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ICAAN .brand Domains in 30 Seconds

A lot has beed made of the new ICAAN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) new top level domains, commonly referred to as .brand domains. Below is a super quick guide for some key things to think about when wondering if this new offering is right for your brand.

Just the Facts:

• New domain offering from ICAAN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers)
• Allows registrants to create new examples such as .brand domains for their use
• Approximately 9-20 month application process
• Costs: $185,000 for application, annual maintenance of $25,000/year
• Will follow a similar process for trademark infringements on .com domains.
• Not everyone who applies will be awarded a gTLD (top level domain)
• Open public process to challenge registration of a gTLD and auction if multiple applicants
• Broad terms such as .food could be awarded to government regulatory agencies such as the USDA
• Unknown how users will respond to new domains

The Opportunity:

This new offering makes a lot of sense for global brands (Coke, Apple, etc.). Equal opportunists are brands that have many sub brands/divisions that desire to great a stronger connection with the parent company. A perfect example that comes to mind is Hoover (Empower client). While Hoover is synonymous with quality vacuums, today they have products that cover air quality, hardwood floors, etc. that could benefit greatly from sharing with consumers that they too carry Hoover quality through a .hoover domain.

Brand / Security Risks:

Many brands are potentially concerned about the thought of any organization buying their .brand domain. Based on current public statements regarding process and the opportunity to challenge a gTLD registration, this should not be an offering that should keep brand marketers up at night.

Next Steps:

If there is a clear brand strategy that will allow you to create a better relationship between your brand and your consumers using this new offering, go for it. But without a clear strategy – we suggest to sit out on this opportunity. More than likely this offering is best suited for existing domain registrars (GoDaddy) who would turn around and sell these domains to brands or individuals.