I spent a few days in Canada recently and was struck but how many billboards, newspapers, and web sites prominently displayed .ca instead of .com.
I started writing down every localized domain I encountered and here’s what I ended up with after the first day:
- Buick.ca
- Doritos.ca
- Eggs.ca
- Ford.ca
- iCoke.ca
- Kia.ca
- Lexus.ca
- Lorealparis.ca
- MTV.ca
- Pantene.ca
- Toyota.ca
Two years ago, when I was last in Canada, several of the companies mentioned above used .com for local promotions. Back then, I struggled to find any mention of .ca — anywhere.
Perhaps a burst of national pride triggered by the Olympics gave advertisers a good reason to emphasize .ca.
Or perhaps there is a larger trend at work here — a shift in the way companies promote themselves around the world.
Advertisers are coming to the realization that .com isn’t local enough.
“Local” is in these days.
Not just with organic produce and manufacturing, but with domain names. I’m not suggesting that .com domains are in danger. Not in the least.
But I am suggesting that ccTLDs have a very bright future.
And not just in Canada.
