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The gTLD Metamorphosis

Naseem Javed - 8/16/2011

The cocooned GTLD has started to spread its wings, soon it will show its color and become a butterfly. The well guarded fuzzy and slow progress has finally put some real power in the most anticipated metamorphosis but the world still
awaits for some flying maneuvers. To start, mother ICANN has tried very hard to come to this stage.

It seems that mainstream global brands, their leading ad agencies, major laws firms protecting their complex intellectual property portfolios and creative services need to come forward and share in the showdown. So far the coyest debate
and borderline fear mongering mostly about flooded squatting, trademark defense posturing need such mythical notions a head on collision with factual issues of name identity marketability and suitability by gTLDs. The markets need point by point clarity to settle the confusion.

The conference events on gTLD have started and that's excellent, but they have to build momentumand higher frequency as the world is a very large stage and few gatherings of often the same people and same topics will not make a dent.
After the big announcement by ICANN in June followed by few thousands news items have gone quiet while corporations and senior management worldwide have no idea what just happened.

A quick survey of top senior marketing executives in North America by AARM http://www.aarm.org points to "only 2% executives having some very limited or somewhat confusing ideas without any reasonable understanding of what a gTLD is all about." While the other current buzz in the internet columns, blogs and media is that it's a $187K money grab, threat to mega Trademarks and will flood cyber-squatting. How wrong.

On the legal front IBLS http://www.ibls.com also did some research and found that legal practitioners trying hard to find simple approach to connect potential customers with highly suitable gTLD opportunities but missing out on any serious response. On the global naming complexities of branding AZNA http://azna.com is also providing Executive Intelligence Briefing on such matters.

The lack of understanding of what a GTLD is by the corporate world the main problem. By and large a very small group within the Internet technocrats and ICANN related services, domainers playing with the domain after markets and domain name registries that deal with highly competitive pricing for basic domain name registrations are all positively engaged. The sum total of all these people if measured in tens of thousands is still an insignificant number to this serious global marketing issue poised to get the attention of hundreds of millions of businesses out there.


How fast will this cocoon hatch, how soon will it spread its wings and show off its real colors? It all depends on the spot lighted fast track orientation and most importantly when gTLD based models would demonstrate real global cyber branding and create new image expansion opportunities. The biggest surprise for the corporate world would be the sudden realization that there is no more room to file or their dream names have been already taken as the window in the first round close. For the right players with right combinations these will be the biggest shocks and very major marketing setbacks.


Naseem Javed is recognized as a world authority on global naming complexities. He is currently helping corporations on ICANN's new gTLD cyber-platforms and lecturing on corporate nomenclature frontiers and global cyber-branding. Naseem is also conducting series of exclusive webinars on how to evaluate and achieve iconic name status worldwide. http://www.abcnamebank.com