1- What services are you offering?
As a neutral consultant in the TLD industry, we provide comprehensive support throughout the entire TLD lifecycle, including feasibility studies and market analyses, application preparation and submission, day-to-day operations, and strategic marketing services.
Our expertise covers all TLD categories, from dotBrands and geoTLDs to open gTLDs, ensuring that each registry maximizes its potential in the digital namespace.
We help clients select the most suitable backend operators, registrars, and service providers based on their unique requirements and strategic goals, ensuring vendor-independent advice.
Our expertise is backed by extensive industry research and analysis, including our annual studies on Digital City Brands and Digital Company Brands (see links in the appendix below).
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2- What are the use cases for operating a top-level domain (TLD)?
From protecting corporate identities through dotBrands to fostering regional communities with geoTLDs, each TLD category offers distinct opportunities aligned with specific organizational objectives.
A dotBrand TLD offers companies enhanced brand protection, security, and innovative digital experiences. It provides complete control over the namespace, eliminates cybersquatting, phishing, and unauthorized use of the brand online. By owning a dotBrand, companies ensure that only authorized entities can register domains under the TLD, significantly reducing security risks and protecting customer trust.
A geoTLD enables cities and regions to strengthen their digital identity and enhance local community engagement, creating a sense of belonging for residents and businesses. A geoTLD can serve as powerful tool for economic development and tourism promotion, or simply as platforms for civic pride and regional branding. Whether operated with a revenue focus or as a community service, geoTLDs help establish a unique digital presence that distinguishes a location in the global marketplace.
An open gTLD can create new business opportunities through targeted market positioning and clear differentiation strategies. These TLDs require a solid business case with well-defined target audiences and compelling value propositions to compete effectively in the domain market. Success depends on establishing strong registrar relationships, implementing innovative marketing approaches, and potentially serving niche communities or industries that benefit from specialized namespace solutions.
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3- Which lessons from the 2012 round are the most important to remember in order to avoid mistakes in 2026?
We noticed that successful applicants allocated sufficient time for preparation, as the application process is more complex and time-consuming than many applicants typically anticipated. A long-term strategic vision is essential – applicants should define clear goals and use cases before investing in a TLD.
For dotBrand applicants, involving stakeholders from their legal, IT, marketing, and security department early ensures comprehensive planning. The 2012 round revealed that successful dotBrand operators prioritized internal adoption and concrete use cases over vanity projects, integrating their TLD into core business operations like secure communications and authentication services. Many applicants underestimated the organizational change management required, with the most successful brands securing executive sponsorship and cross-departmental buy-in early.
geoTLD applicants benefit from thought-through needs assessment of their local community, particularly when determining product and pricing strategies, as well as eligibility requirements. We strongly recommend establishing registrar partnerships and distribution channels well in advance to support a seamless launch. Additionally, lessons from 2012 show that successful geoTLD operators maintain continuous community engagement and demonstrate clear value propositions for local businesses and residents.
For generic TLD applicants, a clear market positioning and differentiation strategy is critical from the outset, as the open marketplace is highly competitive. Lessons from 2012 show that successful generic TLDs identified specific target audiences or niche communities rather than attempting to compete broadly with established extensions like .com. Building strong registrar relationships early, developing compelling marketing narratives, and establishing unique selling propositions proved essential for gaining market traction and achieving sustainable registration volumes.
4- Why is choosing the right backend provider essential for a new gTLD applicant?
The registry backend must operate flawlessly 24/7, as any technical failures directly impact contractual compliance with ICANN. An experienced backend provider brings essential technical expertise in secure infrastructure management – for example, a background in cybersecurity operations.
Additionally, providers who actively participate in international technical forums like ITU and IETF working groups can implement new DNS security and functionality standards as they emerge, ensuring your registry remains compliant and competitive. Being at the front of new standards ensures your registry benefits from cutting-edge innovations in DNS security and performance.
Equally important is the legal and regulatory framework governing your backend provider’s operations, as this impacts data sovereignty, privacy compliance, and your ability to meet contractual obligations with ICANN. Selecting a provider in a jurisdiction with robust legal protections and clear regulatory standards helps mitigate risks and ensures alignment with international best practices.
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5- How do you help registries innovate beyond just selling domains (e.g., closed brand TLDs, city/community TLDs, DNS use cases beyond the web)?
For dotBrands, we support internal project teams in developing innovative use cases across the organization, from secure email authentication to IoT device naming. Our expertise with dotBrand projects helps companies explore DNS-based solutions for internal systems. But also for external usage like customer touchpoints, ensuring the TLD becomes a strategic asset rather than just a defensive registration.
Community TLDs benefit from our knowledge of how to maintain continuous engagement with local stakeholders, e.g., by leveraging testimonials and success stories to drive adoption. We can facilitate connections between community leaders, local businesses, and cultural organizations to create authentic narratives that resonate with target audiences and demonstrate tangible value.
Our geoTLDs customers benefit from our experience as registry operator for .berlin and .hamburg in developing localized marketing strategies and sales channels. Our hands-on operational insights enable us to share proven approaches for balancing civic identity with commercial viability, and for building lasting relationships with local registrars and resellers.
Our customers with open TLDs value our guidance on crafting powerful positioning, clear unique selling propositions, and compelling communication strategies to stand out in a competitive marketplace. We help identify underserved niches, develop targeted go-to-market strategies, and create differentiation that resonates with both registrars and end users.
6- What advice do you give clients about dealing with non-ICANN-regulated domains (blockchain/Web3 TLDs)?
We advise clients to carefully evaluate blockchain-based domains as complementary rather than replacement solutions for traditional TLDs, as they still lack universal browser support and remain outside the established DNS infrastructure. While Web3 domains offer interesting possibilities for decentralized identity and cryptocurrency integration, they present technical barriers for mainstream users and limited compatibility with existing Internet standards. However, organizations should monitor this evolving space and consider experimental projects. For the time being, we recommend to maintain their core digital presence on ICANN-regulated TLDs to ensure accessibility, reliability, and legal protections that blockchain domains cannot yet guarantee.
Explore the new gTLD Provider Directory and connect with trusted providers: https://international.eco.de/topics/names-numbers/new-gtld-provider-directory/
https://dotzon.consulting/studien/
https://circleid.com/posts/dotzon-study-digital-city-brands-2025
https://circleid.com/posts/dotzon-study-digital-company-brands-2024
