The Registry targets enterprises and Vat number holders

The communication sector is sharpening its multimedia weapons to promote awareness amongst entrepreneurs of the benefits of having a dot it domain in terms of visibility and increased business. Before 2009 the communication activities of the Italian Registry were essentially restricted to accepting or rejecting applications for the registration of Internet domains. So coming up with a direct and effective communication strategy to create a new image has not been easy. One of the first steps in 2010 was to focus on those who did not know about us. Given that the Registry has always been part of the National Research Council, the largest public research body in Italy, we decided to highlight the reliability and ethical values associated with this council through a campaign in the traditional media and by completely revamping the website.

However, it was equally important for the 2010 campaign to identify some specific targets such as young people, who essentially represent the future of the country, and also businesses, who are the social and economic backbone. In fact, businesses are particularly important, considering that there are over 10 million Italian Vat holders, yet only 2.4 million domains in the registry database that are assigned to companies, individuals and other entities.

The purpose of the communication campaign was to promote the idea that a dot it domain can give companies greater visibility and help them promote their products and services both in and outside Italy. For producers and service providers, having a presence on the Internet contributes to the growth of Italy's Gdp through the Internet economy.

Since then, there have been other changes and new activities have been introduced. The aims of the Registry's communication strategy are achieved through targeted campaigns based on a mix of tools: websites; social networking; promotional videos on monitors outside stations, airports and service stations; multimedia information materials; and organizing and participating in events. In this perspective, 'Focus. It', the newsletter of the Italian Registry has been redesigned to concentrate on hot topics by covering key figures in the world of the Internet both at home and abroad. The Registry's annual report is thus eagerly awaited, both by professionals in the sector and the media, because it is a barometer of how the dot it suffix is growing and changing its appeal both in and outside Italy. There are also videos and multimedia products that convey, in a simple and appealing way, news on Italian domains, such as the arrival of Internationalized Domain Names (which enabled accented characters to be used in domain names).

In order to spread the culture of the Internet in schools, we have an online 'library' of games (Ludoteca .it) where there is a range of multimedia games and products that reflect the diversity of the Internet, highlighting the potential and opportunities, and not only the dangers. Among the multimedia products tailored to safeguarding the needs of younger Internet users, our "Let's surf safely with Professor Ittì" has been successful amongst schoolgoers.

We will shortly be focusing on an important anniversary: the 25th anniversary of the Italian Registry. We will be celebrating this milestone by focusing firmly on the future, especially students and young people - the digital natives - who will be the surfers and entrepreneurs of the future.

The Registry with its 25 years of history looks to the future and is one of the protagonists of the Internet Festival, an event dedicated to the Italian web in all its aspects where journalists, philosophers, sociologists, and scientists take part as well as those in show business.

Anna Vaccarelli