The top-level domain (TLD) “DUNLOP” or .dunlop is a branded domain extension of the tire manufacturing company Dunlop. It was delegated to Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, the parent of Dunlop, by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) in Sept 2016 as part of its new gTLD (generic top-level domain) program, which allowed businesses and organizations worldwide to apply for customized TLDs for their unique brands. The source of this information can be found in ICANN’s TLD database.
The .dunlop TLD provides a dedicated cyber space for the British tire manufacturer Dunlop, which is part of the Goodyear family of companies. It allows the brand to differentiate its online presence from others, improving online marketing strategies and enhancing the customer digital experience. Badges could be: “www.tires.dunlop,” “www.shop.dunlop,” or “www.corporate.dunlop.”
TLDs are like distinctive namespaces on the internet and come in three types: country-code TLDs (ccTLDs, e.g., .uk, .us, .fr), generic TLDs (gTLDs, e.g., .com, .org, .net), and branded TLDs (e.g., .dunlop, .google, .apple). Owned by companies, branded TLDs have only been available since 2012, when ICANN opened the internet’s addressing system to increase innovation and competition.
Dunlop’s TLD, .dunlop, falls into this third category, giving the tire manufacturer-exclusive control over the domain, providing a secure platform for customers and partners, limiting cyber squatters, and improving search engine optimization (SEO).
To date, .dunlop is not available for public registration as Goodyear uses it exclusively for its own needs. This information is given on the TLD-list website, a search engine for checking the availability of different TLDs and their registration rules.
However, the use of branded TLDs is becoming increasingly popular among brands to bolster online identity and customer trust. For instance, Barclays launched .barclays and .barclaycard to eliminate domains that could be used by phishing attacks or scams, while Google uses .google, .youtube, and .android to highlight its various services.
In conclusion, .dunlop is a branded top-level domain owned by Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, offering unique digital benefits to the Dunlop tire brand. It is part of ICANN’s new gTLD program that revolutionized the internet namespace landscape by providing opportunities for businesses to create their dedicated TLDs.
Sources:
1. ICANN TLD database
2. TLD-List
