What will ‘.sucks’ domains mean for brands?

At the end of this month, a new web domain will go on sale to reside among the ranks of .com, .org, .biz and .gov. It’s called “.sucks”, and for obvious reasons it could be a potential headache for brands.

At this point, you might justifiably be asking, “Why?”

Vox Populi Registry, which will administer .sucks domains, explains on a website set up for the June 1 sale that the domain “is designed to help consumers find their voices and allow companies to find the value in criticism. Each dotSucks domain has the potential to become an essential part of every organization’s customer relationship management program.”

PC World lays out the inherent problem here for brands:

Some .SUCKS domain names could end up being nothing more than a little harmless fun. The worst case scenario for major companies, however, might be a disgruntled customer getting their hands on of Google.sucks, Nestle.sucks, or Comcast.sucks.