Denis O’Brien’s Digicel To Float without digicel.com?
Denis O’Brien’s Digicel Group is due to float on the New York Stock Exchange. While it is officially known as the Digicel group, there is one problem with its branding. It does not own the domain name DIGICEL.COM. That domain name has been registered since 1998 and is parked on SEDO Parking. That kind of branding issue is a problem. Imagine Google being known as GoogleSearchengine.com rather than as Google.com. Yet when people go to check information on Digicel, especially in the US market, the first website they will think of is Digicel.com. And Digicel Group doesn’t own DIGICELL.COM either.
I wrote the general counsel at Digicel about this and he replied with his web address DigicelGroup.com like a weird person. It’s important that they find a good brand officer or they are doomed to continue failing at big and important business moves. Look at almost every IPO company that raised over a billion, they either can be found officially at their brand.com or they use a different domain but still acquired their brand.com. You should search for the Wipo case involving the Digicel.com name and see the decision.