Largest US Bank, Bank of America launches a commercial featuring dotMOBI

[Vision]

Follow the money.....

Bank of America:
Largest US Bank
$117 Billion Revenue
40 million U.S. Accounts

Now they are promoting dotMOBI via their PC website, branches and thru commercials.

Here is Bank of America's latest commercial....

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1079012271

 

[Thomas Nash]

The link didnt work for me...

 

[Vision]

sorry ginge, I edited the link, it works fine now

 

[Theo]

I am a BOA customer.

So I went to http://www.bofa.mobi

It redirects to https://www.bankofamerica.com/mobile/

 

[mjnels]

I am a BOA customer.

So I went to http://www.bofa.mobi

It redirects to https://www.bankofamerica.com/mobile/

I am a Microsoft Windows user.

So I went to http://www.microsoft.com

It redirects to http://www.microsoft.com/en/us/default.aspx


its a crazy redirecting world out there.

 

[Theo]

I understand that .mobi has its fan-base and its functions. But when a .mobi redirects to a .com (as in this case) what is the real purpose of .anotherTLD ?

 

[mjnels]

I understand that .mobi has its fan-base and its functions. But when a .mobi redirects to a .com (as in this case) what is the real purpose of .anotherTLD ?

i dont know, but somebody should get to work deprogramming these companies before the .mobi lobbyists corrupt em all.


its already too late for .tv... the lobbyists have already gotten to "them" and is now infecting my cable television.


lets hope this doesnt happen to mobi... God save the queen.

 

[DomainsInc]

I understand that .mobi has its fan-base and its functions. But when a .mobi redirects to a .com (as in this case) what is the real purpose of .anotherTLD ?

There isn't but a commercial that tell people to go to a .mobi site is definitely a step forward.

 

[hugegrowth]

I understand that .mobi has its fan-base and its functions. But when a .mobi redirects to a .com (as in this case) what is the real purpose of .anotherTLD ?

because it's easier to promote and type in

bofa.mobi

than

bankofamerica.com/mobile/

I guess. Companies will use .mobi to market their mobile sites and .com or whatever to market their regular sites.

The fact that it redirects is like an inside joke to a small community (domainers, programmers, etc.). It will be marketed to the public that if you want to go mobile, then .mobi will get you there.

Already there are more companies using and promoting .mobi sites than any of the other 'newer' extensions. I don't think .mobi has it quite made yet, but commercials like this are helping a lot.

.com is king because it was first and was promoted heavily. I see a similarity with .mobi because it will be heavily promoted for mobile internet. Get everyone used to using .mobi for mobile internet and then it's in the mindset. I wouldn't be surprised to see more type in's starting, as in "I wonder what's at candy.mobi, or baseball.mobi, or weather.mobi etc."

 

[Theo]

http://www.bofa.com

 

[Vision]

I am a BOA customer.

So I went to http://www.bofa.mobi

It redirects to https://www.bankofamerica.com/mobile/

Acro, below is their MOBI marketing campaign from their website.

While you read it, ask yourself the following question,... Why is Bank of America marketing & advertising this easy to remember domain, BOFA.mobi as opposed to marketing this nice, long ass redirect domain https://www.bankofamerica.com/mobile/ ?

Welcome to Mobile Banking
Need your balance or transaction record in an instant? Is there a bill you need to pay right away and can't get to a computer? Now you can save time – and move things off your to-do list – by banking on the go.

Bank of America is proud to offer Mobile Banking to all Online Banking customers. With Mobile Banking, you can use your cell phone or smart phone to easily and securely access balance information, pay your bills, transfer funds, or even find a nearby ATM or banking center. It's easy, fast and convenient – just go to www.bofa.mobi on your phone's web browser and you can get started.

Best of all, Mobile Banking service is free, secure, and allows you to manage your accounts wherever and whenever you want. Get more information about Mobile Banking or try it now and see for yourself just how easy it is.
Mobile Banking is now available to Online Banking customers at www.bofa.mobi from your cell or smart phone browser

Here is the web link from their dotCOM PC site where they market & advertise their mobile site, BOFA.mobi...
http://www.bankofamerica.com/onlinebanking/index.cfm?template=mobile_banking&statecheck=FL

 

[Theo]

I already posted that bofa.com points to the same URL.

So yes, it's just a marketing campaign. Hardly groundbreaking.

The argument here is not the ability to do banking on your mobile phone, but rather, the use of a .mobi URL to connect to that service. However, it's just a redirect to the .com.

 

[gawnd]

has anyone accessed bofa.mobi from there mobile phone? just wondering if a script is redirecting navigation from pc's.

 

[3dGEEK]

...Another Leap Forward for the dotMobies

 

[katherine]

...
While you read it, ask yourself the following question,... Why is Bank of America marketing & advertising this easy to remember domain, BOFA.mobi as opposed to marketing this nice, long ass redirect domain https://www.bankofamerica.com/mobile/ ?

The point is that the URL could stay .mobi, yet they chose to redirect to .com. Obviously they don't trust .mobi as much as .com.
This registration seems to gave 2 limited purposes: traffic capture and brand protection.

 

[Dale Hubbard]

Most of the serious .mobi registrations are for TM protection. That's the fundamental on this TLD.

 

[GeoOwners]

The point is that the URL could stay .mobi, yet they chose to redirect to .com. Obviously they don't trust .mobi as much as .com.
This registration seems to gave 2 limited purposes: traffic capture and brand protection.

How dare them! How do you know they dont trust .mobi? If they didnt trust it do you really think they would have put all those resources into it? Someone there trusts it... I love all these people "knowing" what the largest bank in the country is doing...lmao

.

 

[Gerry]

If what I am reading is true on every front, then essentially what is being said is there is no need for dot mobi because redirecting to .com is the thing to do.

Then why do we need .net, .org, .info, .us, .name, .biz? If one will do it all, as it seems to be the vast majority on this thread are saying, then the others are worthless also.

What I have not heard from a single person yet is someone to state that .mobi does not work, therefore it will not be successful.

So someone state right now that dot mobi does not work. And that will be the end of all the squabbling.

Don't tell me it is not needed because all you are saying to the members on this forum and this thread is YOU don't need it or want it. Don't tell me there are plenty of other ways to access the internet on the phone because there will be no argument that yes, you can access via m.domain.com, wap.domain.com, domain.com.mobi, domain.com.mobile, mobile.domain.com and my personal favorite...tinyurl.domain.com along with any other creative methodology that each and every individual programmer and web master can come up with to make you visit there site.

If there are 256 domain extensions then there must be at least 1000 ways and web URL's to reach them on a phone. I'll bet if we all get together and look for the mobile sites accessed by mobile phones right now that we can perhaps find 50-100 different URL's representing the mobile version of the dot com.

So tell me why I have to remember 50 different ways to go about achieving one goal and that is to access the internet via a mobile device without have to go through one simple method...dot mobi.

So someone, please...have something new to say. Tell me that .mobi does not work for the purpose it was intended for.

And tell me why you would have anything else in your portfolio other than .com? Was that for brand protection also? Was that as an investment strategy? Was that as a form of diversification?

 

[Theo]

Nothing is above the ORIGINAL 3 commercial Internet TLD's. You can't change history and the fact remains: COM/NET/ORG cannot be substituted by exotic TLD's that arrived as a means of re-creating valuable namespace. Flowers.mobi? Yes, as a portal to .com outlets Domain King knows best.

 

[Gerry]

Flowers.mobi was 90% hype. Even I know enough to admit that. There is a place for the 3 TLD's you mention. But this is simply a different extension for a different format. A mobile environment.

By the way, Acroplex, how are you?

I've been accused of being your friend and defending you and siding with you on some issues and there were even calls that I should have been banned right along with you (not to bring up a sore subject). And now that we are both appearing in the same thread (even though perhaps on opposite sides of the spectrum) I am sure this will be viewed as us teaming up again.

So welcome back.