Domain strategy and brand protection affected by political and regulatory issues

Almost six in 10 (58%) marketers say GDPR has impacted the way they approach domain management and security, with almost one-third (31%) saying the same about Brexit. This is according to the latest global research report released by MarkMonitor, a Clarivate Analytics company and world leader in enterprise brand protection.

In addition, 38% say the increased cyber threat has changed or is changing their domain strategy. This figure highlights the growing importance of security, as 18% of marketers say their domains have been targeted by a cyber attack. Yet, despite this, maximising web traffic was identified as the most important aspect of domain management, with security falling behind in second place.

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In the same vein, 62% of marketers say their main motivation of a domain registration strategy is to launch new products and services, but only 23% say it’s the mitigation of brand abuse.

“The domain space is evolving at pace, influenced by the changing cyber threat landscape, political and regulatory changes, and the introduction of new domains, such as generic top-level domains (gTLDs) or .brand extensions. As a result, it is important that brands focus on securing and managing their domain portfolio,” says Chrissie Jamieson, VP of marketing, MarkMonitor.

“What the research shows is that brands, and marketers in particular, are aware of the importance of their factors and how they influence the domain management, but there is some disconnect in how this is carried out.”

When asked about their approach to domain management, many marketers say their organisation takes a siloed approach, admitting only one department is responsible. In some instances, the responsibility sits solely with one employee. Twenty-seven per cent of marketers say it is their department that is responsible for domain management, followed by IT (27%) and operations (12%). Only 22% of brands say their organisation uses a combined approach.

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Jamieson concludes: “With domains forming the core of brand identity, the implications of a domain attack can be catastrophic. As a result, the management and security of them is critical and should be a collaborative focus across the business. In addition, domain management should form the foundation of online brand protection.”

Research was commissioned by MarkMonitor and conducted by independent survey company Vitreous World. A sample of 700 marketing, legal and IT decision makers from five countries were surveyed, including the U.K., U.S., France, Germany and Italy. Interviews were conducted online in April 2019.

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