Staking a claim on the dotbrand frontier: A brand perspective

In 2013, the bedrock of the internet's naming structure — the dotcom — will be shaken to its core as generic Top-Level Domains (gLTDs) are allowed to begin existing under a far more liberalised naming convention. For brands, opting whether to simply be themselves on the web — pepsi.cola without the familiar ‘.com’ suffix at the tail, for instance — through an expensive, detailed registration process should be a highly individualised decision that is far different from the necessity of simply being present on the web. Chiefly, opportunity in the dotbrand realm will exist first for brands with robust digital strategies already in place. Those aspiring to a streamlined, more cohesive structure on the web could find a smart investment in a gLTD. Others might harness the new freedom to lease personalised URLs with their corporate or brand suffixes attached (.eBay, as an example). In addition, a gLTD could be the right tonic also for a fragmented master brand, driving equity back to the parent. For most, however, a wait-and-see approach will be best. Cautionary tales abound in consumer-brand relationships, with sudden, top-down shifts often met with irritation or outright mutiny. Moreover, a trend toward URL shortening, propelled by the advent of mobile, reduces the importance of a root address.