While it is optimal to have a domain name that is the same as your company or brand name, this is not always possible. It is the nature of Internet real estate, or even conventional real estate, that two businesses cannot be located in the same space. There are a number of strategies that can be used to minimize the negative effects of this situation (for example, using a different TLD (see previous post)), but many times these strategies are either not used, or are unable to be used.  The following cases illustrate three different tactics:

• Crystal Geyser Water Company is located at CrystalGeyser.com, which is also the optimal location for a second major brand, Crystal Geyser -- Alpine Spring Water. However, the second brand was relegated to locating at CrystalGeyserASW.com, a far inferior name and an ineffective name in general.  One strategy to minimize this conflict would be to locate at AlpineSpringWater.com, which is available and for sale, although its price is likely in the $3,000 to $5,000 range.
  
• Situations where you would want to use a domain name that is different from your company or brand name include when your company or product name is difficult to remember or spell, is too long, or is easier to remember as an acronym. One very interesting strategy was implemented by the makers of Nexium, which is a pharmaceutical name that is fairly difficult to recall.  In order to resolve this problem, the advertised website is PurplePill.com, a name which describes the main attribute of their product, and is much easier to remember as it depicts a vivid image and also uses alliteration. Similarly, Mastercard uses a domain other than Mastercard.com in their ongoing ad campaign.  Their "Priceless" campaign contrasts items which have monetary amounts assigned to them with events, feelings, or relationships which by their very nature cannot be assigned a price.  In this campaign, the company uses the domain Priceless.com, as it creates interest and curiosity in the site, which promotes the use of Mastercard to acquire "priceless goods", attracting consumers to the site whom would not have been persuaded to visit Mastercard.com.
  
  
• Another strategy was adopted by Linens 'n Things, a name which would normally require a long, confusing (many consumers would go to LinensandThings.com, not LinensnThings.com), difficult-to-remember domain name.   To make the task much easier for consumers, the domain used in their advertising is LNT.com.  The recognition of this name is enhanced by the fact that their store brand is named LNT.  It is also important to note that when there is the potential for confusion regarding the domain name, you should establish your company at all possible variations of the name.  In this instance, the company's website can be accessed at LNT.com as well as LinensandThings.com and LinensnThings.com (even though "Linens and Things" is not the name of the company).