I must say I agree strongly that rebranding is important, and yes, now would be a good time;
before it is more widely known. I also recognize that there is strong sentiment against the idea.
Simply consider something as ubiquitous and harmless(?) as "Black Friday." This past November it was reported that marketers in Egypt and other Arabic countries wanted in on the marketing craze, but refused to accept the term because Friday was a "holy" day and "Black" indicated evil. As a result they coined the phrase, and started the tradition of "White Friday," which apparently was a great success.
I hate to disappoint anybody, but DRK is not near as popular (yet;-) as Black Friday--If the need was seen to rebrand it, in order to gain market acceptance by 1/4 of the world's population--do we wish to alienate that same population (and others)?
I work in what could be called "international aid/development," and I see a critical role for something like DRK, but I can assure you that the major players in this field will be very reluctant to work with it, as the name now stands.
Many who know nothing of crypto-currencies would gladly get a wallet and send funds directly to someone like Malala Yousafzai, (the young girl who just won the Nobel Peace Prize) and the thousands like her. Do you really think she, or others like her would use something with the name Dark Coin? Whether you believe in a Devil or not, those who do, will refuse the association, and both they and the coin will suffer.
I couldn't agree less.
In Egypt and other Arabic countries, sexual harassment to women could be described as a national sport. In more traditional families, they're not allowed to sit at the table with men, in others not until the man finished his meal. In other Arabic countries, female voting is not even allowed. In others, not even their faces may be shown, risking life penalty.
There is a tobacco company that markets cigarettes called "Death", and its a huge sales success.
Brands quickly looses their lexical meaning and adopt their own. Its called marketing. You can create a darknet market called "The Purest Most Blessed and Benign Non Criminal Market Ever Created" ... and it would be the laugh of the child porn community.
Its what you make of your product that defines you. Not the name.
Your last statement is absolutely true (as is your first no doubt
) but I think misses the point. I am what I am regardless of the name I go by, or what others call me. Where marketing is concerned the goal is rarely truth--but it is
always perception. That a cigarette named "Death" finds great success should come as no surprise. New smokers are usually aware of its dangers, and starting is usually an act of independence/defiance of authority figures in their lives. Smoking "Death" only reinforces the image they have of themselves. It is highly unlikely that a cigarette named "Pretty and Pink" would receive significant adoption. Even "Virginia Slims" was targeting a niche market that liked the idea of being "slim."
Back to the subject of Islamic countries; every culture has idealists/revolutionaries willing to die for their ideals. For women in the situations you mention, showing their face is not a core ideal being fought for, so they will not risk their life by doing it. Education is, and many have paid with their lives by pursuing it. Education takes funding, and while these women will not risk taking funds that can be linked to "The Great Satan," they will gladly receive and use funds that they feel are unable to be traced to such sources. Sadly, they nor many of their potential funders in Muslim and evangelical Christian groups in the West, will adopt a coin seen as primarily identified with dark/evil forces.
I note that you did not include the original posts by Dazbarlby and YourMother. They represent simple business men who are making choices based on market perception. They both understand, and like what DRK can do, but are not using it due to something which is easily changed. I submit that they represent the mere "tip of the iceberg," and they have not alluded to any "moral" compunction on their part at all.
In today's morally relativistic western society, it is easy to forget how recent and limited this perspective is, in both time and space. It is also easy to forget how deep the pockets are, of those who still hold such outmoded views. You can go on marketing "Death" and make some money at it, but if you want to change the world you would do better marketing a product that both delivers, and bears the name, Freedom!
