The key to convincing the company from zero awareness was “brand protection.”

――Please tell us about your current responsibilities and your role in operating the Brand TLD.

Kobori:
I belong to the Intellectual Property Department, where I oversee trademark management operations and handle global domain name management. I have also participated in various projects related to group-wide branding in collaboration with departments such as Corporate Planning, Corporate Communications, and Digital Solutions. In these projects, my role has been to provide a legal perspective on trademarks, which are an important element of the brand.

Regarding the Brand TLD, I am responsible not only for the registration and renewal management of individual domain names but also for internal coordination to strengthen governance related to the operation and utilization of domains under the Brand TLD. I handle the entire process—from receiving applications for domain acquisition, gathering opinions from relevant departments, obtaining executive approval, and registering the domains.

Mr. Kenji Kobori (Intellectual Property Department)

――That’s quite a wide range of responsibilities. What initially led Toray to consider acquiring a Brand TLD?

Kobori:
Around 2010, GMO BRAND SECURITY explained the New gTLD (*3) Program to us for the first time. At that time, Toray was reviewing the entire structure of its website operations, and we recognized this as important information for future web management, so we immediately shared it with related departments. The department managing our websites agreed that we should prepare to use “.toray” as a global communication and marketing tool, and discussions began. However, since the cost was high, some questioned the cost-effectiveness and asked, “Is it really worth it?”

――Cost-effectiveness is always a major discussion point. How did you overcome that and reach an internal agreement?

Kobori:
The decisive factor was brand protection. If we decided not to apply, another company might acquire a similar Brand TLD. In fact, there were several brands whose names resembled “TORAY,” and we also considered the risk that a generic word like “today,” which looks similar, might be taken and make it impossible for us to apply later. Around that time, fraudulent emails caused by typo-squatting (a type of domain hijacking that exploits typing mistakes) had occurred, which heightened our sense of urgency. Therefore, from the perspective of preventing brand damage and opportunity loss, the necessity of acquiring a Brand TLD became apparent.

In addition, at that time it was uncertain when the next application window would open, so there was a growing sense that “if we’re going to do it, now is the time,” which helped us make the decision.

――I can imagine it was difficult to explain internally, given the low awareness of the New gTLD Program at the time.

Kobori:
It was indeed very challenging. Almost no one in the company, including executives, knew what a New gTLD was. Even the term “gTLD” was confusing—people often misspoke it as “gTDL” or “gLTD,” myself included! (laughs) Few employees even knew about ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). Some asked, “Isn’t this a suspicious organization?” or “Are we being scammed by paying so much money?” So, we started by explaining what a New gTLD and a Brand TLD are, and what ICANN actually does. At that time, GMO BRAND SECURITY held explanatory sessions for companies considering applying for a New gTLD and created materials summarizing the overview of the initiative. These supports were extremely helpful in building internal consensus. Using those materials, we repeatedly explained the concept to key departments such as Advertising, Public Relations, Information Systems, Marketing Planning, and the Intellectual Property Department. As a result, we were able to share the importance and necessity of this initiative across the company. Eventually, these five departments formed a working group to drive the project. We started discussions in August 2010 and decided to apply in November—about three months later. Looking back, it seems short, but at the time it felt long because we prioritized the project and worked on it continuously.

Expanding “.toray” as a Group-Wide Asset

――Once you successfully acquired “.toray,” how did you promote its use within the company?

Kobori:
First, we added content about the new domain to our internal intellectual property training materials. We explained that “.toray” would become our main domain going forward, described its advantages and disadvantages, and worked to ensure all employees understood it. Once we had some concrete examples of domains registered under the Brand TLD, we reported them at board meetings to deepen management’s understanding.

――After those sessions, did other departments start expressing interest in using it?

Yuki Terachi (Sales & Marketing Division, GMO Brand Security)

Kobori:
We didn’t receive many direct inquiries from individuals, but the five departments that drove the project became starting points, and the use gradually expanded. Since the IT Systems Division was also involved, they were able to link the “.toray” domain usage with their ongoing plan to unify group-wide email addresses.

――I see. Could you tell us more about specific use cases, including email?

Kobori:
The Toray Group mainly uses “.toray” in three areas.

First, our websites. As a B2B materials manufacturer, we operate many sites to promote specific businesses, materials, and products. Since we began managing our Brand TLD, any new business or brand site is created using “.toray.”

Many general terms for our materials are already taken in “.com” domains, making it difficult to obtain them, but with a Brand TLD, we can freely create domains such as “films.toray,” “plastics.toray,” or “circular.toray.” This freedom is a major advantage.

Second, our email addresses. We unified all group email addresses under “mail.toray.” The IT Systems Division had envisioned creating “permanent email addresses” that employees could continue using even when transferring between group companies. That idea was realized through the Brand TLD. Third, internal systems. Previously, we used “toray.co.jp” as the main domain and simply added random alphanumeric subdomains to differentiate systems, which made it difficult for users to associate URLs with their corresponding systems.

Now, for example, we use “webapp.toray” as a base domain and assign system names as subdomains. For external web services that allow custom domains, we also use clear and easy-to-remember addresses such as “note.toray.”

――So “.toray” is being used across many internal and external channels. Can group companies also use it?

Kobori:
Yes. We position “.toray” as the official identifier proving that a company is part of the Toray Group.

Therefore, any group company meeting certain criteria can use it. For example, previously, our regional subsidiaries known as “Shokusan Companies” had names based on their factory locations, such as “Shiga Shokusan” or “Mishima Shokusan.” When we unified these names under “Toray Coms,” such as “Toray Coms Chiba” and “Toray Coms Shiga,” we also created “coms.toray” and assigned directories for each company, integrating their websites. “.toray” thus plays an important role in fostering a sense of unity as a corporate group built around a single brand.

Significant Cost Savings and Enhanced Security

――It has been more than ten years since the introduction of “.toray.” Has it proven cost-effective in terms of brand protection and marketing benefits?

Kobori:
Absolutely. If we didn’t have a Brand TLD, our costs would be much higher.

Each time we launched a new brand or service, we used to acquire multiple domains like “.com” and “.jp” defensively, to prevent third parties from taking similar names—a constant game of cat and mouse. With the Brand TLD, that concern has disappeared. As a result, we’ve reduced registration and renewal costs and no longer need to acquire unnecessary domains. This benefit has grown each year.

From a security perspective, “.toray” is also a very powerful weapon against spoofing emails and phishing sites, which have become urgent issues recently.

Emails not sent from our domains can immediately be identified as fake, and websites using “.toray” can be trusted as official. Even when sharing information on social media, users can safely click on links ending with “.toray.”

Brand TLDs Will Be Essential Tools for Digital Marketing

――Looking back, do you feel it was the right decision to acquire a Brand TLD?

Kobori:
Without a doubt. It was an excellent decision for the company, and personally, I’m very happy to have been part of the process.

――How do you see the future potential of Brand TLDs?

Kobori:
I believe Brand TLDs will become essential tools in digital marketing. They are highly compatible with branding. In today’s world, where impersonation and phishing scams are increasing, simply having a Brand TLD gives companies a major advantage. For example, QR codes are everywhere, but since users can’t see the destination website, they may feel uneasy. Scams exploiting this are on the rise. If a QR code is accompanied by a visible “.toray” URL and the same URL appears after scanning, it reassures users. We want to actively display our Brand TLD in ways that are memorable and visually recognizable.

――Google has also begun using “.google” for its own services. The idea of providing secure, trustworthy links will only become more important.

Kobori:
Exactly. By actively using “.toray” in our websites and social media communications, we want to ensure that stakeholders immediately recognize, “This is official information from Toray.”