Report of
August, 2002
Creative Problem-Solving
Staff Training and Thinking Meeting
Focus: LiquidBandage.com
All staff of Profidant.com, BioTechNaming.com and GrowPuppy.com, as well as Creative Solution Specialists and affiliated students, met to discuss the creative and profitable use of domain names.
The domain names LiquidBandage.com and BandageInABottle.com had been previously suggested by Dr. Griffith as the focus of the meeting, but at the meeting it was agreed upon that only the former would remain the focus, given constraints of time.
Staff were reminded that we are problem-solvers and problem-solving consultants at heart and not marketing experts nor salespeople,and that this was a brainstorming meeting, and that, thus, everyone did not have to be "right" and, additionally, would not be identified in the write-up.
Right off the bat, staff shouted out possible uses for the LiquidBandage.com domain name, their suggestions including:
alcoholic beverages
bar
soothing waters
spas
musical group
soothing music
water treatment for after-effects of bondage
liquid Tylenol for adults
liquid pain relief for kids, implying a bandaging effect
liquid Prosac
as well as
liquid bandage products used for covering or healing wounds
discussion of which led to possible use of such a product, and thus the domain name,
for liquid bandages to cover scars
to cover acne
to protect blisters
to prevent blisters
to cover and protect scrapes
to cover areas of skin for fake tatoo-application
to cover bruises
to hold up evening dresses
to cover nipples under clothes
to cover hair on body
to cover birthmarks for special occasions
to help hold on non-smoking patches
to help hold on birthcontrol patches
to cover dolls' parts for washing
to cover parts of stuffed animals to protect in washing machine
to cover decorations on clothing for washing
to build up skin surfaces temporarily to look better under clothes
to protect injuries on animals
The group was unaware in general of liquid bandages as actual consumer first-aid products, though there was awareness of liquid bandages for horses, and it was noted that the horse business was big and involved plenty of money, in both equestrian shows and training and in horse racing, and that equestrian interests could provide a good home for LiquidBandage.com.
Some began to remember hearing about liquid bandage products of some kind for bowling hands and running feet.
The group was made aware that, in fact, liquid bandages represent a major innovation in wound care and skin protection, while also having an interesting history, some of which is in fact mentioned at LiquidBandage.com.
Highly-acclaimed new advertising by Band-Aid promotes the product made in North Carolina by Closure. However, the concept of a "liquid bandage" is not a new one: a varied group of manufacturers have marketed liquid bandages.
Thus, it was agreed that Liquid Bandage is a generic name but one that is not overly familiar to the general public. It was genereally agreed that the hypothetical best use of the doman name might be by one of the major players in the liquid bandage first-aid market, though the equestrian use of the name received respect, given the position that purchase of the name by a company lacking a very big advertising and marketing budget could be a very wise move with much return for the money.
It was underscored that the domain name LiquidBandage.com
had unusual latent importance for a liquid bandage manufacturer, in that ownership of the domain name, with or without concurrent use of the asociated website, would help make the owner of the name seem prominent in the liquid bandage field.
It was repeated by staff that, yes, use of LiquidBandage.com would convey an implied ownership of the name "liquid bandage", while it is, in fact, a non- trademarked name. Whichever manufacturer owns LiquidBandage.com -- and uses the phrase "LiquidBandage.com" in a television advertisement or print ad or radio spot -- would establish its position in first place in the market, in consumer's eyes, at least in the opinion of this group.
[There was more explanation to those new to domain names about the rarity of a name like this, one that sounds like a brand name but is not, and those at this meeting could not think of a similar one, but all agreed to report back with other examples.]
In a related line of thought, it was said that a manufacturer could, after purchasing the domain name, add "LiquidBandage.com" to a liquid bandage box, even as a later-added stick-on label. Another noted that such a label could say, e.g., "Visit LiquidBandage.com for free products and fun games".
Adding the domain name by way of a sticker, it was stated, wold mean there would be no need to redesign an existing box or add text to it, causing a remark that a sticker like that woulud allow for greater emphasis of the up-to-the- moment "freshness" of this product's website, and, thus, of the product. This was followed by applause : )
Most of the staff would admit to a life-long good feeling about Band-Aid in particular, as do probably most Americans, and most refer to first-aid bandages as Band-Aids. However, lacking that history, children today do not ask for "Band-Aid", except in their also incorrectly labeling all bandages "Band-Aids". Instead, they seem to want the bandage on the shelf that has the most current and fun cartoon character. The parents admitted to still assuming Band-Aid was better, but also to assuming that other brands are probably "good enough".
Te point was made that, about liquid bandages we are ignorant, and we need to be educated as to which is the right one for us, if we are the best parents we can be. Of course, nowadays we also need our children to want what we want to get, as we take our children shopping more than in previous decades, and we have learned to coddle them when hurt or sick, someone said.
Dr. Griffith had been unable to find an example of the Band-Aid liquid bandage product in visits to a few local drug stores, though she was able to find NewSkin liquid bandage in both the liquid and the spray forms. The Band-Aid product belonged at a labeled place on the shelf, but staff seemed unaware of it, though they could find the Band-Aid area. There was no special labeling apparent for Band-Aid besides the small lettering on the shelf as to where placement should be. However, all drug stores were not visited and perhaps advertising had led to big sales with no product remaining, she said.
There followed some discussion about how to keep customers buying a particular brand of liquid bandage, being loyal to a brand. Someone suggested that mothers need a means for attaching the liquid bandage container to their medicine cabinet or other furniture or even woodwork and in their bags and pocketbook. This loop or plastic ring or clip could be given away or sent to people who ask for it at LiquidBandage.com There might even be the possibility of having Tupperware distribute such things as one of the free items they give their customers, someone suggested.
The point was reiterated: when it comes to refills,only one brand fits the holder. The holder could be available only through the LiquidBandage.com site, leading consumers to tell others about the offer - and the website.
Dr. Griffith, returning the group to a discussion of domian names, made her usual point : ) that there are a limited number of domain names there are in the English language, with only the permutations of twenty-six (26) letters available.
Someone said also that only dot-coms are of greatest value, as everyone checks dotcoms first and anther extension's traffic will go to the dotcom first.
That goes also for hyphenated names -- hyphens are not preferred; people go to non-hypheneated sites first and repeatedly even when knowing better. People do not try a hyphen for words that are clearly separate words used together. There seemed originally on the Internet an attempt to use hyphens to separate words, but that convention has reveresed completetly.
The group discussion returned to an excited series of proposals for the hypothetical buyer of LiquidBandage.com.
It was eloquently said that, with kids and teens and moms surfing more and watching television less, the domain name -- the address on the Internet -- has come of age. The number of children who are regularly online is tremendous and growing., the number of mothers who buy and gather medical and parenting information online is tremendous and growing as well.
LiquidBandage.com, the group concurred, can be a wonderful website. Kids will talk about and describe in detail the websites they visit
regularly and the features they most enjoy. They can be easily asked what they like to do online, and online game-makers can replicate their preferred
webpages -- with a liquid bandage theme.
But, add "education" to the site and you help mothers, a parent said. Mothers want their kids to be happy, but they do not necessarily want to buy bandages with trendy characters. They need reasons to buy a liquid bandage and a particular liquid bandage -- an educational website sponsored by one liquid bandage would have positive implications for mothers, the parent noted.
The possibility of gathering names and addresses or email addresses from visitors to a website is a huge asset to any company's advertising, someone said. Visitors to a website can leave this information when giving their children permission to access certain "special" pages of a website. Other visitors would leave this information when informed of free information or samples or other products that can be mailed or emailed to them. Very, very few of these consumers would ever send in a request via "snail mail", U.S.Mail, someone said.
It would help to have a very identifiable box for the most popular liquid bandage, it was added. Children need to see the box staring out at them from a shelf.
The website label on the box would help; in fact, it will do the whole job. Kids can find what they are looking for, the one with the "cool" website, a parent noted., whether LiquidBandage.com has been mentioned on television and in children's magazines or not. Kids who don't yet know about the website will first see a mention of the website on the box, and they will be interested.
Right now, and probably forever, as would suggest the early Dick Tracy children's items, spy gadgetry is popular. A website that involves spying and secrets is perfect for liquid bandage, the hidden bandage, someone said, causing applause within the group.
The label on the box could say at times "Go to LiquidBandage.com for fun spy secrets using these liquid bandages." (Yes, can all think up some fun spy secrets. : )
And someone added that the label on the box could refer to a secret code within the new box, needed to go to a
special page at LiquidBandage. com -- voila, a need to buy another box before the current box is empty!
A parent added that the website at LiquidBandage.com could be perhaps advertised free of charge in such school publications as Scholastic magazine, with a story about liquid bandages and mention of the medical importance of the product but especially the great website.
That the website could be of use to other target consumer populations as well as children was again noted, with someone reminding the group that Excedrin Migraine is the same formulation as regular Miagraine, but packaged differently for a
different consumer group and adding as relevant here that different labels could be used for various liquid bandage packages, each mentioning
a group and the website, as in "Go to LiquidBandage.com for great tips for golfers!"
Staff suggested a holder similar to that suggested above for mothers, for sports bags, to allow continued use of a particular liquid bandage by runners, bowlers, and the like. The website could provide the attachment, and, while there at the website, the customer could be educated and influenced to purchase more, online or in stores.
If Liquid Bandage can be of great use to bowlers, to gardeners, to golfers, to runners, to other
blister-prone groups, someone added, well then, yes, give them all, at LiquidBandage.com, pointers about the product and about other interesting aspects of their sport, with links to other webpages about supportive bandages and other products.
Is Liquid Bandage of possible use in covering and protecting acne outbreaks? Probably not, a staff member lamented, but pointed out that someone needs to think about how teens need this product. The website could be actively promoted for teens, with discussion of how to best deal with wounds and bandages and avoiding scars through proper healing and even make-up to cover scars.
The LiquidBandage.com website will give sufficient content for magazine articles about Liquid Bandage, mentioning the product but also leading readers to the website, where greater buying opportunities await a consumer, it was said.
The group concurred that, while these ideas would make a great website by any name, if a manufacturer takes these ideas and uses them at a website of another name, still kids will go
looking for it by typing in "liquidbandage.com", which will belong to another liquid bandage manufacturer. There is but one LiquidBandage.com.
The main reason for a manufacturer to buy LiquidBandage.com, this group determined, is because otherwise a competitor will buy it -- and use it. Following that reason were the obvious ones related to gaining and keeping customers, conveying to consumers that the product is good, and conveying to the world that the owner of LiquidBandage.com is THE maker of liquid bandages.
The product name "liquid bandage" is so dramatically simple, descriptive, memorable, and idiosyncratic to a particular product that many have chosen "liquid bandage" over other coined product names.
The manufacturer who uses and promotes the LiquidBandage.
com website will underscore their own implied dominance and suggest a copyright for this product.
During this meeting it was noted that "liquid bandage" had been used as a product name in surgical supplies for years and that now that medical products are more consumer friendly and with the greater advertising for medical supplies and pharmaceuticsals, there is the opportunity for a consumer to suggest to a doctor that s/he use a specific product like liquid stitches.
A central website and domain name for surgeons to inquire about liquid stitches, thus seemed in order, and a note was made that we may own other domain names suitable for such a site. However, further discussin of that area was deferred to a future meeting.
Our September meeting will focus on adding to and organizing the list of reasons to buy domain names, now posted in disorganized style on our sites (unless we again pick another topic : ).
