For all the brandable domain investors out there, you might be interested in the Branders Union. An organization started by Alan August that is essentially a union of brandable investors having a collective voice.
They have just published their Brandable Marketplace Report for Summer, 2020.
It’s a nice report, well done and explains the background of the group and then delves into their thoughts on BrandBucket, Squadhelp and Brandpa.
The union sought responses from the three brandable domain marketplaces. Only Brandpa gave a response.
The report contains what sellers are saying and marketplace ratings.
The report concludes with the following statement:
Conclusion
Each of the three brandable domain marketplaces offers distinct benefits and sellers are grateful to have three viable options to boost the discoverability of our domains.
We value all three marketplaces, root for your success,and appreciate each of your vital roles in advancing brandable domaining.
As the owners of most of the assets on the marketplace, we would also like a greater voice in marketplace activity.
BrandBucket, please let us know how you plan to address review times, marketplace search and domain discoverability issues, the general lack of transparency, and other points in this report.
Squadhelp, please let us know how you will address the perceived injustices in your domain submission process, your censorship and intolerance of criticism, your low ethics ratings, and other points in this report.
Brandpa, please let us know how you will address the concerns over the integrity of the marketplace inventory and other points in this report.
We look forward to your response.Sincerely, Branders Union.
You can download the report here
You can sign up to join the Union at BrandersUnion.org
Disclosure: No one at TheDomains is currently a member of the Branders Union, TheDomains was not compensated to publish this report, it is the author’s opinion that the content should be of interest to brandable domain investors and is newsworthy. This post is not an endorsement of Branders Union, and anyone who joins should make sure to do their own due diligence.
So let me get this straight. The guy who has been banned from at least two of these marketplaces starts a union to create an “independent” industry report? I have seen his nasty posts on BB slack and on NamePros. They need to pick a different leader for the union if they truly want credibility as an independent voice of domainers.
Hello Jeff,
I think you should join the branders union on slack and see things for yourself. Everyone gets to discuss about all the brandable.marketplace under one forum. The “independent” industry report was created based on a poll/questionnaire that most folks on that channel participated in.
We all can’t sugar coat words, some are blunt & direct others aren’t. We should learn to respect that so long as insulting/condescending words are not used.
Jeff,
To be clear: I am in good standing with all three marketplaces.
My posts are sometimes critical but never intended to be nasty. I do not resort to unfounded attacks or personal attacks as you do here.
Branders Union is genuinely independent and objective, representing the voices of over 100 brandable domainers and growing.
We are stronger together.
Best,
Alan
Good on you Alan for critiquing brand bucket, they are open for criticism, a lot of problems there. I know some just love to act like Margot is perfect.
Great report
When leaving a comment be factual, unless someone knows for fact someone has been banned then that is out of bounds. Many people critique BrandBucket, there are posts on Namepros for years.
Professionally prepared & delivered report, good work Alan. Your constructive criticism on different forums is always given correctly & politely AFAIK.
Branders Union was not formed to “create an “independent” industry report”. It is a diverse forum of like minded domainers who discuss appraisals, general industry news, marketplaces etc.
The founder is vocal about inefficiencies and open to criticisms/suggestions/queries. He is also among the first ro complement when any of the marketplaces brings ip a positive change in their operations. This has made him popular and acceptable towards a large number of domainers who understand the value they add to the marketplaces.
Branders Union is about giving the domainers the realization that it’s them who are the true force that catalyzes the marketplaces not vice versa.
Brandable marketplaces are creating opportunity. They are highlighting something that I hold to be true. The wide bottom end of the transaction pyramid that never gets much credit or publicity, is the $ bulk of aftermarket sales, and business name domains, brandables, are the bulk of this bottom end.
Brandable marketplaces are lifting this floor, and growing the pie.
But as sellers on these marketplaces gain momentum and success, they question the concept they are built on. Sellers take all the risk, but as long as they are unorganized individuals, they don’t matter all that much.
The marketplace can take a hefty percentage, keep buyer and inquiry data (very significant), and generally be dismissive and secretive with data that is really not all theirs.
This is the reason for the Branders Union.
If you think about it, forcing marketplaces to listen to their suppliers is most likely a win-win.
If you want to grow in a sustainable way, opposing views and suggestions, even if not always diplomatic, are great and free asset. They even got a free survey!
The marketplace that manages to distill the best consensus approach, and balance buyer, seller and marketplace objectives effectively is going to attract the best sellers. No need to ask what that will mean.
I appreciate the work that Alan did to put together both the community and this first report. The thing I like the most conceptually is having a channel where we can talk shop without looking over our shoulders or blunting the edge of any gripes in deference to the marketplace owner. Horizontal connections are important for morale in what is an otherwise solitary endeavor. If you’re a brandable domainer or even interested, please join and throw in your 2 cents. The more the merrier.
I am part of branders union , There is no discrimination at all on this slack channel , Good work Alan…
I’ve been a member of the Branders Union for a while and it’s a great thing with no downsides. It can be very helpful comparing cross-platform sales between the 3 major marketplaces. It’s nice to be able to talk critically and intelligently about where and how to best sell domain names as the industry is constantly changing.
And above all, it is tempered by an understanding that every brandable domainer wants the marketplaces to smashingly succeed in selling domain names, because that is what is building legitimacy for our narrow but vital niche of online real estate. With legitimacy comes more liquidity, increased prices, etc.
Brander’s Union is in it to help the 3 major marketplaces and all brandable domainers simultaneously carve out more income from our craft. I think the fact that a free Industry Report has now been published by this growing group of domainers is proof that this novel concept (of an international domainers union) is beginning to come into its own. Exciting to think where it could be in a few years!