The .barclays Dot
Brand
Barclays
Bank PLC is a major financial services provider operating in more than
50 countries. The bank is engaged in personal banking, credit cards,
corporate & investment banking and wealth & investment management.
As a big
player in the financial services industry, security is obviously of
paramount importance to Barclays Bank. The level of trust and security
possible by strictly controlling the .barclays domain extension is recognised
by the bank and their application states that "...vulnerabilities
to Internet users accessing .barclays websites can be eliminated."
Barclays
anticipates that a new level of trust and confidence on the internet
will develop from the use of brand domains like .barclays and those
of other companies using dot brands. They even go so far as to describe
their TLD as an "Internet 'lighthouse' ".
By prohibiting
other registrants from the space, all sorts of fraud and online crime
can be prevented. This is in the public interest.
The mission/purpose
of the .barclays TLD is to provide an authoritative, intuitive and
cohesive communications channel to Barclays Bank PLC... through its
globally-recognised Barclays brand...
Innovation
differentiates Barclays Bank from its competitors as it strives to
address the changing needs of its customers. Barclays Bank's plans
in relation to the .barclays TLD are an important aspect of this innovation...
(the
TLD) ...will provide an innovative and flexible digital space that
is able to rapidly adapt to accommodate the digital needs of Barclays
Bank within a constantly evolving online space.
Barclays
believes that its new "clear and logical" branded domains
will help to enhance its reputation for leadership and online innovation.
The bank believes that its planned innovation program, such as in online
service, will increase trust in the TLD, generate public interest, and
ultimately promote competition on the web. Surveys will be conducted
to assess progress. "An additional benefit to Barclays Bank will
be in furthering its existing reputation as a global leader of the financial
services industry."
The bank
is envisioning migrating their existing content over to the .barclays
TLD. They will likely proceed cautiously, with a watchful eye both on
consumer interest and on the activities of corporations in many industries.
Barclays
Bank sees the .barclays TLD as a unique opportunity to transition
its existing Barclays domain name portfolio and online presence to
an authoritative, dedicated, and trusted online space that is clearly,
concisely and relevantly named. Customers – current and prospective
– will be able to interact with Barclays Bank with confidence.
Barclays
aims to build both its brand and the reputation of its TLD. Marketing
campaigns are already being considered. "The TLD will allow key
products and marketing campaigns to be supported by shorter and more
relevant domains names that are easy to remember."
External
Barclays Bank marketing campaigns will include the .barclays TLD and
drive traffic to .barclays websites.
Brand
building will be achieved through the organic usage and replacement
of the existing domain name portfolio and incorporation of .barclays
into existing global and directed marketing in order to influence
consumers. Once established, the TLD's reputation will serve as a
springboard for efforts to promote the TLD, facilitating its mission/purpose...
...the
.barclays TLD will be introduced as the primary online destination
for high profile advertising activity within pre-selected market and
geographic segments. This will drive end-user utilisation and begin
the process of behavioural change within the target audience.
 Geographic
Dot Brands
Barclays
acknowledges that country names are currently reserved from registration
under the Registry Agreement. The issue of country domains like Italy.barclays
is mentioned since it may be important in the future. "We understand
that if we wish to release the reserved names at a later date, this
will require agreement from the relevant government/s or review by the
GAC, and subsequent approval from ICANN."
Possible .barclays
Brand Domains
Bank.barclays
Loans.barclays
Finance.barclays
CreditCard.barclays
Cash.barclays
WealthManagement.barclays
Locations.barclays
London.barclays
BankAccounts.barclays (specifically named in the application)
HomeInsurance.barclays (specifically named)
The promotion
of .barclays-based websites will also provide an efficient marketing
model that encompasses both brand and product. This is a far more
efficient marketing approach than that currently employed – usage
of existing TLDs and ccTLDs which are neither product or brand-related.
A key point.
BRAND + PRODUCT.
Notes
Brand
names mentioned on this site are registered trademarks or trademarks
of their respective corporations. This site claims no association
with or endorsement by any of these corporations and their marks are
mentioned only to illustrate opinion presented in the public interest.
All quotations
on this page are from the respective companies' official ICANN brand
TLD applications unless otherwise stated.
Many possible
theoretical dot brands are mentioned (in English). There are also countless
possibilities in other languages. This has significant potential value
for international navigation.
This site
is focused on reporting the strategic impact of the brand domains on
internet communication, competition and commerce, and some comment is
speculative.
It is not
a comprehensive overview of what some of the world's largest corporations
have chosen to reveal about their plans for the implementation of their
proprietary domain strings.
ICANN is
particularly concerned with the technical, financial, security and legal
issues associated with the new TLDs. These issues are beyond the scope
of this website.
For a comprehensive
overview of the brand domains and their impact on the web, refer to
ICANN's website and the individual applications (large parts of which
are publicly published).
If you
have a particular interest in an individual company, the public aspects
of their applications are available for download via these ICANN links:
You can also search a complete list of applicants there.
ICANN
new gTLD applications
ICANN
official website
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