On January 12, 2012, ICANN opened an application window for your company to own a unique top-level domain. Remember that every time you use .com, you’re advertising for the company that owns .com; finally, your brand can be your Web address instead of .com or .net.
Your application window is closing on April 20, 2012, but you need to register using ICANN's TLD Application System (TAS) before March 29, 2012. With no second chance for years, if at all.
A “dot Brand” domain is a major opportunity that your company’s decision-makers need to seize. CMOs, CFOs, CTOs, CEOs, Board Members, Risk Committee Members, Governance Committee members. You all need to move together fast because the clock is ticking. And in mere weeks, it’s over.
Will you remain in your “.comfort zone” or will you open new opportunities for your company and your brand?
The dot Brand new world is waiting for you (but not for long)
Time doesn’t stand still. Neither do your competitors. If you sit by the sidelines while they out-innovate and out-maneuver your old-time branding efforts with their own dot Brand gTLD, time will run out for you.
To help get you moving, spend just 2 minutes and 38 second watching this video about dot Brands to stimulate your imagination. Feel free to share this video with your colleagues and decision-makers to jump-start a dialogue -- and a decision – about applying for a dot Brand domain.
VIDEO: Executive Overview
"Now I have questions …"
What is the cost of a dot Brand? Are there any downsides to having a dot Brand? How do I select a proven registry technology partner who will work with us? How do I know if a registry technology partner knows what they’re doing? What other questions should we be asking?
Stop and breathe. The next five minutes are for you and your questions.
In this video, Afilias CMO Roland LaPlante explains the options and consequences of applying -- or not -- for a dot Brand gTLD. He also gives you a list of resources to help you make the best decision given your competitive situation.
Watch:Executive Overview: Your dot Brand Application Length: 4:59
At the end of April 2012, when the new gTLD application window closes, ICANN will announce who has applied for a new TLD. Imagine that list with your competitors on it, but not your company.
No one knows when another application window will open, but it very likely may be years … years in which your competitors will have a head start on branding their unique corners of the Internet, while you are using an Internet branding strategy from the 1990s.
Now is the time to start a conversation among your colleagues. Now is the time to decide whether to control your new brand space or, well, hope for the best.
To open the conversation about the potential – and challenges, risks and costs -- with dot Brand gTLDs, we invite you to learn from the thought leaders in global branding: Columbia Business School's Center on Global Brand Leadership.
Afilias recently sponsored Columbia Business School's Center on Global Brand Leadership's webinar, "Who should invest in a dotBrand?" Evaluating the Business Case for a Top-Level Domain Name.”
You can view the full webinar below (and share the link with your colleagues). If you’re short on time, watch highlights from the webinar on our gTLD webinar page.
If you are having trouble viewing this video please download the latest version of Adobe Flash Player here.
dot Brand gTLDs: Your Brand Stewardship and Governance
For the moment, let’s forget about CMOs and brand builders.
This is for the CEO, the CFO, The CIO, the CTO, the COO as well as Board Members, Risk Committee members and Governance Committee Members.
When deciding to apply for a generic Top Level Domain (gTLD) for your organization, you are thinking about your firm’s strategies and competencies as well as managing corporate assets and investments.
The following videos, hosted by Afilias CTO and Executive Vice President Ram Mohan, highlight controlling risk -- and destiny -- in the current Internet landscape, and calculating the real cost of owning (or not owning) your brand as a gTLD.
A dot Brand gTLD can help mitigate online property risks in a way that you simply cannot with a .com or .net domain.
Even with dedicated teams and risk management plans, large brands like Google and Microsoft have lost control of some of their biggest online assets. The cost of losing your domain, even for a few hours, can cause a dramatic dip in customer confidence and trust …. and your bottom line.
Watch:Controlling Your Brand Risks Length: 5:29
Watch: Dot Brand: Controlling Your Destiny Length: 4:40
Owning your brand to the right of dot is the only way to mitigate this risk and let you control – completely -- online real estate.
Like real estate, with a new gTLD – your dot Brand -- you buy the land and decide who builds on it and what they build. You control the total destiny of your brand on the Internet.
Next Steps
Afilias is here to help.
First, visit our gTLD webinar page for highlights from Columbia Business School’s Center on Brand Leadership’s webinar on dot Brands. There, you can find out more about the ICANN new gTLD program and hear experts offer their thoughts, insights and industry foresight.
Also, visit our dot Brand resource page to watch the informative video, “Welcome to a .Brand New World” and read our e-book titled, “Envisioning Your dot Brand New World: A Field Guide for Brand Builders.”
Then, contact us to see how the Afilias’ new TLD experts can help you with the ICANN new gTLD application, your domain launch and the ongoing management of your dot Brand.
Center on Global Brand Leadership's webinar, "Who should invest in a dotBrand?" Evaluating the Business Case for a Top-Level Domain Name.”
