Bluehost adopts .host domain extension to spread the word for its CSR efforts

Bluehost is turning Pink this entire month. October is the month for breast cancer awareness and Bluehost is running a special campaign for it on an alternate URL www.pink.host, pink being the color of solidarity for breast cancer movement.

.host is the brand new extension for the global hosting community. Bluehost, an elite player in the industry, was selected as a Pioneer of the namespace. As part of the program, Bluehost is keen on using and promote their primary brand on the blue.host domain after the name, part of the 100,000+ names in ICANN’s collision list, is released in November, 2014. Bluehost not only acquired Blue.host but also found a creative and innovative use for Pink.host. The URL has become a potent symbol of the campaign and connects customers intrinsically to the cause. However, there is more to the campaign besides the change of color.

A portion of the proceeds from every new customer sign-up at Pink.host in October will go to the Huntsman Cancer Institute and 100% of these contributions will be used for cancer research. HCI has one of the world’s largest cancer research facilities; delivering dozens of new treatments to terminal stage cancer patients. Bluehost is also encouraging customers to make contributions through Huntsman Cancer Institute.

“We’ve always looked for ways to support Breast Cancer Awareness, whether it be through donations, exposure to customers, or simply encouraging our employees to get tested regularly. The Pinkhost idea has been floating around Bluehost for a few years and, with the advent of the .Host TLD, suddenly became a real option. We jumped in with fervor, having fun, and trying new things. It’s a great experience and, of course, we hope it has a huge impact on Breast Cancer and those it affects.” said James Grierson, COO of Bluehost.

Pink.host, originally a premium domain name, was allocated to Bluehost for free considering its CSR plans. “We’re excited to see .host domains being used for such a great cause! We were confident about the domain’s marketing potential, but Bluehost takes it a notch up with this clever use.” says Viram Lodhia, Category head of .host at Radix Registry. The campaign has struck a chord with the extended hosting industry including partners, affiliates and vendors.

Over the years with increased awareness for breast cancer, the 5 year survival rates have improved from 75% to 90%. Awareness campaigns clearly contribute to making a change. While a cause like cancer may seem daunting to us individually, campaigns like pink.host help us all be David against a Goliath like breast cancer.