Why Some Brands Still Don’t Use Their DotBrand TLDs — And Why That May Be About to Change

In a world where customer trust hinges on authenticity and digital consistency, it's easy to assume that owning your own custom top-level domain—like .brandname instead of .com—would be a no-brainer for modern enterprises. So why is it that, more than a decade after ICANN opened the door to brand TLDs, many companies still leave them largely unused?

To understand this paradox, I reached out to a few of the world's most respected tech anthropologists and behavioral scientists. One of them, known for deep explorations into how networks of humans and non-humans co-produce knowledge and systems of trust, offered an unusually lucid take on the digital branding hesitations of the corporate world.

At the same time, a new study published by AFNIC (France’s .fr registry) revealed something many have long suspected: most consumers still don’t know what a .brand TLD is. But once they understand it, they overwhelmingly see it as a sign of authenticity, security, and official status.

So, are we on the brink of a DotBrand renaissance?

A Decade of Dormancy: The Curious Case of the Unused Brand TLDs Back in 2012, giants like Google, BMW, and Microsoft snapped up their own custom top-level domains. The idea was visionary: escape the overcrowded .com namespace and build a walled garden where your brand could own every inch of the digital street. No typo-squatting. No phishing. No brand confusion.

Yet most of these brand TLDs sat idle—curiously absent from marketing campaigns, homepage URLs, or even subdomains.

The Reddit thread I came across recently captured the tone perfectly: “Why do companies register private TLDs but never use them?” The top comment speculated, “It’s like buying land for a house you never build.”

To find answers, I turned to the experts.

What Does It Mean to Trust a URL? When I spoke with a respected philosopher of science and technology, I asked why people are slow to embrace new domain formats—even when they’re objectively more secure.

"The trust people place in URLs is not technical—it’s performative," the expert explained. "It’s a ritual. People trust .com not because it’s secure, but because it’s familiar. Introducing a .brand TLD breaks that ritual—unless the brand educates and guides them."

In essence, the psychology of web navigation is not about logical structure. It’s about repetition, habit, and perceived norms. DotBrand domains—like support.microsoft or a4.audi—look unusual at first glance, but that’s only because we’re not yet trained to expect them.

The Afnic Survey: A Quiet Revelation The Afnic survey—perhaps the most in-depth quantitative look at DotBrand perception in years—showed that:

Only 19% of consumers could spontaneously identify a brand TLD. Yet once explained, 77% said it would increase their trust in a brand. And over 65% said they’d feel more confident clicking a link that ended in a .brand.

In other words, awareness is the gap, not utility.

“This isn’t a technical adoption problem,” said one branding strategist I contacted. “It’s a storytelling problem.”

Why Brands Might Finally Make the Move Here’s what’s changed: consumer awareness of online scams and phishing is at an all-time high. The average user now double-checks links. They question weird-looking domains.

In this climate, a clean, official-looking domain like login.brand suddenly feels more reassuring than brand-login.com.

In fact, the psychology of expectation and familiarity may be turning in DotBrand’s favor. As more brands use their TLDs for internal tools, campaigns, and even storefronts (like surface.microsoft), a new ritual may be forming.

What We Learned from the Human Behavior Experts When we spoke to several behavioural economists and cognitive psychologists, a theme emerged: people learn trust visually.

How Will DotBRAND Adoption Look Like?

“Once you see a few major banks or airlines using .brand, your brain starts to rewire,” said one expert from a behavioral science lab. “You begin to expect others to follow suit. And not seeing a DotBrand URL may start to feel off.”

This presents an unusual branding opportunity: early adopters can set the norm.

Just as the first mobile-friendly websites reaped disproportionate rewards, so too might the next wave of DotBrand pioneers.

Applying for a Brand TLD in the Next ICANN Round With the next ICANN New gTLD Application Round expected in 2026, the window is opening. For companies wondering how to book a custom TLD, the process is no longer a mystery.

There are now consultants, like Dotup and NewgTLDProgram.com, offering step-by-step assistance—from building the application to navigating ICANN's stringent technical and policy requirements.

And the costs? Much lower than a brand might expect. Especially when weighed against the marketing spend needed to stand out in .com land.

The Path Forward: From Curiosity to Competency The digital branding future isn’t .com or .net. It’s brand. DotBRAND Top Level Domain

It’s intuitive, memorable, and—when used well—more secure than legacy URLs. The challenge is no longer the technology or the availability. It’s the will to commit and the patience to train consumers.

But if we’ve learned anything from social media handles, mobile apps, or QR codes, it’s this: once people get something, they expect everyone to do it.

DotBrand domains are poised for that shift. The question is: will your company be one of the leaders, or one of the latecomers?

About Author

This post is written by Venkatesh Venkatasubramanian, a domain name strategist and founder of NewgTLDProgram.com. With over a decade of experience helping brands navigate ICANN processes, Venkatesh specializes in DotBrand TLDs and registrar consulting. He’s worked with global businesses, startups, and digital-first brands to rethink how domain names can be used—not just owned. His focus is simple: get companies to stop playing defense with their domains and start building something bold.

If your brand is considering a DotBrand domain but unsure how to make it work strategically, that’s where we come in. At NewgTLDProgram.com, we don’t just guide you through the ICANN application—we help you turn your DotBrand into a digital asset that builds trust, enhances security, and puts your brand front and center. Whether you’re a global enterprise or a growing challenger, we help you move from passive ownership to purposeful use. Let’s make your DotBrand work for you.

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