The Dot BigBang is coming Here s what you need to know
What is The Dot BigBang? Quite simply, it s the biggest shake-up since the internet began. The release of more than 1,000 new gtlds means your website won t have to be a dot com or dot biz or dot org anymore it can be a dot whatever you like. This is the beginning of a new digital landscape. It gives your brand the opportunity to grow its digital footprint and to build a domain portfolio that works for you. Dot place, dot trend, dot industry, dot meme dot allsorts. They are up for grabs. This guide will tell you everything you need to know, and what to do about it to make sure you get there first. 1 The Dot BigBang is coming 2
A quick history lesson Before So what s happened so far? Initial application process: A total of 1,930 gtlds were applied for, of which one-third were for a specific brand, e.g.nike. Scheduling releases: The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) announced a staggered gtld release over the next three years. Duplicate competition: Many brands pounced on the same gtlds there were more than six vying for.app. Drop-outs and duplications have allowed ICANN to reduce the number down to just over 1,200. In with controversy in 2011 3 The Dot BigBang is coming 4
The opportunities for your brand Increase flexibility and control over your corporate image online, your naming strategy, and your partners, suppliers and customers. Greater command over your online presence, regarding costs, intellectual property and technical control. Enhance your internal and external communications with a stronger point of interest. Justify your current online presence, including your domain and trademark portfolios. Generate significant revenues through the registration and renewal of domain names. Sector focused.shop,.fashion, or.luxury, for example can help consumers associate your brand with a specific area of expertise. Innovative Suffixes such as.rocks and.ninja can provide a talking point for consumers. So what are your new domain options? Dot moves Have your domain prefix and suffix form one word for striking and memorable domain names e.g. net.names. Location based Appeal to groups defined by location or language, with suffixes like.london or.christians. Organised gtlds like.contact can create separate sites or sub-sites for visitors looking for particular topics. Consumer trusted gtlds such as yourbrand.secure can demonstrate high levels of security, build consumer trust and help verify your online identity. 5 The Dot BigBang is coming 6
But beware... As with your current domain portfolio, new gtlds bring a raft of new threats to your brand online. Brand damage Disgruntled customers can damage your brand by registering domains such as yourbrand.sucks or yourbrand.reviews. Fraud Phishing attacks are on the up and new gtlds, for example yourbrand.group and yourbrand.shop, could be bought up and used by criminals. Counterfeiting The opportunity is rife for thousands of sites to sell replicas of your goods, through domains like yourbrand.shop and yourbrand.discount. Brand Damage Fraud Counterfeiting Overview gtlds which present risk of brand damage from registration by disgruntled consumers gtlds which could be used as reputable confirmation of identity in a phishing attack gtlds which could be used for the sale of counterfeit goods Current examples yourbrandsucks.com yourbrand.xxx yourbrandlogin.tk login.com/yourbrand yourbrandcheap.co yourbrandsave.cn High risk TLDs.sucks.gripe.exposed.safety.reviews.adult.porn.group.solutions.online.finance.credit.institute.shop.deal.discount.save (fashion) (shop) 7 The Dot BigBang is coming 8
The Trademark Clearinghouse ICANN has set up the Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH) to help brands be aware during the gtld scramble. Acting as a single database of authenticated registered trademarks, TMCH will inform brands if anyone is trying to register a trademarked domain name during the pre-registration launch period known as the sunsrise period. The NetNames approach We re dedicated to keeping you One Step Ahead, and our three key services will ensure that your business gets the most from The Dot BigBang: Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH) Services: We will register your current trademarks and notify you if anybody tries to register a domain using them (or similar matches). Unlike the TMCH, we also offer 24x7 monitoring under all phases of registry operations. Dot Strategy Report: We will recommend the most suitable new gtlds to register and buy the chosen domains for you. Dot monitoring services: We will look out for any registered domains that infringe your brand, and we ll inform you on which domains your competitors are registering. 9 The Dot BigBang is coming 10
Introducing the NetNames Dot Strategy Engine Our unique engine combines data from public sources and our own systems to devise a customised Dot Strategy that s just right for your brand online. Current domain portfolio List of actively registered domains Data from NetNames systems Trademark list List of Madrid System international trademarks Data from WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organisation) Customer details Additional info on geographic/sector focus, key strings etc Qualitative assessment by NetNames Account Manager Suggested TMCH trademark registrations. Dot Strategy Engine Suggested new gtld registrations. Time and resource allocation. Suggested TMCH registrations Registration strategy Suggested gtld domain registrations Change in portfolio and cost with time 11 The Dot BigBang is coming 12
About NetNames With more than 350 employees worldwide, NetNames is Europe s largest domain name management and online brand protection specialist. Headquartered in London, with additional offices in Cambridge, Copenhagen, Munich, New York, Oslo, Paris, Santa Monica, Stockholm and Zurich NetNames focuses on keeping brands one step ahead online. Get in touch Contact a NetNames gtld expert now and we ll run the Dot Strategy Engine and produce your customised Dot Strategy Report. Visit www.gtld.com 13 The Dot BigBang is coming 14