Dot brand domains

Imagine being able to brand to the right of the dot in a domain name; sport.bbc or dealership.bentley. The opportunities of dot brands are endless. As one of the world’s largest domain name registries we’ve the right expertise to support companies in securing and using their own brand centric domain.

Put the focus on the brand, secure in the knowledge that Nominet will power the infrastructure.

The background

ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, launched the New generic Top Level Domain (TLD) Program in 2011, allowing organisations to apply to set up their own gTLDs. Nearly 2,000 applications were received. We have seen a range of types of gTLDs, such as:

Dot Brand gTLDs, where brands own their own TLD, e.g. .bentley, .bbc, .bradesco , .gucci, .barclays
Geographic gTLDs aimed at serving different regions, e.g. .london, .bayern, .wales, .paris
Professional gTLDs, catering for different professions, e.g. .marketing, .lawyer, .accountant, .photography

What is a Dot Brand?

For us, the big story is dot brands.

Organisations with their own branded TLDs have:

Ultimate control by owning their own part of the internet
An extra layer of IP protection
Increased security against trademark abuse
Competitive stand out and differentiation
Brand credibility and authenticity to customers

Why should organisations own their dot brand?

A dot brand provides incredible flexibility. By owning a dot brand, an organisation controls an entire branded corner of the internet, their own digital ecosystem. This allows them to register any domain name they like, to use in any way they like, and infuse more innovation, creativity, and security into their domain names and digital strategy.

Operating from a dot brand makes it more difficult for criminals to execute phishing scams. It’s easier for customers to spot and avoid emails from fake accounts. It also reassures customers of the authenticity of the site they are visiting.

How do organisations apply for their dot brands?

ICANN is expected to open another round of applications for dot brands in 2021. The process for the making an application can be lengthy, so make a start sooner rather than later.

If you’re a business with a client base that would benefit from reserving dot brands, find out more about becoming a partner or affiliate, so that you can offer them to your clients.

Find out more

More Information on DotBrands

The most powerful, trusted part of your domain name are the letters to the right of the dot. Why not own that trust with your own dot brand rather than putting it in the hands of a third party? Your brand is important to your customer journey; using it to the right of the dot makes you the authority. Anyone can have a website, only approved applicants can have a dot brand.

Having a dot brand offers additional security for you and your customers. You own the whole namespace so you can decide who can use your domain names, ensuring your branded registry remains free from cyber criminals and phishing sites.

You are in complete control of your own space. You can quickly spin up microsites, register and delete domains for your latest campaigns and be confident that any domain you choose is available, all because you own the namespace.

The introduction of dot brands is redefining the way the internet is used. Over 500 brands have secured theirs. Join the revolution, innovate in this space and be seen as cutting edge by your customers.

Many of your competitors don’t yet have their dotbrand – but that will change!

Access a rich pool of data currently only seen by internet registries such as .com. With your own registry you will gain valuable insight into customer behaviour. Identify if your customers are navigating to non-existent domains and gain richer insights than those offered by standard analytical tools. Use this to further enhance your customer journey and brand experience.

There are over 1,100 domain extensions available and that’s increasing. To protect your brand on all of them would be costly and time-consuming. You can now streamline your portfolio as your brand is protected through ownership of your own space.

Is your brand a surname or dictionary word? If so, others may create this as their own registry. Make sure you’re prepared and don’t miss out on securing your own piece of the internet.