For the purposes of this little experiment I scored all names- company, personal, and game, similarly- from a branding perspective.
\nObviously a CEO or VC doesn’t have to care whether he’s got the exact match .com and Twitter handle, but it is safe to assume they’d probably want them, and if they had them, it would make it easy to find them. I didn’t include Facebook, because honestly, I don’t fully get Facebook from a branding perspective yet.
\nI’d also note that the app\/game space seems to be an ecosystem unto itself and plenty of business is getting done without the matching domain name, although again, I bet they wish they had them.<\/p>\n
Exact match company name, dot com, and Twitter handle scores an<\/strong> A<\/span>. The logic? IMO hearing the company discussed in a podcast or radio interview, you should be able to navigate directly to the site without having to Google. Ideally it’s memorable enough to tell a friend about it the next day.<\/p>\n Domain is exact match .com unless noted. (winner) <\/strong>etc. refers to how the company did in the 2010 Crunchies Awards<\/a>.<\/p>\n Best Internet Application<\/strong><\/big><\/p>\n A<\/span> Chartbeat<\/a> Twitter: @chartbeat<\/p>\n A<\/span> Greplin<\/a> Twitter: @Greplin<\/p>\n B<\/span> Pandora<\/a> (winner)<\/strong> Twitter: @pandora_radio<\/p>\n A<\/span> Rdio (runnerup)<\/strong> Twitter: @Rdio<\/a><\/p>\n B<\/span> Ujam<\/a> Twitter: @Ujam_com<\/p>\n Best Social App<\/strong><\/big><\/p>\n B<\/span> Cityville<\/a> Domain: http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/apps\/application.php?id=291549705119 Cityville.com also resolves to the Facebook page. Twitter: @zCityVille<\/p>\n A<\/span> Dailybooth<\/a> (winner)<\/strong> Twitter: @dailybooth<\/p>\n A<\/span> Foursquare<\/a> Twitter: @foursquare<\/p>\n A<\/span> GroupMe<\/a> Twitter: @GroupMe<\/p>\n A<\/span> Twitter<\/a> (runnerup)<\/strong> Twitter: @twitter<\/p>\n Best Social Commerce App<\/strong><\/big><\/p>\n A<\/span> Blippy<\/a> Twitter: @blippy<\/p>\n A<\/span> Groupon<\/a> (winner)<\/strong> Twitter: @Groupon<\/p>\n B<\/span> Jetsetter<\/a> Twitter @jetsetterdotcom<\/p>\n A<\/span> LivingSocial<\/a> Twitter: @LivingSocial<\/p>\n A<\/span> One Kings Lane<\/a> Twitter: @onekingslane<\/p>\n A<\/span> ShopKick<\/a> (runnerup)<\/strong> Twitter: @shopkick<\/p>\n Best Mobile App<\/strong><\/big><\/p>\n B<\/span>– Bump<\/a> Domain hack: bu.mp Twitter: @bumptech<\/p>\n A<\/span> Chomp<\/a> Twitter: @chomp<\/p>\n B<\/span> Google Mobile Maps for Android<\/a> (winner)<\/strong> Domain: google.com\/mobile\/android Twitter: @googleapps<\/p>\n A<\/span> Hashable<\/a> Twitter: @hashable<\/p>\n B<\/span> Instagram<\/a> (runnerup)<\/strong> Domain hack: instagr.am instagram.com is parked and is owned by someone in Korea with a Sedo email address. Twitter: @instagram<\/p>\n Best Location Based Service<\/strong><\/big><\/p>\n B<\/span>+ Facebook Places<\/a> (runnerup)<\/strong> Domain: facebook.com\/places Twitter: @facebook @facebookplaces is a suspended account<\/p>\n A<\/span> Foursquare<\/a> (winner)<\/strong> Twitter: @foursquare<\/p>\n A<\/span> Gowalla<\/a> Twitter: @gowalla<\/p>\n A<\/span> SimpleGeo<\/a> Twitter: @SimpleGeo<\/p>\n A<\/span>+ Uber<\/a> Twitter: @Uber<\/p>\n Best New Device<\/strong><\/big><\/p>\n B<\/span>+ Boxee<\/a> Domain: Boxee.tv Boxee.com is a webmail company Twitter: @boxee<\/p>\n B<\/span> Google Chrome Notebook<\/a> Domain: google.com\/chromeos Twitter: @googlechrome<\/p>\n B<\/span>– iPad<\/a> (winner)<\/strong> DOMAIN: http:\/\/store.apple.com\/us\/browse\/home\/shop_ipad\/family\/ipad Apple does not appear to own ipad.com Twitter: @iPad but not used.<\/p>\n B<\/span> iPhone 4<\/a> Apple do own iphone.com (though not iphone4, 5 or 6.com -they’re parked at Fabulous with private Whois) Twitter: @iphone is a suspended account. @iphone4 is somebody trying to win a prize.<\/p>\n B<\/span> Kno<\/a> Twitter: @GoodtoKNO (but they’re going to want to get @kno for more than the obvious reasons)<\/p>\n B<\/span>+ Xbox Kinect<\/a> (runnerup)<\/strong> Domain: xbox.com kinect.com points to Bing Twitter: @xbox (but not @kinect)<\/p>\n Best Technology Achievement<\/strong><\/big><\/p>\n B<\/span> Blekko<\/a> Yes, Blekko does own blekko.com Twitter: @blekko (scores a B in my book but seems to be working out for them \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n Google Self-driving Cars<\/a> (winner)<\/strong><\/p>\n A<\/span>+ Hunch<\/a> Twitter: @hunch<\/p>\n B<\/span> Palantir<\/a> Domain: Palantir.com Twitter: palantirtech (Palantir.net has @palentir)<\/p>\n A<\/span> Qwiki<\/a> (runnerup)<\/strong> Twitter: @Qwiki<\/p>\n B<\/span>– Word Lens<\/a> Domain: QuestVisual.com (There’s a blog at WordLens.com) Twitter: @wordlens (But curiously not used)<\/p>\n Best Design<\/strong><\/big><\/p>\n A<\/span> 1000memories<\/a> Twitter: @1000Memories<\/p>\n B<\/span> about.me<\/a> (runnerup)<\/strong> They are branding with the dot me, i.e. They are About.me wherever seen. Twitter: @aboutdotme<\/p>\n B<\/span>+ Airbnb<\/a> (They do own AirBandB.com as well) Twitter: @airbnb<\/p>\n A<\/span> Flipboard<\/a> Twitter: @Flipboard<\/p>\n A<\/span> Gogobot<\/a> (winner)<\/strong> Twitter: @gogobot<\/p>\n A<\/span> Qwiki<\/a> Twitter: @Qwiki<\/p>\n Best Touch Interface<\/strong><\/big><\/p>\n A<\/span> Flipboard<\/a> (winner)<\/strong> Twitter: @Flipboard<\/p>\n A<\/span> Fotopedia Heritage iPad app<\/a> (runnerup)<\/strong> Twitter: @Fotopedia<\/p>\n B<\/span> Osmos<\/a> Domain: HemisphereGames.com Twitter: @HemisphereGames See Also<\/a><\/p>\n B<\/span>– Pulse News Reader<\/a> Links to itunes. Company is AlphonsoLabs.com Twitter: @pulsepad<\/p>\n B<\/span> Sencha Touch<\/a> Domain: Sencha.com but may or may not own SenchaTouch.com (If they do it should be pointed, private GoDaddy reg. for both) Twitter: @SenchaInc @Senchatouch is theirs but links to the other.<\/p>\n B<\/span> Swype<\/a> Domain: SwypeInc.com (SwipeInc.com is for sale at HugeDomains for $2495) Twitter: @Swype<\/p>\n Best Bootstrapped Startup<\/strong><\/big><\/p>\n C<\/span> Addmired (iMob)<\/a> (winner)<\/strong> Company name for iphone game Gangstaz Domain: ogapponline.com Twitter: @OG_app<\/p>\n B<\/span> Beluga<\/a> Domain: BelugaPods.com Twitter: @belugapods<\/p>\n B<\/span> Easel<\/a> Domain:EaselLearning.com Twitter: @easellearning<\/p>\n A<\/span> Fast Society<\/a> Twitter: @fastsociety<\/p>\n A<\/span> Instapaper<\/a> (runnerup)<\/strong> Twitter: @instapaper<\/p>\n A<\/span> Techmeme<\/a> Twitter:@Techmeme<\/p>\n Best Enterprise<\/strong><\/big><\/p>\n A<\/span> 37 Signals<\/a> Twitter: @37signals<\/p>\n A<\/span> Buddy Media<\/a> (winner)<\/strong> Twitter: @BuddyMedia<\/p>\n B<\/span> CloudApp<\/a> Domain: GetCloudApp.com Twitter: @getcloudapp<\/p>\n A<\/span> inDinero<\/a> Twitter: @indinero<\/p>\n A<\/span> Millennial Media<\/a> (runnerup)<\/strong> Twitter: @MillennialMedia<\/p>\n A<\/span> Salesforce<\/a> Twitter: @salesforce<\/p>\n Best International<\/strong><\/big><\/p>\n
\nBonus (+) factors:
\nShort, easy to spell, clever in a way that remains brandable but didn’t cost you an arm and a leg (Hipmunk.com is currently my favorite example.)
\nScore a penalty for:
\nAlternative tlds (.org etc. where you don’t own the .com as well).
\nDomain hacks (using the tld to the right of the dot to complete the word).
\nDomain and Twitter handle not matching.<\/p>\n