Infographic: 54% of big brands intend to apply for a dot brand suffix
With less than a month left for companies and brands to apply for a dot brand suffix for their website, registry services provider Afilias has unveiled an infographic, looking at how many companies are planning to apply and their knowledge of the deadline.
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has said that expressions of interest must be in by 29 March, with the application window closing on 12 April.
Conducted by Vanson Bourne, the survey of 200 consumer-facing businesses with 3,000-10,000+ employees found that 82% are aware of the opportunity, with 54% of those “aware” companies intending to apply for a dot brand suffix. However, it was found that 47% were unaware of the deadline.
Roland LaPlante, Afilias CMO, said: “Unfortunately, many are unaware that there are less than four weeks left to apply, and this means that some may miss the boat. Given that tight timeline -- and no indication from ICANN as to when businesses will be able to again apply for a dot Brand domain -- companies need to act now.
“Brands that decide not to apply in this application round risk an indeterminate period of disadvantage against competitors who apply for their dot Brand domain. A dot Brand TLD offers companies more control over their online presence than ever before. A dot Brand also opens new possibilities for customer engagement and increased online security.”