Launching your own dotBrand TLD: best practices based on experience

The last Cercle des .marque (BrandTLD Club) meeting organised by Afnic, bringing together pioneering companies that have already launched their own Top-Level Domain and companies hoping to do so during the next round of gTLD applications, drew out several key lessons learned from hands-on experience of the first ICANN round and their operation in the years since.

Launching a dotBrand TLD is not just a technical exercise or about acquiring a new digital asset. It is a developmental project and a long-term undertaking that requires method, pedagogy and internal alignment.

1. Don't pitch a dotBrand as just a “slice of the Internet”

One common mistake companies make is presenting the idea of a dotBrand as simply buying a piece of the Internet. Although it might seem to paint the right portrait, it tends to be a relatively ineffective argument when it comes to winning over IT, cybersecurity, legal or finance departments.

A dotBrand is in fact a cross-functional project that encompasses different aspects: cybersecurity, innovation, digital trust, marketing, sovereignty, SEO, intellectual property and domain name governance. You need to adapt the pitch to each internal audience, emphasising the benefits directly relevant to each.

2. Generate internal support and factor in timing

The ICANN timeline is a major constraint: the application rounds for the creation of new top-level domains (TLDs) are open for limited periods and only come about every ten years or so. Between preparing the application, gaining internal approval and ensuring take-up by the teams, time is a key factor.

It is essential to generate support in advance, to explain why a dotBrand is a strategic asset nowadays and to not let the project fall onto the back burner. This phase requires multiple in-house discussions in order to ensure a mature and robust project.

3. Involve general management from the get-go

Applying for a dotBrand means entering into a ten-year commitment with ICANN. The associated budgets are substantial, but the value created is long-lasting.

Which means that the outcome will be determined by the involvement of general management. Beyond budget trade-offs, it is a question of bringing a strategic vision to the project, ensureing its continuity and lasting impact and establishing a dotBrand as a business asset in its own right, rather than simply an isolated initiative.

4. A simple analogy to explain the value of a dotBrand

The real estate analogy is still one of the most effective when it comes to explaining a dotBrand to your company’s teams. .com can be compared to an open environment, where the company is a tenant of a space shared with other actors with varying intentions. A dotBrand, on the other hand, can be compared to a secure, demarcated plot of land, which is fully owned by the company.

This comparison clearly highlights three mainstays of a dotBrand: security, control and the trust placed in a brand.

5. Adapt your arguments to each department

For the finance department, for example, it’s not just about cost. You also want to talk about value creation, brand recognition, potential impact on conversion and online sales, and strategies to optimise the existing domain name portfolio.

For cybersecurity teams, a dotBrand gives an unprecedented level of control, at the highest level of the Internet addressing system. It allows for better perimeter control, reduced risks of spoofing and optimised use of certain technical data to enhance security.

For IT and operations, the main focus is often on complexity and integration. In practice, a dotBrand can be managed under existing tools and processes, alongside other TLDs, without any major upheaval.

For marketing and communication, a dotBrand is a powerful source of authenticity. It allows you to use consistent and easily understandable URLs, to reassure users and to complement existing measures in place to combat fake sites through proactive and positive communication.

Lastly, a dotBrand represents a limitless field of action for the legal and HR departments: strengthening trademark rights, securing relations with partners and franchisees, evolving uses of email addresses and employee assistance.

6. Pre-empt requirements and team up with competent partners

The next ICANN round will introduce several structural changes, particularly the requirement to register in advance with the TMCH (Trademark Clearinghouse) and to submit a valid SMD (Signed Marked Data)[1] file. These rules aim to simplify the process, but entail greater preparation.

One good practice is to seek out support to help you with your dotBrand application. Working with experienced actors helps structure internal communication, ensure you meet the prerequisite requirements and bring peace of mind to the launch of your dotBrand.

Conclusion

Operating a dotBrand TLD is all about digital governance, trust and differentiation, at a time when organisations are making the transition from a digital transformation to a digital acceleration phase. A dotBrand can only achieve its full potential when the entire company is brought on board and when it forms part of a long-term competitive vision.

[1] SMD: A digital document that proves that a company or any entity is a registered trademark owner and that they are also registered as such with the Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH).