Retail
A dedicated brand
namespace
Last month, industry body ICANN heralded big changes for 2023 and beyond as it set out its plans to move forward with the implementation of the next phase of new generic top-level domains (gTLDs). Here, Glenn Hayward, CEO at Com Laude discusses how brands can capitalise on domain name changes.
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usinesses and organisations have been waiting a long time for the moment when they can have the opportunity to acquire their own dedicated
dotbrand namespace, but while it’s promising to see this momentum, ICANN is launching into an environment where businesses are budget-constrained. Indicative application fees at this early stage
exceed $200,000 – a significant investment for businesses – although this fee may come down once the implementation plans are finalised. Given this, organisations will need to start working on feasibility studies and business plans, mapping out potential use case scenarios, ROI and securing internal stakeholder buy in. In a world where digitalisation is the new competitive landscape, dotbrand projects like this may well be prioritised.
gTLDs over time It has been ten years since the first gTLDs were introduced. Te application round was launched by ICANN on 12 January 2012 which saw nearly 2,000 applications for around 1,400 unique terms. Five hundred dotbrands were approved – such as .google, .microsoſt and .sony – with hundreds of corporates snapping up their own branded slice of the internet. Now, with this latest domain landscape evolution, even more
companies will be able to secure a highly coveted dotbrand domain. But there are significant amounts of legacy issues that ICANN will need to iron out ahead of authorising the start of the next round of applications. For instance, should a confectionary producer be allowed to own a whole sector slice as .chocolate? Or a utility company own .electricity? In addition, the application process is costly, so how can they encourage underprivileged, or even bootstrapped start-up applicants to apply? With emerging
30 | May 2023
competition from blockchain domain providers that provide an alternative naming system to the DNS, the latest movements from ICANN are a step in the right direction in creating more choice and personalisation of the digital landscape. While every company will ultimately use its dotbrand
in different ways, there are a number of common benefits which brands can capitalise on.
Boosting brand recognition: a source of competitive advantage? All good businesses will have an element of brand
building as part of their overarching strategy – whether that be to grow awareness in existing markets or move into new ones, build their profile and recognition, or attract new customers. Brand awareness creates a foundation for future success and building brand value. Web domains are one of an organisation’s most valuable assets, a
key part of their intellectual property which is oſten the most highly valued part of a business. A dotbrand domain makes a business’ brand instantly recognisable, for example, in all email and external communication. Tis increases brand recognition, value, and recall through use – a potential source of competitive advantage, assisting repeat purchases and driving new business opportunities. As one of the earliest adopters of a dotbrand registry, Google
is strategically using their dotbrands to provide dedicated spaces for innovation. What this means in practice is when a consumer searches
ai.google, they will be directed to a microsite which provides Google’s brand mission on delivering AI models to businesses. Tis approach makes Google’s AI product easily meaningful, accessible and memorable via a short snappy descriptive domain name tied to their brand. By showcasing product innovation
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