New gTLDs

LifetotheFullest.Abbott: Incorporating a New gTLD into a Brand Campaign

author portrait

October 2, 2015

By jbourne

Abbott, maker of popular products including Similac, Ensure, and PediaSure, released its new brand campaign “LIFE. TO THE FULLEST.” The new campaign is designed to increase consumer awareness of Abbott and the company’s efforts to help people around the world live healthier and happier lives. Abbott introduced the campaign on LifeToTheFullest.Abbott, a unique digital platform housed on the company’s new gTLD. The website, which showcases an interactive quiz and videos of people around the world discussing how they strive to live their best lives, is part of a multi-channel campaign that sets the standard for how brands can use their new gTLDs to deliver impactful consumer messaging and branding initiatives.

In this post, we take a look at how Abbott became one of the first U.S. companies to delegate its new gTLD and the first U.S. headquartered brand to put out extensive, unique content on its new gTLD.

Abbott’s Brand Transformation

Over the past few years, Abbott has transformed itself. With the separation of its research-based pharmaceutical business, 50% of sales are now made by consumers and 70% of sales are made outside the U.S. As part of its initiative to communicate more directly with consumers, Abbott redesigned its original website, Abbott.com. The company began engaging consumers on social media, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and WeChat (China). Abbott then introduced a refreshed end line — “Life. To the Fullest.” — signaling a modern, innovative approach to its identity. This culminated in the introduction of its new campaign to ask a million people around the world what a full life means to them.

Abbott’s decision to use LifeToTheFullest.Abbott as the campaign hub was deliberate and well considered. As a part of Abbott’s identity-building efforts, Abbott adopted the gTLD as an integral piece of its broader digital strategy.

Abbott’s Dirk Hoerter, Director, Digital Marketing, says that LifeToTheFullest.Abbott is an essential “tool” in a broader “toolkit” of digital capabilities. For example, by undertaking global surveys on the meaning of healthy living and presenting these on its multi-lingual site at .ABBOTT, the company is demonstrating the universality of these aims and the global consciousness of its brand. Through its interactive site at .ABBOTT, complementary outreach efforts, and content on social media, Abbott is building deeper and stronger relationships with consumers. The more consumers begin to interact with Abbott through the new platform, the more they will begin to associate the company with its new slogan, thereby reinforcing the Abbott name.

By using .ABBOTT, a secure, fully brand-controlled site, the company is also inspiring consumer trust. Unlike .COM and other familiar extensions, the .ABBOTT gTLD is for exclusive use by Abbott. Whenever consumers see a domain name ending in .ABBOTT, they can be assured that the site contains authoritative, brand-generated content. This underlies the soundness of Abbott’s strategy.

As one of the first to actively use its new gTLD—among a sea of U.S. and E.U. brands that are not using their own gTLDs—Abbott has demonstrated that it is tech savvy and innovative.

What Can Brands Learn from .ABBOTT?

With the launch of LifeToTheFullest.Abbott, Abbott joins European-based new gTLD investors like Barclays, BNP Paribas, and AXA in paving the way for global consumer acceptance of new gTLDs. Abbott also provides other brands with an example for how to successfully launch a new gTLD. Abbott’s approach demonstrates that new gTLDs can support global communications, marketing, and branding efforts alongside established channels. New gTLDs are transforming how companies are represented online and, as .ABBOTT shows, should be an integral part of a brand’s overarching digital strategy.

 

Share on Social

Author portrait

About jbourne