How We Helped Air Filtration Specialists Second Nature to Rebrand With a Premium Domain Name

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Joe Uddeme

How We Helped Air Filtration Specialists Second Nature to Rebrand With a Premium Domain Name

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When a business is stuck with a legacy name that no longer works, rebranding is often the only solution. But securing the domain name that goes with your new moniker is rarely easy – unless you have a premium domain name broker on your side.

You may have heard of Second Nature, an air filtration subscription business based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Second Nature sells high-quality home air filters on a subscription basis, letting people access clean air conveniently.

However, the company didn’t start with its current name. It was previously known as FilterEasy before rebranding in 2019.

Rebranding from FilterEasy to Second Nature reflected the company’s decision to become an all-encompassing “home wellness” brand instead of limiting itself just to filters.

It was a sound decision that made the company more attractive to customers and investors.

FilterEasy was a referral from one of our trusted partners to help identify the owner and secure the SecondNature.com domain name. They were budget-conscious and looked for a way to buy the domain name without investing all the capital on day one.

They were looking for a domain broker or consultant that could help assign value to the asset, and also protect the anonymity of the FilterEasy team.

Second Nature is an ideal case study of how proper rebranding can boost a company’s fortunes. It’s something you can draw a lot of lessons from.

Starting out – new insight about air filters

FilterEasy began in 2012 as the brainchild of two students from the North Carolina State University (NCSU). Kevin Barry and Thad Tarkington sought to help people access residential air filters conveniently. Their idea was to sell home air filters on a recurring subscription basis so that customers could change them regularly.

Often, homeowners buy air filters and forget to change them at the recommended time. An unchanged air filter usually clogs up, and debris passes through, causing adverse effects. Hence, subscriptions represented an excellent reminder for customers to change their filters.

FilterEasy passed through a local startup accelerator program and launched out of beta in 2014. It began by offering air filters in over three dozen sizes. Barely a year after its launch, it had amassed 10,000+ subscribers and grossed $1 million in annual recurring revenue, representing major success.

FilterEasy was a simple idea implemented remarkably. All it did was add the subscription touch to air filter procurement, and it turns out a lot of customers liked that option. In 2015, the company raised $1.2 million in seed funding to expand its business.

Scaling – taking the product to the masses

After raising its seed round, FilterEasy was heading to higher heights. The company began spending significantly on marketing to spread the word to customers. It wasn’t enough to have a good product; people had to know about it.

FilterEasy invested in TV and social media ads to help market its brand and did so successfully. Another exciting marketing strategy the company undertook was partnerships with property management companies. Customers may not be convinced by TV or social media ads but pay much attention to the companies managing their rental properties. FilterEasy partnered with such companies to help spread the word to residents. One example is Ultimate Property Management, a North Carolina-based property management firm.

Ultimate Property Management teamed up with FilterEasy to create custom air filter solutions for their residents. The firm negotiated the exact quantity and size of filters required for a single change and ensured they were delivered to tenants on schedule. Likewise, the air filter packages included personalized messages with instructions on how to change filters.

Ultimate Property Management ultimately found out that tenants were keen to change their air filters when they arrived at their residents’ doorsteps. For the ones that didn’t, it sent email notifications to remind them. It was evident that FilterEasy had solved a significant pain point for residents with a simple idea.

FilterEasy raised subsequent funding rounds following its 2015 seed round. In 2016, the startup closed a $4.5 million Series A round from a group of VCs, including Fidelis Capital, IDEA Fund Partners, and Azure Capital Partners.

In 2017, FilterEasy closed a $6.9 million Series B round led by Arsenal Venture Partners. The company showed outstanding growth; its revenue rose 300% from 2016 to 2017, so it wasn’t surprising that investors broadly opened their checkbooks.

FilterEasy deployed its funding to grow its business. Driving the growth was a strategic manufacturing partnership with AAF Flanders, America’s largest residential HVAC filter manufacturer. FilterEasy never had to worry about inventory because AAF Flanders always supplied on time.

Rebranding – and securing the right domain name

FilterEasy rebranded as Second Nature in 2019, a time of rapid growth. The company didn’t want to be known only for filters, so it took on a more generic name. Nature represents the phenomena of the physical world, including the air we breathe in. Second Nature bodes well with home wellness and general sustainable green living.

FilterEasy officially rebranded as Second Nature in August 2019, changing its domain name from FilterEasy.com to SecondNature.com.

The company purchased the new domain officially on the 19th of July, 2019.

It is much more difficult for an online business to rebrand than a physical one. A physical store could change its name but remain at its exact physical location, so customers always know where to find it. On the flip side, a domain name is the only way to find an online store. If the name doesn’t register in customers’ minds, they won’t locate the online store.

The same year it rebranded, Second Nature added a water filtration product to its lineup. Customers could now order water filtration systems as they did with air filters and have them replaced periodically. Likewise, property managers could also subscribe on their tenants’ behalf.

In March 2020, Second Nature closed a $16.4 million Series C round from a group of new and existing investors. MANN+HUMMEL, a German manufacturer of air and water filtration systems, was a strategic investor in the round.

Second Nature had over a hundred thousand subscribers at its Series C round, compared to around ten thousand five years earlier. The 100,000+ subscribers brought in a steady bit of recurring revenue to power up the company’s business. The company had expanded from about a dozen employees to 150 in five years.

In 2020, Second Nature also got a business boost from the Covid pandemic. The company started selling face masks made with air filter technology. Public health agencies, such as America’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), advised people to use air filters and face masks to reduce the risk of contracting the virus. Second Nature provided these two things and earned significant revenue as demand exploded.

Rebranding as Second Nature was an intelligent move. Instead of limiting itself to filters, the company has positioned itself as an all-encompassing “home wellness” and sustainability brand. With the new name, the company would have no problem expanding its product line outside filters.

Lessons learned

Choosing the right name is critical in every business. Second Nature might not be as successful as it is right now if it had picked the wrong name. Its current name fits greatly with the air filter business and is easy for customers to remember.

Also, don’t be afraid to rebrand when you have the resources. The Second Nature domain name may have been too expensive for two college students, so they started with something more feasible. However, as the business expanded, the co-founders garnered enough resources to rebrand, and they did that successfully.

Ensure you market your company effectively after rebranding. Second Nature advertised heavily after its rebrand to make existing customers aware. It also took advantage of its new generic name to reach more customers.

The efforts paid off in the long run. Second Nature is now a well-known company pulling in tens of millions of dollars annually.

We like to reference this case study as it is a fantastic example of how we are able to secure seemingly out-of-reach domain names for our clients (and at the right price). It also helps highlight just how important it is to choose a great brand name. Whatever your naming conundrum, give us a call. We’ve “achieved the impossible” for everyone from Mark Cuban to Monday.com – and can do it for you, too.

About the author

Joe Uddeme is Director and Principal of Name Experts, one of the world’s leading domain name brokerage services. He has overseen domain name sales and acquisitions totaling more than $150 million and is renowned worldwide as a go-to expert in buying and selling premium domains. Contact us at: [email protected]

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Some domain acquisitions are straightforward, but others are less so. Joe Uddeme, Director of NameExperts.com, explains what happens when a client wants a domain that seems out of reach – and they want to keep their name out of the picture, too. As a buy-side broker specializing in stealth acquisitions, it’s our job to dig deep and find the rightful owner of a domain name while protecting the identity of the buyer. The problem is that some domain owners make it very difficult to reach them. What’s the psyche behind this rationale? For a start, not all domain name owners are equal; some just don’t want to be contacted or have zero interest in selling their domain name. Or perhaps it’s just a case that their whois information is out of date – making it difficult to decipher the current domain owner. GDPR is another major change. Many countries now adhere to stricter policies related to domain name owner privacy, with many whois entries now redacted for owners’ privacy rights. But all is not lost. Quietly tracking down “unreachable” domain owners and securing them for anonymous clients is what we do best. And we can do it for you. Key Takeaways What your broker needs to know to get started Buying a domain name – what you need to know How to choose a stealth acquisition broker Stealth acquisitions – what to do first Stealth acquisitions represent an opportunity for a buyer to be protected by complete anonymity. You should understand this before reaching out to a broker, as you need to have an idea of what will happen next. Try and answer these questions BEFORE making contact: Have you completed a relevant trademark search around the keyword in question? Have you established a budget to complete this potential acquisition? Have you established a timeline for this potential acquisition? Are you familiar with aftermarket domain name valuations? Have you thought about viable alternatives if your target might not be available? What type of barriers do you see in this potential acquisition? Buy-side brokers need to understand the full story about why you want this domain and anything you have done so far to try and get it, including previous acquisition attempts. They will then attempt to drill down into the fine details and identify – and contact – the rightful domain name owner. The buy-side broker should also be able to act as a buffer between buyer and seller and remove any emotion from a potential deal. Buying a domain name – the steps involved Here are the basic steps to acquire a domain name: Identify ownership and research if the name is available Submit an offer to the owner Negotiate Agree on the price and complete paperwork (if applicable) Set up Escrow for payment Registrar transfer via push or authorization code Confirm control of the name Release funds Tools to try if you’re trying to track down an owner yourself: Check the DNS and see where the domain is pointing to. Is there a website, or is it undeveloped? Whois history is a valuable tool to understand the true history of the domain name. Check the Wayback Machine to see what other properties have been developed on the URL in the past. If working with a buy-side broker, they should offer the following upside for any stealth acquisitions: Negotiate with YOU in mind; no dual agency in this scenario. Provide contracts that protect ALL parties involved. Typically save you time and money. Allows for a third-party (non-biased) approach towards the acquisition. Coordinate necessary contractual paperwork between parties. Facilitate and handle smooth transfers of domain names. Offer transparency and full disclosure. Non-disclosure where applicable. How to choose a broker for your stealth acquisition Start by researching suitable candidates to help with your domain name acquisition. Don’t identify the asset unless you are sure you have found the buy-side broker you’re certain you want to work with. Ask the broker for information about their service and a few names they recently acquired for clients. Find out how your broker can add value to your potential acquisition; always do a Google search to learn more about the broker you are working with. Take the time to find an expert that can properly assist you with all of your acquisition needs. Ask lots of questions and make sure you feel aligned with the broker. Hold the broker accountable and require status updates so you aren’t left in the dark as they progress. In most instances, your stealth acquisition needs to be completed right the first time. Most domain name acquisitions only have one chance to secure the domain name target without leaving extra money on the table. Stealth acquisitions should only be performed by a seasoned domain name buy-side broker, so choose your broker carefully. You should understand if the broker has certain strengths or weaknesses. Some buy-side brokers don’t have the tools or knowledge to find the rightful domain owner. Or they lack rich relationships with industry veterans. Other buy-side brokers are excellent at managing the acquisition but terrible at the details. Details are key when it comes to any domain name acquisition. Contracts and paperwork can take months to pass through the legal channels, so it’s important to find a representative that is fully vested and can assist you with all aspects of the buy-side domain name acquisition process. Finally, when selecting a buy-side broker, make sure you ask for referrals so you get a feel for how they work. Once you have faith in your broker you can instruct them to make contact with the rightful domain owner and secure the perfect domain name for your brand. About the author Joe Uddeme is Director and Principal of Name Experts, one of the world’s leading domain name brokerage services. He has overseen domain name sales and acquisitions totaling more than $150 million and is renowned worldwide as a go-to expert in buying and selling premium domains. Stealth acquisitions are his specialty. Contact us at: [email protected]

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How to Rebrand Your Business and Domain Name

Even well-established businesses sometimes need to rebrand, and one of the biggest issues can be finding a new domain name to match. In this post, NameExperts.com Director Joe Uddeme looks at the smart way to do it. Looking to rebrand your business? It’s rarely a walk in the park, with a to-do list that features everything from registering your new name, changing all of your company materials, and, crucially, securing a new domain name that can help your rebranded business to grow. There’s often a significant culture change, too, and it’s important your staff understand why you’re rebranding and what your hopes are for the new-look company. In this post, we’ll look at some key things to consider, including buying the domain name you’ll need. Key Takeaways The compelling reasons behind rebranding Considerations for your audience/marketplace Publicizing your new brand Practical considerations (logos, etc.) How to rebrand a business Branding is a critical consideration for every business. Branding refers to promoting your products with a distinctive feel and design. It’s an ideal way to differentiate yourself from competitors. No matter how good your products are, you won’t sell them without proper branding and customer awareness. Branding isn’t an easy task. We wouldn’t have many companies struggling to sell themselves if it was. The world is littered with failed branding strategies, even from big brands. Netflix’s struggled early on to use Qwikster to break out its DVD rental service and its streaming service. However, a failed branding strategy isn’t the end of the world. Any business can rebrand and make it right with consumers. Netflix didn’t give up when its Qwikster brand failed. It continued DVD rentals with its usual name (successfully) before pivoting to video streaming later. When your initial branding strategy doesn’t work, the intelligent thing to do is a rebrand, and there are specific factors to consider when doing that. Be clear on what’s driving the rebrand Before initiating rebranding efforts, you must be clear on what’s driving the need for the rebranding. There are varying reasons for a business to rebrand, and each demands different strategies. The most common reasons for rebranding include: Having an outdated brand To reposition your brand Reputation management Brands can become outdated when they fail to keep up with rapid changes in modern style and influence. For example, a social media site from the early internet days won’t survive well in this current internet age when we have vastly different demographics. The early social media platforms became outdated over time, and those that failed to rebrand lost market share. You can also rebrand to reposition your company’s business strategy. If your original name focused on a niche, but has evolved to target a broader offering. FilterEasy to Second Nature is a good example of a brand that changed brand names to better align with their new offering. They originally focused on selling only filters but evolved to sell home care products. Check out our story about the rebranding of Monday.com for another great case study. Businesses also rebrand for reputational purposes. You may have started with a well-meaning name that unfortunately became associated with negative things in the future. A typical example is a Chinese fashion retailer named ISIS that had to rebrand when the name became associated with terrorist activities. Focus on the Core Messaging Your rebrand should have clear and concise messaging. You should be able to tell a story with your new brand that customers can relate to. Just don’t rebrand without context – because that can irk existing customers. Let them know why you’re rebranding and why it’s better for the business. A simple explanation goes a long way in making your customers empathize with you despite the short-term inconvenience. Let your teams know this, too. Consider your audience, market, and competition Take time to evaluate how your rebranding would affect your existing audience (customers) and standing against competitors in the market. Ensure you research to validate if your rebranding reasons are appropriate. How would your customers react to an unfamiliar brand name? Is there intense brand competition in your industry? These are good questions to ask before initiating any rebrand. You must be sure that the direction of your rebrand matches what customers want. There are two main types of branding research: quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative research entails collecting and analyzing numerical data to find patterns, while qualitative implies using non-numerical data. Focus groups are a good example. Publicize your new brand Your rebranding efforts will be futile if you don’t make customers aware of it. Consumers have short attention spans, meaning they can easily forget your old brand. Once you rebrand, assume you’re a newly formed brand and market like one. Buy ads on social media platforms, search engines, TV, etc., to spread the word about your new identity. How do I rebrand an existing business? 1. Buy a new domain name In this digital age, not having a website puts you on a lower level than your competitors. Hence, the first step to rebranding an existing business is securing the proper domain name. Before choosing your new brand name, check if a corresponding domain name is available. Your domain name is how customers would find you, so you can’t afford to make errors here. You can buy any available domain name through any domain registrar. However, there are cases where a domain you want is already taken, and you see yourself having no other choice. Don’t fret. You can enlist a domain name broker to find and contact the owner with an offer on your behalf. Domain brokerage services are great at negotiation and can take care of the technical side of domain name acquisition, too. 2. Change your logo A logo is an essential aspect of any brand because it’s one of the first things a customer recognizes and identifies with. Hence, you should change your logo during rebranding to signal your new brand identity. You can make your logo simpler for customers. Likewise, you can use unique colors to make your new brand stand out from your former. 3. Change your slogan Many brands have a slogan that customers resonate with, e.g., Nike’s “Just do it” and Disneyland’s “The happiest place on earth.” It would be best if you changed your slogan when rebranding to flaunt your new brand identity. 4. Create new ads You should create advertisements fitting your new brand identity. Your ads will now use a different slogan, color palette, keywords, etc. What does it mean to rebrand a business? Rebranding is the process of changing an organization’s corporate image. It entails creating a new look and feel for an existing company to influence customer choices. A rebranding company would typically change its name (and domain), logo, slogan, vision, mission statement, etc. Why would a company rebrand? There are various reasons why a company would rebrand. It could be repositioning themselves for a new business strategy, reputational management, or simply fixing an outdated brand. If a company is switching from a niche market to a larger one, it’s wise to rebrand appropriately to match its new focus. Likewise, if a company’s brand suffers from a poor reputation due to internal or external causes, a rebrand can help avert it. Should you rebrand your business? Rebranding is a complex and expensive undertaking that you must do only with a clear goal. If you’re not looking to change your strategy, avert a reputational crisis, or face other standard issues that call for rebranding, we advise you to avoid it. However, in the right circumstances, it can give a struggling company or one with immediate challenges a new lease of life. About the author Joe Uddeme is Director and Principal of Name Experts, one of the world’s leading domain name brokerage services. He has overseen domain name sales and acquisitions totaling more than $150 million and is renowned worldwide as a go-to expert in buying and selling premium domains. Joe has helped with the rebranding of numerous large companies. Contact him at: [email protected]

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The Best Places to Buy and Sell Domain Names

Looking for some tried and tested places to buy or sell everyday domain names? Here’s our expert guide. 1. Sedo Sedo is a dedicated domain marketplace (similar to GoDaddy) with millions of users. It has been around for over two decades, making it a trusted marketplace for buying and selling domains. Any domain name owner can sign up for free and list their domain for sale on the website, and prospective buyers can easily contact them through the platform to buy domains. On Sedo, sellers can set a fixed price for their domain, put it up for auction, or indicate that they’re entertaining offers with an unspecified price range. When buyers come to the site, they can search for any keyword and check if anyone has listed a related domain name on the market. Sedo Search Sample: The first three results are bikes.org, bikes.co, and bikes.biz, which are premium domain names. Sedo also includes other domain names that are closely related to your search phrase to sell domains. The first two domains in this example have a Make Offer buttons next to them, while the last has a Buy It Now button for your popular domain. This indicates that the domain sellers of the first two domains put them up for auction, while the third domain’s owner set a fixed price for their marketing strategy. As a buyer, you’re free to search for any specific URL and find related domains listed on Sedo to find the perfect domain. Purchasing from the domain marketplace requires added registration and jumping through a few other hoops, but it’s worth it, as Sedo has such a large selection of premium domains available for acquisition. Search for domains on Sedo: Sedo Domain Marketplace 2. NamePros NamePros is an online community for domain name owners to interact and discuss events related to their industry. In the forum’s early days, users commonly posted they had domain names available for sale and wanted to connect with potential buyers. Observing this, the owner of the forum launched an official domain marketplace section for buying and selling domain names. On NamePros, any registered user can list the domain names they have available in a forum post. To make the domains easy for prospective buyers to find, NamePros has formal categories that users can attach to their posts to find the perfect domain. How much is it worth? Namepros can also share pertinent details of recently sold domains that are similar in nature to your domain search. Because it is a forum, NamePros only helps buyers and owners find each other, and it’s up to them to negotiate and decide how they’ll handle payments for the domain. This is unlike Sedo, which facilitates payments and domain transfers for its users, among other services. When using NamePros to buy a domain you should be more careful about your purchase. Set specific terms with the seller before proceeding on any deal, and use a trusted online escrow service (e.g. Escrow.com) to ensure that the payment goes through only after the seller has transferred the domain name to your preferred registrar. You can find a large variety of domain names for sale on NamePros, making it one of the best domain marketplaces in the World. Search for domains on NamePros: NamePros Domain Marketplace 3. Flippa Flippa is a marketplace competing with Godaddy for buying and selling online properties, including websites and domain names. The platform has facilitated millions of dollars in domain name sales since its inception in 2009 and has built a reputation as one of the most trusted domain name marketplaces to find the perfect domain name. The most expensive domain name deal arranged on Flippa was StockPhoto.com, which sold for $250,000. Any domain name owner can sign up on Flippa and list their domains, but it requires a payment of $29 for a base listing and $99 for an enhanced listing. Sellers often pick the second option because it makes their domains more visible to potential buyers looking for the perfect domain name. As a buyer, you can create a free account on Flippa and find domain names matching your taste. You can then search for a specific keyword and find related domain names listed by domain owners to buy domain names based on cost, features and budget. Easy to use: To demonstrate, we searched for “cars” and got the results displayed in the image below:

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How We Helped Air Filtration Specialists Second Nature to Rebrand With a Premium Domain Name

Domain Buying Guides

Starting out – new insight about air filters

Scaling – taking the product to the masses

Rebranding – and securing the right domain name

Lessons learned

About the author

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