Bye Bye 2022
As the year comes to a close, it’s a great time to reflect on the power of branding and naming in shaping the success of a business. From crafting a unique and memorable brand identity to carefully selecting the perfect name and domain, these elements can make all the difference in standing out in a crowded marketplace. In this week’s newsletter, we’ll take a look at some of the latest news, developments and ideas for effectively branding and naming your business.
Who Got Funded in November?
Before we finish the list of funded startups in December, letâs have a last look at the businesses who raised cash in November. Several companies received investments of at least $100 million each, leading to a month of significant funding rounds. The technology, media, and telecommunications industries were the top recipient of venture capital, comprising 42% of the total amount raised. The healthcare and industrial sectors also saw significant funding, receiving 18.5% and 10.7% of the total capital, respectively. We examined the domain names chosen by these companies and looked at a selection of the brands with highlights.
More than half of the companies on the list (427 out of 604) operate on the .com extension. You can check the rest of our findings here.
Interview with Arcui Usoara: International Brand Strategist and Design Consultant
We had the pleasure to chat with Arcui Usoara. Arcui is an internationally renowned brand strategist and design consultant, CEO of Iaculus, best-selling author of The Pointlessness of Comparing and Competing, an inspiring orator. He is known for problem-solving and creating âAhaâ Moments for clients. Over 10000+ individuals and businesses have benefited from his work, which he carries forward with the legacy of his clients. Check the podcast episode here to learn more about brand essence development, determining brand purpose and personality, and the role of AI in various industries, including Arcuiâs field of work.
Brand Name Goldmine: LiveChat Acquires Short, Memorable Domain Text.com
On 20th of December, LiveChat announced that it acquired the premium text.comdomain name and is planning a rebrand. The Management Board does not disclose the value of the transaction due to the protection of the Companyâs interest, which may negotiate similar agreements in the future. Learn more about the investment and rebrand here.
We believe text-based communication is the most efficient wa to bring businesses and customers together. Itâs timeless, empowering, and global. Itâs the best wa too communicate in an online world. Text.com. It all starts with text.
Livechat Twitter post
How is your domain serving your business? Feel free to book a call and discuss how to leverage the power of domains for your brand.
More Chat-Based News – Quora Launches Poe.com
Quora Launched Poe, a Chatbot Conversation Platform Boosted by Premium Domain Poe.com.
Quora has revealed its latest offering, Poe, a platform that allows individuals to communicate with artificial intelligence through text-based dialogue. By launching Poe, which stands for âPlatform for Open Exploration,â Quora has demonstrated its interest in text-generating AI systems such as ChatGPT. Through the platform, users can ask questions, receive immediate responses, and engage in an ongoing conversation with the AI. Quora has invested in Poe.com for the new platform.
Introducing You.com: A Personalized Search Engine Powered by AI
You.com, a new search engine founded by former Salesforce employees Bryan McCann and Richard Socher, aims to offer an alternative to Googleâs search experience using artificial intelligence to personalize results.
The company was launched in 2020, and raised $20 million in funding led by Salesforce founder Marc Benioff in 2021. Interesting to know is that Benioff is the previous owner the domain name You.com domain. Benioff transferred ownership of the domain to the startup.
Marc is known for his love for good domains and owns quite a few, among which Einstein.com, Force.com and Code.com. He also gifted AppStore.com domain to Steve Jobs.
In other news
Here are the stories from other publications that caught our attention.
The Only Constant in Life isâŚ
A rebrand can be a key to growth & success. It can increase brand recognition, customer trust, market share & reach, target new demographic, and better communicate your brand’s vision & mission.
10 Books For Marketing Advantage
Youâve likely read the foundational books of Kotler, Keller and Levitt but there are a number of other books marketers should read to add breadth, insight and originality to their marketing arsenal. Here are some other books that can keep you busy over the remaining few days of the holiday.
Oops Google and Meta
For the first time since 2014, Google and Meta are expected to bring in less than 50% of all U.S. digital advertising this year. The duo’s ad dominance has for years made both companies the target of antitrust investigations and lawsuits. While they still tower over digital rivals, their momentum is starting to slow as competition moves in. Check more in this great report by Axios.
Dezeen’s Top 10 Rebrands and Logo Redesigns of 2022
From German car manufacturer Audi adopting a flat logo to the unveiling of King Charles III’s royal monogram, Dezeen selects ten rebrands from the year as part of their review of 2022. See what caught their eye here.
Smart Money
Itâs about much more than advertising – Platforms are great at helping brands optimise their direct response advertising, but once spend is maxed out, brands are far from ready to make the transition to taking a more balanced âfull-funnelâ approach. Is our brand stuck on the performance plateau? Check here if thatâs the case and how to get off it.
Should I Stay or Should I Go?
Influencers have been experiencing difficulty adapting to the frequent and unpredictable changes made by Instagram. The platform has introduced over 10 monetization tools for creators since 2020, but not all have been successful and some have been discontinued, leaving many creators feeling exhausted and uncertain about their future on the platform. Some creators have expressed frustration at the lack of stability and support from Instagram, feeling as though the platform has constantly changed the rules and left them feeling unsupportedâŚ.MaybeâŚbuild your brand on a domain name you own? Just a thought.
Quote of the Week
Owning Cover.com has lent an extra level of legitimacy to the brand and this, in turn, has translated into sales. We have seen firsthand how it helps get people over the hump when it comes to investing their money with us. Immediately after moving to Cover.com, we saw our conversions rise, largely because customers would cross-reference our app on the internet before they made the purchase decision.
Karn Saroya, CEO and Co-founder at Cover
We hope this information has been helpful as you work to establish a strong online brand. If there is anything specific you would like to see covered in our next newsletter, please let us know and we will do our best to provide the information you need.
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