using a Whois lookup that is not completely secure can result in the registration of the searched-for domains by a third-party.

Third, determine coverage based upon brand value and promotional strategy. If you’re launching a new brand domestically and there is a high tolerance for risk, your domain coverage will be on a smaller scale, focusing on legacy gTLDs and select new gTLDs.

These are just a few of the best practices we cover in our extensive Domain Management Handbook.