Bidding Set for 'Super-Banc' Name, Number

A new company wants to add superbank.com to the list that already includes Net.Bank, Telebank, USAbanc.com, 1st webbankdirect.com, CompuBank, and WingspanBank.com.

1-800-Super-Banc Inc. has been formed by a Baltimore entrepreneur for the sole purpose of selling the 800-Super-Bank phone number and the superbank.com Internet domain name. An auction of the combined properties is expected to be held within six weeks.

Super-Banc's trademark is surfacing amid a growing sea of dot-com clutter. "There is a scarcity of good, workable, promotable electronic brand names out there," said Jeffrey Salkin, Super-Banc's founder.

He said he foresees the winning bank as being able to promote "super service at super rates" using the brand he has developed.

Mr. Salkin has retained the Omaha law firm Kutak Rock to receive bids, which will be accepted in the form of cash or equity or both. For banks proposing equity in a new Internet banking venture, the size of the planned marketing budget would probably become relevant in determining the winning bid, said J. Mark Poerio, a lawyer in Kutak Rock's Washington office.

Two banks have contacted Super-Banc about the auction, but Mr. Salkin and Mr. Poerio declined to speculate on what price the bidding might begin at.

"It's hard to quantify the advantage of a brand that's memorable," Mr. Salkin said. "Would your response rate be 10% better or 100% better?"

Mr. Salkin, who has a background in media and marketing, said he conceived of Super-Banc while listening to radio ads for home equity loans. "All of them ended with Web addresses and '800' numbers, but they were seldom ones you could remember," he said.

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