ICANN Global Outreach Program

Proposed by

Sivasubramanian Muthusamy Sylvia Herlein Leite

Visibility of ICANN as the Agency managing Critical Internet Resources

1) Every computer (node) connected to the Internet is assigned the IP address by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) which is operated by the ICANN, yet ICANN is not known by most Internet users

2) There is an estimated 192 million domain names registered as on data for which the authority is ICANN.

Every Internet user is linked to ICANN, but ICANN is relatively unknown.

3

ICANN is almost unknown outside the icann / igf community

The average Internet user does not know about ICANN.

ICANN sometimes perceived as a trade association for registrars and registries

Even to those within the ICANN Community the available information material is confusing.

All this needs to be changed.

ICANN needs to be known

a) Users need to know that ICANN is the names and numbers Authority (so they know where to go to in case of a problem with names or numbers)

b) Icann needs to diversify/expand its base of volunteer participants in its meetings and programs.

ICANN needs to be perceived well

by policy makers who needs to have improved confidence

So there is need for ICANN to plan and implement an outreach program.

ICANN has a responsibility to become known due to its huge role in the management of critical internet resources.

ICANN needs to work on reaching out to users. On a global level ICANN requires massive outreach efforts that necessarily include Advertising strategies.

Outreach wouldn't be a simple exercise of distributing pamphlets, rather a strategically planned comprehensive exercise. This task needs to be professionally handled.

Non profit Organizations have effectively used the services of Professional Agencies to manage their Outreach or PR campaigns.

Two Professional Agencies – Ogilvy & Mather and Young & Rubicom have been requested to provide preliminary opinion on the idea of ICANN outreach

Ogilvy & Mather, Chennai has responded with a rough opinion and sent us an example campaign

Possible Target (Professional opinion pending)

Broad Target: the whole world of Internet Users.

Initial Focus: website ‘owners’ and bloggers. +

Journalists, consumer groups.

Internet Users with an initial focus on those with domain names + large Internet User organizations (organizations whose business operations considerably depend on their Internet presence such as a bank or a BPO + Consumer and Civil Society Organizations or User groups.)

Possible media to be explored

Offline Strategy: Conventional Print and TV advertising, International Trade Fairs, specialized events for public

+Online Strategy: Social networks, blogs, podcasts, Context Sensitive links (probono Adwords) Adwords helped Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) which has a website with 127,000 static pages.

+ anything that the Advertising Agency may think of such as e-mail to registrants

At-Large Involvement

The beneficiary of this campaign would be ICANN, but a part of all of this campaign may be fronted by ICANN at-Large (user's) organization as an exercise for at-Large outreach, which by extension would amount to ICANN outreach.

At-Large Structures have an awareness of regional issues and concern that may not be apparent to the ICANN Executive and Staff. At Large involvement would make the campaign adapt to regional needs.

Reaching out through at-Large would not only make ICANN known but also make at-Large better known.

As more people come to know about at-Large there would be greater diversity of participation which would bring in more participants for the ICANN process while this exercise makes ICANN better known.

Budget for this outreach campaign

ICANN’s annual income is $60 million, which is likely to increase significantly.

The budgetary allocation for the outreach program could be to the tune of 5 to 7% of ICANN's annual income.

(budgets in the order of $3 to $5 million per year for the first two or three years

after which the budget could stabilize at about 3% of annual income every year)

ICANN's role is very significant and central to the Internet and the world.

Users need to know about ICANN

ICANN needs to improve Institutional Confidence

Ogilvy’s rough opinion

1. Does ICANN the services of a professional agency?

We believe that ICANN can benefit from the services of a professional agency - especially one with significant strengths in the Digital/Digital PR space

Ogilvy’s rough opinion

2. Have non- profit organizations have taken up such campaigns on comparable pursuits?

The reason to take on such a campaign must arise from the benefits ICANN perceives by being known better. There are several internet safety awareness campaigns and other campaigns of public interest one can find.

Ogilvy’s rough opinion

3. The possible benefits for ICANN

At a basic level there would be clarity on ICANN and what it does. Going forward, such campaigns could enhance ICANN's credibility as a policy and dispute resolution body, but also as a source of public interest activity in this space. (e.g. building awareness on cyber-squatting etc.)

Ogilvy’s rough opinion

4. A rough presentation on Media

Specific media recommendations would emerge out of tasks, defining markets and budgets. Given [the] indicative budgets, and the nature of the initial target groups , most of the initiatives would be online and direct mail.

Ogilvy’s rough opinion

5. Why Ogilvy is suitable and whether Ogilvy would be interested

Ogilvy has a dominant presence in digital /interactive initiatives (as well as online PR…We could provide you strategic and creative support in the online and offline space that covers every aspect of communication like PR, events, interactive advertising etc.

Ogilvy sent us a case on a public service campaign for "World Contraception Day".

While this has little to do with our category, it is an example of how a concept can be communicated to multiple audiences using various interventions in PR, advertising, events and direct marketing.

…. The Case presentation follows:

Sivasubramanian Muthusamy

Isolatedn@gmail.com turiya@in.com

Sylvia Herlein Leite

sylvia@internautabrasil.org