.UK Brand

[Stephen]

Forward in Time

There is of course the chance that business owners buy up the .uk and just redirect it to their .co.uk and the shift doesn't occur. It would take many (many) companies to rebrand and remarket, of which I just can't see the benefit - which I'm sure they couldn't either.

Agree about the redirects, due to the rebranding costs involved,
many established businesses will not consider moving off .co.uk,
only wanting it as protection, so not adding to the pool of domains available.

However there will be some that move, but it is new businesses or those with .com that may make a move over to .uk.
Then if there is a momentum to .uk awareness and the .co.uk looks old then it "may" start a trend movement over years to .uk.

Having been in business over 25 years, I find there is a tendency for organization like Nominet to think in 1 or 5 years max,
I would warn them once this is started there is no going back and in 10+ years will they think they made the right move with .uk?.

 

[retired_member34]

Agree about the redirects, due to the rebranding costs involved, many established businesses will not consider moving off .co.uk, only wanting it as protection, so not adding to the pool of domains available.

I agree, it will not add to the pool of domains for the most part, as they will simply redirect to the current one they use.

it is new businesses or those with .com that may make a move over to .uk. Then if there is a momentum to .uk awareness and the .co.uk looks old then it "may" start a trend movement over years to .uk

Which in effect is adding to the pool of domains, but only in a small way to start with. Two big questions then, which overlap somewhat:

1. How big will this trend become, will the tipping point come that it is considered somehow not acceptable to trade on the .co.uk?
2. Will .co.uk and .uk be seen as a separate namespaces in the public eye, so different companies can trade on them?