How cool would it be to have your company name as a top level domain?  Pretty cool – right?  Before I go any further, I should make sure we’re all on the same page.  A top level domain is the root zone of your URL or email address like .com, .org, .net, etc. So you would have URLs like www.drink.pepsi or email addresses that end with @mail.pepsi.  Now I’ll ask the question again… how cool would it be to have your company name to be a top level domain?

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is accepting up to 500 applications for purchase of top level domains.  These available slots are referred to as “Generic Top Level Domains” but they are anything but generic. Brands can apply for their own top level domain opening up a greater space for customization and ownership of second level domains.

Many believe it could be an incredible opportunity for strengthening a brand, which I tend to agree.  But how long will it take to pay off?  The cost just to apply for one is $185K and that doesn’t include the internal costs to prepare the application!  Early adopters will probably get the greatest amount of exposure from a branded top level domain, but it may take 10 years for the general public to understand and adapt.