Un-Convention-al

Though pushed back slightly due to tropical storms, the kickoff of the Republican National Convention this week coincides serendipitously with our discovery of a new email service claiming to offer more privacy and security than widely used, free email providers. And what is the domain name that the email addresses from this service sport? Reagan.com, of course.

Now, we have no way of knowing exactly how the Gipper would have felt about the Reagan.com homepage’s claims that “some of the largest free email providers are profiting from the information they glean from your emails” as a pitch for the company’s offerings. But what we do know is that Reagan.com may be leading a trend that could take off once new gTLDs begin to launch – “branded” emails.

Imagine you’re a brand owner who wants to use your new gTLD to build (or augment) a digital community of fans and advocates of your brand. One tool in your new arsenal is to offer them their very own email address with your brand included: CustomerName@Mail.BMW or CustomerName@Love.Subaru, as examples. Even operators of generic-term gTLDs could have a potential product to offer. Can you think of a single frat boy who wouldn’t jump at the chance to have his email address be Username@Drink.Beer, for instance?

In an age where conventional free email providers collect all kinds of information, from the last place you made an online purchase to where in the world you logged in from, a service that promises not to scan your emails could be a very attractive proposition to Internet users. Add to that the ability to express their interests, likes, or brand affiliations with a new gTLD domain, and you’ve got a new product with the potential to appeal to users across party lines.