The last couple of years has seen the introduction of over 1,000 Top Level Domain name registries. Where once there was .com and .co.uk, now there’s .news, .xyz, .guru and .club. You may also have seen how global businesses from Apple to Yandex have laid claim to their own home on the internet by establishing their own dot brand registry. Now there are over 500 dotbrands like .barclays, .sky and .microsoft in operation.

We’re seeing new digital strategies from the market leaders, with some businesses like BNP Paribas and Weir Group transferring their whole web infrastructure to their new dot brand domains. We’re seeing others testing the market and setting up specific microsites under their dot brands and yet others who have yet to place content in their space. Although still only in the early stages of roll out, all are learning just how they might steal a march on their competitors and create their own protected brand space on the internet.

Why apply for a dot brand?

• To create a new digital home for your brand
• To protect your intellectual property
• To provide a better user experience, more customer centric design and task-orientated navigation
• To build a platform for innovation
• To communicate more effectively under one globally applicable master brand
• To enhance security and stability through greater direct control of a commerce-critical asset

If you can see the potential of a gTLD for your market then you need to partner with the experts. Valideus supplies strategic consulting and application management services to applicants participating in ICANN’s New gTLD Program.

• We coordinated the drafting and filing of over 120 applications, 18% of the total submitted by brands in Round One.
• During ‘round one’ of the new gTLD applications, we managed 73 out of 75 applications that were awarded the maximum score of 100% from ICANN evaluators.
• We have helped validate registrants to ensure the right people got the right names during some of the most sensitive community launches, such as .london, .wales, and .amsterdam.
• We provide restricted registries validation services to ensure that domains only go to verified community members in specific domains including .law, .cfd, .spreadbetting, and .tickets.
• We provide launch consultancy and Front End Registry Management, the day-to-day management of registries after launch.