Domain Name Advice for Toronto Mayor Wannabes

The race to be the next mayor of Toronto has started to heat up now that 38 people have officially declared themselves in the race for mayor.

As an Internet marketing specialist and long-time citizen of Toronto, I believe it is my civic duty to pass along a few words of advice to those who might aspire to oversee Canada's largest city:

Register your Website address before you start talking to reporters.

For example, if your name happens to be "Stephen LeDrew" and you are purported to be one of the three main contenders in the race to be mayor of Toronto, it would be a good idea to register the domain names stephenledrew.ca and stephenledrew.com BEFORE going on CBC's popular Metro Morning radio show to announce that you intend to run for public office.

Otherwise, you see, someone listening to the show might register those domain names. Who knows, that same someone might even point those domains to their Internet marketing blog and write about it. After all, this is a perfect example of what not to do when it comes to launching a high-profile marketing campaign.

I have to give Stephen LeDrew credit where credit is due, however. He told reporters he intends to run an unconventional campaign, and by golly he's off to a roaring start.

I wish him the best of luck.

Update: October 7, 2006

It's been just over a week since I launched this "media experiment," and I think it's safe to say that I have made my point loud and clear. Some might say I was too successful!

Since this whole affair began on September 29, 2006, numerous blogs and Websites have written about my "Domain Name Advice for Toronto Mayor Wannabes." This story was picked up by the National Post, Toronto Star, Toronto Sun, Eye Weekly, and Spacing Votes. My traffic peaked when Warren Kinsella blogged about it, and overall there have been over 5,000 visitors to my Internet marketing blog.

I've particularly enjoyed reading the dozens of comments and emails that I have received from all over the country. 65% of the folks who took the time to write agreed with what I did, and the rest accused me of being a cybersquatter, a thief, unethical and an all-round menace to the democratic process and society at large. (Let's just say it's a good thing I don't take things personally.) Thank you one and all for your feedback. Even if we don't see eye to eye, at least I got you thinking.

Since Wednesday, I have been in contact with Stephen LeDrew's campaign management through an intermediary. They're not huge fans of mine right now, although to their credit they didn't threaten me with legal action. I am optimistic that over time they will come to realize that they really did screw up by not registering the domain names ahead of time, and - more importantly - that Internet marketing professionals like me are not the real enemy; naivety (in regards to the Internet) is.

"They have the Internet on computers now?" - Homer Simpson

The official launch of LeDrew for Mayor of Toronto campaign is planned for this coming Tuesday, October 10.

As a gesture of good faith, and to prove to LeDrew's campaign management that I am not an "Internet predator" (their actual words, I kid you not), I will be forwarding stephenledrew.com and stephenledrew.ca to the "official" Stephen LeDrew campaign Website on Monday, October 9 (Thanksgiving Day), one day prior to LeDrew's campaign launch.

I have communicated my intentions to Stephen LeDrew's campaign management, and I have also told them (via the intermediary) that if they want me to transfer ownership of the two domain names to them, I will gladly do so at NO charge.

This never was, and never will be, about money.

Happy Thanksgiving, Stephen, and thanks for helping to inject some excitement into the Toronto mayoral race.

Comments

[Rob Granatstein]

So what are you saying? You grabbed LeDrew's site before he could and now you're throwing it in his face?

[Matt]

Smart thinking.

originally, the domains were pointing to Miller's site. How/Why did that change?

I guess I should also ask if [MacLaren McCann], the company you work for, has done work for Miller's election team.

Smart move if you did it. A little dirty if it is an organizational decision.

[Bill Sweetman]

Thanks for your comments, Rob and Matt.

Rob, you seem to have missed the point. LeDrew and/or his campaign marketing people dropped the ball, big time.

Matt, I pointed the domains to Miller's Website for a short period of time while I prepared my "Domain Name Advice for Toronto Mayor Wannabes" post. My rationale was that as a first step in my little 'media experiment' I wanted to ensure that people realized that LeDrew and company had not registered the domains. If I could have, I would have randomly and evenly pointed the domains to ALL of the candidate's Websites, not just Miller's. Oh well...

My 'media experiment' has nothing to do with the company I work for.

[Donald Blair]

There was a concern that LeDrew's campaign was organized by Miller to thwart Pitfield (and I think that would have backfired).

I am not a Miller supporter but based on your response to Rob and Matt, do you think it's fair to any of the candidates (including Miller) to give people the belief that LeDrew's campaign was in fact organized by the Miller crew? You call it a "media experiment", but it could harm all three of the top mayoral candidates.

If I were you, I'd be concerned if I were violating election rules and laws by pulling a dirty stunt like that.

Donald

[Bill Sweetman]

Thanks for your comment, Donald.

I don't buy the theory that people would believe Miller's camp was behind the domain name pointing since, as I proved, anyone can register a domain name and point it anywhere. Besides, Miller's camp was quick to deny any involvement.

As for harming "all three of the top mayoral candidates" I hardly think the election will hinge on my little "media experiment," flattering though that may be. And I fail to see how this relates to Pitfield.

As for "violating election rules and laws," please point me to the election rule or law that relates to domain names. Seriously, I'd love to see them.

[Bill Sweetman]

A number of people have asked me if Stephen LeDrew has a Website yet and what its domain name might be. I haven't a clue, although I've been wondering the same thing myself. I did a little digging tonight and what I was able to determine is that someone using the name "Stephen LeDrew" registered the domain name ledrewformayor.com on September 29, 2006 at 10:22 PM. Then, on September 30, someone using the name "Stephen LeDrew" registered the domain name ledrewformayor.ca. The plot thickens...

[Chris Haines]

That's awesome. Not only a creative way to teach someone a lesson about doing business/politics in the 21st century, but funny as hell too. I had never seen your site before (linked to it from Pierre Bourque), but I like it a lot. You just gained a new regular reader (which I suppose you can thank Stephen LeDrew for).

[Catelli]

Preregistering a domain name you have no personal interest in, is dirty pool. All you're stating is, "I'm smarter about the Internet than you, NYAH NYAH NYAH".

Very immature. Domain parkers are in the same category as virus writers and spammers in my books. why to negatively advertise about yourself.

BTW, you are in violation of domain registration policies posted by CIRA and ICANN about domain registration in bad faith.

[Luis]

Chris, I think you're missing Bill's point and the bigger picture.

Besides, I'm sure if Stephen LeDrew wanted to buy the domain off Bill he could get it for either cost or a reasonable price.

Fookin' 'ell I love this part of the linked article:

"LeDrew said he intends to run an unconventional campaign, and will take to the airwaves, using radio and television ads to promote himself"....unconventional? as opposed to what? Morse code, smoke signals maybe.

[collin douma]

nice burn... It amazes me still that Domain registration is still something that people do not do automatically. If I lived in toronto, I would vote for the other guy.

[Realist]

This is a wake-up call to all would-be contenders. Do your homework or get embarrased. LeDrew got off easy by his Web domain going to a friendly blog, instead of questionable sites.

[Alan Kasperski]

Bill,

A 'media experiment' indeed; the 'bigger picture'? What possible, legitimate reasons would you or any else - other than Stephen LeDrew - have for registering those domain names? You have none. Other than to try to embarass LeDrew or benefit Miller. (Note: I know both men personally and am not involved in either campaign). Or to make a few dollars by selling the domains to someone else? Why bother - where are your ethics or sense of what is right? A commentary on his not registering would have been just as effective and not seemingly self-serving.