ICANN’s introduction of new gTLDs has flipped our industry on its head introducing new choice to the market. CIRA must keep our unique place within this environment.
This month, I was appointed to the co-chair position of CENTR’s ccTLD marketing working group, a role I enthusiastically embrace. It’s an interesting time to be at the forefront of the ccTLD community. We are at a critical point in the development of our industry as we move from an operational and policy focus to a more market and customer driven industry.
Many industries have previously moved through this life-cycle change, resulting in disruptive innovation and the development of new marketing strategies and tactics. In our case, the catalyst for this change is the introduction of hundreds of new gTLDs and the introduction of new technologies that provide substitutes for the historical domain and website combination.
ICANN’s introduction of new gTLDs has flipped our industry on its head. Our historically stable market is undergoing unprecedented change. This move has introduced new choice to the market, creating opportunities for both domain industry entrepreneurs and those looking for unique or personalized extensions. We need to find and keep our unique place within this environment.
There are more than 500 new gTLDs now available. For customers, this means the path from an idea to domain choice is fundamentally different today than it was two years ago.
Helping individuals and businesses find their homes online and navigating this new domain landscape is a key role for domain marketers.
Country code domains have a privileged role to play in this process. We collectively represent the national online ambitions of our respective geographies and need to take care to ensure our constituents’ voices are not lost in a complex online environment. ccTLDs offer a credible and widely-respected option in a market which is becoming more confusing, even alien, to the average customer.
This privileged position is key source of ccTLD strength. I embrace the role that .CA plays in reflecting Canadian values online. So much of what makes .CA powerful and unique is its link to Canada, and I look forward to sharing some of our best practice experiences through my work at CENTR.
At the core of .CA’s competitive success is providing exceptional customer service for Canadians. We’ve grown to a sustainable position, with 2.3 million domains under management. We also continue to report growth in an increasingly competitive market. With limitless domain choice, brand affinity and trust are important differentiators for our customers and are a key part of .CA’s marketing focus. My peers in the ccTLD community can similarly embrace “credibility” as a key part of their offerings.
But ccTLDs cannot succeed on the power of their brands alone. At .CA we’re launching new products and responding to our customers’ evolving need for Internet solutions. We’re translating our expertise in DNS, cybersecurity and online services into opportunities for new sources of revenue. We’re working to create safe, secure and stable spaces online that reflect the interests of the countries and geographies we represent. We’ve been anything but complacent in the face of 500+ new competitors.
At .CA we believe strongly that we can continue to win in this competitive market. We also believe that we must lead with purpose, supporting the development of the Internet in Canada and abroad. We’ve committed millions to not-for-profit projects in our country that work to build an inclusive, just, and vibrant Internet community. Every registration supports this work. We look beyond our next sales goal, to reflect and perpetuate strong Canadian communities. This social mandate is part of the culture of ccTLDs.
As co-chair of the working group, I’m looking forward to driving this conversation at CENTR, at the same time harnessing the knowledge of colleagues from ccTLDs around the world. Collectively, we will navigate the nuances of a rapidly changing domain industry.
David Fowler is the director of marketing and communications at .CA. David is responsible for driving growth of the .CA and leading the .CA Community Investment Program.
David apporte à l’ensemble des activités de marketing des produits, de communication d’entreprise et de relations communautaires de CIRA une profusion d’expérience du leadership stratégique, de la réalisation de programmes et de l’établissement de partenariats. C’est en 2008 qu’il est entré au service de CIRA en qualité de directeur du marketing et des communications. Depuis, au fil de la croissance et de la transformation de l’organisation, son rôle s’est enrichi de responsabilités plus vastes et stratégiques. David a joué un rôle essentiel dans le positionnement de CIRA et du domaine .CA sur le marché. En effet, il a élaboré des programmes de marketing grâce auxquels le .CA demeure l’un des domaines de premier niveau traditionnels dont la croissance est la plus rapide dans le monde, résistant à la tendance au sein de l’industrie. Il a aussi supervisé la mise en œuvre du Programme d’investissement communautaire de CIRA, son programme phare, qui remet chaque année un million de dollars à des organismes communautaires sans but lucratif ou à des établissements de recherche dont les projets renforcent Internet au Canada.
Au-delà de CIRA, David s’investit dans le secteur mondial des domaines à titre de vice-président du groupe de travail sur le marketing du CENTR ainsi qu’en qualité de membre du conseil de HabiloMédias, un organisme offrant des ressources éducatives conçues pour améliorer la littératie numérique à l’échelle canadienne.
Avant son arrivée à CIRA, David occupait le poste de directeur du marketing de la Monnaie royale canadienne où il a mis en œuvre de nouvelles stratégies de marketing qui ont impulsé la croissance, notamment le programme de la monnaie olympique de 2010. En matière de marketing, David a aussi assumé des responsabilités croissantes à la Société canadienne des postes, de même que dans le secteur privé au service de marques mondiales, dont La Compagnie Quaker Oats, RBC et Calvin Klein.
