Gymnastics first Tier 1 sport to adopt .SPORT domain
The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) is the first Tier 1 Olympic Sport to make the switch to .SPORT – the new domain created exclusively for the sports industry.
“It was a natural move for us,” says FIG Marketing Director Olivier Strebel, who now owns www.gymnastics.sport. “The .SPORT domain is the perfect symbol to demonstrate our commitment to sport and its values.”
They are now joined by over 80 organisations from across the sports industry that successfully applied for their preferred domain.
For Federations and other governing bodies, .SPORT offers a solution to some lasting marketing and operational challenges.
Be truly discoverable
“I had people confusing our Federation with the fruit” says Mr. Strebel. The International Gymnastics Federation’s fruity namesake – the fig – has caused a few headaches for the organisation.
Acronyms are commonplace in sport and are used widely in the Olympic world. But organisations that use acronyms with typical domains like .org or .com risk limiting their marketing potential through cases of mistaken identity or misunderstanding.
“The .SPORT domain shows we are unequivocally part of sport,” says Mr. Strebel, “it allows us to continue supporting our heritage by using our traditional acronym and not have to consider making a big change to our identity as other organisations recently have.”
World Athletics and World Sailing are two Federations that in recent years have decided to ditch their traditional acronyms for their now more obvious names.
With a .SPORT domain, the potentially troublesome Federation acronym can be permanently attached to its rightful context. Organisations do not have to choose between honouring tradition and being truly discoverable online. They can now do both.
Solve the discipline dilemma
The ‘portfolio’ solution .SPORT offers is perfect for International Federations governing many disciplines across many countries.
“We have eight disciplines,” Mr. Strebel explains. “We want to have control of these online to be discoverable in different markets and to ensure legitimacy.”
Through .SPORT’s strict verification and monitoring processes, Federations like Gymnastics can create their own list of domains for disciplines and languages that are guaranteed to remain under their control. This is also ideal for specific events and initiatives that may warrant exclusive platforms and dedicated marketing campaigns.
Proud to be part of sport
“I think it’s good to differentiate from other non-profits and governmental organisations,” says Mr. Strebel. “the .ORG domain didn’t fulfil our purpose as an organisation, whereas the .SPORT domain is a natural expression of what we do here.”
Those who work in sport are rightly proud of its values and its positive worldly influence. It is surely a community worth protecting and promoting.
Activating a .SPORT domain is a vote for doing both.
If you want to learn how to join the .SPORT community and see if for your first-choice domain name is available, contact the team today.