This section describes in detail how Global Name Registry will differentiate .org from other gTLDs via a series of product, service and marketing initiatives, which capitalize on the strengths of the core partner organizations that have come together to support this proposal.

There are eight key initiatives that Global Name Registry proposes to address the needs of the community segments, help to build community capital and increasing differentiation of the .org space:

1. Commit up to 15% revenues derived from .org registrations to worthy projects

2. Commit to domain price reduction

3. Repurpose .org domains amongst corporates (in association with IFRC)

4. Implement an ongoing research program to establish .org community needs and assess value of new initiatives and introduce the .orgcentre - providing open resources for the .org community

5. Develop a new fund created for the .org community – The Causeway Community Foundation

6. Adopt the .org charter

7. Develop a strong .org vision

8. Develop a strong brand positioning

These initiatives will deliver the following benefits:

· Develop a clear differentiation for .org versus other gTLDs

· Reduce churn and increased participation within the .org community

· Increase average length of registrations

· Promote growth in the use of .org

· Repurpose the use of .org, especially amongst corporates

· Immediately introduce cost advantage for registrars

· Improve competition amongst gTLDs, registries and registrars

· Commit substantial support for worthy projects, both inside and outside .org

C38.1 Vision

Before explaining the Global Name Registry vision for .org it is important to understand the background and history of the TLD.

C38.1.1 Background

Development of purpose:

The vision and purpose of the .org domain space has evolved considerably since the development of the domain name system in 1983. The original set of five general purpose top level domains were as follows:

Table 1:gTLD activity descriptions

*gTLD*	*Description of activity*
GOV	Government, any government related domains meeting the second level requirements
EDU	Education, any education related domains meeting the second level requirements
COM	Commercial, any commercial related domains meeting the second level requirements.
MIL	Military, any military related domains meeting the second level requirements.
ORG	Organization, any other domains meeting the second level requirements.

In October 1994 Jon Postel published his description of the purpose of .org in “Domain Name System Structure”, in which he believed that it is best described as the “none of the above” domain, those domains which did not fall within .com, .gov, .edu, .net, .edu, .mil or .int.

Since then we have the use of many more gTLDs, each of which has been created with an inherent purpose described in its title, many of which are designed specifically for commercial use:

Table 2 : More recently introduced gTLDs

*gTLD*	*Activity*
AERO	Air transport industry
BIZ	Businesses
COOP	Cooperatives
INFO	Unrestricted use (information)
MUSEUM	Museums
NAME	Individuals
PRO	Accountants, lawyers, physicians and other professionals

For many years the .org domain space has suffered from a lack of strong vision and purpose and has consequently created a patchwork of self-selecting inhabitants, happily living together to fulfill the purpose they choose.

This community is rich in its diversity and is home to all types of institutions, not just (what most would describe as) non-commercial entities. Each has its right to belong in the .org space; many inhabitants share common views, and many have opposing views within common topics.

The top ten segments within .org by number of sites are:

	*Community description*
1.	Local communities
2.	Religious communities
3.	Special interests and “soap-box” sites
4.	Health and science
5.	Arts and culture
6.	Computing
7.	Charities
8.	Sports and hobbies
9.	Compassionate corporations
10.	Professional communities

The single strongest strand that unites the majority is the belief that .org space is predominantly non-commercial (recognizing that some members have commercial interests, often reflected in other TLDs that they own), an area where the constituents can illustrate their social responsibility, an area in which constituents create their Community Capital.

A recently published Names Council view for the new registry stated: “The .org registry should be operated for the benefit of the worldwide community of organizations, groups, and individuals engaged in non-commercial communication via the Internet.”[1]

This was met in some quarters with considerable controversy. Many were concerned that restrictions would be imposed on prospective registrants and that existing domain owners may be evicted and have to find a new home.

Importantly however, this application supports ICANN’s current view and therefore:

· It is not intended that any restriction will be imposed on any existing or future members; there will be no eligibility requirements.

· Rather, the .org community itself will self-determine its inhabitants; not by restrictive practice but by promoting a new, stronger vision, giving a clear expression of the .org community and its values. Values that unite members from all groups.

· Global Name Registry and its partners will heavily promote that new vision.

C38.1.2 The Partnership with Purpose

This application has incorporated the views contemplated by ICANN, canvassed and acknowledged the views of the existing .org owners and considered the views of the Internet community.

Following this, we have created a unique and powerful partnership of expert organizations to develop and deliver the new vision and purpose for the .org gTLD.

Figure 1 :The .org partnership

Global Name Registry and The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, supported by a network of world leading partners - working together to submit a clear vision for the future .org space.

C38.1.3 The new .org vision

Firstly, prior to setting out the “new vision,” it is important to restate a few of the fundamental principles under which this vision is made.

The Vision:

· Imposes no eligibility requirements or restrictions

· Is open to all who choose to accept .org

· Encourages diverse views

· Encourages debate

· Promotes a shared philosophy

In setting out this vision, Global Name Registry understands and adopts the premise that all existing registrants will be welcomed and equally served and that all new registrants will be accepted without eligibility restrictions.

The .org community vision

The vision Global Name Registry has developed for the .org space has been articulated in an attached flash presentation[2], and in the slides below.

The .org community vision (cont’d.)

C38.2 The current composition of the .org domain space

Q. Who lives in .org?

A. A wide and diverse collection of communities:

The seven advertising examples that follow illustrate how the .org domain space can reach out to 2,500,000 to 3,000,000 .org owners and tens of millions of Internet users worldwide. These examples are used for illustrative purposes only and in no way convey any partnership or affiliation with the organizations mentioned.

HOW THE INUIT

PRESERVE THEIR CULTURE

WITHOUT WORKING THEIR

FINGERS TO THE BONE

HOW A MUSEUM KEEPS

VISITORS, MANAGER AND

PATRONS HAPPY WITHOUT

IT TURNING INTO A

THREE RING CIRCUS

HOW THE SCOUTS

SHARPENED THEIR FINANCES

WITHOUT NEEDING

A HANDOUT

HOW A CHURCH

HELPED ITS

OVERSEAS MEMBERS TO

SEE THE LIGHT

HOW IBM RESEARCH’S

DEVELOPERS

TUNED BIG BLUE INTO

RED, WHITE AND BLUE

HOW A DOCTOR IN NEWARK

HELPS FOOTBALLERS

IN SCOTLAND

WITHOUT BURNING THE

MIDNIGHT OIL

HOW A LOBBYIST

GAINED 10,000 SIGNATURES

WITHOUT A SOAPBOX

Figure 2 :The creative executions above illustrate how .org communities can invest in and benefit from each other

(The following is an extract from a more detailed segmentation analysis, which can be found in Section VII C35)

Segmentation

Global Name Registry has used The Open Directory Project’s database of 118,000 unique, active .org sites as a basis for segmenting the constituency. The Open Directory database provides a representative, 5% sample of the 2.3 million active registrations on .org. The segmentation has been done in two ways: firstly, in terms of site type (e.g. charity or local community sites) and, secondly, in terms of country of origin.

Global Name Registry has identified ten major site segments within .org.

These are:

1. Local communities

2. Religious communities

3. Special interest and “soap box” sites

4. Health and science

5. Arts and culture

6. Computing

7. Charities

8. Sports and hobbies

9. Compassionate corporations

10.Professional communities and unions

Other types of sites which are represented within .org, but which have not been included in Global Name Registry’s main segmentation include adult sites, history and reference sites, and more-commercial sites.

An analysis of the relative importance of these segments on .org, in terms are registrars sites, is shown below. Note the importance of local communities and religious communities.

Figure 3 : Pie chart of the breakdown of the .org space by segment

Comparing the relative sizes of key site segments on .org, .com and .net, we see that .org holds over 40% of the total number of charity, religious and special interest sites. However, less than 5% of business, adult and shopping sites can be found on .org.

Figure 4 : Comparison of the relative sizes of key segments on .org, .com and .net

This segmentation illustrates some important features of the sites that make up the constituency of .org:

· They often are the online point of presence for communities, clubs, groups and societies that are predominantly offline entities

· An important feature of .org sites is that they are often nodes within an interlinked network of communities. It is the rich fabric of this interlinked network that creates the “community capital” that makes .org such an important TLD

· As opposed to .com sites which often are concerned with “one-to-many” transaction, .org sites are about community identity, information dissemination and fostering collaboration (both online and offline). These sites are “few-to-few” in nature. Even in the case of the “soap box” site belonging to a single person, .org is about self-expression for the greater good.

C38.3 Meeting the needs and wants

What will Global Name Registry do to meet the needs of these segments?

The existing .org space comprises an enormous number of very diverse types of .org registrant and site type. (For a detailed discussion of the .org segmentation please reference C35: Who comprises the .org population?)

This large number of diverse organizations comprises an equally enormous number of diverse needs, which vary depending on the organizational type, structure, mood and mode of operation, the community type, it strategies and goals and their stage of site and community evolution.

.org will differentiate itself from the other, commercial TLDs, as the home of these diverse communities representing their non-commercial mood and mode.

.org will differentiate itself through eight key initiatives that are proposed to address the needs of the community segments, help to build community capital and increase differentiation of the .org space:

1. Commit 15% revenues derived from .org registrations to worthy projects

2. Commit to domain price reduction

3. Repurpose .org domains amongst corporates (in association with IFRC)

4. Implement an ongoing research program to establish .org community needs and assess value of new initiatives and introduce the .orgcentre - providing open resources for the .org community

5. Develop a new fund created for the .org community – The Causeway Community Foundation

6. Adopt the .org charter

7. Develop a strong .org vision

8. Develop a strong brand positioning

More details on each of these key initiatives follow.

C38.3.1 Global Name Registry ongoing contribution to worthy projects

“A continued financial contribution for the benefit of all .org communities”

As part of our strategy to grow, repurpose and differentiate the .org TLD, Global Name Registry will commit to give money from the new .org registry operations to worthy projects from “day 1”.

For the entire period of .org registry operation, Global Name Registry will direct 10% of all revenues it receives from .org registrations and re-registrations to be put back into the community by way of a donation to non profit causes: 5% to the newly created .orgcentre and 5% to the newly created Causeway Community Foundation.

The .orgcentre will be established within six months of the start of registry operations.

It is anticipated that The Causeway Community Foundation will be launched one year following the registry handover. During this time, Global Name Registry will accrue funds for donation to the Causeway Community Foundation at the point of launch.

In addition to the 10% for the .orgcentre and Causeway Community Foundation, Global Name Registry will donate 5% of revenues directly to International Federation for Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (the “IFRC”) for the first two years of operation while the .orgcentre Causeway Community Foundation are being established and become fully operational.

Global Name Registry has chosen the IFRC as the beneficiary of these funds because of its fit with the principles and vision of the new .org: having truly global reach (over 181 countries), being a non-governmental organization, having unique status has a humanitarian organization (established by The Geneva Convention), engaging unparalleled support (over 97 million volunteers worldwide), and helping a broad range of people and communities in crisis.

In addition, the IFRC is globally respected and recognized, (the third most recognized symbol in the world).

With respect to .org specifically, IFRC will play an integral role in repurposing .org, which is key to the Global Name Registry .org vision.

Figure 5 : A graphic which illustrates how Global Name Registry might communicate its financial commitment on all its communications

C38.3.2 Price Reductions (up to 42%)

Global Name Registry believes that price decreases are an important part of encouraging competition, ensuring best value for registrars and registrants and creating differentiation.

We propose to introduce price reductions in two areas:

1. price reduction for longer term registrations

2. price reduction based on increased registry volumes

1. Longer term registrations

Global Name Registry will introduce a discounting system based on the length of registration. One-year registrations will be priced the same as VeriSign’s current service at six dollars a year, but ten-year registrations will be subject to a 33% discount and will only cost four dollars ($4.00) a year. This incentivization of long-term registrations will help to extend the average life of .org users, increase margins for registrars, and it should lead to price savings for .org registrants. It is expected that due to this discounting system the average price of a yearly registration will drop to around $4.75.

Figure 6 : The proposed reduction in .org prices determined by the length of registration

2. Registry volumes

Secondly, Global Name Registry will introduce a price reduction scheme based on volumetric targets. Prices will be reduced when registrations reach the 2.5 million, 4 million and 6 million mark with a total possible price drop of 13%, from today’s $6.00 to a price as low as $5.20.

As can be seen, if at the point of registry handover in January 2003 the active registration pool exceeds 2.5 million, Global Name Registry will be in a position to effect an immediate price decrease of 90 cents on the current registrar price.

The combination of these two initiatives provides substantial reductions in the average price for a registered name. If the average length of registration goes up to 3 or 4 years from today’s 1.9 years (according to the Morgan Stanley Equity Research report on VeriSign on Sept 21, 2001), due to the discounts on longer term registrations, the price will go down from today’s $6.00 to $4.12 (33%).

These pricing initiatives will lead to improvements in reseller margins, leading to a more motivated, competitive reseller environment. In the long-term Global Name Registry hopes that some of these price advantages will be passed onto the end-user, thereby making .org more competitive against other TLDs for “floating” registrants who do not feel any particular affinity to a particular TLD.

See Section C26 for a detailed description of pricing policy.

C38.3.3 Repurposing .org domains amongst corporates

Statement of repurpose

Many commercial companies and organizations own their .org domain which is identical to their .com domain (and others).

Recent evidence from a survey conducted by Legg Mason within the S&P top 600 found that multiple TLD registrations were commonplace for brand protection:

Source : Legg Mason New Domain name survey. Total number of responses in the question :55

Figure 7 :Question : In which domains has your company registered names?

100% had dot-com domain names, 67% had dot-net domain names, 64% had dot-org domain names, 51% had country-code domains, and 17% specified other domains, such as dot-cc, dot-tv, dot-ws, and even New.net extensions such as dot-tech, and dot-inc. While it was not surprising that dot-com had the highest percentage, we were a bit surprised to see dot-org was about even with dot-net. Overall, we believe the results validate our reasoning that companies look to protect their identities and brands in multiple domains.[3]

Furthermore, it is not uncommon for large commercial organizations to hold a large number of multiple TLDs:

Global Name Registry holds the view that, particularly for larger organizations, registering their .org for brand protection alone is a missed opportunity for these companies.

It is clear that these commercial organizations are welcome in the .org community – in fact .org represents their opportunity to illustrate to their audiences how their activities and policies benefit their communities.

The new .org vision gives new purpose to commercial organizations.

The following are simple examples of creative executions, which could be used to help persuade commercial organizations to showcase their activities in their .org space, illustrating how and why commercial companies should consider repurposing their .org domain.

Figure 8 : Illustrative campaign promoting repurposing of .org

How International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies will support this repurposing initiative.

This proposal is supported by the IFRC, which maintains relationships with thousands of influential corporates in 178 countries around the world.

The IFRC represented by the British Red Cross for the purpose of coordinating support.

See attached letters of support from the Federation and the British Red Cross.

As part of its support for this application, the Red Cross has agreed to use its corporate relationships and vast sales and marketing skills to propose this repurposing to corporates globally.

*Corporate*	*Nature of relationship*
*Royal & SunAlliance*	A major international, strategic five year partnership with the Red Cross in 23 countries
*GlaxoSmithKline*	A major supporter of international work, particularly HIV/AIDS
*Unilever/Lever Fabergé*	A major long-term relationship, manifesting itself in UK, Ireland, Italy and Germany, with more countries to follow
BP	A long-term supporter of British Red Cross Society work and strategic partner to IFRC.
*Virgin*	A new relationship developing with both Virgin Group and Virgin Mobile, driven forward by Richard Branson.
*Nestlé*	A close partner of the Federation and supporter of BRCS events and programs
*Coinstar*	A major US (Nasdaq-listed) coin collection company now developing a relationship with UK supermarkets and UK charities including the British Red Cross
*Deutsche Bank*	A relationship developing around sponsorship of prestige BRCS events
*AstraZeneca*	Have supported BRCS for 10+ years, sponsors of the Humanity Awards and major international projects (e.g. Tuberculosis)
*Tesco*	UK's largest supermarket has been a long-term major supporter of British Red Cross emergency appeals.
*Red Cross’s other significant relationships include:* · Barclays Bank · Lastminute.com · Littlewoods (lottery scratchcards) · The Corporation of London · Waitrose · John Lewis · Marks & Spencer · B&Q

Table 3 :Examples of IFRC global corporate relationships

In addition to this worldwide corporate program, the British Red Cross, on behalf of the International Federation will promote this vision where appropriate within its other spheres of influence, for example amongst the wider charity communities and national and international institutions.

The IFRC has already solicited support from a number of international corporations who have endorsed this principle and the new vision of the .org space. Examples of companies that have already submitted written support (included here) are:

· NFP Synergy

· Ogilvy & Mather

· Nestle UK Ltd

· Virgin Group

Repurposing among a wider audience

Marketing initiatives will be built upon the repurposing that this support from the corporate community has kick-started.

It is anticipated that the combination of the Global Name Registry, the Red Cross and the corporate base will generate significant PR in on-line and off-line media from this activity alone. We propose that this PR is supplemented with other marketing activity, specifically: direct marketing (offline), e-marketing and a coordinated PR program, to promote and accelerate this repurposing amongst the wider corporate community.

In this way we believe that we will not only repurpose a large number of existing commercial .org owners’ space, but also encourage growth in the number of corporates registering their .org domain. In addition, these initiatives will further our goal for differentiation for .org.

C38.3.4 The .orgcentre

One of Global Name Registry’s principle initiatives is the development of the .orgcentre, - an on-line success center, which turns the needs identified in the ongoing research program into products and services from which the whole .org community can benefit. The concept is summarized here, but further details can be found in Section C35.

Figure 9 : The .orgcentre brand

The aim of the .orgcentre is to enable any members of the community to further their particular purposes by giving them access to (predominantly free) resources; for example skills, training, tools, experience and know-how relating to building a presence in the noncommercial community, both on and offline, accessed via www.orgcentre.org. These resources will be drawn from the existing community, the Internet community at large and specifically created or sourced by the Registry for the benefit of the constituency in accordance with the evidence from a formal ongoing research program. (See below).

It is proposed that the majority of these products and services will be free to .org owners, who may register for a free password to this area of the .orgcentre site. However, it is recognized that, over time, the area may grow to include some added value products or services offered by third parties which members may choose to buy.

There are four types of initiative planned for launch within the first year of operation:

1. The Org Advice Centre

The Org Advice Centre gives .org owners the opportunity to gain free advice from individuals, companies or organizations that are able to share beneficial experiences.

2. The Org Training Centre

The Org Training Centre is designed to offer free training courses to all .org owners on a wide variety of topics; these topics will be determined by the results of the rolling research so that the training skills which are in greatest need will be developed first.

3. Ongoing research program

A rolling research program, using a wide range of research techniques, to establish the core needs of the .org community in conjunction with a leading global research organization, e.g. Research International.

4. Travel Scholarships

Global Name Registry will support travel and accommodation expenses to ICANN conferences to encourage participation from the non-commercial Internet community. More information can be found in Section C35.

Figure 10 : .orgcentre screenshot illustrating functionality

C38.3.5 The Causeway Community Foundation

The Causeway Community Foundation is a new fund created by the registry for the .org community, representing both the interests of the individual constituent members and the community as a whole. The concept of the Causeway Community Foundation is summarized here but more information can be found in Section C35.

Figure 11 : The Causeway Community Foundation logo

The Causeway Community Foundation is a charitable fund to be managed by a consultant which specializes in the distribution of funds to non-commercial entities, such as the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF). It will be created to serve the needs of the .org community and will elicit, consider and represent the community’s interests. Monies from the Causeway Community Foundation will be open to the Internet community as a whole.

The aim of the Causeway Community Foundation is to create and manage funds that will be allocated to benefit a wide range of “worthy projects” from diverse segments of the community across a wide geographical spread. The fund will solicit applications from the Internet community, for causes which must be non-profit and internet related.

The acceptability and success of applications for these worthy projects will not be judged in isolation by the fund administrator, but developed in conjunction with the .org community by way of a (voluntary) voting system.

The fundamental principles underlying this system are:

· Members of the Internet community should be able to apply for money for internet-related worthy projects from the .org fund

· .org domain owners should have the opportunity to influence which worthy projects receive money from a .org fund, via a simple voting mechanism.

· applicants must demonstrate that funds will be used for non profit purposes which are internet related and benefit a community

Figure 12 :The Causeway Community Fund Charter – key principles[4]

In this way it is estimated that over 200 community worthy projects will be helped by The Causeway Community Foundation every year.

Figure 13 : The Causeway Community Foundation Website

C38.3.6 The .org charter

The charter represents the communities’ chance to illustrate their acceptance of the new vision and actively support the Causeway Community Foundation by registering their details. It gives them the opportunity to apply for a community grant and vote for applications which they feel are most worthy.

Figure 14 : A graphical representation of the Charter, illustrating the principles of the mechanism

The Charter will be launched in conjunction with the Causeway Community Foundation.

The charter is promoted at the point of registration and re-registration. It is entirely voluntary and is strictly opt-in.

C38.3.7 The .org vision

C38.3.8 Underpinning the brand positioning for differentiation

Global Name Registry believes that in order to understand how best to position .org, one must first consider how .org and other TLDs impact on people and communities as they go about their daily lives. A typical family will spend time during the day doing a whole range of things. Some of these will be commercially oriented such as going to work or going shopping. Others will be more social, community and leisure-focused activities. The online manifestation of these activities should be found under .org – “The Community Capital”.

The following illustration gives an example of how one family might interact with people, organizations, communities and companies according to the different moods and modes of their lives.

Figure 15 :A day in the life of an internet user, illustrating how different domain spaces service different needs

Using Maslow's hierarchy of needs to differentiate .org from the other TLDs

In the late 1960's Abraham Maslow developed a hierarchical theory of human needs. This theory is often used by marketers to investigate the underlying motivations behind consumers’ needs when they purchase and use products and services.

At the very heart of the theory is that people at each level in the hierarchy of needs seeks information on dealing with what is important to them.

5. Coping - seeking information when lost, out of food, or sick

3. Helping - seeking information on how to be safe such as food, shelter, emergency supplies

4. Enlightening - seeking information on how to have a happier marriage, more friends

5. Empowering - seeking information to help the ego

6. Edifying - seeking moral and spiritual uplifting such is found with the word of god, spiritual music, and paintings

Figure 16 : Maslow’s hierarchy of needs suggests a fundamental differentiation of .org from other TLDs, in particular .com

Whilst not scientific, the differentiation highlighted in the pyramid above has some significant resonance with the perceived purpose of the various domain spaces, showing .com and .org at different ends of the Maslow hierarchy.

· .com is predominantly used for information that relates to activities “that I must do” (predominantly economic)

· .org is predominantly used for information and participation in voluntary or discretionary activities, “activities that I want to do”

Consequently, .org must differentiate itself by being the home to online presence of the higher functions of life such community, culture and social responsibility. Whilst .com sites typically are based on commercial transaction, .org sites are about emotional and community action.

Figure 17 : .org brand

C38.4 Benefits

Summary of initiatives mapped against segments

*Initiatives*	*Registrars*	*Registrants*	Internet community	Influencers (inc Corps.)
Global Name Registry Commitment to 15%
*Strong brand positioning*
Vision and charter
*Domain price reduction*
Causeway Community Foundation
IFRC repurposing partnership
Ongoing community research program
.orgcentre resources

Table 4: Summary of initiatives by segment to support initiatives

The key initiatives described in Section C38, reach out to the .org community as a whole. All segments are able to benefit from the innovative product and service offerings, and the Causeway Community Foundation and the .orgcentre in particular are likely to be most beneficial to thenon-commercial segments of the .org constituency, for example the local communities, religious and special interest groups.

In addition, these activities will not only benefit the .org space but will also benefit the wider Internet community via:

Increased differentiation for .org
Reduced churn within the .org community
Increased average length of registration
Growth in the use of .org
Repurposed use of .org
Cost advantage for registrars
Improved competition amongst gTLDs, registries and registrars
Substantial support for worthy projects, both inside and outside .org

The dynamic nature of Global Name Registry’s commitment to identifying, understanding and serving the communities’ needs, will ensure that these benefits will continue to grow throughout and beyond the contractual period of the new registry.

C38.5 PROMOTION AND MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY

C38.5.1 The Contextual Map – a tool for dynamic strategic marketing planning

We recommend that prior to reading the following plan, readers familiarize themselves with the attached contextual map entitled “Delivering Community Capital.”

The map is a graphical illustration of the following components of the .org marketing strategy:

· segmentation of target audiences

· issues faced by audiences

· routes to market and segmentation of channel partners

· domain product features and benefits

· language used to communicate features and benefits

· the .org initiatives

· likely communications techniques and programs being considered

· objectives and results desired

The map is extremely useful in complex or undefined markets, because:

· it illustrates how many of the marketing activities and issues are complex and interdependent

· it captures all the issues and activities being considered by an organization in one place

· it is graphical and facilitates easy communication of the overall strategy

· it provides a simple visual reference as to where the organization is in its strategic marketing journey at all times.

C38.5.2 Overview

This section of the proposal will explain the objectives that Global Name Registry will set for its marketing communications.

It describes the target audiences who must be influenced and the importance of partnership with the registrars and the Federation in reaching those audiences.

There are broadly three kinds of marketing communications initiatives. The first are those intended to reduce the high levels of non-renewal which are a feature of the .org domain space. Clearly the development of a compelling positioning and brand for .org is an important initiative here.

The second are those initiatives designed to grow the .org domain space with new registrations. Improving the point of sale visibility of .org on registrar sites and the.org co-marketing program we plan to set up with registrars features here.

The third are marketing communications activities that that will support Global Name Registry’s other initiatives such as The Causeway Community Foundation and .orgcentre and which:

· demonstrate Global Name Registry’s responsiveness to the non-commercial internet community

· differentiate the .org domain from other commercial registries

· enhance competition between registrars

In this section we discuss the various media techniques we will use to reach our target audiences, for example PR online advertising, in terms of their effectiveness to deliver the objectives above.

Lastly we will have constructed a marketing budget for first and subsequent years of activity and introduce the marketing partners which have been chosen to help execute against this plan.

C38.5.3 Marketing Objectives

The primary marketing objectives are:

1. to increase the current renewal rate of 50% to 80% over 3 years

2. to increase the proportion of new registrations in .org ( i.e. market share) from the current position of 8.1%.[5] We expect moderate growth of 10-20% over the next 3 years as our differentiation and responsiveness generate global demand.

The secondary (or supporting) objectives are:

1. to increase the average length of new registrations from the current 18-24 months[6] to four years.

2. to reduce the number of defensive or brand protection registrations made by high profile commercial organizations. Legg Mason[7] estimate that 60% of the Fortune 500 have a dot org site while Global Name Registry estimate that less than 5% use their .org domain for anything different from their .com site.

3. to maintain and perhaps increase the 90%[8] of organizations who’s activities are predominantly non-commercial, currently residing on the DNS.

C38.5.4 Statement of intent

To do this Global Name Registry will:

Reposition .org within the existing community

Global Name Registry will reposition .org with the three existing parts of the community – Registrars, Constituents (.org registrants) and Community Users (potential .org registrants)– as the natural home of “Community Capital” (place and value) through clearer focus and expression.

Generate brand impact

We will generate brand impact (i.e. recognition, awareness and involvement) with this evolving position through the implementation of the seven key initiatives:

· A new, clear, well articulated vision for the .org space

· A commitment by Global Name Registry to support financially the .org community

· The introduction of an open success-center accessible to all .org owners

· A new fund from which all segments of the .org community can benefit

· Repurposing the use of .org domains, particularly within the commercial
community

· Clear understanding of community needs via a rolling research program

· A commitment to registry price reductions

Improve the distribution strategy

We will increase the coverage of .org by working with registrars and other channels (both online and offline) to increase the prominence of .org purchasing points, globally. More details of how the VeriSign endowment will be used to support regional .org operations can be found in Section IX: The VeriSign Endowment.

Improve the .org value proposition by identifying and responding to the needs of the registrant community

We will improve the service quality and value of the .org proposition for end-users, and for the registrar community through

1. clearly understanding community needs via a rolling research program and

2. a program of product and service development through the .orgcentre to benefit .org registrants.

Leverage our existing relationships with registrars who are the “customer guardians”

The majority of marketing communications will be undertaken by registrars since they hold direct relationships with the constituent communities (registrants and site owners); however Global Name Registry will take on a wider role to build the .org vision and purpose with the existing internet community and to selected influencers beyond the current .org universe.

Maximize the impact of our marketing communications by being smart

Clearly, marketing communications has a very important role in the differentiation and to be successful, .org will need to “hit above its weight.” That is to say the marketing activities in this plan have been chosen because they:

1. have been proven to be successful

2. have a high impact to cost ratio

3. are highly targeted

4. are replicable

5. are scalable (i.e. can be delivered globally)

C38.5.5 Communications Strategies to increase .org renewals

Situation analysis

Currently, registrants on .org hold their domains for an average of between 18 and 24 months.[9] This implies that year-on-year churn in the TLD is at least 50%, which is clearly an unsustainably high level. Typically, subscription-based businesses aim to maintain levels of churn below the 20% level. Global Name Registry feels that the .org TLD should be no different.

For the registrars in particular there is a very strong economic case to be made for increasing the levels of renewals within their customer base. Legg Mason estimates that the industry average cost of acquiring a domain customer is currently $15 dollars[10], so even a small percentage change in the level of renewals will make an enormous difference to bottom line profits.

Summary of activities to increase renewals

Global Name Registry will implement the following initiatives to increase the levels of renewals on .org:

Short term; largely within our control, can afford

(i.e. do now)

1. Communicate the change of .org registry ownership

6. Launch an open success-center accessible to all .org owners - the .orgcentre

7. Launch a new fund from which all segments of the .org community can benefit.

8. Commence a rolling needs survey of .org registrants (linked to the .orgcentre)

9. Commence a rolling program of “exit surveys” to understand reasons for non-renewal

10.Begin renewal campaigns to existing registrants

Longer term; require influence, likely to be expensive or require partnership

(i.e. do later)

1. Develop and provision customer retention toolkits with registrars

2. Focus marketing efforts on sustainable segments

3. Understand .org segment needs and develop offers to meet those needs

Table 5 : Summary table of activities to reduce churn in the DNS

C38.5.5a Short term communication strategies to increase .org renewals

1.Immediate communication to the existing registrant base, in association with the registrars

The change of ownership of the registry is an immediate opportunity to communicate with the existing .org base. This communication would dispel any concerns that the registrants might have concerning their ongoing eligibility or the stability of the .org platform going forward.

It is also an ideal opportunity to inform the registrant of initiatives from which they may benefit and which may increase their chances of renewal. For example this communication could include details on the .orgcentre, the Global Name Registry’s commitment to fund The Causeway Community Foundation.

We propose to explore this possibility with ICANN and with the registrars.

We envisage that this email communication would be:

· sent to the entire database

· one-off, not to be repeated

· co-branded with the registrars (or indeed sent out by registrars, if they prefer)

· an opportunity to “opt out” to ensure that we operate in accordance with email communication guidelines

2. Communicate Global Name Registry’s commitment to give funds to worthy projects

It is an increasing trend for popular brands to donate part of the profits of their businesses to worthy projects. Global Name Registry intends to be no different and will focus the benefits on the non-commercial internet community.

We intend to create the following graphic which will be featured on all our registrant-based communication and be featured on the three intended web sites of the community:

· As part of the .org Charter at registration and re-registration

· The .orgcentre site (for registrants)

· The .org registry site (for registrars)

· The Causeway Community Foundation site (for all)

This initiative, associated with The Charter, detailed below, will make an excellent PR opportunity targeted both at influencers, registrars and registrants.

The Charter is an opportunity for registrants to sign up to the .org vision and participate in the .org Causeway Community Foundation, which assists community projects benefiting the .org membership. It is primarily a communication initiative in that it reinforces - at the point of registration - the purpose and vision of the .org registry and enlists the support of the registrant.

Figure 18 : Graphic illustrating the Global Name Registry commitment to give money to good causes which will be prominently displayed on all external communication.

Figure 19 : The .org Charter- signed at point of registration to reinforce the vision of the .org registry and enlist the tacit support of the registrant, and an excellent PR opportunity

3. Launch an open success-center accessible to all .org owners - the .orgcentre

The .orgcentre is an on-line success center, which turns the needs identified in the rolling research program (C38.3.6) into products and services from which the whole .org community can benefit.

Plans for the .orgcentre will be communicated at the point of registration/re-registration and in the electronic welcome pack (which will be described in a later section). It will be the basis of extensive PR, using success stories generated from the .org constituents who have benefited from the .orgcentre.

Figure 20 : The .orgcentre brand, designed to compliment the .org registry

Figure 21: An example of a ".org success story", which might be used to drive awareness for the .orgcentre

4. Launch The Causeway Community Foundation

The Causeway Community Foundation is a new fund created by the registry for the .org community, representing both the interests of the individual constituent members and the community as a whole. Monies from the foundation will be available to the non-commercial community though the process described in Section VII: Responsiveness to the non-commercial internet community.

Communication strategy will involve extensive online activity direct to the .org community as well as offline PR directed at engendering interest and engagement with the charitable concept.

Opt in at registration/re-registration is key to take up, and so co-marketing funds will be deployed via registrars to ensure awareness and involvement at the critical registration time.

Figure 22 : The Causeway Community Foundation logo

5. Communicate the results of the Registrant Research Program

As explained in Section 7: Responsiveness to the non-commercial internet community, Global Name Registry will instigate a series of rolling research programs with the .org registrant community in order to determine and better respond to their needs.

Examples of proposed on and off-line research techniques include: self-completion questionnaires via registrars, representative panels, sponsored surveys, focus groups and on-line “health-checks” on the .orgcentre web site, www.orgcentre.org.

The results will be accessible on the .orgcentre website to other registrants and will be used as the basis of the product and service development to be undertaken for the benefit of the .org community. In addition, the results will provide a significant opportunity for PR, both online and offline.

6. Commence a rolling program of exit surveys to non-renewing registrants

We will identify the reasons for non-renewals by implementing via registrars a rolling program of “exit surveys”. Exit polls are a very effective technique used by successful marketing-led organizations to:

· identify reasons for non-renewal and dissatisfaction so that modifications to the offer, sales process or customer service handling can be made. We believe that the main reason for the high level of non-renewals currently is due to the expiration of speculative registrations made between 1 and 2 years ago. However, going forward it is vital to continue to improve levels of service and satisfaction.

· make “post-emptive offers” (i.e. “we know you are dissatisfied but would like to you to renew your .org together with an incentive”)

· identify the “profile” of “non-renewers”, to ensure that customer acquisition does not focus marketing resources on customers with this profile, at the expense of others

7. Renewal campaigns to existing registrar customers

Once a profile of non-renewers has been identified, we will work with registrars to profile their database of existing customers to identify the extent of “non-renewers” within their base with the view to making “pre-emptive” offers to that segment.

Having identified the size and potential value of this base we will make the economic case to support this activity. Renewal campaigns are almost always more cost effective than customer acquisition, as long as the reasons for non-renewal are understood and a compelling offer can be made.

C38.5.5b Longer term communication strategies to increase .org renewals

1. The provision of customer retention toolkits to Registrars

Use of propensity modeling to build retention marketing programs to minimize churn whilst building renewal sustainability. Propensity models are econometric models designed to measure the likelihood of a customer segment to purchase a product or offer bundle, at a certain point in the relationship lifecycle. They are used to predict when is the best time, and what is the best combination of products, to offer to customers, who match a certain profile. They are especially effective where there are large numbers of customers and reliable data can be gathered. .org registrations are running at in the region of high tens of thousands per month, which can provide significant data.

2. Focus offer on sustainable .org segments

Typically, the communities on .org will undergo a lifecycle from online birth (i.e. the point of registration on .org) through to becoming a mature, efficient site that foster community collaboration. If the registry can continuously help .org sites through this cycle to reach a point of maturity we can help build sustainable registrations on .org, which will lead to reduction in churn.

The table below, which is repeated in more detail in the section C38.5.7 Mapping Communication strategies against segments, illustrates four key life stages through which a typical .org website (or web supported community) might pass.

This segmentation highlights that the domain needs of a .org registrant may be fundamentally different in terms of both offering and communication. This suggests that the lifetime value of the registrant to the registrar may well be very different i.e. some registrant segments are high value and sustainable (i.e. growth type) but others may not be (i.e. issue type).

Site/

community lifecycle

Registrant

Objectives

“A working site”

“A successful site”

An “efficient site”

“An effective site.”

i.e. short term site

Figure 23 : The community site lifecycle, illustrating the changing needs of the registrant over time.

The .orgcentre will be responsible for provided training and tools to help members of the .org community reach maturity. For more information about the .orgcentre, please see Section 7 Responsiveness to the needs of the non-commercial internet community.

C38.5.6 Communications Strategies to grow the .org DNS space

Summary of activity to grow the .org DNS space

Global Name Registry will implement the following initiatives to grow the .org DNS space:

Short term; largely within our control, can afford

(i.e. do now)

1. Increase visibility and impact of .org at point of purchase

2. Improve .org customer purchase experience and add electronic welcome packs at point of purchase

3. Clear, effective differentiation and positioning of .org

4. Centrally developed sophisticated segmentation and profiling techniques to aid registrars

5. Leverage our association with IFRC[11] to generate awareness of .org as an alternative

6. Repurpose commercial sites onto .org via IFRC and other influencers

7. Product bundles to meet segment needs

8. Incentivize and educate registrars with money and resources to commit a higher percentage of their marketing budgets behind .org campaigns

9. Integrated cross channel activities to support PR objectives

10.Viral techniques for registrants

Longer term; requires influence, likely to be expensive or require partnership

(i.e. do later)

1. Increase coverage of .org points of purchase

2. Enable members of .org’s target communities which currently have no online presence to register on the TLD

3. Increase the penetration of .org outside the United States

Table 6 :Summary table indicating objectives and activities to grow the .org DNS

C38.5.6a Shorter term communications strategies to grow the .org DNS space

1. Increase visibility and impact of .org at point of purchase

At present, .org represents a small fraction of the registrar real estate. Consequently, for a motivated .org prospect who visits a registrar site with the intention of buying a .org domain, it is more difficult to find how and where to register a .org domain name, as opposed to a competitive domain.

Improving the visibility of the .org offer on registrar sites will therefore result in an increase in the number of .org registrations. Achieving this visibility requires (1) a clear business case to the registrars to motivate them to do it and (2) mechanisms and assets to make it easy for them to do it.

2. Benchmark and improve .org customer purchase experience (and supply a welcome pack)

As guardians of the .org brand, it is on our interest to ensure that the user experience via registrars exceeds the expectations of customers and do not result in customer dissonance.

One key metric might be, for example, to be reduce the number of clicks to make a .org purchase (which has been as high as 20) equivalent to the most customer friendly e-commerce sites in the world (four clicks to purchase).

Clearly, we recognize that any changes to the registrar web site or process impacts on registrar resources, so we would clearly need to work in partnership with registrars to facilitate these efforts in the most efficient and cost-effective way.

Global Name Registry might for example, provide website performance tracking tools to registrars, which would benchmark current performance and provide insights into customers’ needs and behavior at the point of purchase.

One technique to reduce customer dissonance might be an electronic welcome pack sent to a new .org domain owner just after registration, expressing thanks for the purchase, checking the purchase experience and advising the customer of the various value-added aspects of the .org domain. One such example is the .orgcentre which has a range of free resources available to .org registrants.

3. Clearly differentiate .org and ensure .org messaging is impactful at the Point of Sale

The original definition of the .org domain space as a “miscellaneous TLD” has resulted in confusion within the internet community as to the purpose of .org. This confusion and lack of a clear purpose behind .org has led to reduced .org market share.

What’s more, over the past three years the number of competitive TLDs has rapidly increased to over 200. For the majority of inexperienced internet users purchasing a domain for the first time this complexity and commoditization of the .org product offer is a key challenge for Global Name Registry to overcome.

We contend that the majority if the new .org domain purchases will come from entities in the non-commercial community which are new to the internet. This segment will have little or no awareness and understanding of what .org is and therefore what it may mean to them.

We will capitalize on the residual status associated with the .org domain as one of the “original” generic domains and integrate the new positioning the community capital. [See below for a detailed explanation of the .org brand positioning and creative treatment].

To be sure of this positioning we intend to complete creative and messaging research within the potential registrant base.

Experience with the launch and subsequent brand development for the .name domain space has shown that for inexperienced registrants, that simply changing just a single word within the marketing communication can make a marked difference to the perception of the domain offered and impact conversion rates at the point of sale as a result.

4. Centrally develop segmentation techniques, .org acquisition campaigns and sophisticated marketing effectiveness measurement techniques

We intend to provide expertise, tools and creative assets to the registrars as part of a co-marketing program. Clearly there is a significant cost saving if the expertise, tools and assets are developed centrally and the costs amortized across the registrar base.

In addition we propose to work with the registrars to profile their existing customer bases to identify the characteristics of the segments which have the longest registration life-scale, are the most profitable in terms of other products and services purchased, are the cheapest to recruit and will get the most benefit from their .org site.

This segmentation would enable the registrars to better target their customer acquisition campaigns for .org customers, increasing the effectiveness of their marketing dollars spent in this area. Since the total marketing budget for “.org” is the sum of both Global Name Registry’s and the registrars combined, this makes sound economic sense.

Comparing the relative sizes of key site segments already on .org, .com and .net, we see that .org holds over 40% of the total number of charity, religious and special interest sites. However, less than 5% of business, adult and shopping sites can be found on .org.

This indicates the propensity of these different segments to choose .org. So, if the propensity of charity sites is higher than say, shopping sites, one would expect that, dollar for dollar, an acquisition campaign targeted at charities just coming online, would be more effective than targeting shopping sites (all other things being equal).

What’s more, only approximately 10% of charities in the United States own a TLD[12], which further suggests that this segment is large and likely to share very similar needs – indicating that an acquisition campaign targeted to United States based charities, offering a bundled domain, web-mail and hosting product with a heavily discounted, 5 year registration term would yield substantial results.

We would envision employing some or all of the following marketing techniques jointly with registrars:

· Direct Response Print

· General Web Marketing

· Partner - Email without Incentive

· Email Marketing - Prospect List

· Partner - Direct Marketing with Incentive

· Partner - Web Marketing with Incentive

· Email Marketing - Viral Marketing

· Email Marketing - Sponsored Newsletter

· Partner - Email with Incentive

· User Interface Improvement

· Search Engineenhancements

· Email Marketing - Registrar List

Global Name Registry will measure all marketing communication expenditure and activity. The following is a list of the marketing Key Performance Indicators we would use to track and improve the effectiveness of this activity:

· Number of impressions

· Email Open Rates (%)

· Numbers of Email Opened

· Click Through Rates %

· Connect Rate (%)

· Response Rate (%)

· Number of Visitors

· Conversion rates(%)

· Number of Registrations

· Revenue ($)

· Cost Per Thousand ($)

· Cost per Visitor (or cost per click)

· Cost per Email ($)

· Avg. Cost per acquisition ($) (i.e. Global Name Registry’s cost to acquire that .org customer)

· Media Budget ($)

5. Leverage our association with IFRC[13] to raise awareness

We will leverage our association with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Their emblem is the third most recognized brand in the world[14] and will provide .org registrants with significant reassurance behind the commitments that Global Name Registry is making and send a powerful message about the purpose of .org.

Figure 25 : The emblem of the Red Cross, the third most recognized emblem on the planet

This association is a significant opportunity for .org and the IFRC to run joint marketing, PR and other awareness generating events.

6. Repurpose commercial site’s .org domains to promote their social responsibility via the IFRC and other influencers

The alliance with the IFRC will enable Global Name Registry to bring high-level influence on repurposing the corporate community to use their .org sites to express their “Community Capital” and other investments back into society and communities. To date this repurposing concept, which has been presented by the IFRC to their corporate clients, has been well received. Letters of intent are included in Section 7: Mechanisms to demonstrate responsiveness to the non-commercial internet.

Global Name Registry will launch additional marketing programs to convey the message across key channels of influence to the corporate and other communities that they should join in the global movement to repurpose their .org site toward the “Community Capital” idea. PR, lobbying and other highly focused measures will be undertaken to build momentum in this important endeavor. Examples of target influencers include trade and commercial associations such as chambers of commerce and unions.

7. Product offers and bundles

We will work with registrars and use the rolling research program to identify product offers and bundles which make the purchase and usage of .org more compelling.

These products and bundles will have several characteristics:

· Benefits to end-users in that the bundles will enable them derive value from their .org domains. Simple bundles offered today include a .org domain name, bundled with a web hosting offer and a web mail service. Future bundles may include content and/or community management systems.

· Benefits to registrars such as increased conversion rates increased revenue and increased loyalty

The offer we intend to introduce is a price offer, namely a discount for longer-term registrations. For customers this represents immediate benefit in terms of price reduction, for the registrar this represents incremental revenue (i.e. a potentially larger sale, with revenues up front) and reduced costs for customer retention (i.e. they extract more revenue, with lower sales costs). Furthermore, for the registry this offer promotes stability within the domain and reduces churn.

8. Incentivize and Educate Registrars with Money and Resources

Registrars have limited resources (time, energy and money), and .org domains represent only one of several products in their portfolio. Global Name Registry’s challenge, therefore, is to win a disproportionate registrar mind share and commitment of resources.

One proven technique to achieve this objective (which Global Name Registry has already put into practice for the .name registry) is to launch a co-operative marketing program in which Global Name Registry helps shoulder some of the marketing costs borne by registrars.

The program is intended to encourage regional marketing efforts that will contribute to the global branding of .org. For more information on the mechanics of this program please see below.

9. Integrated Cross Channel Campaigns To Support PR Initiatives

Because marketing budgets are limited, to penetrate the .org user base, the creative treatment must maximize impact, be easily identified as .org and lend support to PR initiatives. Creative strategies will support awareness and acquisition in all channels by the creation of a range of standardized creative toolkits to satisfy the areas:

· event marketing

· guerrilla/ambient tease that will generate high profile PR value

· banner advertising

· offline activities

10. Viral techniques

We propose to develop a “viral communication campaign” to capitalize on the good intentions of worthy .org registrants. A device such as that shown below, would be posted, like an “electronic bumper sticker”, on the .org registrant’s website. Associated with the graphic would be a link back to www.orgcentre.org. where the charter would explain the purpose behind the Global Name Registry commitment to providing the assets and assistance for .org sites.

The graphic would benefit the registrant by conferring on its site a measure of worthiness by association with a good cause. In turn, the registry would benefit by generating traffic to the .orgcentre, and would generate awareness for the .org brand among the internet community.

Figure 26 :A "viral" mechanism, which .org registrants might post on their .org site (for illustration only)

C38.5.6b Longer term communications objectives to grow the .org DNS space

1. Increase coverage of .org

We will work to maximize coverage of (i.e. opportunity to buy) .org throughout the Internet by recruiting all the 152 existing registrars.

2. Migrate offline communities online

Research by Global Name Registry indicates that only approximately 10% of charities in the United States own a TLD. Although some of .org’s target communities such as technology groups will have much higher levels of penetration, there clearly remains an enormous opportunity to give an online presence to organizations that have, to-date, been offline.

3. Increase the penetration of .org outside the United States

To date, 67% of .org registrations have been made in the United States. As a European-based registry, Global Name Registry feels that it is well placed to strike a balance between US and non-US registrations. Global Name Registry’s distribution strategy (see below) for .org is designed to make the TLD more competitive an international level, where it faces intense competition against the ccTLDs. In the long term, Global Name Registry aims to create a 50-50 split between registration in the United States and those in the rest of the world.

C38.5.7 Mapping Communication strategies against segments

The following section will describe the major segments that Global Name Registry must influence if it is to be successful with the strategies presented in the previous section. It will then map the various initiatives discussed in the previous section against those segments.

Audience Segmentation & Targeting

At the highest level there are four main target audiences that need to be influenced:

1. Registrars
ICANN accredited registrars, of which there are currently 152 worldwide.[15]

2. Registrants
.org Constituents – registrants, site owners and others within their decision making unit (DMU)

3. Internet community (End user communities)
Internet Users – the entire spectrum of .org community site visitors and users

4. Influencers
Influencers – off and online groups (e.g. chambers of commerce and The Charities Commission (UK)) that can help to deliver the new vision for .org to third parties

The .org value chain

In non-internet business, the diagram below, would illustrate the physical distribution of products as they are passed through the various intermediaries between manufacturer and consumers. Offline, these intermediaries would be called distributors and retailers.

While the .org “product” is neither transported nor housed in a physical location, the same relationship principles apply. The .org registry is “once” removed from the registrant community and “twice” removed from the end-user (Internet) community.

Figure 27 : .org value chain, illustrating important high level audiences

Registrars

It is vitally important to recognize the key role the registrars play in this market. Registrars are critical to Global Name Registry in reaching its target market segments. Stimulation of demand for .org must take place in partnership with registrars; therefore Global Name Registry understands that it must create a product and marketing programs that incentivize registrars launch efforts focused at high volume/high value segments.

It should be noted that the distribution channel is highly concentrated. There has been a vast proliferation of registrars in the market up to 152 accredited registrars currently, however, the top five players globally control 80% of the market.

.org registrants

At the .org community level segmentation analysis indicates there are 10 main community groupings that need to be influenced.

Global Name Registry has used Yahoo!’s classification database of 118,000 active .org as a basis for segmenting the constituency. The Yahoo! database provides a representative 5% sample of the 2.3 million active registrations on .org.

The segmentation has been performed in two ways: Firstly, in terms of site type (e.g. charity or local community sites) and, secondly, in terms of stage of site evolution. Both segmentations are interesting for marketing communications because they enable:

1. targeting for acquisition and retention purposes i.e. it is possible to envisage distinct direct marketing campaigns to youth groups establishing their local church’s first on-line presence being different from communications to primary school administrators who might wish to migrate their online presence from “.com” to “.org.”

2. targeting for messaging purposes i.e. communications to US charities will be quite different from communications to local theatres in Europe.

A more detailed description of the segmentation is contained within Section VII – Responsiveness to the non-commercial Internet community. The ten groupings, and their relative importance, by volume of registrations by type of site, are as follows:

	*Community description*
1.	Local communities
2.	Religious communities
3.	Special interests and “soap-box” sites
4.	Health and science
5.	Arts and culture
6.	Computing
7.	Charities
8.	Sports and hobbies
9.	Compassionate corporations
10.	Professional communities

Table 7 : Major site segments within .org, with relative proportions of domains, by community classification

Typically, the communities on .org will undergo a lifecycle from online birth (i.e. the point of registration on .org) through to becoming a mature, efficient site that fosters community collaboration. If the registry can continuously help .org sites through this cycle to reach a point of maturity we can help build sustainable registrations on .org, which will lead to reduction in churn and more active participation.

The table below illustrates four key life stages through which a typical .org website (or web supported community) might pass.

The four life stages are:

1. An introductory site or community describes an organization that comes on to the internet for the first time and is looking to purchase a domain

2. A growth type community is one whose membership and awareness is growing, but is still essentially hub and spoke model i.e. communication is predominantly one way from the center

3. A mature dynamic community is one which uses the internet to the full potential to recruit, communicate with and collaborate with a dynamic membership

4. An issue site is one which has been set up for a specific purpose, perhaps lasting only a few months with the purpose of affecting change

This segmentation highlights that the domain needs of .org registrants at different stages of their life stage are likely to be substantively different, requiring different mixes of product/price promotions, different communication techniques and different messages.

Site/ community lifecycle

Registrant Objectives	“A working site”	“A successful site”	An “efficient site”	“An effective site.” i.e. short term site
Core domain needs	ISP access A memorable/meaningful domain name (i.e. my first choice) Information to decide between TLDs	Basic web community functionality (e.g. Reliability Low cost/ease of content update	Advanced website functionality e.g. content management Reduce operations cost	Instant awareness about an issue Low cost Fast to set up
Community needs	“Community forum”	“Community communication”	“Community collaboration”	“Community action”
Augmented needs	Easy purchase process Availability/ coverage Perceived choice Perceived value Easy installation Step by step process Help and advice (predominantly technical) Member recruitment	Advice (Technical, Marketing, content, recruitment) Awareness generation/ Network of links/banner exchange Membership/ audience generation “Revenues” however measured	Freedom of expression Consultation/ involvement on domain issues Common purpose Brand/reputation protection Differentiation Member churn reduction	Outsourced Viral Ease Awareness generation/ Network of links/banner exchange Membership/ audience generation
Emotional Needs	Security Reassurance Assistance Simplicity	Best practice Improvement Success (Growth)	Credibility Authority Recognition “Worthiness”	Awareness Impact Make a difference!

The Internet community

In the United States in the month of December 2001, .org sites were viewed by 47% of the Internet population (over 38 million unique users). On average, these Internet users spent nearly 20 minutes on .org sites, which is equivalent to about 3% of their total monthly surfing time.

The demographics of .org in the US users broadly reflect those of the wider Internet-using national population. However, there is slight skew towards middle-aged surfers (35-50 years old), middle-income earners ($1,500-$4,500 per month), and males (who represent 56% of .org users). .org’s attraction to more senior Internet users possibly comes from the more community-orientated content that can be found on this TLD.

The usage of .org in Germany is very different than users in the United States. In December 2001, only 27% of German Internet users visited sites on .org (4.4 million people), each spending a total of eight and a half minutes there. This approximates to just over 1% of these users’ total monthly online time.

In Germany, whilst 60% of Internet users are male, 78% of .org users there are men. There are strong skews towards young surfers (15-24), typically students.

The top three .org sites for German Internet users are

· charthitz.org – an MP3 exchange site;

· dmoz.org – the Open Directory Project; and

· hardcorepornos.org – an adult site.

The German usage of .org seems overall to be much less mature than in the United States, with much more use of the TLD for pornography and copyright infringement sites. This again illustrates the challenge for the new registry to help .org to become mainstream and legitimately utilized in countries outside the United States.

Influencers

Examples of target influencers include:

· Trade and commercial associations such as chambers of commerce etc.

· Organizations which support non-commercial organizations, such as The Charities Commission in the United Kingdom

· High level platforms at international conferences attended by the Red Cross

· Political and non governmental organizations forums via lobbying

· ICANN and other internet related forums

· The Fortune 500, who may be able to positively influence their supplier relationships

C38.5.7a Communications To Registrars

Communications with the registrars are separated into three stages:

1. Consultation and needs analysis

2. Engagement

3. Co-marketing and skills transfer

1. Consultation and needs analysis

To ensure registrar support, proposed changes to the registry-registrar interface, the transition policy and any marketing recommendations will be discussed with the registrars prior to any firm commitments being made. The registrars are Global Name Registry’s principle route to market as valued channel partners.

2. Engagement

Global Name Registry will undertake a series of pre-launch offline road shows aimed at communicating the change in operator, outlining the registrar co-marketing program, technical and software support available from Global Name Registry and introducing the various initiatives planned.

Important in this road-show program is that Global Name Registry is able to evidence the potential for growth within the .org domain and generate support and commitment for initiatives which require registrar resources.

3. Co-marketing and skills transfer

Global Name Registry is committed to supporting registrars in making .org a success. To this end, we will develop a cooperative marketing program to help shoulder some of the marketing costs borne by registrars. This program is intended to encourage regional marketing efforts that will solidify the global branding of .org.

Registrars who participate in the program will enjoy significant support to their marketing programs. The savings on marketing may be used to help registrars sell .org products directly to consumers or through resellers. In addition, Global Name Registry marketing professionals are available to consult with registrars to provide advice on marketing techniques, creative work, media placement, in connection with the program. These services would be offered to registrars free of charge.

The company will credit the registrar account with a percentage[16] of the wholesale price of all domain registrations generated by a registrar.

· We will track registrations and funds (“Program Funds”) generated by registrars

· Marketing programs may be started at any time (including before Program Funds accrue)

· Program Funds will expire and be unavailable for reimbursement unless an approved marketing program is completed by the end of the sixth month after the original month of accrual of any given Program Funds. For example, Program Funds that accrue in January will expire if not used by the end of June.

· If and to the extent a registrar has generated Program Funds as set forth above, and such funds have not expired, the Company will reimburse US$1 for every US$2 that a registrar spends on approved marketing programs.

C38.5.7b Communications to registrants (.org constituents)

Global Name Registry recognizes that growing the collective community health through continued and subsequent registrations will involve dialogue directly with .org constituents. Thus it will be necessary at the outset to communicate the change of operator (to Global Name Registry) and encourage engagement with the new initiatives.

The logical point at which to do this is at registration and re-registration where Global Name Registry will work with registrars to co-brand or .org brand the opt-in options for the Charter, Causeway Fund and .orgcentre. Global Name Registry recognizes the constraints of hosting these initiatives on registrars’ sites and proposes to offer direct links through to the three community initiatives on Global Name Registry maintained websites where an electronic pack of materials will be available for download.

A comprehensive consultative program of research will be conducted over the next five years into the main community development needs of the top ten segments as identified from current research, this extensive survey will build a comprehensive picture of the .org constituent community needs and lead to the development of tools, techniques and other support that will form part of the .orgcentre resource whose purpose is to give .org communities the “opportunity to thrive”. Research funding grows in value and importance over time as each major segment is surveyed for their needs and wants. Added value services chargeable as well as free resources will emerge to support Registrars’ future revenue streams from .org clients.

C38.5.7c Communications to the internet community

Global Name Registry proposes a ‘cascade approach’ to encouraging adoption of the Charter, Causeway Fund and .orgcentre initiatives. It is recognized that .org community members have other influencing roles to play beyond their community be it religious, local or otherwise. In each case these members can become evangelists for the repurposing of .org amongst local businesses.

Additional marketing communications programs will be undertaken to get the message to across to key channels of influence to the corporate and other communities so that they can join in the global movement to repurpose their .org sites toward the “Community Capital” concept. PR, lobbying and other highly focused measures will be undertaken to help build momentum in this important notion.

C38.5.8 The .org Brand

Does .org require a brand?

The .org brand has been developed for the following reasons:

· To differentiate the .org TLD from other, predominantly commercial TLDs such as .biz and .com

· To reflect the needs and aspirations of the predominantly non-commercial internet community, already residing in the .org domain space.

· To increase sales and reduce churn

The requirement for a brand for .org is demonstrated strongly in each of the following brand importance criteria:

*In general, organizations require a brand…*	*For .org*
Where products are commoditized, a brand can command a premium price	Yes
Where the purchase process, or the product is complex, a brand can provide a “unifying umbrella” which provides reassurance and increases conversion	Yes
Where the customer has never experienced a service previously, a brand can reduce perceived risk and increase trial	Yes
Where there is no personal contact at the point of sale, a brand can provide an necessary emotional connection, which can increase repeat purchase	Yes
Where consumption of the product says something about the individual, the brand can generate a strong “affinity” or loyalty with the product or service	Yes

The elements of the brand

Global Name Registry has developed the brand for the .org domain space. It is constructed from the following elements:

· The brand essence (it unique emotional and rational attributes)

· The vision (which is the textual articulation of the brand)

· The charter (which is an invitation to contribute and participate in the brand vision)

· The graphical logo elements and animation

· Fonts

· Colors

· Strapline

· Tonality and messaging

· The brand hierarchy

· How the brands come to life – i.e. defining the online presence

Brand essence

The essence of a brand is the words and phrases which, in the mind of its target, sum up its core, unique attributes.

These emotional and functional attributes, are translated into benefit statements for the targets segments, and drive the articulation of the brand in the vision.

Figure 30: The .org brand essence

Brand vision – the articulation of the brand essence

The logo – using graphical elements to evoke community capital

The logo elements symbolize the interconnectedness of communities on .org space and also their diversity, illustrated by the variation in sizes of the “community dots”.

The “dots” represent also the “.” in .org. Where animated, the dots split, come together, intersect and grow in size, illustrating the dynamic nature of these communities.

Fonts

The main logo typeface is “Gadget” and the typestyle for the tagline is “Myriad”. Both are modern and fresh using non-serif type. Lower case letters have been used to demonstrate accessibility, and responsiveness. In the online world, the use of capital letters denotes SHOUTING, so lowercase letters have been chosen, to highlight the listening and humbleness of the .org brand.

Colors

Colors have been chosen from the standard web palette, to ensure interoperability and compatibility. A warm orange (Websafe: FF9900) has been chosen for the main color. This is often contrasted and supported with a warm gray (Websafe: 999999) and white (Websafe: FFFFFF)

A combination of red and yellow, orange is stimulating, and reaction to it is a combination of the physical and the emotional. It focuses our minds on issues of physical comfort - food, warmth, shelter - and sensuality. Grey balances the orange and adds intellectual values.

Strap-line

The chosen strap-line is “the community capital” which evokes and explains two ideas:

· An important, central place where communities can live (i.e. the capital)

· The value created by communities, which need not be monetary value (i.e. capital)

Tonality and messaging

In all communication with its constituents, .org will strive to be:

· Discursive, not lecturing

· Listening, not talking

· Lowered voice, not shouting

· Welcoming, not exclusive

· Accepting, not judgmental

· Public, not personal

· Active, not passive

· Reassuring, not progressive

The brand hierarchy

We will support and promote three brands, as explained below. The .org brand and the .orgcentre have been specifically designed to be “synergistic”; one is derivative of the other.

The Causeway Community Foundation has a very different look and feel designed to communicate the trust, worthiness and the character associated with an unimpeachable charitable organization.

Figure 31 : The .org brand hierarchy

Bringing the brands to life

Below are the online articulations of the two principle websites to illustrate look, feel, tone content and functionality (the .org registry is referenced in a previous section).

Figure 32 : The .orgcentre website

Figure 33 The Causeway Community Foundation homepage illustrating proposed functionality

C38.5.9 Year 1 Communications Plan

See below and summary table at the end.

Year 1 Detailed Marketing Budget

For illustrative purposes an allocation of roughly $1m revenues has been allocated to the marketing function to cover strategy, development and execution for marketing communications in year one.

Budget Allocation

The focus in year one is on repositioning .org by establishing and communicating the .org initiatives outlined in section C38.3.

*Media Activities*	*Registrars*	*.org Constituents*	*.org User Communities*	*Influencer Communities*	*Mktg Budget*
Co-Marketing Funds	100%				$ 250,000
Public Relations	10%	60%	10%	20%	$ 250,000
Launch Event Program	80%	20%			$ 75,000
Web/Online Marketing		60%	30%	10%	$ 75,000
Research Program		80%		20%	$ 150,000
Advertising Offline				100%	$ 100,000
Production/Creative					$ 50,000
Contingency					$ 50,000
Total					$1,000,000

38.5.2 Years 2-5 Outline Marketing Budget

For illustrative purposes an allocation of approximately 8-10% of revenues has been allowed for marketing communications, which is assumed, would generate a budget of $1.35M per annum.

Budget Allocation

The focus in years 2-5 will shift from launching initiatives to evidencing and facilitating inter-community co-operation for the mutual benefit of all in the .org universe.

*Media Activities*	*Registrars*	*.org Constituents*	*.org User Communities*	*Influencer Communities*	*Mktg Budget*

Co-Marketing Funds	100%				$ 300,000
Public Relations	10%	60%	10%	20%	$ 300,000
Research		70%	20%	10%	$ 250,000
Initiatives Support
- Causeway Fund	10%	70%		20%	$ 100,000
- .orgcentre	30%	70%			$ 200,000
- .org Charter	10%	80%		10%	$ 100,000
Production/Creative					$ 50,000
Contingency					$ 50,000
Total					$1,350,000

C38.5.10 Execution Partners

Partner selection process

In order to execute on the marketing communications strategies outlined in this document, Global Name Registry has selected partners on the basis of a rigorous selection process which benchmarked a number of partners in terms of :

1. Global reach, with physical presence in each of the major markets

2. Demonstrable success in comparable arena (perhaps working with NGOs)

3. Value for money

4. Ethical or socially responsible clients within their base

Skills required from partners

It is believed that Global Name Registry will need the following skills:

· Online brand development

· CRM and acquisition strategies

· Channel recruitment and management

· Online media strategies

· Online viral marketing

· Site analysis, benchmarking and tracking

· Online and offline research into

· Data analysis, segmentation and propensity modeling

· Online and offline PR (including tracking/seeding of message boards such as slashdot.org) and event tracking and attaching the .org message to other global platforms

Selected agencies who have expressed a desire to progress at this stage include:

· Digitas – global digital marketing agency

· Porter Novelli – international PR firm specializing in technology and early adopters

· Research International – World Class research firm with pioneering on-line research techniques

Digitas’s Credentials

Summary

· Leader in building technology-based customer solutions

· 1500+ employees

· More than $1.5 billion in capitalized billings

· Global reach

Client list

AEP	Allstate	American Century	American Express
Ann Taylor	AT&T	Barnes and Noble	BestBuy
Charles Schwab	Delta	Gateway	LLBean
FedEx	Terra Lycos	msn	Fleet
GM	The Gillette Company	ING	Johnson and Johnson
Kingfisher	Morgan Stanley	Nicholas Applegate	Saab
Starwood Hotels	Femsa	Williams Sonoma	Xerox

Awards

· Interactive Agency of the year – February 2001 (Adweek)

· Presidents Award, Best Non traditional agency - February 2000 (Adweek)

· Highest Rated Interactive Agency - June 2002 (Advertising Age)

· 2^nd Highest Ranked eCommerce Integrator June 2000 (Forrester)

Digitas positioning statement

Our strength lies in the value we deliver for our clients. We build lasting partnerships with clients and a leading position in relation to our competitors. Several key points of differentiation set us apart from our peers:

· We innovate with a single-minded commitment to producing results. Our track record of generating strong marketplace results is well known across our client base. Our client solutions are built on an informed strategy that combines the Digitas reservoir of knowledge with client insight to their business challenges and customer/channel dynamics. We do not produce work, engage in partnerships, or apply new technology for the purpose of winning awards—we are known for business results, not entertainment or accolades alone. We want the spotlight on you, not us.

· We bring insight and experience to interactive solutions. We have long understood that the Internet is a tool for capturing and disseminating information at every point of customer contact. We believe that a company can and should utilize its online presence to convey customer benefit and establish opportunities to initiate a dialogue. We were among the first to commit corporate focus and dedicated teams to online initiatives. We have planned, negotiated, and successfully implemented hundreds of online advertising programs with over 500 sites of every size and type.

· We are inherently practical. We understand the technical platforms and organizational alignment required for flawless execution of online marketing solutions. We know that interactive marketing success requires a lot of blocking and tackling, and we won’t have to “learn how” on your programs. Our scale, client tenure, and marketplace clout combine to deliver competitive advantage for all of our clients—we’ve learned the lessons and optimized the process. We understand the need for positive ROI—and combine strategic insight with tactical execution skills to ensure that your payback happens quickly and consistently.

· “On-time, on-budget, on-strategy” is our mantra. We understand our clients’ unique business needs and marry them with the most effective and efficient solution to meet their cost and timing objectives.

· We believe CRM is a process and not a product. We think of customer relationship management very differently than others in the industry. While we work with the leading technology solutions providers, our approach is not limited to technology implementation. It also includes partnering to collect and understand customer information as well as implement programs to maximize customer value on an ongoing and measured basis.

· Digitas global community. We understand the importance of building strong interactive programs on a global basis and are designed to service multinational Global 100 companies. While other agencies may have more “dots on the map,” we believe that a network of acquired/merged offices does not typically provide a truly integrated resource. Our growth has been organic, and thus our delivery is consistent to our mission across all we do. Our hubs in Europe, Latin America, and the United States understand how to balance global strategy with local implementation.

· Digitas is a passionate team. Our greatest asset is our people, a team of highly skilled professionals who are passionate about their work and fully accountable to the success of our clients. We insist on balancing intelligence with insight, and work hard to maintain our position as market trailblazers. This set of core values helps us attract and retain the best and brightest.

· We will be here for you. Over 20 years as a leader in consumer marketing strategy and direct marketing, combined with six years of industry-leading interactive experience, creates a unique combination of integrated marketing skills that we bring to all of our client relationships.

Porter Novelli Convergence group credentials

The Porter Novelli Convergence Group has more than 450 digital economy specialists

· branded offices in every major market in the world

· more than $50 million in annual revenue

· a heritage of global leadership in technology-driven public relations

Porter Novelli is part of one of the largest communications groups in the world.

Client list

Iomega	IBM	Cisco	GE
AltaVista	AskJeeves	AutoWeb	Phillips
Wells Fargo	BroadJump	Nextel	Analog Devices
TechTV	Network Associates	Sevin Rosen Funds	Platform
HP	MatrixOne	EMC2	PriceWaterhouseCoopers
BMC software	SpeechWorks	Qualcomm	BlueStreak
Domainia	Exterprise	SupplierMarket.com	Netbooster

Service Portfolio

Services
Analyst relations	Investor relations
Brand positioning	Media relations
Corporate communications	Online public relations
Event/tradeshow management	Provace program
Interactive marketing/media	Product Reviews lab
Services	Research lab
Internal communications	Spokesperson training

Research International

Research International is the world leader in custom market research services. We work as partners to help clients gain a better understanding of consumers and customers, solve problems, and develop the knowledge to create successful brands and businesses

We are specialists in Consumer Understanding, Branding and Communications, –Innovation, Channel Management, Customer Relationships and Service Measurement.

All our work is supported by our continual investment in knowledge management systems, in quality at every stage of our operations, and in innovative research solutions developed by our global network of Marketing Science Centres and by Research International Qualitatif, the world's largest qualitative research group.

We believe that research must move beyond the provision of tactical assistance, and the ability to answer a specific question - important though that is. It must provide a wider marketing knowledge and insight framework that enables businesses to prosper by forging durable links with their customers.

C39 Intentionally Omitted

C40. Endowment statement

The current .org registry agreement between ICANN and VeriSign, Inc., states: 5.1.4 No later than 90 days prior to the Expiration Date, [VeriSign] will pay to ICANN or ICANN's designee the sum of US $5 million, to be used by ICANN in it sole discretion to establish an endowment to be used to fund future operating costs of the non-profit entity designated by ICANN as successor operator of the .org registry. [VeriSign] agrees that such funds, once paid to ICANN, will become the property of ICANN and/or ICANN's designee, and that [VeriSign] will have no ownership or other rights or interests in such funds or in the manner in which they are used or disbursed.

C41. Endowment funds

Do you propose to seek to qualify to receive any funds from this endowment?

Yes, Global Name Registryseeks to apply for the VeriSign endowment for contribution to the Causeway Community Foundation, which will be created during the first year of registry operation. The Causeway Community Foundation will be a non-profit organization established and wholly owned by Global Name Registry. Any funds allocated to the foundation, including any portion of the endowment, will be dedicated to worthy projects solely for the benefit of the .org community. For further details on the scope of the foundations and the worthy projects it will promote, see Section C38.

use of the endowment

Objectives and how endowment will be used

If so, describe in detail how you propose to use this endowment. Include the commitments you propose to make about the uses to which the endowment would be put. Explain why those uses are consistent with the smooth, stable transition and operation of the .org TLD for the benefit of current and future .org registrants.

The Causeway Community Foundation is a charitable fund to be established by Global Name Registry and which will be managed by a consultant which specializes in the distribution of funds to non-commercial entities, such as the Charities Aid Foundation. See Appendix 50 for the letter of interest from the CAF.

The foundation will be created to serve the needs of the .org community and will elicit, consider and represent the community’s interests. Monies from the Causeway Community Foundation will be open to the Internet community as a whole. However, it will be .org registrants will be able to help direct the allocation of the monies within the Causeway Community Foundation. The Causeway Community Foundation is more completely described in Section C38.

The aim of the Causeway Community Foundation is to create and manage funds that will be allocated to benefit a wide range of “worthy projects” proposed by diverse segments of the non-commercial community across a wide geographical spread. The fund will solicit applications from the Internet community, and the Causeway Community Foundation will allocate funds to projects which must benefit the non-profit community (as well as the ICANN community in general) and which are Internet related.

Funds from the Causeway Community Foundation will be allocated equally to worthy projects and also to fund the .orgcentre, which will support directly the needs of the non-commercial community by providing training programs, resources and advice, as further described in Section C38.

Worthy projects by non-profit entities or corporate entities proposing projects that benefiting the non-profit community will include:

· Travel expenditures for non-commercial entities to ICANN meetings. The non-commercial entities have not been thoroughly represented in ICANN meetings and in the DNSO from time to time because of funding issues. As part of its commitment to involving the .org community, Global Name Registry would use the endowment to ensure that additional resources could be committed toward making the ICANN meetings accessible for non-profit organizations and other .org communities worldwide. This could include travels for selected individuals, broadcasting and translation.

· Resources for non-commercial entities to develop their presence online. With the endowment, the resources available to the .org community could be significantly enhanced, to provide more tools to help non-commercial entities set up an online presence on .org.

· The .orgcentre would use part of the endowment to set up regional offices in Asia, EMEA and South America to diversify its otherwise mainly United Kingdom and North American presence, as well as to be closer to other important areas where non-commercial communities operate and work. The purpose of regional representation by the .orgcentre is to (a) be closer to the community it serves and put .org domain names within reach of regional communities, (b) do further research on the .org community’s needs, and (c) help registrars articulate the Global Name Registry vision and provide tools to the local communities they serve. These regional offices would be planned and implemented with the input of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, with specific focus on creating synergies with their existing activities across the globe.

· With Global Name Registry’s current base of languages, the .orgcentre would provide support to users in several languages (French, Italian, Mandarin, Norwegian and German, to name a few); with the endowment, the .orgcentre could further enhance its language base and support. The choice of languages and levels of language support will be determined by .orgcentre according to the needs and desires of the .org community.

· The .orgcentre would contribute to funding of local internet projects benefiting the .org community. Global Name Registry would explore with the Red Cross the possibilities to set up local internet centers to promote internet use and reduce the digital divide, with specific focus on non-commercial activities.

· Other worthy projects can be suggested by the .org community at any time. The projects and community interaction that arise out of the .orgcentre will be ongoing and continuously contribute to decisions on what to put in place to serve the community.

It is proposed that the endowment be used on a “matching funds” basis for the benefit of the Causeway Community Foundation and thereby the not for profit initiatives that it supports. The “matching funds” principle means that for every dollar contributed by Global Name Registry to the Causeway Community Foundation and the .orgcentre, ICANN will match this contribution with monies from the endowment up to a maximum of $5,000,000.

It is anticipated that this matching fund process would take place over the term of the .org Agreement. It is envisioned that the Causeway Community Foundation will be operational by the end of the first year of registry operation, with the first disbursement taking place six months thereafter.

Therefore, contributions to the foundation by Global Name Registry, and, if approved, ICANN, by virtue of the VeriSign endowment, would take place shortly prior to the first disbursement, (roughly eighteen months following registry transition), and every six months thereafter for the term of the registry agreement, or until the endowment is exhausted. Global Name Registry commits to fund the Causeway Community Foundation for the entire period of the .org ICANN Agreement.

Based on this model, it is anticipated that Global Name Registry will donate between $1,500,000 and $2,000,000 per annum to the Causeway Community Foundation.

A more detailed explanation of the Causeway Community Foundation is given is Section C38.

Justification of use of the endowment

If you propose to seek to qualify to receive the endowment funds, explain why you believe that your proposed use is consistent with the terms of the endowment.

Global Name Registry believes that its proposed use of the endowment is consistent with the spirit of the endowment in that it supports the principles of the Causeway Community Foundation and the .orgcentre, which will be set up to:

· Benefit the Internet community as a whole

· Benefit non-commercial organizations in particular

· Activate and solicit an ongoing active participation from the .org community that wishes to take part.

· Disburse funds to worthy projects selected by the .org community (i.e. to be responsive to the needs of the non-commercial .org community)

· Add resources and outreach to the .org community

· Differentiate the .org space from other commercial gTLDs

In addition we believe that the “matching” principle will generate significant positive PR both for both ICANN and the Causeway Community Foundation.

Impact on operations if the endowment is not granted

If the endowment were not allocated, it would not fundamentally harm either the concept or the operation of the Causeway Community Foundation. As stated above, Global Name Registry will be contributing significant amounts of money derived from .org revenues. Global Name Registry believes that its contributions will adequately fund the projects it contemplates; however, matching funds from the endowment will allow Global Name Registry to create and maintain more initiatives, dedicate higher resources to each initiative and reach a wider community audience worldwide.

C42-49. Intentionally omitted

X. SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

C50.

The following documentation should be provided in support of your .org Proposal:

C50.1. Organizational documents of applicant.

Organizational documents of the applicant. A copy of the organizational documents (Articles of Association, By-laws, enabling legislation, etc.) of the applicant.

See Appendix 02 for The Global Name Registry, Limited Certificate of Incorporation.

See Appendix 03 for The Global Name Registry, Limited Articles of Association.

C50.2. Organizational documents of certain other entities.

Organizational documents of certain other entities. A copy of the organizational documents of each non-profit entity identified in Item C13.

The Royal Charter of the British Red Cross Society, acting as agent for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, is attached as Appendix 04.

The most recent Trustees’ Report from the British Red Cross Society is attached as Appendix 05.

See also the International Red Cross part of this .org Proposal, bound separately.

C50.3. Business references.

Business References. A list of significant trade and credit references of the applicant and each entity identified in Item C13.

Gayle Hares

ICAM Business Support Manager

Mailpoint F1P North Harbour

Portsmouth

Hampshire PO6 3AU

United Kingdom

TEL (023) 92 568231 (Internal 258231) Mobile 07703 195501 (Mob 276982)

E-mail HARESG@UK.IBM.COM

Tom Kellerman, Esq.

Partner

Brobeck Hale & Dorr

Alder Castle

10 Noble Street

London EC2V 7QJ

United Kingdom

+44 20 7645 2400

kellerman@bhd.com

C50.4. Annual reports.

Annual Reports. A copy of the most recent annual financial report (or similar document), if any, of the applicant and each entity identified in Item C13.

The Global Name Registry, Limited is included in the annual reports for its parent company, GNR Limited, the annual report for the year ended 31 December 2001 for which is attached as Appendix 06.

C50.5. Evidence of commitment. Any documentation requested by item C14.

Evidence of Commitment. Any documentation requested by Item C14.

The Global Name Registry, Limited will perform all Registry Services as stated in Section C12

C50.6. Evidence of community support. Any documentation requested by item C36.

Letters of support are attached as Appendix 50.

By signing this proposal, the undersigned certifies (a) that he or she has the authority to do so on behalf of the applicant, and (b) on his or her own behalf and on behalf of the applicant, that all information contained in this proposal, and all the documents attached to this proposal, are true and accurate to the best of his/her/its knowledge and information. The undersigned and the applicant understand that any material misstatement or misrepresentation will reflect negatively on the application of which this proposal is a part and may cause cancellation of any delegation of a top-level domain based on that application.

_________________________________________
Signature

_________________________________________
Name (please print)

_________________________________________
Title

_________________________________________
Name of applicant

_________________________________________
Date

[1] NAMES COUNCIL .org DIVESTITURE TASK FORCE v 5.4 (January 9, 2002)

[2] The flash vision file is found on the accompanying CD or at www.orgregistry.org/

[3] Source: Legg Mason New Domain Name Survey 2001

[4] This is illustrative of the branding only, not substance.

[6] Morgan Stanley Equity research 21^st September 2001

[7] Sept. 2000 Legg-Mason report on Register.com

[9] Morgan Stanley Equity research 21^st September 2001

[10] Sept. 2000 Legg-Mason report on Register.com

[11] International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

[13] International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

[15] http://www.icann.org/registrars/accredited-list.html

[16] The final percentage will depend on some detailed financial modelling yet to be completed