VeriSign: We're More Than Just Domains

Having spent the latter half of 2001 adding senior marketers to its executive ranks, VeriSign Inc.’s mission for 2002 is already mapped: telling the world who they are and what they do.

In a marketing and advertising campaign being readied by Young & Rubicam to roll out in Q1, the company wants to diffuse the message that they enable people “to use digital services with confidence,” according to a company spokesperson. The company, best known for selling domain names, has expanded into sectors including telephony, location-based services and digital payments.

“We’ve had a diffuse message because VeriSign has been very acquisitive over the past few years. We bought Network Solutions and Illuminent,” explained spokesman Brian O’Shaughnessy. “The public view these acquisitions as very diverse when, in fact, they fall in line with our corporate mission.”

Just as VeriSign has increased its roster of roll-ups, it’s bolstered it’s senior marketing staff with high-ranking executives. In May, Bill Fasig, decamped from Compaq to become VeriSign’s corporate communications senior VP. Two weeks ago, John Donoghue, formerly consumer marketing chief at MCI WorldCom, joined VeriSign as SVP for mass marketing. O’Shaughnessy confirmed the additions are part of the company’s commitment to its branding and identity campaign, which will be centered around the freshly minted tagline, “digital trust services.”

Young & Rubicam will spearhead the mass market campaign, which will include buys in TV, print and online media. SF Interactive collaborates with Y&R in handling the online portion of VeriSign’s corporate branding. The company would not reveal a budget for the initiative, nor supply more precise information about the launch.