What Makes a Brandable Domain Name?

I think a lot of people have the misconception that a brandable domain must be a business name that is completely made up… something that is catchy and pronounceable. A brandable domain, in their opinion, can’t be made up of entirely generic words.

Another problem with using “brandables” to describe a domain is that different people have different opinions of what a brandable can be.

My view on brandables is different. I believe that any domain name can technically be a brandable.

Let’s look at the word: Brandable

First of all, this is not even a real dictionary word. It’s a terminology that people in the domain industry have coined to describe a domain that can be branded.

But if we break down the word, Brand + Able, we get:

Brand is a name, term, design, symbol or other feature that distinguishes one seller’s product from those of others. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising.

Able is having the power, skill, means, or opportunity to do something.

So based on the pure definition of the word, a brandable domain can technically be used to describe any domain name because every domain is unique and can be turned into a brand. This includes even generic keyword domains such as CreditCards.com and BobbleHeads.com. I mean at first when you see these domains, you immediately think of the generic quality of the domains, but I think after a few times of hearing them, you become used to them and thus they become more than two keywords – they become an actual brand in your mind.

Any domain can eventually turn into a brand. Even an ugly domain like iCanHasCheezburger.com became a big brand. They eventually rebranded to CheezBurger.com, but the point is any domain can be turned into a brand. A brand doesn’t necessarily have to be widely known throughout the world either. We all discover certain brands at different points in our lives. Furthermore, when does something actually qualify as being a brand? Can’t a brand be a brand even if only a few people in the world knows about it. There is no rule that says a certain number of people have to know about a domain before it can officially be labeled as a brand.

I do, however, understand why most domainers hold a differing view of brandables. Many of us have been programmed to believe that only certain types of domains can be considered brandable. Entire businesses have been built around this misconception, but I guess the important part is – everyone understands the intent of the word as it applies to the domain business.

What is your opinion in regards to brandables and how the term is used in the industry?