The domain name “STATEFARM” comes under generic top-level domain (gTLD). Initially, gTLDs were limited to .com, .org, .net, .gov and a few others, but in 2012 the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) opened up the field to a wide range of new gTLDs. This development led to the creation of many brand-specific generic top-level domains such as .bmw, .google, .coke and .statefarm (Zimmerman, 2012).
State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, commonly known as State Farm, is a large group of insurance and financial services companies in the United States. The company owns the exclusive brand-specific gTLD “.statefarm”. The approval for this domain name was given by ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), the body responsible for coordinating the Domain Name System.
State Farm owns the rights to use this top-level domain to operate its websites for its many lines of service. State Farm was among the first wave of brands to apply for ownership of a brand-specific top-level domain for improved online brand recognition and security (Yoshitake, 2015). For example, a site such as insurance.statefarm takes users directly to State Farm’s insurance page, rather than requiring users to navigate through the company’s homepage.
Websites with a brand-specific top-level domain, like .statefarm, are thought to be more secure than traditional gTLDs, largely because they are fully controlled by the brand. This can decrease the chance of customers falling victim to phishing attacks since the possibility of someone successfully spoofing a .statefarm site is practically nil (Wallace, 2019).
To summarize, .statefarm is a brand-specific gTLD owned by State Farm Insurance Company and authorized by ICANN. Such domains increase brand recognition and improve online security for users visiting the sites.
Sources:
Zimmerman, A. (2012). ICANN Reveals New Internet Top-Level Domain Name Claims. Wall Street Journal.
(https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303410404577464882876857802)
Yoshitake, D. (2015). .brand domain names redefine the Internet. CIO.
(https://www.cio.com/article/2933457/brand-domain-names-redefine-the-internet.html)
Wallace, I. (2019). Brand-Name-Dot-Brand: The Impact of the New gTLDs on the Internet Domain Name Space. Centre for International Governance Innovation.
(https://www.cigionline.org/articles/brand-name-dot-brand-impact-new-gtlds-internet-domain-name-space)
