18(b) How do you expect that your proposed gTLD will benefit registrants, Internet users, and others?

Prototypical answer:

b) How do you expect that your proposed gTLD will benefit registrants, Internet users, and others?

Answers should address the following points:
i. What is the goal of your proposed gTLD in terms of areas of specialty, service levels, or reputation?
• The goal of the proposed (.pwc) gTLD in terms of specialty, service levels and reputation are:
o Specialty – Applicant’s company is a market leader in the professional services industry. With the continued growth of the online channel in importance and significance, it is critical that Applicant and its affiliated entities utilize all new online tools available to ensure current and potential product⁄service customers can quickly find authorized, accurate information. The proposed (. pwc ) will help Applicant increase consumer confidence in online content it makes available through websites utilizing its gTLD and provide a trusted destination for consumers to research product offerings.
o Service levels –One of the key goals of the proposed (.pwc) gTLD is to create a restricted, exclusively-controlled online environment for employees, customers (current and potential), suppliers and other business partners which will increase customer confidence and trust in conducting business online. Through greater use of online tools by employees, customers (current and potential), suppliers and other business partners, Applicant’s company expects to further streamline business processes, reduce turn-around times, provide more personalized service and improve overall customer⁄client service.
o Reputation – Applicant’s company has a reputation of excellence in customer satisfaction and innovation. With the online channel growing in importance, one of the goals of the proposed (. pwc ) gTLD is to position Applicant’s company to meet future customer expectations and competitive market demands to ensure it can continue to grow its reputation.


ii. What do you anticipate your proposed gTLD will add to the current space, in terms of competition, differentiation, or innovation?
iii. PwC Business Trust plans to operate the proposed (.pwc) gTLD as a restricted, exclusively-controlled TLD and as such it will not be commercially offered for registration to the general public. Thus, PwC Business Trust will have exclusive ownership over all second-level registrations within the TLD. As a result, we believe the proposed (.pwc) gTLD will add to the current namespace in three (3) areas:
• Competition – As technology advances, so too do customer expectations of companies online. They expect that companies will utilize the latest and greatest technology and online practices to improve the user experience, protect their information and deliver quality service. Applicant anticipates that the proposed (.pwc) gTLD will enable it to communicate, interact and protect data in ways and under conditions not possible under the existing namespace, thus enabling Applicant and its affiliated entities to meet future customer expectations and competitive market demands.
• Differentiation – While today companies, like Applicant’s company, can register brand strings at the second-level (e.g., pwc.com), the proliferation of cybersquatting and typo squatting has placed a great burden on consumers to carefully tread online because there is no guarantee on the face of the domain name string that what looks like a branded website is indeed an authorized website of the brand owner. The proposed (. pwc ) gTLD will enable employees, customers, suppliers, other business partners and Internet users to distinguish, on the face of the domain name alone, whether the site is an authorized company site because the gTLD will be a restricted, exclusively- controlled online environment where only authorized company web properties and e-mail will exist and operate online.
Innovation - The proposed (.pwc) gTLD as a restricted, exclusively-controlled TLD will provide Applicant’s company with a new platform on which to build future innovation of its online brand presence and products.
Innovation - The proposed (.pwc) gTLD as a restricted, exclusively-controlled TLD will provide Applicant’s company with a new platform on which to build future innovation of its online brand presence and products.

iv. What goals does your proposed gTLD have in terms of user experience?

• The Internet has been plagued by cybersquatting, typo squatting, phishing, pharming and identity theft scams. This malicious online conduct has shaken the trust and confidence of consumers to share information and transact business online. Thus, the proposed (.pwc) gTLD has the following user experience goals:

o Simplify purchase and unify the full breadth of products and services offered by Applicant and its affiliated entities;
o Improve and streamline manner in which employees, customers, suppliers and other business partners can interact with Applicant and its affiliated entities in the online digital space;
o Foster trust and confidence in online interactions by customers and other business partners with Applicant and its affiliated entities;
o Reduce the risk of Internet users being misled, believing and⁄or acting on erroneous, information about Applicant and its affiliated entities, its business partners and⁄or its products and services presented online by unauthorized 3rd parties; and
o Simplify online navigation to Applicant and affiliated entity products, services and information.

v. Provide a complete description of the applicant’s intended registration policies in support of the goals listed above.

The proposed gTLD will be a restricted, exclusively-controlled gTLD where only Applicant, affiliated entities and authorized business partners will be permitted to register second-level domains for Applicant business purposes only for a term of one to ten years. Affiliated entities who are part of the same corporate organization as the Applicant who seek registrations for second-level names under the TLD will be required to present evidence in writing to accredited registrar(s) for the TLD demonstrating explicit authorization from an officer of the Applicant company to register second-level names within the TLD to protect against unauthorized registration within the TLD by unaffiliated third parties. Applicants and affiliated entities owned and⁄or controlled by the same corporate parent company will supply corporate contact and ownership information, not personal information, for each registration obtained under the TLD for display in the TLD WHOIS.

To the extent second-level domain names are ever registered to Applicant’s business partners and⁄or affiliates that are not owned by Applicant or its corporate parent company, registrants will be required to execute a registration agreement that incorporates all required ICANN consensus policies and other legal⁄policy requirements imposed on new gTLD applicants into the terms and conditions of the domain name registration agreement. Such registration may also be subject to additional terms and conditions under separate business partner and⁄or affiliate agreements with Applicant entity. Registrations by business partners or affiliates not owned by Applicant or its corporate parent company will require written, pre-approval by designated individual(s) at Applicant company, must provide corporate contact information, not personal information, for WHOIS purposes and must be made with Applicant’s registrar of choice. Registrants must not use the domain name in any way that may damage or diminish Applicants brand reputation, business relationships or other business interests. Failure to do any of the above will result in the immediate suspension of registrant’s registration agreement and⁄or all deletion of all domain names currently registered in the TLD.

vi. Will your proposed gTLD impose any measures for protecting the privacy or confidential information of registrants or users? If so, please describe any such measures.

• The proposed (.pwc) gTLD will be a restricted, exclusively-controlled gTLD where only Applicant will authorize⁄issue registrations within the TLD to itself and affiliated entities for business purposes. Corporate contact information will be clearly listed in the WHOIS record for each registration within the TLD. Thus, there are no measures that need to be proposed to protect the privacy or confidential registration information of registrants of the TLD. However, Applicant is investing in the proposed (.pwc) gTLD to further demonstrate its commitment to data privacy (as evidenced by its current data privacy statement , http:⁄⁄www.pwc.com⁄id⁄en⁄about-us⁄pwc-privacy-policy.jhtml), as Applicant believes the utilization of the proposed new gTLD could position its company to more fully meet new online challenges related to online privacy in the future.


Describe whether and in what ways outreach and communications will help to achieve your projected benefits.

Prior to using the proposed (.pwc) gTLD for product and service marketing⁄advertising, marketing campaign activation, interaction and communication with individuals and entities with whom Applicant has a business relationship, and⁄or implementing new online navigation strategies, Applicant’s company anticipates conducting a multi-faceted outreach and communications campaign that will likely involve all communication channels, including but not limited to TV, radio, mobile, print, social media, direct mail, online advertising and marketing via our active, customer and affiliate-facing websites and other public relations activities to:
• Further communicate Applicant company’s commitment to online consumer safety and data privacy;
• Inform the market of Applicant’s ownership and planned use of the proposed (.pwc) gTLD;
• Clearly define the expected benefits to employees, customers, suppliers, other business partners and Internet users at large.

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