Online retailer releases new commercials for o.co.
Overstock.com — or should I call it o.co? — has released two new commercials touting its o.co web address after announcing this morning it is using o.co as a “shortcut”. One of the ads is embedded below.
It’s all a bit confusing, honestly. In some cases the company refers to o.co as merely a shortcut. But its logo is now o.co with “also known as Overstock.com” next to it. This seems bigger than a shortcut.
It seems that the company has half-baking the change, or at least taking it step by step.
Either way this is a huge win for .Co Internet and .co as a TLD. When Overstock.com originally bought the domain they didn’t know what they’d do with it. Then they announced they’d use it for their international sites and as a shortcut. Now they’re going big on o.co.
The o.co logo with “also known as Overstock.com” next to it is only shown if you’ve previously reached the site via o.co.
If you clear all cookies for overstock.com and go to overstock.com, you’ll see the overstock.com logo with “also known as O.co” under it.
@ Jeremy – good catch. I went to it from overstock.com but didn’t think about that.
I wonder how many people are going to type “o.com” by accident?
Kind of creepy too!
I wish I was the owner of oco.com or o.co.com.
I bet those domain are getting more type ins than o.co
I understand that Overstock wants to get away from the word Overstock, fine but NO ONE will understand what o.co means.
I say about 70% of people will think it’s some sort of April fool’s joke.
I don’t mind making the prediction that Overstock will pull the plug on this entire o.co campaign since people just won’t get it.
You can’t push a rock up hill… not unless they want to spend MILLIONS on marketing this.
Why didn’t they buy O.com and be done with it? I guess they probably couldn’t. Why they settled for the MUCH cheaper alternative?
No idea. I guess they have brilliant marketing guys and I’m stupid.
@ Rob Sequin – they’d love to own o.com, but it hasn’t been released by the registry and I don’t think that will happen anytime soon. Part of the reason they want all the o.tld domains is because they eventually want to make a play for o.com.
The .co surge will raise the tide for all ccTLD’s…
They also released the Valentine commercial promoting O.co – http://youtu.be/J3pjKXE8yao
Hello Andrew,
We believe that overstock will look back on this as a mistake. Too much dirty laundry will taint the .co BRAND.
Gratefully, Jeff Schneider (Contact Group) (Metal Tiger)
I think people typing in O.COM will be short lived. It will take a few tries but they will get used to it.
Just my thoughts,
Cheers
@ slate –
“I think people typing in O.COM will be short lived”
I hope they don’t time in o.com, because it won’t lead them anywhere 🙂
@Slate
Agreed.
Interesting. So it’s not like they believe in or even like the .co extension.
This is just a strategy to get O.com.
That makes more sense.
@Jeff – I think you are right.
.CO domains will never overcome the obstacle that they are perceived as a typo of .COM.
Let’s be real here…would COinternet have bothered with launching .CO if it were .INC?
They keep claiming that there is a justification for a .COM alternative to designate Corporation, Company, etc. If their intentions were honorable, then wouldn’t naming it .INC also convey Company/Corporation while avoiding the Typo perception? They have yet to explain themselves in this regard.
Everything they are doing is as a result of them banking on it being a typo. There is no other logical conclusion.
Furthermore, why would non Columbians want to build goodwill in a .CO name when there will always be a looming threat that the Columbian Government could change their mind at any point in the future and pull the rug out from under the .CO owners? What’s the guarantee that it can’t happen say 5 or 10 years from now? Aren’t .CO domain ownership policies susceptible to the impact of war or a new government? How can anyone be able to sleep well each night with all of this in mind?
Gonna be confusing.Would not be surprised to see them alter…or even turn a 180 from this “strategy” sooner rather than later.
@Rob
Fortunately, they do have millions to spend.
It’s a great way to promote O.co and .co in general to have people type-in O.com. They will get nothing, will have to re-think what they did and then find their way to O.co. They will then learn from this mistake. Actually, quite a nice discrimination exercise.
o.co is a high profile marketing campaign..it has nothing to do with o.com this is domainer talk.you never saw a high profile campaign for .us,.pro.info,or any other cc.even if it is a mistaked the effort was stratigized and implemennted.o.co is ahead of everyone else and now the domain is in their aresonal while everyone else sits on the sidelines and debates a non issue.
The only people touting .co domains are people who have risked their money to invest in them. No one else. In other words, if you are saying that this is a good move, in any way shape or form, you more than likely own many .co domains. Large companies are not going to risk putting their brand into the Columbian registry and isolate themselves from the 99.9% of companies and consumers using .com. It’s wishful thinking, but don’t get your hopes up.
I think O.CO is an amazing and memorable name! I have purchased http://www.sportspro.co – and several names that are catchy-
I do feel that O.CO is a great idea- and .CO is a great extension! GO.CO!
It’s not that difficult and they make it pretty clear on the commercial. I thinks its a good idea and alot easier than typing in overstock. people will get used to it
And no I do not own an .co domain